Cultured Freshwater Pearl

Cultured freshwater pearls are the most common type of pearl and are best known for their unusual shapes, wide variety of sizes, and range in colors. Freshwater pearls are available in a much wider variety of natural colors and shapes than saltwater pearls, giving them a special allure. In addition to the versatility offered by the rainbow of color and shape options, the lower cost of freshwater pearls makes it an attractive value alternative to the saltwater pearl.

Pearl colors include white, orange, lavender, purple, violet, blue, rose, and silver. The variety of shapes includes round, drop, coin, button, rice, stick, and potato. Freshwater pearls vary in size from 1mm – 15mm, though a typical pearl will be in the range from 4mm to 10mm.

Although freshwater pearls are the most common and affordable among pearls, very round and lustrous pearls are difficult to find. When shopping for quality freshwater pearls, look for a radiant luster, clean surface, and shapes that are close to perfectly round.

How is the cultured freshwater pearl made, and why are they so popular?

Cultured freshwater pearls are grown in freshwater rather than saltwater, and not in oysters but in mussels living in lakes and rivers. Freshwater pearls are produced by the Hyropsis Cumingi mussel, which is roughly the size of a human hand. The leading countries in the production of freshwater cultured pearls are the United States, China, and Japan. In addition to the round cultured pearl, which requires more sophisticated production techniques, freshwater pearl producers are also culturing pearls in special fancy shapes such as crosses, bars, and coins.

Differing from that of saltwater pearls, the process of cultivating freshwater pearls does not require a bead nucleus. By using grafting techniques, a mantle tissue is introduced to the mussel. This method along with the fact that a larger mollusk is used for freshwater production, allows for mass production. A single mollusk can produce up to 50 pearls at a time. Because only a mantle tissue is used without a bead nucleus, top quality cultured freshwater pearls are essentially all nacre and offer a very good value.

China has become the leader in this pearl type by developing new freshwater culturing techniques. Nearly 96% of freshwater pearls today are produced in China with much higher quality, even making them comparable and indistinguishable from their saltwater cousins. The Japanese also have a rich history of freshwater pearl cultivation. Pearls from Lake Biwa are recognized worldwide as the quality standard. Sadly, in the 1970s freshwater pearl production stopped completely as Lake Biwa became toxically polluted. While the Japanese are just at the beginning stages of restarting their freshwater pearl production, they are achieving successful results.

Please visit our Freshwater Pearl collection. Below are some of our featured items.