Freshwater Pearl
Uniquely and Different Freshwater Pearls
Freshwater pearls are known as “freshwater cultured pearls” in commerce. These pearls are, traditionally harvested only in saltwater mollusks, but now, they are found to be produced by freshwater mussels which live in ponds, lakes and rivers as well. Freshwater pearls were first mentioned to be harvested in the form of mabe in the 14th century by China. Today, China holds domination over the production of these pearls, totaling to 1,500 tons in 2006; and they are mainly marketed in Hongkong, which is the world’s pearl trading hub. The Hyriopsis Cumingi (triangle shell) species produce most of this type of pearls today.
Majority of freshwater pearls are not bead-nucleated. The process of nucleating freshwater mollusks is done by creating a small incision in the fleshy mantle tissue of a 6 to 12 month old mussel, then inserting a 3mm square piece of mantle tissue from a donor mussel. Upon insertion, graft tissue is twisted slightly to round out the edges. Afterwards, the mollusks are returned to the freshwater where they are tended for 2-6 years.
Freshwater pearls have the widest range of colors, size, and shapes as compared to other types of pearls. Freshwater pearls produce an optical effect where rainbows of colors glisten beneath the pearls’ surface. They are solid nacre, durable, and quite resistant to chipping, wearing, and degeneration. Their nacre thickness ranges from 0.2mm to 4.0mm.
The body color of these pearls can be cream, white, orange, pink, purple, or yellow. Higher-quality of freshwater pearls has overtones of blue, green, and rose. The sizes of these pearls range from 2.00mm to 15.0mm. Those with sizes ranging from 6.0 to 7.00 mm are best suited for maintaining an understated, minimalist appeal; 7.0 to 8.00 mm are good for making a refined statement; and 9.0 to 10.00 mm are suited for young adults or mature teens.
About the Author
The article is contributed by a professional content writer, having experiences of working in different industries. For further information on wholesale freshwater pearls and Freshwater pearls please visit http://www.alohapearls.com/
How can I tell if my freshwater pearls are real and not fake?
I was told there is a way of testing pearls to check if they are genuine – please note my pearls are on a bracelet and cannot be removed for testing, any method must be able to do in situ – thanks in advance
rub two together. real pearls with leave a white powder, fake will leave no residue. you should be able to do this with your bracelet. i saw this on worlds strongest man the other day. also real pearls feel gritty if rubbed on your teeth.
other methods of testing are listed here
http://jewelrymaking.allinfoabout.com/features/pearltest.html
MAKING A FRESH WATER PEARL necklace WITH MATCHING EARRINGS
