Tag Archives: Freshwater Pearls

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History Of The Freshwater Pearl

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Many people have only recently become aware of freshwater pearls, but these beautiful creations have been around for centuries. The first groups of people to culture a product from freshwater mussels were the Chinese. The first known recorded citation that mentions pearls is from China as well and dates back to 2200 BC. However, the Chinese used shell mabes instead of true pearls. Japan thus holds the distinction of being the first country to produce cultured freshwater pearls.

Japan takes over

After the Japanese’s initial success with cultured saltwater pearls, they decided to experiment with freshwater mussels. The first experiments were done in Lake Biwa, a large lake near Kyoto. Around the 1930s, the first commercial freshwater pearl crops began to appear here. These all-nacre Biwa pearls were able to produce colors unmatched in saltwater pearls. The luminescent depth and luster quickly became popular. read more

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Are Freshwater Pearls Worth The Purchase?

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We get this question quite often – ‘are freshwater pearls worth the money?’ The answer is simple – absolutely. There are several reasons that these pearls are worth a second look.

Freshwter pearls contain more nacre

When drilling the freshwater pearl, the mantle tissue used to nucleate the pearl is drilled out or dissolved. This means that you have a solid pearl that does not have any immediate flaws, meaning it can last you a lifetime. You buy a quality pearl that does not contain the nucleus in the finished product. This guarantees that freshwater pearls have a unique, glassy luster that you cannot find anywhere else. read more

Why are Edison pearls so affordable?

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The Edison pearl is the largest freshwater pearls available on the market and produces colors that are simply unmatched by most other pearl options. They are still pricey, but affordable if we compare them to the price of pearls less than 40, 50 years ago. Why is that?

Freshwater pearls have changed
About a century or a little more, pearls were so valuable that a single string of naturally formed pearls could net you a mansion on Park Avenue in New York city and it would have been considered a fair trade. Nowadays it seems as though pearls are becoming more affordable than ever before. While these Edison pearls are still expensive (make no mistake about it) they are more affordable than pearls were before. read more

The new era of pearls – the Edison pearl

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Until a few years ago, freshwater pearls with a size of 10 millimeter or more might sound too good to be true. Fast forward a few years, and the Edison pearl has made those large pearls a reality. These Edison pearls are the latest development in the Chinese freshwater pearl production. At the time of writing, only three pearl farms are making Edison pearls.

What about the details of these pearls?
These pearls are relatively innovative and large, but what about the quality of these pearls? Can these pearls compare to what shoppers have become accustomed to? We will break down the specifics about these Edison pearls. The shape is usually round to slightly off-round. As with most freshwater pearls, you should not expect a perfect round shape for every pearl. read more

The development of the Edison pearls

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Chances are that you know that Chinese freshwater pearls are quickly becoming a dominant force in the pearl industry. You might know that many of these Chinese freshwater pearls are not only more affordable, but might have a similar quality or even better quality than many of its competitors. What you might not know is that the Chinese development is not only good for lowering the overall price of pearls, but also leads to innovation.

The difference that dedication makes
One of the major recent developments in the pearl industry is the introduction of the Edison pearl. This is a far larger pearl with vivid hues of bronze, purple, and pink, all colors that could hardly ever be created without an unnatural dying process. read more

Edison Pearls – Game Changer for large pearls

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Just when people in the pearl industry think they have seen everything, they are witness to the introduction of a new pearl. The Edison pearl is the result of a new freshwater pearl culturing technique. When looking at the traditional freshwater pearls, you will notice that these are relatively small when cultured. The donor mollusk’s tissue is only about a 2 millimeter square of tissue. Per host mollusk, this means that we should realistically expect between 12 and 14 freshwater pearls.

The Edison pearl is changing the game
However, that is until we saw the newest addition to the family of freshwater pearls – the Edison pearl. The cultivation of these pearls uses some techniques that manufacturers also use during saltwater culturing. This means that for every mollusk, only a single pearl is cultured. Now that might seem like a strange idea (less pearls = less money right?) but the harvest is a much larger sized pearl. These pearls have bright luster and colors that range from plum, peach, pink, white, and even exotic purple tones. read more

Akoya Pearl Jewelry

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Jewelry made with Akoya cultured pearls is classic, popular and beautiful. These pearls are perfect in strands, necklaces, bracelets and earrings. The Akoya pearl was first cultured in Japanese pearl farms in the early part of the 20th Century, and any piece of jewelry is complemented with its rich, white color and rose overtone.

Most often jewelry made with these pearls are set with 18k gold posts and clasps, which highlights their beautiful luster. While they may seem similar to other freshwater pearls, when compared directly, the difference is striking. The Akoya is larger, more smooth, a bit rounder and more lustrous. read more

Freshwater Pearls History

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One of the largest natural pearls in existence today is the Hope Pearl. It belonged to its namesake – Henry Phillip Hope. Hope’s incredible gem collection also included the infamous blue Hope Diamond. The Hope Pearl is a Freshwater pearl that is mainly white and gradually becomes dark bronze towards the bottom. It is approximately 450 carat or 1800 grains. The hope pearls measures 51 mm wide and 114 mm long.