Freshwater pearls are produced in mollusks unlike the saltwater pearls which are produced in oysters. Obviously they are grown in ponds, lakes and rivers rather than in the ocean. Most of today's freshwater cultured pearls are produced in China. Improvements in culturing techniques have led to the production of, the round, high-luster gems. Chinese pearls have seen a vast improvement in quality as compared to the inexpensive, squishy rice-krispie-shaped gems typical of the freshwater crop of the past. Indeed many experts maintain that today's freshwater cultured pearls rival the beauty of saltwater cultured pearls. This is an extraordinary leap from the freshwater pearl's humble reputation of the recent past.



Freshwater cultured pearls are produced in mussels belonging to the family Unionidae. Most of them are grown in China, but the United Sates also produces its fair share of freshwater pearls. In fact, the mother-of-pearl beads used to induce the pearl growing process worldwide are made from ground American mussel shells. Many freshwater pearls are nucleated, or implanted, with mantle tissue only, which is taken from a donor mussel. These nucleated freshwater pearls are 100% nacre because they do not contain a starter ?bead,? tissue. This gives them a beautiful luster and a durable surface that does not flake or peel to reveal the inner bead. In contrast to this, pearls that are bead-nucleated and prematurely harvested often have only a thin coating of nacre that is prone to flaking and chipping. Pearls unfortunately, cannot be polished back to attain their original state once they're destroyed.

Freshwater pearl-producing mussels can accept up to 50 implants at a time. They typically require 2-6 years to grow, and the finished pearl typically ranges in size from 4mm to 11mm. Larger freshwater pearls are also to be found, albeit their bigger size will likely be reflected in a bigger price tag. Approximately 60% of a typical freshwater pearl crop is made up of button pearls (flat on one side) or oval pearls. Only about 2% of the harvest is round, according to the latest information from the Gemological Institute of America. Baroque (which have no symmetry) and semi-baroque pearls typically make up the remainder of the crop. As with Tahitians and other pearl types, once they reach the hands of a skilled designer, these unique pearls can be turned into extremely beautiful jewelry which every woman would be proud to posses.

When it comes to color, the freshwater cultured pearl offers a wonderful variety. Pastel shades like cream, white, yellow, orange, and pink are quite common; as well, universally flattering lavender pearls are enjoying a surge in popularity today. When deciding which color freshwater pearls to buy, keep in mind that the wearer's skin tone should be the most important consideration. Choose a color that will flatter and not detract. Overall, freshwater pearls are more plentiful than other pearl types, thus they are usually more affordable. Your budget may allow you to choose a few different colors. One can own several pieces of pearl jewelry of different shapes, sizes, colors and designs.