Freshwater pearls are a kind of stone that comes from freshwater mussels. They are produced in Japan, China, and the United States. They are often used in jewellery and are also crushed to make cosmetic paints. Pearl is valued as a gemstone and is cultivated or harvested for jewellry. The unique lustre of pearls depends upon the reflection and refraction of light from the translucent layers. The iridescence (that is, where the hue changes according to the angle from which the surface is viewed) that some pearls display is caused by the overlapping of successive layers, which breaks up light falling on the surface. They come in various pastel shades of pink, peach, lavender, white, black, plum, and tangerine, depending on the type of mussel.

A single mussel can produce up to 50 pearls. Natural pearls are seldom perfectly round or even nearly round, more often than not they are of irregular, elongated shapes. Although white is the most common colour of freshwater pearls, the most desirable (and therefore the most expensive) are the pastel pinks, roses, lavenders, and purples. The different colours are a function of the mussel species, genetics, water quality, and the position of the pearl in the shell.

Black pearls, frequently referred to as Black Tahitian Pearls, are highly valued because of their rarity; the culturing process for them means a smaller volume output from each mussel and thus they are never found in mass numbers.

Freshwater pearls are exceptionally popular for use in jewellery, and genuine pearls, as opposed to fake ones, will attract a high price regardless of location in the world. However, in some countries, where pearls are not locally produced, prices are on average higher than those of Japan, China, and the United States.

Regardless of the type, they all look spectacular in necklaces, bracelets, pendants, and rings. As opposed to diamonds and other gemstones, pearls are typically larger, heavier, and more visible, with the stunning iridescence of the pearl attracting the eye. these stones can be purchased both online and in retails stores worldwide.

But where do they come from and how are they made? Pearls are made by placing a nuclei of a pearl inside a live oyster, and returning three to sex years later to harvest to the full pearl. The nucleus is generally a polished bead made from mussel shell. Along with a small scrap of mantle tissue from another oyster to serve as an irritant, it is surgically implanted near the oyster's genitals. Oysters which survive the subsequent surgery to remove the finished pearl are often implanted with a new, larger nucleus as part of the same procedure and then returned to the water for another three years of growth.

Now that you know where these stones come from, you may look at them differently than you did before.

There is lots of jewellery makers out there using them, so go have a look.