The Origin of Freshwater Pearl Jewelry

Today, the majority of freshwater pearls are mass produced through pearl farms located in China. Unlike other types of pearls, freshwater pearls derive from mussels which live in freshwater lakes and rivers. Other types of pearls come from mussels which live in sea/salt water. Freshwater pearl jewelry is probably the most accessible type of pearl jewelry available and maybe the most affordable. Large pearl farms located about 300 miles outside of Shanghai have been producing large quantities of freshwater pearls for decades. However, in recent years, the emphasis of quantity has been switched to the emphasis of quality. This means that only the highest quality shapes, nacre’s, and sizes are selected to create the final pieces of freshwater pearl jewelry sent around the world.

The Size of Freshwater Pearls

Freshwater pearls range from average sizes to larger than usual. The exact measurements are usually 4mm to 11mm. As we said, in recent times, the production of freshwater pearl jewelry has been put more on quality rather than quantity. So you are going to be finding more and more freshwater pearls that are closer to being identical in size rather than previously.

Color of Freshwater Pearl Jewelry

You can encounter freshwater pearl jewelry that come in a all colors of the rainbow it seems. Naturally, however, freshwater pearls can usually be found to be white or cream with rose and/or green overtones. You can also find freshwater pearls that are also naturally peach, pink, and even purple. If you come across chocolate freshwater pearls or black freshwater pearls, more than often these have been treated to be this color. However, the pearl itself is most likely still 100% real unless otherwise stated.

Shapes of Freshwater Pearls

Freshwater pearls come in a variety of shapes as well. Most freshwater pearls are oval, button and coin shaped. More often, saltwater pearls come in a more circular shape. Freshwater pearls on the other hand are just slightly off more often than not. However when grouped together with similar shaped pearls, the overall freshwater pearl jewelry still looks just as stunning in the end.

While freshwater pearl jewelry is most often the least expensive of all the pearl jewelry types, they have some very strong qualities and characteristics that make them unique and valuable. In addition to the 4 characteristics we’ve already mentioned, the strength and durability of the actual pearl is much stronger than other types of pearls. This makes freshwater pearl jewelry long lasting and worth the investment.