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<<<Click Here to Shop for Pearls Online>>> Where Do Fresh Water Pearls Come From?
Fortunately for bead lovers everywhere, fresh water pearls are again in abundant supply because they are now farmed, mostly in China. The pearls are created by making a small incision in the fleshy mantle tissue of the freshwater mollusk and inserting a piece of mantle tissue from another mollusk. Up to 50 pieces can be inserted in a single mollusk, creating up to 50 pearls at a time. The mollusks are then kept in a fresh water environment for two to six years while the pearls form. The nucleated piece of mantle tissue usually deteriorates as the pearl forms, leaving a freshwater pearl that is nearly all nacre. Natural or Cultered Because they are nucleated, fresh water pearls are in fact cultured pearls. Pearls produced todaywithout human intervention are extremely rare. Traditionally, cultured pearls were created by inserting a mother-of-pearl (shell) bead into the mollusk. Today's fresh water pearls are only nucleated with mantle tissue which leaves the pearl nearly all nacre, but because the pearl was started with human assistance it is still considered a cultured pearl. How a Mollusk Makes a Pearl The fresh water pearl is created when the mollusk secreets nacre, a combination of calcium carbonate and organic protein substances which provide bonding, in layers around the piece of mantle tissue (or other irritant in naturally occurring pearls). It may take several years for the pearl to reach the desired size. Nacre is the same substance that creates the shiny inside of the shell. Quality and Value The quality and value of fresh water pearls is based on the shape of the pearl, its size, the luster of the nacre, the texture of the surface, and its color. These factors vary widely because the pearl is created by a living organism. The luster and color of the fresh water pearl are characteristics of its nacre. Luster refers to the brilliance and reflective qualities of the nacre. Higher quality pearls tend to be brighter and shinier. The grading of pearls is a balancing act between all the factors involved. A small pearl may be much more expensive than a larger one if the luster and color is superior or if the texture of the pearl is better. Color Color in fresh water pearls is generally naturally in the white, cream, pink, peach, lavender range, although they may also be bleached. Any dark or bright colors in fresh water pearls have been enhanced by dying or irradiating the pearls. Fresh water pearls are dyed using silver nitrate to darken the nacre. Irradiation uses gamma rays to darken the nacre, and tends to give the pearls a shinier color than dying. Fortunaly, the dyed and irradiated colors in pearls are very color-fact and wear well.
Shapes The shape of fresh water pearls varies widely, from the oval rice shape, to the nearly-round potato, to the flattened button pearls and irregular shapes of biwas and baroques. Fresh water pearls are now even being made in the shape of hearts, crosses, squares and coins. Most have a smooth surface; some have ridges. Keshi pearls, a sort of cornflake shaped pearl, are created when the mollusk rejects the implanted mantle tissue which fractures and forms a pearl sac without a nucleus. Keshi means poppy seed in Japanese. The rice krispie shape so characteristic of fresh water pearls a few years ago is now hard to find as the art of pearl farming has been perfected.
Size The size of fresh water pearls is measured in millimeters. If only one dimension is given it refers to the diameter. Fresh water pearls may be anywhere from 2 or 3mm and up. Care and Cleaning Fresh water pearls are softer and more delicate than many other beads since they are an organic material. Care should be taken not to scratch the surface. Store pearls separately from other hard jewery items to prevent scratches and damage. They can be wrapped in a soft cloth or pouch, or placed in a separate compartment of your jewelry box. Also try to protect your pearls from cosmetics, perfumes and hair sprays which can dull the surface luster. To clean fresh water pearls, wipe them with a soft cloth afer wearing to remove any body oils or cosmetics. They may be washed occasionally with a mild soap and a soft cloth. Just be careful about pearls strung on silk as the silk will probably shrink if it gets wet. Larger, more expensive pearls are often knotted to keep the pearls from abrading each other and to keep them from bouncing off down the street if the strand should ever break. Knotted pearls that are worn frequently will need to be re-knotted on a regular basis, every year or two, to keep the thread in good condition and clean. Less expensive fresh water pearls are often simply strung on nylon or flex wire, alone or combined with gemstones, Swarovski crystal, or glass beads. |
