Freshwater Pearls

If you wish to narrow down your search to wedding or kid's jewellery, we would wholeheartedly recommend you to take a closer look at our freshwater pearls. The items which can be found in this category are surely the right choice for little girls and big girls who love something romantic!

By the way, Chinese pearl farms are the main freshwater pearl suppliers of the world market. The first mentioning of freshwater pearls in Chinese writings dates back to 2206 BC. Up until the 19th century the USA was also one of the world's pearl suppliers, but its “pearl breeding career” proved to be rather short, because due to the increasing environmental pollution the USA failed to produce high quality pearls. Unlike the USA, China's pearl breeding industry has been steadily developing: both freshwater and seawater pearls produced by Chinese pearl breeding farms are of top quality. But freshwater and seawater pearls have one distinctive difference: freshwater pearls do not grow around a nucleus. Freshwater pearls are grown by means of making small incisions in the mother-of-peal tissue, into which pieces of oyster tissue are inserted. The mussels are then returned to their habitat, where they are nourished and taken care of over a period from two to six years. After that, although freshwater pearls are seldom perfectly round, they are coated with solid, particularly strong and chip resistant nacre.

Up until the 19 century freshwater pearls could be found in the streams and rivers of the northern hemisphere, for instance, in freshwater pearl mussels. With a bit of luck, one could find a small, perfectly round and somewhat chalky glowing freshwater pearl in it. These pearls' growth period is from 20 to 25 years, so they are unsuitable for breeding. However in the time of German courts an attempt was made to create mussel settlements in Odenwald and in Eifel for the purpose of freshwater pearl breeding. Such settlements were known as “Pearl shelves”. But after the French troops entered the country at the end the 18th century, the idea of pearl breeding was gradually given up. Just as Akoya pearls, the South Sea pearl type, known as “Queen of pearls” , belongs to the category of cultured pearls. But there is one considerable difference between South Sea and Akoya pearls: it is their size. South Sea pearls can grow from 8 to 22 mm in size. It is the mother-of-pearl in which the pearls are grown that determines their size. The Pinctada Maxima is a splendid specimen weighing up to 5 kg. South Sea pearls are bred in the lakes and rivers of Myanmar, Australia, Indonesia and the South Pacific. White or gold coloured South Sea pearls grow in the Pinctada maxima, while the dark Tahitian pearls grow the Pinctada margaritifera. Unlike freshwater and saltwater pearls, the mussel producing South Sea pearls contains only one nucleus. South Sea pearls are grown in warm water and with excessive supply of nourishing plankton. These are the ideal conditions for culturing pearls whose implanted nuclei are gradually coated with particularly thick and healthy nacre. A certain period of time should pass, before a pearl grows large enough. It normally takes a South Sea pearl from 9 to 16 months to grow inside an oyster. But the nucleus is actually taken out of the oyster in almost two years. During the growth period of the pearl all pearl breeders take a great risk, as the oyster might fall ill or die, or the pearl might form a wrong shape. Such contingencies arise from the mere fact that South Sea pearls are so rare, sought after and expensive. These characteristics make South Sea pearls truly luxury items.

Another reason why South Sea Pearls are so attractive is the high density of their nacre. It is the thick nacre of South Sea pearls that enchants us with its colourfulness and makes the pearls look especially lustrous. South Sea pearls shine and shimmer in the light. Unlike Akoya pearls, no preliminary work or artificial enhancement is required to improve the colour and brilliance of South Sea Pearls. Therefore a South Sea pearl is also often referred to as “Queen of pearls”. The most beautiful specimen are extremely expensive all over the world. The colour range of South Sea pearls varies from white to golden yellow and sliver grey, but they also come in an array of hues including pink, gold, gray and dark-gray. Some unique South Sea pearls from the 'dark' group have an iridescent peacock-green overtone: therefore they are considered to be the most noble pieces of jewellery in the world. South Sea pearls have a wide range of overtones, and this certainly makes it possible to combine pearls in numerous ways. A combination of precious metals, precious stones and corals always adds a new facet to a piece of jewellery: it is sometimes elegant, sometimes playful, sometimes purist or extravagant. Have you got questions relating to some specific piece of jewellery or to South Sea pearls in general? If so, we shall be happy to hear from you by phone or e-mail. Do you wish to purchase pearls of a particular size or colouring? We shall be certainly delighted to help you choose the right item. Thanks to the excellent contacts we maintain with pearl breeders, jewellers and purchasing agents, our shop can make many of your wishes come true! Discover the South Sea pearls of outstanding quality. Needless to say, all of our pearls have a relevant certificate and a warranty. hide information