Everything You Should Know about Freshwater Pearls

Unlike cultured freshwater pearls, natural freshwater pearls of excellent quality are extremely difficult to find or create. That's because everything is left to nature. As such, maybe it's not too hard to understand why freshwater pearls, in spite of its imperfections, are still incredibly more expensive than the best cultured pearls.
How Natural Freshwater Pearls Are Made
The process of making natural freshwater pearls is exactly the same with the process of making natural seawater pearls. Firstly, a foreign object finds its way inside the mussel or oyster. It can be anything from a parasite to a tiny pebble. If the oyster isn't able to take it out of its system, it will begin to feel irritated. To reduce its discomfort, it will start secreting nacre - which is the stuff that pearls are made of.
How Cultured Freshwater Pearls Are Made
Pearl divers or makers will create a small opening in the oyster's shells in order to insert mantle tissue from other oysters. The insertion will cause the freshwater oyster to start producing nacre. Pearl manufacturers can guarantee the outcome or quality of their products by taking control of factors like water temperature, the oyster's health, and so forth.
History of Freshwater Pearls
Japan used to be the dominant figure in the cultured pearl industry. Having met success in their attempts in culturing pearls from saltwater mussels, they decided to conduct the same experiments with freshwater mussels from Lake Biwa. Their attempt was successful as well, and people were delighted to see new colors, colors that were never produced in saltwater pearls. As such, cultured freshwater pearls of Japan became so popular that all cultured freshwater pearls were referred to as Biwas in those days regardless of their origin.
Unfortunately, pollution caused great damage to Biwa cultured pearl production, and it was during this time that a new dominant figure emerged in the market: China. The country was blessed with numerous natural resources that the space-challenged Japan didn't have: acres and acres of open land, innumerable lakes and other water bodies, and thousands and thousands of available human resources willing to work for less than minimum wages.
Although the first few experiments of China in cultured freshwater pearl production were pretty much unsuccessful and understandably unappealing to the public, China was soon able to master the necessary techniques to create pearls that could not only surpass the quality of the best pearls produced by Japan but were also sold cheaper compared to other pearls. Chinese cultured freshwater pearls also came in a variety of colors, some of which Japanese cultured freshwater pearl makers were unable to reproduce.
How to Take Care of Freshwater Pearls
Freshwater pearls, whether they're natural or cultured, possess a soft surface which can easily be scratched or damaged. As such, it's imperative that you keep your pearl jewelry separate from other jewelries. It's also better to place them inside a pouch rather than a jewelry box because the latter's surface can also cause nicks to appear in pearl jewelry.
The acidity level of a woman's skin may affect the wearing life of pearl jewelry. If a pearl necklace is constantly being worn by a woman with a particularly high level of acidity in her skin, the acidity will gradually seep into the pearl, affecting its luster and shape. To prevent this from happening too soon, you should always polish your pearls with a non-abrasive cloth after taking them off.
Be careful about exposing pearl jewelry to chemicals. Spraying perfume while you're wearing your pearl necklace can cause considerable damage to them over time. You must also avoid spilling any liquid on them, especially when it has rather strong properties such as lemon and vinegar.
Heat can also cause damage to pearl jewelry. If you persist in wearing your pearl jewelry in hot and humid weather, the climate can change the color of your pearls or worse, cause cracks to appear on the surface. Dry unmoving air is also bad for your pearls.
Make sure that you are using only jewelry cleaners specifically intended for pearl cleaning and nothing else. You can not steam-clean pearls as well. If you wish to preserve the luster of your pearls, you can use a drop of olive oil on them.
Pearl jewelry is amazing to possess not only because of its natural beauty but also because of the amount of hard work put into them. Hard work by humans and nature combined.

For more information go to: [http://www.unlimitedpearls.com], [http://www.bestpearlnecklaces.com], or [http://www.bestpearlearrings.com]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nathalie_Fiset

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/368294

Everything You Should Know about Freshwater Pearls

Unlike cultured freshwater pearls, natural freshwater pearls of excellent quality are extremely difficult to find or create. That's because everything is left to nature. As such, maybe it's not too hard to understand why freshwater pearls, in spite of its imperfections, are still incredibly more expensive than the best cultured pearls.
How Natural Freshwater Pearls Are Made
The process of making natural freshwater pearls is exactly the same with the process of making natural seawater pearls. Firstly, a foreign object finds its way inside the mussel or oyster. It can be anything from a parasite to a tiny pebble. If the oyster isn't able to take it out of its system, it will begin to feel irritated. To reduce its discomfort, it will start secreting nacre - which is the stuff that pearls are made of.
How Cultured Freshwater Pearls Are Made
Pearl divers or makers will create a small opening in the oyster's shells in order to insert mantle tissue from other oysters. The insertion will cause the freshwater oyster to start producing nacre. Pearl manufacturers can guarantee the outcome or quality of their products by taking control of factors like water temperature, the oyster's health, and so forth.
History of Freshwater Pearls
Japan used to be the dominant figure in the cultured pearl industry. Having met success in their attempts in culturing pearls from saltwater mussels, they decided to conduct the same experiments with freshwater mussels from Lake Biwa. Their attempt was successful as well, and people were delighted to see new colors, colors that were never produced in saltwater pearls. As such, cultured freshwater pearls of Japan became so popular that all cultured freshwater pearls were referred to as Biwas in those days regardless of their origin.
Unfortunately, pollution caused great damage to Biwa cultured pearl production, and it was during this time that a new dominant figure emerged in the market: China. The country was blessed with numerous natural resources that the space-challenged Japan didn't have: acres and acres of open land, innumerable lakes and other water bodies, and thousands and thousands of available human resources willing to work for less than minimum wages.
Although the first few experiments of China in cultured freshwater pearl production were pretty much unsuccessful and understandably unappealing to the public, China was soon able to master the necessary techniques to create pearls that could not only surpass the quality of the best pearls produced by Japan but were also sold cheaper compared to other pearls. Chinese cultured freshwater pearls also came in a variety of colors, some of which Japanese cultured freshwater pearl makers were unable to reproduce.
How to Take Care of Freshwater Pearls
Freshwater pearls, whether they're natural or cultured, possess a soft surface which can easily be scratched or damaged. As such, it's imperative that you keep your pearl jewelry separate from other jewelries. It's also better to place them inside a pouch rather than a jewelry box because the latter's surface can also cause nicks to appear in pearl jewelry.
The acidity level of a woman's skin may affect the wearing life of pearl jewelry. If a pearl necklace is constantly being worn by a woman with a particularly high level of acidity in her skin, the acidity will gradually seep into the pearl, affecting its luster and shape. To prevent this from happening too soon, you should always polish your pearls with a non-abrasive cloth after taking them off.
Be careful about exposing pearl jewelry to chemicals. Spraying perfume while you're wearing your pearl necklace can cause considerable damage to them over time. You must also avoid spilling any liquid on them, especially when it has rather strong properties such as lemon and vinegar.
Heat can also cause damage to pearl jewelry. If you persist in wearing your pearl jewelry in hot and humid weather, the climate can change the color of your pearls or worse, cause cracks to appear on the surface. Dry unmoving air is also bad for your pearls.
Make sure that you are using only jewelry cleaners specifically intended for pearl cleaning and nothing else. You can not steam-clean pearls as well. If you wish to preserve the luster of your pearls, you can use a drop of olive oil on them.
Pearl jewelry is amazing to possess not only because of its natural beauty but also because of the amount of hard work put into them. Hard work by humans and nature combined.

For more information go to: [http://www.unlimitedpearls.com], [http://www.bestpearlnecklaces.com], or [http://www.bestpearlearrings.com]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nathalie_Fiset

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/368294

How to Identify Genuine Freshwater Pearls

Pearls are elegant jewelry. You can buy them shaped as necklaces, bracelets, earrings or even as an accent to a ring. There are hundreds, if not thousands of pearl jewelry designs to choose from in the market today. Before you buy one for yourself, you should learn how to identify if what you are getting is genuine or fake.
First, you have to know the kind of pearl that is available in the market. They are categorized in two:

1. Saltwater pearls - these are formed inside oysters that are living in the heart of the ocean. It has three types - Tahitian, Akoya, and South Sea Pearls - depending on the kind of oyster that produced it.
2. Freshwater pearls - these are formed inside mussels that are living in lakes, rivers, ponds, or any other body of fresh water.

Either saltwater pearls or freshwater pearls can be natural or cultured. Natural means that there is no human intervention and the pearl is formed naturally by the oyster or mussel. The pearl oyster secretes nacre an iridescent material made of calcium carbonate. The nacre will coat a microscopic irritant entering its shell until a pearl is formed. On the other hand, cultured means that a pearl grower will carefully open the shell and introduce a small object as an irritant (commonly a bead or metal), then get them back into the water and wait for the pearl to form. This usually takes 2-5 years.
There are a lot of fake pearls out there, but it is more pleasant to own a genuine pearl jewelry at least once in your lifetime. A genuine pearl does not only mean "natural". Even "cultured" pearls are genuine pearls too, having an advantage of being more affordable than natural pearls.
When you hear of fake pearls, it means that they are man-made pearls made of glass, ceramics, plastics or any other similar materials. They are also called "faux" pearls and are sold as costume jewelry. In the face of modern technology, man can create pearls that look like the original one. Mind you, fakes can have the exact original look, but they do not have the same weight or texture. And their luster is dimmer, which is enough to show that they are imitations of the original. They do not contain any gem value.
To help you with identifying genuine freshwater pearls, here is a three way test:

1. Tooth test - get the pearl and run it against your front teeth, just right below the biting edge. If you sense a gritty feeling, it is most probably real. Fake pearls are smooth, like plastic or glass. However, be very careful of the pearls that are made from ground shells as they can also be gritty.
2. Luster test - test the pearls against all kinds of light. Fake pearls will have a shine only on the surface, while genuine pearls always shine from within.
3. Rub test - get two pearls and rub it together. It should be gritty and do not slide off each other.

For more information on pearl necklace, pearl earrings, fresh water pearls, and other freshwater pearl relative products, visit YouPearl at www.youpearl.com

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Go For In-Depth Information About Freshwater Pearls Before Buying

Freshwater pearls are nothing but the most beautiful treasure that can be the most valuable asset for any woman. And, adorning any pearl jewelry gives the woman a totally new look without putting much pressure on budget. In simpler words, it could be said that pearl is an added beauty to the woman's beauty. However, before buying this precious jewelry, it is better to enhance your general knowledge about them as it is a matter of finding the best while not getting into the fake buying. Nowadays, every precious thing has got its replica in the industry and jewelry is one of them. So, it is very important to check the quality before investing your hard owned money.
It is a well-known fact that the traditional source of pearls has been saltwater mollusks, but freshwater mussels, which live in ponds, lakes and rivers, can also give birth to this natural beauty. China that has been contributing a lot in the generation of this beautiful jewelry since the 13th century has now become the world's undisputed leader in freshwater pearl production. Moving ahead on the same platform, the U.S. also contributed a lot in the generation of pearls, until over-harvesting and increasing pollution significantly reduced the number of available pearl forming- mussels in the country.
It is more like an overstatement, but it is a fact that freshwater pearl beads are not as round as saltwater pearls and do not have that same sharp luster and shine, but its popularity is huge. People crave for these beautiful pearls as these pearls are available in wide variety of shapes and natural colors and are less expensive than saltwater pearls. Due to these beneficial aspects, pearls originated from mussels are very popular with younger people and designers. Also, due to its solid nacre, these pearls are also quite durable, resisting chipping, wear, and degeneration.
Freshwater pearls started gaining popularity with the changing time and due to several influential factors. It is primary jump in terms of quality was achieved when the pearl generating industry shifted from the Cockscomb pearl mussel, to the Triangle shell in the middle 90s. The Cockscomb pearl mussel was held responsible for the deteriorating quality of pearls. Another quality jump was seen when lower number of grafts, which went down to an average of 5 per side were inserted into either valve.
If you are looking for these beautiful pearls to enhance your beauty, then the mentioned information will do the needful. So, make the most of it and get the best from it.

The author is an experienced Content writer and publisher on the topics related to Freshwater pearls and freshwater pearl beads for more details please visit TreaSureIslandPearls.com.

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The Freshwater Pearl Trade: Exposed and Lusted Over

Lots of people take romance novels or mystery books to read on vacation. I took a book that chronicles the story of the pearl trade. Fraught with tales of woe and triumph, treasure and oyster guts, scientists and simple fisher folk. Tears of Mermaids: The Secret Story of Pearls by Stephen G. Bloom is a fascinating read. (Not just for geeky jewelry designers, it really was an interesting, engaging book!)
Some interesting facts that I learned about these alluring orbs:
* An extremely high quality, cultivated, saltwater pearl can be sold for as much as $8,000 per PEARL.
* The largest, most expensive, most sought after creamy white orbs are grown off the coast of Australia.
* Almost all available pearls are cultivated now. Natural pearls are usually so puny and misshapen that they're worth less than the oyster meat surrounding them.
* Black and grey saltwater pearls are grown off the coast of Tahiti. I've forgotten in which places the pink/peach pearls are grown, you'll just have to read the book!
* The freshwater pearls that I use in my jewelry (and that are the most commonly available) are cultivated in China in freshwater mussels.
* Pearl cultivation begins when Japanese scientists insert a small plastic bead wrapped in oyster mantle tissue in just the right spot of the oyster. For freshwater mussels, only a piece of mantle tissue is needed.
* A saltwater oyster produces one pearl and requires pristine, clean water, as well as a host of other factors (depth, sunlight, temperature) to produce beautiful pearls.
*A freshwater mussel can produce more than a DOZEN pearls of different colors (white, orangish, pink, grey) at the same time and actually thrives in water polluted by agricultural runoff. So much so that they add extra fertilizer to the water where they have the mussels growing.
* Almost all pearls (even the really high-end ones) go through some sort of dyeing/bleaching process to clear up imperfections.
* As might be expected, the people on the bottom rung of the pearl ladder make a pittance while those at the top are ridiculously rich and live ridiculously lavish lifestyles. More so than in many industries because for pearls, every single mark-up in price along the way is enormous. (See the book for details, it's fascinating/sickening/hard-to-believe how some of these men live!)
All in all, it proved to be a bad reading choice while I was in Mexico, because it made me want to get my hands on some pearls, and I'd left all my beading at home! Even the "poor" quality little Chinese freshwater pearls that I work with are ridiculously enchanting and magical. My all time favorite pearls are the baroque pearls. These are the ones that are all bumpy and weird shaped. They're my ideal for pearl beauty!
While pearls and the pearl trade was fascinating to read about, some of it was sickening, too. I think it's important and responsible to have learned more, since I support this industry with my purchases. I understand the world's addiction to them, because I, too, am afflicted with this malady! Like they said at the end of every episode of G.I. Joe: "Now you know, and knowing is half the battle!" Do check out this book, it's at once educational and thrilling and it won't disappoint!

About the Author:
Jenny C. Hoople of Authentic Arts http://jennyhoople.com/ invites you to visit her blogsite to browse more Authentic Living articles. She writes on a variety of topics including homesteading info, organic and biodynamic agriculture, mind and body wellness, authentic Mexican recipes, book reviews on all of the above and, of course, news from and pertinent to her handcrafted jewelry business, Authentic Arts. http://jennyhoople.blogspot.com/
(c) Copyright - Jenny C. Hoople. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

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Akoya Pearls (Saltwater) Versus Freshwater Pearls

1) As you may have noticed, freshwater pearl jewelry is less expensive. And you know the Akoya pearl is more expensive....
A few reasons for this difference, one the freshwater pearl is easier to grow. Freshwater pearls are easier to grow because the process of nucleation is different and easier. The amount of nucleation per mollusk is much more in the freshwater pearl mussel (at one time 40 to 50) the most an akoya can produce might be 4 or 5 and they do not that often because quality goes down and mortality goes up. Freshwater mussels can be nucleated again with less mortality than the one time for akoyas. There is more control over the environment, ponds and streams as opposed to ocean water, which has typhoons and red tides to contend with.
2) Of course, Akoya Pearls are mostly round in shape.
And needless to say, Freshwater pearls are rarely round shaped.
The Akoya is nucleated with a round bead made from a freshwater mussel shell that is made round to begin with. The Freshwater mussel is nucleated with a piece of soft tissue, usually just a flat piece, or many flat pieces.
3) The freshwater pearl earring is solid nacre.
Here is something you might not know about...an Akoya Pearl Necklace has a bead core made of shell and only a coating of nacre, as thin as 1mm.
See above, the soft tissue that the freshwater mussel is nucleated with is absorbed leaving a pearl of solid nacre, more like natural pearls. The Akoya is nucleated with a shell bead of some size, and only allowed to develop nacre for a limited time before harvesting. The length of time is limited only by the cultivator's desire for quicker harvests.
4) A benefit of thicker nacre means that a freshwater pearl necklace will last longer.
Truth be told, low grade akoya pearl necklaces with a thin coating of nacre often chip and or wear off.
As you can imagine, a freshwater pearl with solid nacre has nothing to chip away; whereas, an Akoya pearl is possibly only a coating of as little as 1mm, so it can easily be worn or chipped.
5) The better grades of Akoya Pearl Jewelry have a higher luster compared to freshwater jewelry pearls.
A Freshwater pearl bracelet can have "orient', a rainbow iridescence noticed on heirloom or natural pearls. An Akoya pearl bracelet does not have this.
The nacre or mother of pearl of the Akoya has a greater luster or glow. The Freshwater pearl can have a trait called "orient" which is a shimmering of a rainbow of color, like the way that oil looks on water. Orient is seen on natural saltwater pearls and freshwater pearls; but, not on Akoya cultured pearls.
So it adds up to this: Things they are a changing. From keshi pearls called rice crispies because that's what they look like, to gem grade pearls. Freshwater jewelry pearls are now rivaling Akoya jewelry pearls in beauty.
Freshwater pearl jewelry is changing rapidly. A Freshwater pearl necklace will last longer, and be tomorrow's heirloom. Freshwater Pearls are gaining in quality and popularity.

Patrick Cavanaugh
Freshwater pearls here--> [http://www.sunshinepearls.com/freshwater-pearl-jewelry-c-295_150.html]
Akoya Pearls--> [http://www.sunshinepearls.com/akoya-pearl-jewelry-c-295_302.html]

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Everything You Should Know about Freshwater Pearls

Unlike cultured freshwater pearls, natural freshwater pearls of excellent quality are extremely difficult to find or create. That's because everything is left to nature. As such, maybe it's not too hard to understand why freshwater pearls, in spite of its imperfections, are still incredibly more expensive than the best cultured pearls.
How Natural Freshwater Pearls Are Made
The process of making natural freshwater pearls is exactly the same with the process of making natural seawater pearls. Firstly, a foreign object finds its way inside the mussel or oyster. It can be anything from a parasite to a tiny pebble. If the oyster isn't able to take it out of its system, it will begin to feel irritated. To reduce its discomfort, it will start secreting nacre - which is the stuff that pearls are made of.
How Cultured Freshwater Pearls Are Made
Pearl divers or makers will create a small opening in the oyster's shells in order to insert mantle tissue from other oysters. The insertion will cause the freshwater oyster to start producing nacre. Pearl manufacturers can guarantee the outcome or quality of their products by taking control of factors like water temperature, the oyster's health, and so forth.
History of Freshwater Pearls
Japan used to be the dominant figure in the cultured pearl industry. Having met success in their attempts in culturing pearls from saltwater mussels, they decided to conduct the same experiments with freshwater mussels from Lake Biwa. Their attempt was successful as well, and people were delighted to see new colors, colors that were never produced in saltwater pearls. As such, cultured freshwater pearls of Japan became so popular that all cultured freshwater pearls were referred to as Biwas in those days regardless of their origin.
Unfortunately, pollution caused great damage to Biwa cultured pearl production, and it was during this time that a new dominant figure emerged in the market: China. The country was blessed with numerous natural resources that the space-challenged Japan didn't have: acres and acres of open land, innumerable lakes and other water bodies, and thousands and thousands of available human resources willing to work for less than minimum wages.
Although the first few experiments of China in cultured freshwater pearl production were pretty much unsuccessful and understandably unappealing to the public, China was soon able to master the necessary techniques to create pearls that could not only surpass the quality of the best pearls produced by Japan but were also sold cheaper compared to other pearls. Chinese cultured freshwater pearls also came in a variety of colors, some of which Japanese cultured freshwater pearl makers were unable to reproduce.
How to Take Care of Freshwater Pearls
Freshwater pearls, whether they're natural or cultured, possess a soft surface which can easily be scratched or damaged. As such, it's imperative that you keep your pearl jewelry separate from other jewelries. It's also better to place them inside a pouch rather than a jewelry box because the latter's surface can also cause nicks to appear in pearl jewelry.
The acidity level of a woman's skin may affect the wearing life of pearl jewelry. If a pearl necklace is constantly being worn by a woman with a particularly high level of acidity in her skin, the acidity will gradually seep into the pearl, affecting its luster and shape. To prevent this from happening too soon, you should always polish your pearls with a non-abrasive cloth after taking them off.
Be careful about exposing pearl jewelry to chemicals. Spraying perfume while you're wearing your pearl necklace can cause considerable damage to them over time. You must also avoid spilling any liquid on them, especially when it has rather strong properties such as lemon and vinegar.
Heat can also cause damage to pearl jewelry. If you persist in wearing your pearl jewelry in hot and humid weather, the climate can change the color of your pearls or worse, cause cracks to appear on the surface. Dry unmoving air is also bad for your pearls.
Make sure that you are using only jewelry cleaners specifically intended for pearl cleaning and nothing else. You can not steam-clean pearls as well. If you wish to preserve the luster of your pearls, you can use a drop of olive oil on them.
Pearl jewelry is amazing to possess not only because of its natural beauty but also because of the amount of hard work put into them. Hard work by humans and nature combined.

For more information go to: [http://www.unlimitedpearls.com], [http://www.bestpearlnecklaces.com], or [http://www.bestpearlearrings.com]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nathalie_Fiset

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/368294