Commonly, freshwater pearl necklaces come in size between 6 and 11 mm. In addition, they come in a number of colors, like pink, white, black, lavender, off white, cream, silver, and gray.
They provide excellent quality, and as a result of the large scale production of cultured freshwater pearls, the affordability of necklaces as well as other pearl jewelry has greatly increased.
Freshwater pearls are a kind of cultured pearl that comes from freshwater mussels. They come in various shapes ranging from rice shapes to flat flakes, as well as from round to button. They are recognized for having superior quality and shine.
Freshwater pearls – as the name implies – are retrieved from fresh waters as compared to saltwater pearls, which are harvested from a salt water environment. The pearls themselves are a concretion which is formed from the shiny substance lining many mollusk shells. This substance is called nacre, or mother-of-pearl.
Nacre is composed of a form of calcium carbonate, and this is deposited in layers which are interspersed with organic material. The iridescence and the luster of mother-of-pearl is caused by a diffraction of light through these layers.
Today China is the principal commercial producer of freshwater pearls, although they are also produced on a limited scale in Japan and the United States.
Since the time of the discovery of the New World up through the nineteenth century, the U.S. was also a main source for natural freshwater pearls but then the excessive harvesting as well as increased amounts of pollution gradually decreased the number of pearl-forming mussels which were available.
French and English colonizers of North America found native Americans who were wearing pearls, and they also discovered freshwater pearls in the Ohio, Mississippi, and Tennessee River basins.
Freshwater pearl necklaces provide a more inexpensive alternative to the more pricey saltwater pearls, whilst still being an authentic pearl, and they can be a truly welcome gift.