Freshwater Pearls are small, often irregularly shaped pearls that are grown in various species of freshwater mussel. They are produced by introducing twenty or more tiny tissue grafts into the thick mantle of a live mussel.
Freshwater pearls generally have a lower proportion of organic material in their nacre than pearls from marine pearl oysters. This give freshwater pearls a glassy lustre. They can also be colour treated to produce a broad range of colours including blues, greens and purples. Several hundred tonnes of freshwater pearls are grown in China each year. They are not nearly as expensive as the Australian Pearl and are a very popular and appealing alternative.
