Freshwater pearls for jewelry

Discover our offer of freshwater pearls for your most exclusive creations. Make your own creations with our 925 sterling silver findings

How are freshwater pearls produced

In freshwater pearl farms, mussels are used to create the pearls. A total of 24 to 32 small pieces of mantle tissue are surgically implanted into each mussel, a process known as nucleation. Once the tissue has been inserted, time passes and a sac forms around the tissue due to which the cells begin to secrete nacre, forming a compound of calcium carbonate (the same material as the shell of the chicken egg). Over the course of 2 to 7 years, the mussels lay down layer after layer of nacre around the growing gems, typically producing more than two dozen pearls clustered within each shell.

Freshwater pearls are primarily produced in China, although most information on freshwater pearls lists various areas of the world as home to production, the global freshwater market is surely dominated by Chinese pearl farms, which represent nearly all freshwater pearls sold today.