Freshwater Pearls and What to Look For When Shopping

In this post, we continue our previous discussion on Freshwater cultured pearls, and knowing what to look for when shopping for them.

As mentioned previously, Freshwater Pearls are the most common variety of pearl, and so are generally the least expensive. One might say freshwater pearls are “entry-level”, since you’ll see this variety sold everywhere, including in malls (even at Costco!)

This is because they are cultivated in huge quantities in freshwater lakes, mostly in China and the U.S. A given mussel will often produce many pearls at one time – sometimes as many as 50! (Most pearl oysters only produce one pearl at a time.) Freshwater pearls are also cultivated with a different technique (tissue nucleation) from that used with other pearls species; there is no bead nucleus.

Freshwater pearls usually appear naturally in white, pink or pastel colors, but they are very commonly dyed to any color. As always with pearls, dyed pearls tend to be worth less than the natural colors. Off-round shapes are common in freshwater pearls, but lately the round shapes are getting better and better – even rivaling the best Akoya pearls!

What to Expect:

• Freshwater pearl sizes are usually in the range from 4mm-12mm. Larger sizes are possible.
• Natural colors are whites, pinks, pastels, lavenders, but color treatment is also common. If in doubt (especially if colors are bright), then ask. Dyes effect the price you should pay!
• Freshwater pearls may appear slightly less round than the more expensive Akoya pearls, but this is changing as cultivation techniques improve.

In future posts, we will cover the other pearl varieties in greater detail.

If you’d like to learn more before you buy your next piece of pearl jewelry, I would encourage you to read Anandia Pearls’ comprehensive Pearl Buying Guide. It’s a free download you can print out and read!