Freshwater Pearls

No products were found matching your selection.

Freshwater Pearls are the gemstone gift symbol for the 1st wedding anniversary.

Freshwater pearls are believed to have been discovered in China, where they have been valued for their beauty and rarity for over 4,000 years. The Chinese called them “pearl of tears,” because they were thought to be formed by the tear of a goddess as she mourned her husband’s death.

Freshwater pearls are formed when an irritant such as sand or small shell fragments enter an oyster and are then coated with nacre (mother-of-pearl), which is deposited over time to form the pearl. Today, most freshwater pearls come from Japan and China.

The shape of freshwater pearls varies according to their size: large pearls are usually round or oval; small ones may be irregularly shaped or slightly elongated. Freshwater pearls range in colour from white through lavender, grey and silver grey to black. Their surface can be smooth or bumpy depending on how they were made and how they were treated after harvesting (see below).

css.php