Freshwater Pearls

More than any other pearl type it is the fresh water pearls, which cover the widest range of colors and shapes. Earlier these pearls were of a lower quality and so served as an inexpensive alternative to the costlier akoya pearls. So, freshwater pearls were mostly used in jewelry that focused more on the designs rather than the value of the pearls. In 1990s, emerged a class of freshwater pearls that were round and lustrous, which rivaled the akoya pearls in both quality and value. Cultured pearls are formed when an irritant is inserted into the shell of a mollusk. In nature, this may take the form of sand, a chunk of rock, or some other organic material. The mollusk forms a layer of protective material called nacre over the foreign material so that it doesn’t irritate the organism. The resulting ball of luminous nacre is known as a pearl. Like saltwater pearls, freshwater pearls can come in a range of colors. The color of the pearl can also be further enhanced with bleaching and dyeing, allowing producers to make pearls in a range of colors available. Perfectly round freshwater pearls are extremely rare, and therefore highly prized. Most freshwater pearls are baroque pearls, meaning that they are irregularly shaped. Commonly, these pearls are simply more ovoid in shape, or take the form of tear drops. To know more go through the article given below.