The price-value anomaly is obvious to consumers as they hasten to buy Chinese freshwater bargains. Indeed, pearls from freshwater mussels lie at the center of the liveliest activity in pearling today.

Chinese pearls came mainly from freshwater rivers and ponds, whereas Japanese pearls were found near the coast in salt water. Nearly all the pearls in commerce originated from those few sources.

These exotics are often referred to as black pearls, though they are typically more charcoal than black. Finally, freshwater ...

Before the development of plastic, buttons were made from mussel shells. Freshwater pearls are still cultured by inserting small pieces of native mussel shell into oysters. Mussels are fascinating ...

Pearls are made by marine oysters and freshwater mussels as a natural defence against an irritant such as a parasite entering their shell or damage to their fragile body. The oyster or mussel slowly ...

The Pinctada maxima oyster can take up to five years to produce a single South Sea pearl, whereas more common freshwater oysters can take as little as three months and create dozens of pearls.

Kultura’s Jewelry Market is back until Feb. 28, showcasing handcrafted designs that celebrate Filipino artistry. Explore ...

Pearls are given an irreverent spin in the hands of Crystal Haze, which marries freshwater pearls with everything from gummy bears in playful pops of resin to beaming smiley faces. ‘We wanted to mix ...

An accidental YouTube discovery steered Narendra Kumar Girwa towards freshwater pearl farming. Despite financial hardships ...