Innovative cultured seawater pearls grown by humans in the sea overcame the limitations of natural pearls, which had been exclusive to royalty and nobles for thousands of years, allowing many people to enjoy pearl jewelry. However, due to its still quite high price, pearl jewelry could only be worn very discreetly, especially on special occasions such as weddings.
And cultured freshwater pearls finally made pearl jewelery an ‘everyday’ item. This is because mass production of pearls became possible at a lower cost by using mussels that live in fresh water rather than the sea.
And cultured freshwater pearls finally made pearl jewelery an ‘everyday’ item. This is because mass production of pearls became possible at a lower cost by using mussels that live in fresh water rather than the sea.
Cultured freshwater pearls, grown under slightly different conditions from saltwater pearls, have created their own unique territory in terms of production areas and target customers. Unlike saltwater pearls produced in various regions such as Japan (Akoya pearls), Australia (South Sea pearls), the Philippines (South Sea pearls), and Polynesia (Tahitian black pearls), freshwater pearls are mainly cultured in China. Centered around Shanghai, Zhejiang Province to the south and Jiangsu Province to the north are representative freshwater pearl producing regions. And the largest pearl wholesale markets are also located in these two regions.
Unlike saltwater pearls, which are traded at high prices for larger sizes of 8mm or more, freshwater pearls are mainly sold at relatively lower prices for sizes below that. The characteristics of small and affordable freshwater pearls have opened up a new market for pearl accessories that can be worn casually on a daily basis. However, sometimes high-quality freshwater pearls can sell for equal or higher prices than equivalent saltwater pearls.