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Freshwater Pearl Necklaces Provide Beauty And Variety
Typically, freshwater pearl necklaces can range in size from 6 to 11 mm. They also come in a variety of colors, such as pink, white, rose, black, lavender, off white, cream, silver, bronze, and gray.
Typically, freshwater pearl necklaces can range in size from 6 to 11 mm. They also come in a variety of colors, such as pink, white, rose, black, lavender, off white, cream, silver, bronze, and gray.
They have excellent quality, and because of the large scale production of cultured freshwater pearls, the prices of necklaces and other pearl jewelry has become much more affordable.
Freshwater pearls are a type of cultured pearl that originates from freshwater mussels. They can be had in a variety of shapes, all the way from rice shapes and flat flakes, to round and button, and are recognized for their enhanced quality and shine.
As implied by the name, freshwater pearls are obtained from fresh waters, whereas saltwater pearls are obtained from salt water sources. The shiny substance which lines the cells of numerous mollusks, is a concretion which actually forms the pearls. This substance is called nacre, or mother-of-pearl.
Nacre is composed of a form of calcium carbonate, and this is deposited in layers which are interspersed with organic material. The iridescence and the luster of mother-of-pearl is caused by a diffraction of light through these layers.
At present, China is considered as the main producer of commercial freshwater pearls, though they are also manufactured on a restricted scale in Japan and the United States.
Commencing with the period of the discovery of the New World and on through the nineteenth century, the U.S. was also a chief source for natural freshwater pearls but then the intense harvesting, in addition to growing amounts of pollution, bit by bit diminished the number of pearl-forming mussels which were available.
French and English colonizers of North America found native Americans who were wearing pearls, and they also discovered freshwater pearls in the Ohio, Mississippi, and Tennessee River basins.
Freshwater pearl necklaces offer a more affordable alternative to the more expensive saltwater pearls, while still being a genuine pearl, and they can make a truly welcome gift.