Article fashion jewelry

Pearls are produced in both salt and fresh water
but the difference is astounding. Usually
the salt water variety of pearls are of a better quality and are also more expensive than pearls found in salt water; however
the choice between fresh water and salt water pearls is completely personal.

For starters
pearls are made from shellfish. When an irritant
such as a piece of sand
invades the delicate lining of the creature
it secretes a smooth substance to coat the irritant
thus creating a pearl. Salt water and fresh water pearls are both made in the same fashion. This substance
known as nacre or mother of pearl
slowly builds up the irritant until a pearl is formed.

The main difference between salt water pearls and fresh water pearls is the type of create that produces this natural gemstone. Salt water pearls are produced by oysters that inhabit the seas and oceans. In days past
the only way to harvest salt water pearls was to dive to tremendous depths to recover the oysters. Today
these oysters are grown in farms
but the pearls produced are of supremely high quality.

Fresh water pearls are produced by mussels that burrow in the sandy bottoms of rivers
lakes
and streams. Like salt water pearls
the mussels that produce fresh water pearls are also farmed. In most places
“hunting” mussels to harvest their pearls is illegal due to the havoc it can cause on the ecosystem.

One can immediately tell the difference between a fresh water and salt water pearl by its appearance. Whereas salt water pearls are—or should be—completely round
fresh water pearls have a lumpy
potato-like shape. Usually
fresh water pearls are described as off-round
egg
or Baroque
and come with a more affordable price tag due to this irregular shape.

The colors of fresh water pearls encompass the entire rainbow. While salt water pearls come in a wide array of colors
fresh water pearls usually take on the hue of the mussel’s shell. Fresh water pearls can range from the traditional white
cream
and pink to more unusual shades like lavender
and copper. Although these latter colors tend to raise the price on fresh water pearls
the color of choice is purely at the whim of the buyer.

Many potential pearl buyers have the common misconception that the fresh water pearl is not “real.” This is completely untrue
as both the fresh water and the salt water pearl are equally authentic. The choice between the two depends on the tastes and the budget of the wearer. Some individuals enjoy the irregular Baroque shapes and special colors of the fresh water
where others want the classic white round offerings of the salt water pearl.