Most cultured freshwater pearls are composed entirely of nacre, just like their natural freshwater and natural saltwater counterparts. Throughout most of this century, the Japanese dominated the ...

Its best freshwater pearls fueled a ready market ... Kokichi Mikimoto single-handedly launched the cultured-pearl industry. Kokichi Mikimoto, the son of a noodle maker, had a dream and a hard ...

Saltwater, damp salt air, and chlorine can also be harmful to cultured pearls ... can also wear a close-fitting pearl bracelet for a little glam, pair some freshwater pearls with a sweater ...

South Sea pearls are the largest cultured-pearl variety ... whereas more common freshwater oysters can take as little as three months and create dozens of pearls. This long cultivation process ...

Pearls are made by marine oysters and freshwater mussels as a natural defence against ... which encases the irritant and protects the mollusc from it. When pearls are cultured commercially an irritant ...

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 ...