Lesson16: Freshwater Non-Nucleated Pearls
1. Introduction
Freshwater non-nucleated pearls are formed without a bead nucleus. The entire pearl is made up of nacre, making them more durable.
2. Origin
These pearls are primarily produced in China, particularly in the southern regions such as Hunan, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi. Other countries like the United States also cultivate some freshwater pearls.
3. Mussels
Common mussels used for cultivating these pearls include the Triangle Shell Mussel (Hyriopsis cumingii) and the Cockscomb Pearl Mussel (Cristaria plicata). The tissue membranes of these mussels are used for cell transplantation to induce pearl formation. As a result, the pearls consist entirely of nacre without a central nucleus.
4. Characteristics
- Color: Available in a wide variety of colors, including white, pink, purple, and orange.
- Shape: Diverse shapes such as round, near-round, button, rice-shaped, and baroque.
- Size: Ranges from 1 millimeter to 7 millimeters or larger. However, compared to nucleated pearls, freshwater non-nucleated pearls tend to be smaller.
5. Market
Because these pearls are cultivated without a nucleus, achieving perfectly round pearls is challenging, making round freshwater non-nucleated pearls more expensive. Currently, the price of round/near-round freshwater non-nucleated pearl strands is lower than that of Akoya pearl strands.