Difference between Freshwater and Saltwater Pearls
Pearls have been one of the most precious commodities for thousands of years. Even today pearls are used in the most expensive jewellery. These natural beauties are difficult to obtain and that is why they are sold at such high prices. The recent 200 years have seen pearl cultivation to transfer into an industry of mass production, generating huge revenues. However, there are some visible differences between cultivated pearls and the ones which are produced naturally. The true value of a pearl depends upon whether it is a freshwater pearl or saltwater pearl. These types of pearl have a number of different attributes and have a great difference between their price ranges.
The basic difference between freshwater and saltwater pearls is only the environment of their creation. Mainly, freshwater pearls are produced in China, whilst saltwater pearls are created under the salty waters of lagoons in Eastern Asia.
Instructions
-
1
Freshwater Pearls
Pearl cultivation involves human effort in inserting an irritant inside mollusk. This process can be done to create both saltwater and freshwater pearls. However, most freshwater pearls are cultivated and are produced by this method. Human interference in the process allows you to create pearls of different colour, as metals are added to the water which cause the colouration. A single oyster can be used to create about 20 pearls simultaneously by this artificial method but their size is a bit smaller than the saltwater pearls. It takes about 18 months to produce a pearl by this technique.
Image Courtesy: pearlsdiamondsandfashion.blogspot.com
-
2
Saltwater Pearls
Pearls are naturally made when any sort of irritant enter a mollusk and gets trapped inside it for a considerable amount of time. The mollusk secretes a pearl sac, consisting of calcium carbonate, and the irritant is sealed completely. Longer the irritant remains inside the mollusk, larger becomes the size if the pearl. With this natural process, only one pearl can be made from one oyster and that is why their prices are so high. This is a completely natural process which takes place under the sea. Saltwater pearls come in only traditional white and Tahitian black colours. Under the ideal conditions, a saltwater pearl will take about two to three years’ time to be produced, adding further price value to it. These pearls are more round shaped than the freshwater ones and greater in size.
Image Courtesy: dargate.com
