The Difference Between Freshwater & Saltwater Pearls
- Pearls are created when a mollusk releases a pearl sac to contain an irritant.shell and pearl image by Paolo Frangiolli from Fotolia.com
A pearl is created when an irritant becomes lodged inside any species of mollusk. The animal responds by secreting a pearl sac made of calcium carbonate to seal off the irritant. Pearl size is determined by how long the irritant is allowed to be inside the mollusk. Cultured pearls are created when human intervention places the irritant inside the mollusk. This can be done to create freshwater or saltwater pearls. - The black pearl comes from oysters in Tahiti.black pearls image by Xavier MARCHANT from Fotolia.com
Freshwater and saltwater pearls differ mainly in their environment of creation. Freshwater pearls are produced in China. Saltwater pearls come from pearl oysters cultivated in saltwater lagoons in Eastern Asia. The environment of freshwater pearl production allows a variety of colors to be artificially created by adding metal to the water. Saltwater pearls, on the other hand, come in the traditional white and the Tahitian black. - Saltwater pearls are known for their superior size and shape.a pearl bracelet image by Alexandra Thompson from Fotolia.com
With saltwater pearls, only one pearl can be produced per oyster. This significantly raises the value of the saltwater pearl. Freshwater pearls, however, can be produced in larger quantities. More than 20 pearls can be created per oyster. The only downside to this mass production is that the freshwater pearls tend to be smaller and less round than the saltwater pearls. - Natural pearls are incredibly rare.cockleshells and pearl image by Tatiana Belova from Fotolia.com
The formation of a saltwater pearl takes two to three years under ideal conditions. Freshwater pearls, however, can be produced in as little as 18 months. This also contributes to the higher value of the saltwater pearl. Natural freshwater and saltwater pearls are very rare to come by, making them the priciest and highest valued. - Single natural pearls can be sold for hundreds of dollars.black pearl image by OMKAR A.V from Fotolia.com
Due to the rarity of quality natural pearls, they are very highly valued. These pearls are judged by size, shape and luster, with saltwater pearls being higher in value. Single natural pearls may be sold for hundreds of dollars as part of a collection or as the centerpiece for jewelry.
