[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Butterfly,

There are some pinctada maxima under cultivation in China, but not enough to make any market impact. The big round freshwater pearls cost about as much as South Sea pearls and are typically the better deal. There are some bead-nucleated fine round freshwater pearls available from Chenghai but they cost more than South Sea pearls or about as much as Kasumigaura cultured freshwater pearls that are also bead nucleated. The large round freshwater cultured pearls can have much better luster than South Sea PPBs and are far, far rarer. Fine-luster, solid-nacre cultured pearls have before and still do easily outprice South Sea PPBs in China. There is no inherent superiority to bead nucleation or pinctada maxima origin, it is rather vice versa. Both large round freshwater cultured pearls and South Sea PPBs can be dull. South Sea PPBs are more likely to be dull than freshwater cultured pearls, though.

Zeide