Can anyone tell me where to find information on 8 1/2 to 9 MM white body color off rounds pearls that are suppose to be fresh water? I cannot get them to blick on any of the strand, nacre is 0.75 to 1 MM thick and I can see the bead. I think I remember there being cultured beaded fresh water pearls. Any help would be appreciated.
Peter-John Parisis, G.G.

[jshepherd]

If you are seeing a bead within the pearl chances are it is not a freshwater. The nacre thickness sounds like a South Sea.

Nucleated freshwater strands have a very distinct shape, like a free form South Sea strands, and are not yet widely available.

Check this link to see a couple of nucleated freshwater strands:

Nucleated Freshwaters From China

Hi,

Actually, there are bead nucleated round freshwater pearls like that. However, they are more frequently sold in Japan mostly labled as akoyas or Kasumigauras depending on the color. They are not cheaper than akoyas either in production or in retail (like for like) so it makes absolutely no difference in appraising except that their much thick er nacre makes them more durable. Those of the readers here that already have the Strack book can find the information on page 446ff in the German version.

For those that do not have the book at hand yet, the first experiments in bead nucleating round freshwater pearls were started in 1981 by Professor Xie Shao He. Serial production began in 1985. First marketable output was 50kg in 1991. The companies in China (not including the production in Japan) producing round nucleated freshwater pearls are: Chenghai Xinxi Pearl Culturing factory and Hin Qing Pearl Culturing Co. in a joint venture. In 1994, output reached 500kg and in 2001 4-5 tons. The pearls are being grown in Chenghai near Shantou in a variant of hyriopsis cumingii that accepts bead nuclei. The production was still receiving government subsidies in 2001. A large proportion are perfectly round.

Zeide

[jshepherd]

The Kasumi have a much thicker nacre than .75, and have a very distinct look to them. The Japanese strands are very few and far between. They cost a fortune and are usually much larger than 9mm as well. These strands are much more rare than their Chinese counterparts as there are only three cultivators remaining on the lake (pollution in 2003 nearly killed the industry).

How are you determining that there is a bead in the strand that you are examining? Blinking is something you might see in Akoya, but not typically in any other type. Is it possible you are noticing a layer of conchiolin and mistaking it for a bead?

If it does indeed have a bead I would be 99% sure (from your description) that it is not a freshwater strand.