The pedant was custom made in the mid 1970s for my grandmother in Vancouver Canada. My question is everything I can find says Chinese pearls in the 1970s were all rice pearls and very small. Is that correct or were they already making larger pearls of this quality?
Do we agree with the origin on this appraisal?
- Thread starter bfgnum10
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Pearl Dreams
Pearl Enthusiast
In Strack's book, Pearls, page 413, there is a photo of some larger elongated Biwa freshwater pearls. Under the photo it reads, "Large individual pearls of several centimetres in length have been produced since the nineteen seventies. They show many different shapes and colours."
Based on this photo and your history, I could see your pearl being a freshwater cultured Biwa pearl.
Based on this photo and your history, I could see your pearl being a freshwater cultured Biwa pearl.
This is exactly what I thought it is. A genuine Biwa pearl produced from lake biwa. The appraiser said China started to produce large cultured freshwater pearls in the 1960s. But everything I can find says they were small rice pearls at that time and didn't get larger until the mid 80s.
Pearl Dreams
Pearl Enthusiast
I will take another look at Strack in the FW section of the book (later; eating a late supper now.) 
Thank you so much!I will take another look at Strack in the FW section of the book (later; eating a late supper now.)
Pearl Dreams
Pearl Enthusiast
Back again. The answer seems to be: maybe.
Strack, p. 420:
"In 1962, Professor Xiong Daren from the Fisheries Institute of Zhanjiang on Leizhou Peninsula in South China conducted experiments on producing freshwater cultured pearls according to the tissue method... He used the freshwter mussle Hyriopsis cumingi...In the same year, his method was applied in practice at freshwater farms in Jiangsu Province.
...
" The first harvest was due in 1965/1966. The entire harvest was sold to Japanese dealers, who marketed the pearls together with freshwater cultured pearls from Lake Biwa without quoting the source. At the same time, the general public was unaware that freshwater pearls were being produced in China."
No photos accompany this text. But it does say that culturing methods used in Japan were used in China, and the pearls were marketed together with Lake Biwa pearls without distinguishing which ones came from where.
So...I think you can't be sure where the pearl came from.
Strack, p. 420:
"In 1962, Professor Xiong Daren from the Fisheries Institute of Zhanjiang on Leizhou Peninsula in South China conducted experiments on producing freshwater cultured pearls according to the tissue method... He used the freshwter mussle Hyriopsis cumingi...In the same year, his method was applied in practice at freshwater farms in Jiangsu Province.
...
" The first harvest was due in 1965/1966. The entire harvest was sold to Japanese dealers, who marketed the pearls together with freshwater cultured pearls from Lake Biwa without quoting the source. At the same time, the general public was unaware that freshwater pearls were being produced in China."
No photos accompany this text. But it does say that culturing methods used in Japan were used in China, and the pearls were marketed together with Lake Biwa pearls without distinguishing which ones came from where.
So...I think you can't be sure where the pearl came from.
Wow so it's definitely possible it's a Chinese pearl. My question still remains on what were the size of those pearls as it mentions they were marketed together. I'm not sure if they mean as equals to a large biwa at the time or as smaller rice pearls that would be accompanied by a genuine Biwa. I guess I could send it to a lab to determine the genus as the "Hyriopsis cumingi" is a Chinese mussel and the biwa pearl was produced by a Hyriopsis schlegeliiBack again. The answer seems to be: maybe.
Strack, p. 420:
"In 1962, Professor Xiong Daren from the Fisheries Institute of Zhanjiang on Leizhou Peninsula in South China conducted experiments on producing freshwater cultured pearls according to the tissue method... He used the freshwter mussle Hyriopsis cumingi...In the same year, his method was applied in practice at freshwater farms in Jiangsu Province.
...
" The first harvest was due in 1965/1966. The entire harvest was sold to Japanese dealers, who marketed the pearls together with freshwater cultured pearls from Lake Biwa without quoting the source. At the same time, the general public was unaware that freshwater pearls were being produced in China."
No photos accompany this text. But it does say that culturing methods used in Japan were used in China, and the pearls were marketed together with Lake Biwa pearls without distinguishing which ones came from where.
So...I think you can't be sure where the pearl came from.
From the GIA website. I mentions a bit about size and Chinese pearls vouching well that they only came in rice shapes and smallBack again. The answer seems to be: maybe.
Strack, p. 420:
"In 1962, Professor Xiong Daren from the Fisheries Institute of Zhanjiang on Leizhou Peninsula in South China conducted experiments on producing freshwater cultured pearls according to the tissue method... He used the freshwter mussle Hyriopsis cumingi...In the same year, his method was applied in practice at freshwater farms in Jiangsu Province.
...
" The first harvest was due in 1965/1966. The entire harvest was sold to Japanese dealers, who marketed the pearls together with freshwater cultured pearls from Lake Biwa without quoting the source. At the same time, the general public was unaware that freshwater pearls were being produced in China."
No photos accompany this text. But it does say that culturing methods used in Japan were used in China, and the pearls were marketed together with Lake Biwa pearls without distinguishing which ones came from where.
So...I think you can't be sure where the pearl came from.
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Pearl Dreams
Pearl Enthusiast
That is good, but Strack is really the expert.
My mother gave me these pearls labeled Biwa for Christmas 1980 that I always thought were really Japanese, but afterward came to realize may actually be Chinese.
I don't know that a lab could identify the species of your pearl without removing some of the pearl material to test it genetically, and I would think that could be costly.
Real question for you to consider: How much does it matter to you whether it is Japanese cultured FW vs. Chinese cultured FW?
My mother gave me these pearls labeled Biwa for Christmas 1980 that I always thought were really Japanese, but afterward came to realize may actually be Chinese.
I don't know that a lab could identify the species of your pearl without removing some of the pearl material to test it genetically, and I would think that could be costly.
Real question for you to consider: How much does it matter to you whether it is Japanese cultured FW vs. Chinese cultured FW?
I have a very similar strand from the 80s as well! Mine are definitely Chinese. The size on those in your photo is what I would expect out of a Chinese fw pearl in the 70s and early 80s. Absolutely agree Strack is the best! It would be nice if I could find somewhere she goes into more detail about sizing in the 1970s of Chinese fw.
I'm honestly not sure, there's a lot of contradicting information out there about if the genus can be determined. Honestly it matters to me only because it is a family heirloom. I also love learning about new gems. I'm determined to give it my best shot! Haha
I'm in contact with CGL (Canadian gemological lab) and I'm just waiting to hear back if they can test the genus. Thank you for sharing some of Stracks book with me!
