--- title: "Saltwater vs Freshwater Pearls: What's the Difference?" description: "Saltwater and freshwater cultured pearls compared: oysters versus mussels, beads versus tissue, one pearl versus many, output, price, chemistry and naming." canonical_url: "https://learnaboutpearls.com/compare/saltwater-vs-freshwater-pearls/" last_updated: "2026-11-04" last_reviewed: "2026-10-26" reviewed_by: "Simon" publisher: "Unique Pearl" publisher_disclosure: "Learn About Pearls is published by Unique Pearl, a pearl jeweler." --- # Saltwater vs Freshwater Pearls: What's the Difference? **Short answer:** Saltwater cultured pearls, such as Akoya, South Sea and Tahitian pearls, grow in pearl oysters in the sea, usually one at a time around a shell bead. Freshwater cultured pearls grow in mussels in lakes and ponds, mostly in China, usually from mantle tissue alone and many to a mussel. Freshwater pearls make up almost all pearls by weight and cost less, while saltwater pearls are scarcer and are usually round or near-round. **Key facts:** - From 2005 to 2014, over 98% of the world's cultured pearls by weight came from China, almost all of them freshwater, but they made up only about 5% of the world's pearl value. [1] - The world's output of round saltwater pearls is about 54 tonnes a year. [1] - Akoya and South Sea oysters grow one pearl at a time in the gonad, while a freshwater mussel can take up to 20 grafts in each of its two mantle lobes. [1] - Saltwater cultured pearls generally follow the shape of their round bead, so most are round or near-round. [1] - Freshwater pearls contain more manganese and barium, and less sodium, magnesium and strontium, than saltwater pearls. [2] - CIBJO requires the full term "freshwater cultured pearl" for any pearl cultured in freshwater. [3] Saltwater and freshwater pearls are both [cultured pearls](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#cultured-pearl), but they come from different animals. [Saltwater pearls](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#saltwater-pearl) grow in [pearl oysters](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#pearl-oyster), and [freshwater pearls](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#freshwater-cultured-pearl) in mussels. The table compares the three main saltwater types with freshwater pearls, using the Learn About Pearls dataset. | Feature | Akoya cultured pearl | South Sea cultured pearl | Tahitian cultured pearl | Freshwater cultured pearl | | ---------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Mollusk | _Pinctada fucata_ (Akoya pearl oyster) [3, 4] | _Pinctada maxima_ (silver-lipped pearl oyster and gold-lipped pearl oyster) [3, 5] | _Pinctada margaritifera cumingii_ (black-lipped pearl oyster) [3, 6, 7] | _Hyriopsis cumingii_ (triangle shell mussel) [3, 4, 8, 9] | | Water | saltwater [4, 10] | saltwater [7, 10] | saltwater [7, 10] | freshwater [3, 7] | | Main producing regions | Japan, China and Vietnam [4, 8, 11] | Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Myanmar [3, 5, 7, 11] | French Polynesia [3, 7, 11] | China [7, 8, 11] | | Growing time | 6–36 months (typically 10 to 14 months) [8, 11, 12] | 1–3 years (two to three years in Australia and the Philippines) [5, 8] | 18–24 months [8, 13] | 1–5 years (depending on the culture method and mussel) [1, 9, 14] | ## How saltwater and freshwater pearls are grown Saltwater and freshwater pearls start differently. For a saltwater pearl, a technician implants a small piece of [mantle](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#mantle) tissue with a polished shell [bead](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#bead) into the oyster’s [gonad](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#gonad). For a freshwater pearl, a piece of mantle tissue alone does the same job, so no bead is needed. [1] Almost all freshwater pearls are grown this way. [11] The number of pearls differs too. [Akoya](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#akoya) and South Sea oysters grow one pearl at a time. Freshwater mussels grow their pearls in the mantle, where up to 20 [grafts](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#graft) fit in each of the two mantle lobes, so a mussel usually yields more than 10 pearls. [1] CIBJO puts the usual number at 30 to 40 non-beaded pearls at a time. [8] Mussels are also quicker to raise. Freshwater mussels are ready for pearl culture within a year, while pearl oyster larvae need at least a year and a half to grow to a size suitable for it. [1] ## Shape, size and color Saltwater cultured pearls generally follow the shape of the round bead inside them, so most are round or near-round. [1] Freshwater pearls grown from tissue alone often have irregular shapes, while bead-cultured freshwater pearls are often near-round to round. [4] Freshwater pearls come in a remarkable range of sizes, shapes and colors. [7] Among saltwater pearls, [South Sea cultured pearls](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#south-sea-cultured-pearl) are the largest, [15] and [Tahitian pearls](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#tahitian-cultured-pearl) bring the dark colors. [7] ## Output and price Freshwater pearls dominate by weight. From 2005 to 2014, China produced over 98% of the world’s cultured pearls by weight, 99.5% of them freshwater, but because freshwater pearls sell for much less, that output made up only about 5% of the world’s pearl value. [1] The world’s output of round saltwater pearls is far smaller, about 54 tonnes a year. [1] GIA calls freshwater cultured pearls the most affordable pearl type, and says Akoya cost more than freshwater pearls of similar size and quality, in part because they are rarer and cost more to culture. [4] ## How labs tell saltwater and freshwater pearls apart The water a pearl grew in shows in its chemistry. Freshwater pearls contain more manganese and barium, and less sodium, magnesium and strontium, than saltwater pearls. [2] A GIA report states whether pearls grew in freshwater or saltwater, and which [mollusk](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#mollusk) produced them when that can be determined. [4] Names matter as well. CIBJO requires the full term “freshwater cultured pearl” for any pearl cultured in freshwater, [3] and GIA calls names such as “freshwater Akoya” misleading. [4] ## Choosing between saltwater and freshwater pearls Choose saltwater cultured pearls if you want the round shapes and mirror-like shine of Akoya, the size of South Sea pearls or the dark colors of Tahitian pearls. [4, 7] Choose freshwater cultured pearls if you want a wide range of shapes, sizes and colors at a lower price. [7] If a seller calls freshwater pearls Akoya, ask for a [lab report](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#laboratory-report) that states the environment. ## Questions people ask ### Are saltwater pearls better than freshwater pearls? Neither is better in every way. Saltwater pearls are scarcer and usually rounder, and each type has its strengths, such as the mirror-like shine of Akoya or the size of South Sea pearls. Freshwater pearls offer a wide range of shapes, sizes and colors at lower prices. [1, 4, 7] ### Why are freshwater pearls cheaper? Freshwater production is enormous, because each mussel produces dozens of pearls, which keeps lustrous freshwater pearls affordable. GIA also says Akoya are rarer and cost more to culture. [4, 15] ### Can you tell saltwater from freshwater pearls by eye? Not reliably. Bead-cultured freshwater pearls can look very much like Akoya, and GIA says looking alone is often not enough. A lab can tell them apart by chemistry, and a GIA report states whether pearls grew in freshwater or saltwater. [2, 4] ### Do saltwater pearls always have a bead? Most do, but not all. Keshi are saltwater cultured pearls that grow without a bead, as a by-product of bead culturing. And some freshwater pearls, sold under names such as Edison and Ming, are grown around a bead. [3, 8] ## References 1. Changbo Zhu, Paul C. Southgate and Ting Li (2019). Production of Pearls. [Source](https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-96776-9_5) · DOI [10.1007/978-3-319-96776-9_5](https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96776-9_5) · [Archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20240129152149/https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-96776-9_5) 2. Stefanos Karampelas and others (2019). Chemical Characteristics of Freshwater and Saltwater Natural and Cultured Pearls from Different Bivalves. [Source](https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/9/6/357) · DOI [10.3390/min9060357](https://doi.org/10.3390/min9060357) · [Archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20261012102331/https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/9/6/357) 3. CIBJO, The World Jewellery Confederation, Pearl Commission (2026). The CIBJO Pearl Book (Pearl Blue Book) 2026. [Source](https://cibjo.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Pearl-Blue-Book-2026-.pdf) · [Archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20261025235254/https://cibjo.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Pearl-Blue-Book-2026-.pdf) 4. Phoebe Shang (2026). Freshwater Akoyas – A Trending Misnomer for Certain Freshwater Pearls. [Source](https://www.gia.edu/freshwater-akoyas-a-trending-misnomer-for-certain-pearls) · [Archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20260617073835/https://www.gia.edu/freshwater-akoyas-a-trending-misnomer-for-certain-pearls) 5. Artitaya Homkrajae, Nanthaporn Nilpetploy, Areeya Manustrong, Nicholas Sturman, Kwanreun Lawanwong and Promlikit Kessrapong (2021). Internal Structures of Known Pinctada maxima Pearls: Cultured Pearls from Operated Marine Mollusks. [Source](https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/fall-2021-internal-structures-pinctada-maxima-pearls) · DOI [10.5741/GEMS.57.3.186](https://doi.org/10.5741/GEMS.57.3.186) · [Archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20260420034834/https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/fall-2021-internal-structures-pinctada-maxima-pearls) 6. Assemblée de la Polynésie française (Journal officiel de la Polynésie française) (2017). Loi du pays n° 2017-16 du 18 juillet 2017 réglementant les activités professionnelles liées à la production et la commercialisation des produits perliers et nacriers en Polynésie française. [Source](https://www.ressources-marines.gov.pf/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2017/10/Loi-du-Pays-n%C2%B0-2017-16-du-18_07_2017-Activit%C3%A9s-professionnelles-perli.pdf) · [Archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20261026000126/https://www.ressources-marines.gov.pf/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2017/10/Loi-du-Pays-n%C2%B0-2017-16-du-18_07_2017-Activit%C3%A9s-professionnelles-perli.pdf) 7. Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Gem Encyclopedia. Pearl Description. [Source](https://www.gia.edu/pearl-description) · [Archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20261017085317/https://www.gia.edu/pearl-description) 8. CIBJO Pearl Commission (2025). CIBJO Guides Describing and Classifying Natural and Cultured Pearls, the Producing Molluscs & Responsible Pearling. [Source](https://cibjo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Final-Guide-October-2025-v2-COMPRESSED.pdf) · [Archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20260212155210/https://cibjo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Final-Guide-October-2025-v2-COMPRESSED.pdf) 9. Doug Fiske and Jeremy Shepherd (2007). Continuity and Change in Chinese Freshwater Pearl Culture. [Source](https://www.gia.edu/dam/migrated-assets/docs/doc1/Continuity-and-Change-in-Chinese-Freshwater-Pearl-Culture.pdf) · DOI [10.5741/GEMS.43.2.138](https://doi.org/10.5741/GEMS.43.2.138) · [Archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20261025235652/https://www.gia.edu/dam/migrated-assets/docs/doc1/Continuity-and-Change-in-Chinese-Freshwater-Pearl-Culture.pdf) 10. Gemological Institute of America (GIA), FAQ. What are the main types of cultured pearls and what are their distinctive characteristics?. [Source](https://www.gia.edu/FAQ/gia-faq-about-gemstones-cultured-pearl-types-characteristics) · [Archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20260510233833/https://www.gia.edu/FAQ/gia-faq-about-gemstones-cultured-pearl-types-characteristics) 11. Fisheries Agency of Japan (水産庁) (2026). 真珠養殖をめぐる情勢について (On the situation of pearl culture). [Source](https://www.jfa.maff.go.jp/j/saibai/attach/pdf/shinju-60.pdf) · [Archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20261026000052/https://www.jfa.maff.go.jp/j/saibai/attach/pdf/shinju-60.pdf) 12. Areeya Manustrong (2018). Very Small Akoya Cultured Pearls. [Source](https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/spring-2018-gemnews-very-small-akoya-cultured-pearls) · [Archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20260508145843/https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/spring-2018-gemnews-very-small-akoya-cultured-pearls) 13. Oïhana Latchere and others (2018). 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[Source](https://www.gia.edu/pearl/buyers-guide) · [Archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20260613185853/https://www.gia.edu/pearl/buyers-guide) **Written by:** Learn About Pearls editors **Fact-checked:** Learn About Pearls editors, October 26, 2026 **Reviewed by:** Simon, October 26, 2026 **First published:** November 4, 2026 **Publisher:** [Unique Pearl](https://learnaboutpearls.com/about/), a pearl jeweler **Revision history** 1. November 4, 2026: First published. First published **How to cite this page** **APA:** Learn About Pearls editors. (2026). _Saltwater vs Freshwater Pearls: What's the Difference?_ Learn About Pearls. https://learnaboutpearls.com/compare/saltwater-vs-freshwater-pearls/ **MLA:** “Saltwater vs Freshwater Pearls: What's the Difference?” _Learn About Pearls_, Unique Pearl, November 4, 2026, learnaboutpearls.com/compare/saltwater-vs-freshwater-pearls/. **Chicago:** Learn About Pearls editors. “Saltwater vs Freshwater Pearls: What's the Difference?” Learn About Pearls. Unique Pearl. Last modified November 4, 2026. https://learnaboutpearls.com/compare/saltwater-vs-freshwater-pearls/. **BibTeX:** `@misc{lap-compare-saltwater-vs-freshwater-pearls, title = {Saltwater vs Freshwater Pearls: What's the Difference?}, author = {{Learn About Pearls editors}}, year = {2026}, howpublished = {\url{https://learnaboutpearls.com/compare/saltwater-vs-freshwater-pearls/}}, note = {Learn About Pearls, published by Unique Pearl}}` Quoting with attribution and a link is welcome. See [how to cite and reuse](https://learnaboutpearls.com/cite/). **Suggest a correction** ## Related pages - [Freshwater pearls](https://learnaboutpearls.com/types/freshwater-pearls/): Cultured pearls from freshwater mussels, mostly grown in China, in a wide range of shapes and colors. - [Akoya vs freshwater](https://learnaboutpearls.com/compare/akoya-vs-freshwater-pearls/): How the classic saltwater Akoya differs from freshwater cultured pearls. - [Basics](https://learnaboutpearls.com/basics/): What pearls are, what they are made of, and how natural, cultured and imitation pearls differ.