--- title: "Freshwater Pearls: Origin, Sizes, Quality and Value" description: "Freshwater cultured pearls from mussels in China: how they're grown, their sizes, shapes and colors, quality, treatments, price and how labs identify them." canonical_url: "https://learnaboutpearls.com/types/freshwater-pearls/" last_updated: "2026-11-04" last_reviewed: "2026-10-27" reviewed_by: "Simon" publisher: "Unique Pearl" publisher_disclosure: "Learn About Pearls is published by Unique Pearl, a pearl jeweler." --- # Freshwater Pearls: Origin, Sizes, Quality and Value **Short answer:** Freshwater pearls are cultured pearls grown in freshwater mussels, mainly the triangle shell mussel, in lakes and ponds in China. Most grow from pieces of mantle tissue alone, with no bead, many to a mussel, over one to five years. They come in a wide range of shapes, sizes and natural colors, from white and pink to peach and lavender, and GIA calls them the most affordable pearl type. | Mollusk | _Hyriopsis cumingii_ (triangle shell mussel) [1, 2, 3, 4] | | ---------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Water | freshwater [1, 5] | | Natural or cultured | cultured [1] | | Main producing regions | China [2, 5, 6] | | Typical size | 3–15 mm [2, 7] | | Size range | 3–25 mm [2, 7] | | Shapes | round, near-round, oval, coin and baroque [2, 7, 8] | | Natural colors | white, cream, pink, peach, orange, lavender and purple [1, 2, 3] | | Growing time | 1–5 years (depending on the culture method and mussel) [4, 8, 9] | | Nacre | Most are grown from mantle tissue alone, with no bead. Bead-cultured freshwater pearls, such as Edison pearls, have a shell bead at the center. [6, 7, 10] | | Relative price | The most affordable pearl type (GIA) [3] | **Key facts:** - China grows almost all of the world's freshwater cultured pearls. CIBJO estimates its output at about 1,000 to 1,500 tonnes, or 800 million to 1 billion pearls, a year. [2, 9] - A mussel can take up to 20 grafts in each of its two mantle lobes, and 30 to 40 pearls at a time is usual. [2, 9] - Freshwater culture usually takes 1 to 5 years, depending on the method and the mussel. [9] - Non-beaded freshwater pearls are typically 3 to 15 mm and bead-cultured ones usually 5 to 15 mm, with extremes from 3 to 25 mm. [2] - Freshwater pearls contain more manganese and barium and less strontium than saltwater pearls, a difference labs use to tell them apart. [11] - Bleaching is common, and optical brightening is routinely applied to untreated, naturally colored freshwater cultured pearls after harvest. [2, 10] - Japan imported only 600 grams of Chinese freshwater cultured pearls in 1971, and over 49 tons in 1984. [8] [Freshwater cultured pearls](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#freshwater-cultured-pearl) are [cultured pearls](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#cultured-pearl) grown in freshwater mussels. They are the most commonly produced pearls, and among the most popular, for their range of sizes, shapes and colors and their lower prices. [5] ## Where freshwater pearls come from Freshwater pearls grow in mussels, not oysters. In China most come from the triangle shell mussel, _[Hyriopsis cumingii](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#hyriopsis-cumingii)_, with _Hyriopsis schlegelii_ and _[Cristaria plicata](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#cristaria-plicata)_ also used. [2] GIA describes pearls from _H. cumingii_ and its hybrids, [3] while CIBJO’s 2025 guide reports that hybrid mussels are no longer used in China. [2] Japan once had its own freshwater pearl industry. _Hyriopsis schlegelii_ was used in Lake Biwa and Lake Kasumigaura from the early 1900s until before the 1990s. [2] Japan’s freshwater pearl output peaked at 6.3 tons in 1980 and fell to 214 kg by 1998, after water contamination and high mussel mortality. [8] Chinese researchers later imported _H. schlegelii_ from Japan and crossbred it with the native _H. cumingii_. [4] Chinese freshwater cultured pearls first appeared on the market in the late 1960s and early 1970s. [8] Japan imported only 600 grams of them in 1971, but over 49 tons in 1984, mostly for export to other countries. [8] ## Where freshwater pearls are farmed China is the leading source of freshwater cultured pearls. [5] Most are grown in Zhejiang, Hubei, Hunan, Anhui, Jiangsu and Jiangxi provinces, in lakes and ponds. [2] The volume is enormous. From 2005 to 2014, China produced an average of 3,540 tonnes of pearls a year, 99.5% of them freshwater, and over 98% of the world’s cultured pearl output by weight. [9] Because freshwater pearls sell for much less than [saltwater pearls](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#saltwater-pearl), that output made up only about 5% of the world’s pearl value. [9] CIBJO’s current estimate is 1,000 to 1,500 tonnes a year, or 800 million to 1 billion pearls, with a retail value of about US$3 billion in 2024. [2] Farming at that scale has costs. CIBJO reports that intensive farming, which adds phosphates to the water to feed the mussels, is causing environmental problems, including severe pollution of water tables in some areas of China. [2] ## How freshwater pearls are grown Most freshwater pearls are grown without a bead. A technician implants pieces of [mantle](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#mantle) tissue into the mussel’s mantle, up to 20 in each of its two mantle lobes, [9] and [nacre](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#nacre) forms around each piece. [5] Almost all freshwater pearls are grown this way. [6] Freshwater mussels grow faster than [pearl oysters](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#pearl-oyster) and are ready for [grafting](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#grafting) within a year. [9] A mussel usually produces 30 to 40 non-beaded pearls at a time, but only one or two when a large bead is used. [2] Culture usually takes 1 to 5 years, depending on the method and the mussel, [9] and the dataset gives a growing time of 1–5 years (depending on the culture method and mussel) [9]. Time in the water trades against size. In 2001, GIA’s journal described growers who grafted mussels about two and a half years old and harvested two to three years later, and others who grafted younger mussels and grew the pearls for four to six years to get larger pearls. [8] Some freshwater pearls are now grown around a shell [bead](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#bead), the method used for [Akoya](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#akoya). These are often near-round to round, bright white and very lustrous. [3] Trade names for bead-cultured freshwater pearls include Coin, Fireball, Edison, Ming and Soufflé; a [soufflé pearl](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#souffle-pearl)’s core is removed after [drilling](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#drilled), which leaves it hollow. [2] ## Freshwater sizes, shapes and colors Freshwater cultured pearls are typically 3–15 mm, within a range of 3–25 mm [2]. GIA notes that the smaller pearls are usually non-bead cultured, while the larger ones are often bead-cultured. [7] CIBJO lists freshwater shapes as round, near-round, oval, coin and baroque [2]. In 2001, GIA described Chinese freshwater pearls in shapes from extreme [baroque](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#baroque) to perfect round, a big change from the bulbous oval “potato” pearls common in earlier years. [8] Freshwater pearls come in white, cream, pink, peach, orange, lavender and purple [2]. CIBJO adds that darker natural colors often show a metallic [luster](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#luster), and that yellow and green are rare. [2] ![Hanging strands of pearls, most white with soft pink tones in round and irregular baroque shapes, and one strand of dark blue-black dyed pearls in the middle.](/_astro/freshwater-pearl-strands.eu_68L-__Z1jxXav.jpg?dpl=dpl_HtGtH9KVXNVAK9cLZJJhqCYEKmh2) Strands of freshwater pearls on silk: white baroque and round pearls in their own color, and one strand dyed dark blue. Photo: “Strands of freshwater pearls threaded on silk” by W\.carter. [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), via [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Strands_of_freshwater_pearls_threaded_on_silk.jpg). ## Quality factors for freshwater pearls Freshwater cultured pearls are judged on the same factors as saltwater pearls. CIBJO’s guide, following a 2023 standard, lists six: color, size, shape, luster, surface condition and [nacre thickness](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#nacre-thickness), with matching added for jewelry with several pearls. [2] Shape weighs heavily. Round is the most difficult shape to culture and the rarest cultured pearl shape, and when other factors are equal it is generally worth the most. [12] A GIA report also states whether pearls grew in freshwater or saltwater. [3] ## What affects the price of freshwater pearls 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. [3] Freshwater production is so large that lustrous examples are affordable, in part because each mussel produces dozens of pearls. [13] Within freshwater pearls, the usual factors set the price. When other factors are equal, larger pearls are rarer and more valuable. [12] ## Identification, treatments and imitations Labs separate freshwater from saltwater pearls by chemistry. Freshwater pearls contain more manganese and barium and less strontium, and they glow more strongly under X-rays, because [X-ray luminescence](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#x-ray-luminescence) brightens with manganese. [11, 14] Bead-cultured freshwater pearls can look like Akoya and are sometimes sold as “freshwater Akoya”, a name GIA calls incorrect. A GIA report states the environment a pearl grew in. [3] Treatments are common. CIBJO says it is common for Chinese freshwater pearls to be bleached and otherwise treated. [2] GIA reports that [optical brightening](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#optical-brightening) is routinely applied to untreated, naturally colored freshwater cultured pearls after harvest, and that the most common color treatments are [dyeing](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#dyeing) and [irradiation](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#irradiation). [10] Imitations are a separate matter. In the United States an [imitation pearl](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#imitation-pearl) must be called “imitation”, “artificial” or “simulated” whenever the word “pearl” is used. [15] ## Caring for freshwater pearls Freshwater cultured pearls need the same care as other pearls. Put them on after perfume and cosmetics, [13] wipe them with a soft cloth dampened in clean water after wearing, and keep them away from acids, solvents, heat and ultrasonic cleaners. Some [color-treated pearls](https://learnaboutpearls.com/glossary/#treated-pearl) can fade or revert to their original color under strong light. [1] The [care](https://learnaboutpearls.com/care/) section has the full routine. ## Questions people ask ### Are freshwater pearls real pearls? Freshwater pearls are cultured pearls, grown by living mussels that coat implanted pieces of tissue, or sometimes a bead, with nacre. They are not imitations. In the United States and under CIBJO's standards they must be described as cultured, and CIBJO requires the full name "freshwater cultured pearl". [1, 5, 15] ### Do freshwater pearls have a bead inside? Most don't. Almost all freshwater pearls are grown from mantle tissue alone. Some, sold under trade names such as Edison, Ming and Fireball, are grown around a shell bead and are often near-round to round. [2, 3, 6] ### Why are freshwater pearls cheaper than Akoya pearls? GIA says Akoya are rarer and cost more to culture. Freshwater production is also enormous, because each mussel produces dozens of pearls, while an Akoya oyster grows one at a time. [3, 9, 13] ### What colors do freshwater pearls come in? Natural colors include white, cream, pink, orange, dark purple, violet and mauve, with yellow and green rare. Darker natural colors often have a metallic luster. [2] ### What are "freshwater Akoya" pearls? They are bead-cultured freshwater pearls, not Akoya pearls, which come only from the saltwater Akoya oyster. GIA calls names such as "freshwater Akoya", "Chinese Akoya" and "baby Akoya" misleading. [3] ## References 1. 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) 2. 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) 3. 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) 4. 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) 5. 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) 6. 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) 7. 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) 8. Shigeru Akamatsu, Li Tajima Zansheng, Thomas M. Moses and Kenneth Scarratt (2001). The Current Status of Chinese Freshwater Cultured Pearls. [Source](https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/summer-2001-chinese-freshwater-cultured-pearls-akmatsu) · DOI [10.5741/GEMS.37.2.96](https://doi.org/10.5741/GEMS.37.2.96) · [Archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20260814013828/https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/summer-2001-chinese-freshwater-cultured-pearls-akmatsu) 9. 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) 10. Chunhui Zhou and others (2021). Detection of Color Treatment and Optical Brightening in Chinese Freshwater "Edison" Pearls. [Source](https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/summer-2021-detection-of-color-treatment-and-optical-brightening-in-chinese-freshwater-edison-pearls) · DOI [10.5741/GEMS.57.2.124](https://doi.org/10.5741/GEMS.57.2.124) · [Archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20260413154357/https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/summer-2021-detection-of-color-treatment-and-optical-brightening-in-chinese-freshwater-edison-pearls) 11. 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) 12. Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Gem Encyclopedia. Pearl Quality Factors. [Source](https://www.gia.edu/pearl-quality-factor) · [Archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20261016075647/https://www.gia.edu/pearl-quality-factor) 13. Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Gem Encyclopedia. Pearl Buyer's Guide. [Source](https://www.gia.edu/pearl/buyers-guide) · [Archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20260613185853/https://www.gia.edu/pearl/buyers-guide) 14. H. A. Hänni (2006). A short review of the use of "keshi" as a term to describe pearls. [Source](https://www.ssef.ch/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2006_Haenni_A_short_review_of_the_use_of_Keshi_as_a_term_to_describe_pearls.pdf) · DOI [10.15506/JoG.2006.30.1.51](https://doi.org/10.15506/JoG.2006.30.1.51) · [Archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20260416052623/https://www.ssef.ch/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2006_Haenni_A_short_review_of_the_use_of_Keshi_as_a_term_to_describe_pearls.pdf) 15. U.S. Federal Trade Commission (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations). 16 CFR Part 23, Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries. [Source](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-23) · [Archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20260907072405/https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-23) **Written by:** Learn About Pearls editors **Fact-checked:** Learn About Pearls editors, October 26, 2026 **Reviewed by:** Simon, October 27, 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). _Freshwater Pearls: Origin, Sizes, Quality and Value_. Learn About Pearls. https://learnaboutpearls.com/types/freshwater-pearls/ **MLA:** “Freshwater Pearls: Origin, Sizes, Quality and Value.” _Learn About Pearls_, Unique Pearl, November 4, 2026, learnaboutpearls.com/types/freshwater-pearls/. **Chicago:** Learn About Pearls editors. “Freshwater Pearls: Origin, Sizes, Quality and Value.” Learn About Pearls. Unique Pearl. Last modified November 4, 2026. https://learnaboutpearls.com/types/freshwater-pearls/. **BibTeX:** `@misc{lap-types-freshwater-pearls, title = {Freshwater Pearls: Origin, Sizes, Quality and Value}, author = {{Learn About Pearls editors}}, year = {2026}, howpublished = {\url{https://learnaboutpearls.com/types/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 - [Saltwater vs freshwater](https://learnaboutpearls.com/compare/saltwater-vs-freshwater-pearls/): How pearls from saltwater oysters differ from pearls grown in freshwater mussels. - [Akoya vs freshwater](https://learnaboutpearls.com/compare/akoya-vs-freshwater-pearls/): How the classic saltwater Akoya differs from freshwater cultured pearls. - [Akoya pearls](https://learnaboutpearls.com/types/akoya-pearls/): The classic round, white saltwater cultured pearl, grown mostly in Japan.