Freshwater pearls are up there with some of the most precious gems in the world. They've been prized for centuries for their luster and rarity which is why we decided to build an entire brand around them :-) We like beautiful things.
But how are real pearls actually made?
Freshwater pearls are formed inside of freshwater mollusks, which are a type of soft-bodied invertebrate. Kinda cool, kinda weird. When a freshwater mollusk gets a foreign object trapped inside its shell (like a grain of sand) it responds by releasing a substance called nacre. Nacre is a pearlescent material that coats the foreign object layer by layer. Over time, this process can create a beautiful freshwater pearl. Stunning.
Freshwater pearls are also known for their unique luster. It's because the nacre that forms freshwater pearls is made up of a different composition of minerals than the nacre that forms saltwater pearls. As a result, freshwater pearls often have a brighter, more iridescent luster than saltwater pearls. And that's why we choose them for our pieces.