Do Mollusks Make Freshwater Pearls?
Freshwater mussels, a type of mollusk, make freshwater pearls. They are the commercial source of these pearls. China has become the biggest producer in the world, according to Pearl-Guide.com.
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Freshwater Pearl Mussels
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The first commercial source of freshwater pearls was the Cockscomb mussel, Cristaria plicata. In the 1990s, production shifted to the Triangle Shell mussel, Hyriopsis cumingii, because the quality of its pearls was superior.
Freshwater Pearl Culture
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How a freshwater pearl actually forms remains somewhat of a mystery. While a hard bead nucleus is used to culture other pearls, the insertion of mantle tissue from another mussel stimulates freshwater pearl production in a process that is not well understood. The grafted tissue may or may not be the pearl nucleus, according to Pearl-Guide.com.
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The U.S. and Japan
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Pollution, habitat destruction and competition from invading species has decimated populations of North American freshwater pearl mussels. The Japanese industry also has suffered from pollution, according to Pearl-Guide.com.
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