I RECEIVE THIS QUESTION MORE THAN ONCE EVERY WEEK THROUGH OUR PEARL EMPORIUM STORE.

I DECIDED TO ANSWER IT BRIEFLY HERE TO HELP YOU REALIZE THE INCREDIBLE VALUE AVAILABLE IN QUALITY FRESHWATER PEARL STRANDS.

THE ANSWER IS ONE TO ONE HUNDRED!

BELOW ARE A FEW  PICTURES I TOOK AT ONE OF THE CHINESE FARMS IN ZHEJIANG PROVINCE WHERE WE BUY THOUSANDS OF STRANDS OF PEARLS EACH MONTH.

THIS PICTURE SHOWS AN OYSTER THAT HAS MANY PEARLS OF ALL SIZES, SHAPES, AND MANY COLORS ALL PRODUCED IN THE SAME OYSTER.



HERE ARE MANY OLDER WOMEN HARVESTING DEAD OYSTERS THAT HAVE BEEN PULLED FROM THE WATER THREE DAYS EARLIER. THE STINK IS OVERWHELMING AND YOUNGER GALS AND GUYS SIMPLY DO NOT DO THIS TYPE OF WORK. THE YOUNGER GENERATION SIMPLY HAVE SWEETER SMELLING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE NEW CITIES!
 


THIS IS A MAKE SHIFT AGITATOR THAT FREES THE PEARLS FROM THE STINKY MASS OF DEAD OYSTER MEAT. THIS PROCESS ALLOWS THE PEARLS TO BE SIMPLY DIPPED IN A VAT OF WATER TO WASH AWAY THE SMELLY AND DISGUSTING OYSTER RESIDUE.



HERE IS A PAIL FULL OF FRESH HARVESTED PEARLS WHICH STILL HAVE A SLIGHT ODOR TO THEM. THEY ARE NOT YET READY TO HANG AROUND YOUR NECK UNLESS YOU LIKE TO ALSO WEAR GARLIC!



THESE SAME OLDER WOMEN ARE NOW CHIPPING AND REMOVING THE MABE PEARLS THAT ARE STUCK TO THE INSIDE OF THE SHELL. THIS WORK IS DONE WHEN THERE IS NO HARVEST UNDER WAY. THE MOUNTAINS SURROUNDING THEM ARE ALL FRESHWATER PEARL OYSTERS. AFTER THE MABE PEARLS ARE REMOVED, THESE OYSTERS WILL BE CUT INTO DIFFERENT SHAPES AND SIZES FOR GORGEOUS MOTHER OF PEARL BEADS. NO WASTE HERE!




THESE ARE BAGS OF PEARLS READY TO BE SORTED, DRILLED, AND STRUNG FOR PEARL EMPORIUM.




THESE GALS ARE SORTING VERY LARGE MABE PEARLS AND SELECTING THE BEST QUALITY FOR A PEARL EMPORIUM.



THESE LADIES ARE STRINGING PEARLS FOR PEARL EMPORIUM IN JANUARY, NOTE THE VERY HEAVY COATS. I HAVE VISITED OVER 400 FARMS AND STRINGING FACTORIES, BUT I HAVE NEVER FOUND A SINGLE HEATER IN ANY OF THEM IN 6 YEARS OF LOOKING!



  UNTIL RECENTLY, FRESHWATER OYSTERS WERE USED TWICE TO PRODUCE PEARLS. THE FIRST PEARLS WERE CAREFULLY REMOVED WITH TWEEZERS WITH THE OYSTER SHELL ONLY OPEN ABOUT 3/8THS OF AN INCH. THOSE PEARLS WERE HARVESTED AT 2 TO THREE YEARS OLD AND WERE USUALLY LOWER QUALITY PEARLS.

TODAY, ALMOST ALL FRESHWATER PEARLS ARE HARVESTED ONLY ONCE FROM THE OYSTERS. THEY ARE HAVESTED FROM 3 AND A HALF YEARS OLD TO 7 YEARS OLD. THE EXTRA GROWNG TIME IS THE KEY TO THE INCREDIBLY HIGH QUALITY AS WELL AS THE MUCH LARGER SIZES OF BEAUTIFUL PEARLS NOW COMING FROM THIS REGION.

TODAY THE BETTER QUALITY PEARLS RIVAL ALL OTHER PEARLS IN THE WORLD FOR BEAUTY, NATURAL COLORS, AND QUALITY. THE MAIN DIFFERENT COMPARED TO OTHER PEARLS IS STILL THE PRICE! FRESHWATER PEARLS ARE BY FAR THE BEST VALUE IN THE WORLD FOR YOUR PEARL DOLLAR!

THESE TOP WHITE NATURAL PEARLS WERE  HARVESTED AT JUST OVER 5 YEARS OF AGE.



THESE GORGEOUS  HIGH QUALITY JEWELRY PEARLS WERE HARVESTED AT THE AGE OF FIVE YEARS AND 7 MONTHS OF AGE. THESE ARE THE TYPE OF QUALITY PEARLS THAT ARE SCARING THE AKOYA AND SOUTH SEA PRODUCERS WHO HAVE TO SELL THEIR PEARLS FOR AS MUCH AS 2,000 TIMES MORE...EVEN THOUGH THE QUALITY IS GRADED THE SAME BY INDEPENDANT GEMOLOGISTS!



HOPEFULLY, YOU NOW KNOW A BIT MORE ABOUT FRESHWATER PEARLS AND THE INCREDIBLE VALUE THAT THEY REPRESENT TO THE WORLD OF JEWELRY MAKING. WE HAVE AN OFFICE IN YIWU, CHINA, TO STAY FAR AHEAD OF OTHER PEARL WHOLESALERS, RETAILERS, AND WANNABEES. WE SELL QUALITY PEARL STRANDS AT BELOW WHOLESALE PRICES WORLD WIDE.

HAVE A GREAT DAY, DAD