What is Biwa pearl?

What is Biwa pearl?

Biwa pearls are a cultured pearl produced in a freshwater mussel native to Lake Biwa, Japan. Considered to be a non-nucleated pearl, they are produced by introducing 10 to 20 bits of mantle tissue from another mussel into incisions in the host mantle.

Are freshwater mussel pearls worth anything?

Freshwater pearls are commonly grown inside the Hyriopsis cumingii mollusc in rivers, lakes and ponds in China, and their production has also started to grow in Southeast Asia in recent years. Typical Price Range: Low: below US$20. Average: US$30 – US$50.

How stick pearls are made?

Opulent and pearlescent, stick pearls are formed inside cultured freshwater mussels in the same way traditional cultured pearls are formed, by implanting a mother-of-pearl nucleus in the shape of the desired pearl. Nacre is produced around the nucleus and, over time, the lustrous pearl is created.

What are baroque freshwater pearls?

Baroque pearls are pearls with an irregular, non-spherical shape. Shapes can range from minor aberrations to distinctly ovoid, curved, pinched, or lumpy shapes. Most cultured freshwater pearls are baroque because freshwater pearls are mantle-tissue nucleated instead of bead nucleated.

What does Biwa mean in Japanese?

The biwa (Japanese: 琵琶) is a Japanese short-necked wooden lute traditionally used in narrative storytelling.

What is the most expensive pearl?

The most expensive natural pearl ever sold was Marie Antoinette’s pendant. It went for $32 million in a 2018 Sotheby’s auction.

What is the rarest freshwater pearl?

Naturally colored blue pearls are the rarest pearl colors in the world (with one or two exceptions, which we will get to below). The color has existed in pearls for decades, but only recently have naturally colored blue pearls gained popularity in the modern pearl jewelry markets.

How can you tell if a pearl is baroque?

You can find both real and fake baroque pearls on the market. The easiest way to find out whether your pearl is real is by gently rubbing it along the surface of your tooth. A real baroque pearl will have a grittiness to it, while a fake one (both glass and plastic) will be perfectly smooth.

What are the interesting facts about biwa?

The biwa is related to the Chinese pipa, an instrument that was introduced to Japan in the late 7th century. Over the centuries, several types of biwa were created, each having a certain size plectrum, a specialized purpose, a unique performance technique, and varying numbers of strings and frets.

What is biwa made of?

Its size and construction influences the sound of the instrument as the curved body is often struck percussively with the plectrum during play. The satsuma-biwa is traditionally made from Japanese mulberry, although other hard woods such as Japanese zelkova are sometimes used in its construction.

Why is Mikimoto so expensive?

Mikimoto grades their pearls: A, A+, AA and AAA Quality, which is their highest/best pearl grade. Their AAA Quality Akoya are so rare, and so expensive, that there are only one or two strands produced each year.