Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Cultured Pearls in China


Today, almost all the pearls in the market are cultured pearls. Freshwater pearls and saltwater pearls are all regarded as cultured pearls. Cultured pearls are grown inside oysters and mollusks in the same way as natural pearls. The only difference is that while natural pearls occur randomly in nature, cultured pearls are created when a pearl farmer deliberately injects an irritant into the oyster. Cultured pearls are often sold by size (diameter of the pearl) while natural pearls are sold by weight (carat of the pearl).

Nearly all pearls sold in the open market are cultured. This is because cultured pearls are much more numerous and easy to produce and harvest than natural pearls. Thus, cultured pearl jewelry is much more common. Cultured pearls do not have as many surface blemishes as natural pearls tend to have, but they can have more bumps and dents. Cultured pearls tend to have a regular, almost round shape.

Pearl cultivation began in China and was imported to Europe in the 17th century. As the technology improved and pearl cultivation became more profitable, it grew as a business in the late 18th and early 19th centuries until cultivated pearls became the dominant type of genuine pearls found on the market today.

Nowadays, Japan and China are major global suppliers of cultured pearls. In fact, Chinese pearls account for approximately 96% of pearls sold everywhere in the world. Even most pearls sold as Japanese were actually grown on Chinese pearl farms.

Shecy Pearl Jewelry's pearl-production plant is located in Hepu, Beihai city, Guangxi. It is the source of China's finest pearls for centuries and is well known as"the Southern Pearl County". Guangxi is the province in the south-west of China. Guangxi Hepu has cultivated and produced the highest yield of cultured pearls since 1960s. The favorable temperature and sheltered bays offer an ideal living condition for pearls. There is an ancient saying in China: "The West pearls are not as good as the East pearls. But the East pearls are not as good as the South pearls—Hepu pearls." Hepu's fine pearls are considered a national treasure to this day, and were once a valuable tribute to Chinese emperors.

China's first large cultured pearl farm was built in Hepu in 1958. Located in the Guangxi Province in southern China, beside the South Sea and between two rivers, Hepu is an ideal place for pearl cultivation. It has few storms, so oysters can grow in peace in Hepu's calm waters. The water temperature and salinity are perfectly suited to growing pearl-producing oysters. This is why Hepu has been considered China's foremost "pearl town" for centuries.

All of Shecy Pearl Jewelry's fine cultured saltwater pearls come straight from pearl farm in legendary Hepu - South China Sea pearl town. Shecy Pearls freshwater pearls are from Chinese freshwater pearl town - Shanxiahu, Zhejiang. Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of China, serving as the source for China's freshwater pearls. China produces more than 95 percent of world pearl production. The rich resources of cultured pearls (saltwater and freshwater pearls) ensure us to offer our customers the best quality of pearls with favorable price.