For 40 years the Japanese were the leaders in the freshwater cultured pearl industry. Throughout 1950 to 1990, many of the cultured freshwater pearls you'd find in any freshwater pearl earrings were from the island of Japan.
This dominance in the pearl industry was soon challenged by the Chinese after 1990.
With China's vast region and large bodies of water; including freshwater lakes and rivers, it was easy to see the the Chinese would take their role in the freshwater pearl industry.
Traditional methods were used by Chinese pearl farmers to produce many of the beautiful freshwater pearl earrings you may have found throughout the 1990s and after.
Modern technology has changed that for the Chinese. Units of polishing, cleaning, drilling, and creating the best quality of pearl possible is now being incorporated into their culture and methods. In fact according to the head gemstone book by Fred Ward, most of the Akoya pearls we are familiar with, are labeled as Japanese, but are imported from China.
Freshwater pearls used to make the freshwater pearl necklace are produced by a nature, which is different from any other gemstone.
