Keshi pearls occur, after a farmed oyster shell has been opened & harvested. Occasionally, tiny dirt particles or even droplets of water fall into the scar recesses, where the farmed pearl has just been removed. When the oyster closes, and the mollusc is returned to the water, these droplets or filaments  inside the shell, cause irritation & the oyster begins the isolation process. Thus forming extraordinarily ‘cornflake’ shaped pearls.

The crucial point with Keshi pearls is that there is no nucleus, making them pure nacre right through, this gives them extraordinary lustre.

 

 

 

 

Freshwater oysters are much larger than those found in saltwater. They are around 20cm x 11cm and have a similar lifespan to saltwater molluscs.

Freshwater oysters are able to grow up to 50 pearls within their shells, at a time. This is the reason why they are less expensive to buy, than seawater pearls.

Interestingly, the calcium carbonate and conchiolin compound that makes the pearl, is just the same in either variety.