Preeeetty much probably BS.
The truth is there are no more Biwa pearls being produced that come from Lake Biwa. The mussels that produced genuine Biwa pearls are virtually extinct due to pollution, over harvesting and red algae.
Genuine Biwa pearls originally came from Lake Biwa in Japan just North of Kyoto and came in amazing colors and beautiful organic shapes. You can see that many genuine Biwa Pearls don’t actually look like the ‘stick pearls’ that are being called ‘Biwa Pearls. Most Biwa pearls are shaped more like rice or keshi pearls.
Stick pearls are cultured pearls from China and may be long and thin (my favorite) or more flat and wide like these:
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
I love these pearls too, they can add a lot of drama to any piece but they aren’t the real dealio if you are looking for Biwa pearls.
The genuine Biwa that I linked to is mine by the way..or it’s gonna be.
just sayin’
Keep your eyes open when you are shopping for pearls if it’s important to you to buy the genuine article. Sellers should be able to answer your questions clearly and watch for wording like, ‘Biwa inspired’ or ‘Biwa like’, this is all fair wording and descriptive but take the time to read about what it is you are actually buying.
Take your time.
Take care and pay close attention to the wording used in descriptions.
Ask questions and expect prompt, informative, straight answers.
Questions or comments? Please leave ’em in the comments section below and share this with your friends if you think it might help them.
The post Biwa Freshwater Pearls or BS? appeared first on .
