Metal String and White Pearls

© ® D-Gem

Coral / Steel

Necklace of 45cm composed of white pearls assembled on a metal wire.
These natural pearls are of oval form.
The culture of the fresh water pearls exists since the Fifties in the north of KYOTO (Japan) in lake BIWA (jap: biwaco). Into fresh water oysters (Hyriopsis schlegeli), one introduces only square pieces of epithelium of 4mm, most of the time without core. The exceptional size of these molluscs (20x11cm) makes it possible to make there up to ten insertions in each half with sometimes another moreover comprising one mother-of-pearl core. Each operation gives rise to a pearl-bearing bag and its pearl. At the end of one year the pearls have 6 with 8mm diameter and are seldom round. They are withdrawn from oysters and are reintroduced to improve the form of it.