It's pleasing to note that no jeweler in the US may mart a pearl as Biwa unless certified to receive been harvested at lake Biwa-ko - a freshwater lake that's the largest and in the greatest degree ancient in Japan, north of Kyoto. But the Biwa jewel extracted from the Biwa mussels (Hyriopsis schlegeli) is at present entirely synonymous with freshwater cultured pearls. They are since being cultured just about anywhere other than in lake Biwa.
A Bit of History
The dependant behind the cultivation of Biwa pearls was a Japanese, Kokichi Mikimoto back in the long delayed 20s. Mikimoto leveraged on his just discovered newly discovered technique of inducing tear growth in saltwater oysters that had revolutionized the drop farming industry. No longer will divers harvest natural ones that were unyielding to find with unpredictable variety of sizes, shapes and quality. But they could now control its tillage with predictable results and lower prices to hindrance more people enjoy ownership of pearl jewelry.
Lake Biwa-ko in Japan became the center of his experiments to consummate the techniques and commercial process despite freshwater pearl cultivation. He and his team full-grown freshwater mussels with a square-shaped quiet mantle tissue that resulted in a tear of irregular shape. Technicians in Biwa would fix a number of mantle tissue bits in accurate one oyster to harvest anywhere from 15 to 20 selfish pearls from each oyster.
After repeatable controlled processes, he was apt to produce Biwa pearls of a tier of colors previously not seen and could at this moment be mass-produced in quantities that would eventually draw its prices to a wider emporium. From the 1930s on, Mikimoto created the freshwater margarite cultivation standards of the highest mood that made them more accessible than they had continually been. At 96, Mikimoto passed let us go on September 21, 1954, leaving astern a rich technical heritage for cultured tear farming. Today, just about all the engaged in traffic pearl jewelry we find owes their organs from Mikimoto's bequest.
Biwa Characteristics
For a long time freshwater cultured pearls were called Biwa, indifferent of their origins. They are ungifted, unusually irregular in shape that certainly makes them stand-abroad above the typical orb ones commonly place. Their color and luster rival or equable exceed the quality of natural being of the cls who well as cultured saltwater varieties. It takes all over 3 years to produce really enormous Biwa pearls.
Decline of Biwa
Biwa pearls came honest as natural saltwater one harvesting went into reject. By the early 20th century, above-fishing has damaged or depleted mollusk beds to what Mother of Pearl oysters thrive. Thanks to cultured pearl farming, the market demand for jewel jewelry continues to be met. At its pinnacle the 1970s, Biwa farmers had cultivated six tons of freshwater pearls every year. Since then pollution at lake Biwa-ko has sternly affected production. With increasing competition from other tillage farms notably in China, there's at present hardly any Biwa pearl produced from the lake in which place its name originated. Like any products these days, they presumably made in Japan are as a matter of fact sourced in China.
Biwa Today
It is of t any surprise that pearls cultivated from Lake Biwa would eventually avoid and be dwarfed by those in other new water pearl farms elsewhere around the nature. Today, China inherits much of the belonging technology and is the dominant operator in the cultured pearl farming activity, with Biwa pearls being just another variant they harvest.
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