The Japanese have a distinguished history of
culturing freshwater pearls as well. Lake Biwa was once world renowned
for producing high-quality freshwater pearls produced by the
Hyriopsis schlegelii,
(Biwa pearly mussel) mussel. However, in the mid 1970's pearl farming
all but came to a halt due to pollution in this lake that was once
synonymous with freshwater pearls. The Japanese tried once again to
farm freshwater pearls in Lake Kasumigaura in the last decade,
utilizing a bead-nucleated hybrid mussel (
Hyriopsis Schlegelii/Hyriopsis cumingii).
The resulting pearls have been quite large and unique. The Kasumiga
pearl industry had a very short life span, however, with production
ceasing in 2006. The industry is once again a pollution fatality of
Japanese industry. The remaining Kasumiga pearls are exclusively sold
by the Belpearl pearl company.
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