What are Biwa pearls?
It depends on whom you ask. According to the Japanese, Biwa pearls are exclusively those that come from Lake Biwa, near Kyoto. Because Biwa pearls were among the first cultured freshwater pearls and were predominant in the industry until the 1970’s, the term Biwa became nearly synonymous with the term freshwater pearl. As more and more freshwater pearls come from China, the Japanese may soon have their exclusive designation back.
