Whats the difference between a fresh water pearl and a cultured pearl?
Actually freshwater pearls can be cultured or natural. A fresh water pearl just means it was made by a freshwater clam/oyster/mussel etc. The alternative to that is a salt water pearl which is made by the saltwater species. A cultured pearl is one that is made through human intervention and usually involves a piece of shell or carefully crafted bead. Sand is more of a myth. It’s really not used in culturing and is rarely the cause for natural pearls. Also, cultured pearls while having a higher chance of being round, are not always perfect. They run the risk of flaws just like a natural pearl. The only real difference is that a human introduced the irritant versus it naturally happening. So to answer your question you can actually have a freshwater cultured pearl. I hope this clears things up.
