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The market and demand for Freshwater pearls has grown in recent years to rival the demand for the more expensive, rarer saltwater pearls. The price difference is substantial, as consumers are eager to buy the freshwater alternative which can provide all the luster of the pearl without the expense of the past. China was one of the first countries to culture the product of freshwater mussels, as well as Japan, where farmers experimented with freshwater mussels in Lake Biwa in the 1930's.

The formation of freshwater pearls occurs in much the same way as that of saltwater ones, when foreign material gets inside the mussel and is coated with the secretion that the mussel uses to build its shell, Nacre, in order to relieve any irritation. The reason freshwater pearls are cheaper than saltwater is the ability to farm the mussels to produce larger pearls, and the reduced costs and hazards in retrieving them.

The sale of pearls was interrupted by the second world war, but by the 1950's the trade had revived, with strands being sold in Japan for much less expense that the saltwater variety. However, in recent years, pearl production in Lake Biwa has declined due to development around the lake and subsequent pollution. This has allowed for China's burgeoning market to take its place as the worlds leading freshwater pearl seller.

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