The price-value anomaly is obvious to consumers as they hasten to buy Chinese freshwater bargains. Indeed, pearls from freshwater mussels lie at the center of the liveliest activity in pearling today.

Chinese pearls came mainly from freshwater rivers and ponds, whereas Japanese pearls were found near the coast in salt water. Nearly all the pearls in commerce originated from those few sources.

Anklets are back and (dare we say it?) better than ever. From gilded golds to dainty pearls, here’s how to wear yours this summer. The first time I wore an anklet, I was eight years old.

Before the development of plastic, buttons were made from mussel shells. Freshwater pearls are still cultured by inserting small pieces of native mussel shell into oysters. Mussels are fascinating ...

About 200 years ago pearl mussels were harvested for, as the name suggests, pearls. However, the name can mislead - only about one per cent of them contain this hidden 'treasure' (and most of ...

The largest Scottish freshwater pearl found in living memory is being auctioned, nearly six decades after its discovery. The Abernethy Pearl is expected to fetch between £40,000 and £60,000 when ...

A new colony of endangered freshwater pearl mussels has been discovered in north Highland. The rare species was uncovered during a watercourse survey being carried out before culvert replacement work.

The shiny layer inside the shell is called the nacre, or mother of pearl. HABITAT: Freshwater mussels live on river bottoms and most require clean, flowing water to survive and reproduce. RANGE: ...

Wetlands, rivers, lakes, and coastal estuaries are all aquatic ecosystems—critical elements of Earth’s dynamic processes and essential to human economies and health. Wetlands connect land and ...

Freshwater is our most precious natural resource, but high demand and limited supply threaten freshwater ecosystems and ensure that human societies will be increasingly challenged by water scarcity ...

Freshwater mussels are one of the most endangered groups of animals in the world — over 80 species are protected under the Endangered Species Act and >20 species have recently gone extinct. As such, ...