The pearls

They are organic gems that form inside oysters and are composed of calcium carbonate in the form of aragonite or calcite. 

Pearls can be of two categories, freshwater or saltwater.

Today all pearls are cultured.

Freshwater pearls are grown in lakes and rivers, while other pearls come from the ocean and lagoons.

Memories of the sea uses freshwater cultured pearls.

Freshwater pearls are rarely round in shape; this is because freshwater farmed mollusks are grafted using only a small piece of tissue from a donor mollusk (which has no shape of its own), without a nucleus inside.

However, since they do not have a nucleus and are therefore composed entirely of mother-of-pearl, freshwater pearls are longer-lived and more resistant than all nucleated pearls.

Freshwater pearls are produced by the river oyster Hyriopsis Cumingii, a single oyster can produce up to 50 pearls at a time, although the average production is 24-32 pearls per mollusk.

Over the course of 2 to 7 years, the oysters grown in freshwater will deposit several layers of nacre, which will solidify and produce approximately two dozen pearls, clustered inside each valve of the river oyster.

Once collected, the freshwater pearls are then carefully sorted and matched according to their size, shape, color and quality to be placed on the market.

The shapes and size, larger than any other type of pearl, reveal a rainbow of natural pastel colors, such as lavender, pink and various shades in between.

Their size varies from 1 or 2 mm in diameter up to the largest, which can even exceed 2 cm.

Their shapes are varied

Row

The thread we use is cotton, with a woven and waxed weave.

The colors are neutral in order to better highlight the pearls.

Components

The clasps of our necklaces, bracelets and earrings are in 925 silver.