Pearl & Crystal Clip-On Earrings

Product Info

White Freshwater Pearl & Swarofski Crystal Clip-On Earrings set in Nickel

Length: 40mm

Bead size: 4-5mm

Freshwater mollusks are nucleated by creating a small incision in the fleshy mantle tissue of a 6 to 12 month old mussel, then inserting a 3mm square piece of mantle tissue from a donor mussel. The mollusks are then returned to their freshwater environment where they are tended for 2-6 years. The resulting pearls are of solid nacre, but without a bead nucleus to guide the growth process the pearls are rarely perfectly round.  Pearls are quite soft (Mohs scale hardness of 2.5) and are among the world's softest gemstones. They are available in many different shapes and sizes and have a tremendous range of color. They are mostly from China

Swarovski  are man made and consist of 32 percent lead, which is a requirement when making the crystals. Clear crystals are more difficult to produce since they must be without impurities. They are cut using the same precision-cutting process in which diamonds are cut.Daniel Swarovski invented the formula for the crystals in the 1890s. Authentic Swarovski crystals are made only in Austria