jewelry and tools. 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 ...

A single South Sea pearl can cost $1,500, and a necklace can reach over $200,000 ... whereas more common freshwater oysters can take as little as three months and create dozens of pearls.

This style features an irregular white freshwater pearl pierced and mounted in 14K yellow gold and is listed on the brand’s website at $218 for a pair.

carefully layered on top of 925 sterling silver and finished with a freshwater pearl pendant. While much of the senior royal's jewellery collection is worth thousands, this retails for just £128 ...