Produced by oysters in oceans or mussels in rivers, pearls have been coveted by humans since the Bronze Age. So much so that it is believed the exploitation of freshwater pearls was a factor in the ...

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.