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Lush Pea-Green Pearls - 5mm Order early for Christmas! Price is per 15-inch string of these beautiful 5mm pearls. The least expensive cultured pearls today rival the most expensive natural pearls ever found. Natural freshwater pearls occur in mussels for the same reason saltwater pearls occur in oysters. Foreign material inside a mussel can't be expelled. To reduce irritation, the mollusk coats the intruder with the same secretion it uses for shell-building, nacre. To cultivate a pearl, farmers slit the mussel and insert small pieces of live tissue from another mussel. The ancient Chinese practiced this technique, but the first real cultured freshwater pearls originated in Japan. In the 1930's, Japanese farmers by Lake Biwa achieved natural colors unseen in saltwater pearls. However, water pollution today has virtually destroyed pearl production there. China has the resources that Japan lacks: many large lakes, rivers, and a low-cost work force. The first Chinese cultured pearls were basic, until the 1990's when China revolutionized pearling. Shapes, luster, and colors of the new Chinese pearls now surpass Biwa Copying the Japanese to improve off-white and mottling, China uses a mild bleach, bright lights, and heat. Natural freshwater pearls are usually odd shapes. So for more roundness, the Chinese now reshape rejected pearls into spheres, and then nucleate mussels with them. The best pearls have thick overlapping layers of nacre. This can be tested by viewing its "luster". Roll the pearl with a pen in good light - the best pearls will reflect the pen the most. A large pearl is only more valuable if it's the same quality as a smaller one - and the rounder the better. Being an organic gem, grooves, pits, or dents are expected. However, matching color for a complete necklace is important. Freshwater pearls are popular for their colors: white, silvery-white, pink, red, copper, brown, lavender, purple, green, blue, and yellow. The most desirable are the pastel pinks, roses, lavenders, and purples. Color comes from the mussel species and water quality. Generally pearls assume the color of the shell in which they form. Fastest way to get this win, use our Express Checkout: If you are the winner, click the button above to check out right now! Multi-winners MUST use our checkout to avoid delay UK P&P: £2.99. Europe Airmail: £4.50. International airmail to the US & everywhere else: £6.00. Bid on my other items for combined shipping discount - most items just 75p more postage. P&P includes us buying in China (we don't speak Chinese!), courier to Hong Kong, packing & mailing express air to Luton + my mother sorting, re-packing and sending to you. Not to mention all the extra service e-Bay customers love compared to our shop orders! Please read payment options, delivery, and guarantee below Click for similar items in my gallery:

Payment Options:
Paypal, cheque, postal order, money order, Visa & MasterCard welcome. We mail within two days of receiving payment - takes about 5-days within the UK, or 12-days elsewhere. Add 2-days for bank holidays or longer on multi-wins not using our checkout. Payments without auction numbers or mailing address will be delayed. If you use Paypal we post to the address you give as there unless you quote our order number - so please ensure it is correct (as many customers do not!).

Combined Order:
To save shipping, you may combine with any other of our eBay handles on auctions closing within an 8-day period. Just send us all the auction numbers on close, and we will get back with the combined total. Our four eBay handles are mrbead-uk, jensen4, betterbead, and awesomerings.

Guarantee and Refunds:
I pack very well, but should it arrive damaged, I offer a no-quibble replacement of the same item or if this is not possible, something similar. And if you are genuinely dissatisfied, mail it back within 14 days for a refund - less postage and £3.50 Pounds or 10% processing fee (whichever is greater). Note: to protect us from carried-away bidders, we can only refund the starting price on auctions.

Picture Accuracy:
In 95% of listings, actual item will look the same as the picture. However, occasionally, there may be slight variations in colour or design depending on stock. In particular, bead colour shades can look different. Natural pearl sizes may vary - size quoted is maximum in the strand. If this is a problem, please enquire before bidding. Unless otherwise stated, all pearl strands are 15-inch, and other bead strands 16-inches.

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