Many people have only recently become aware of freshwater pearls, but these beautiful creations have been around for centuries. The first groups of people to culture a product from freshwater mussels were the Chinese. The first known recorded citation that mentions pearls is from China as well and dates back to 2200 BC. However, the Chinese used shell mabes instead of true pearls. Japan thus holds the distinction of being the first country to produce cultured freshwater pearls. read more