Vintage Biwa Pearl Necklace with 18K Gold Clasp and 4 Diamonds from 1980

An extraordinary Biwa pearl necklace that stands out due to its special design. It consists of a strand of white Biwa pearls and a strand of fine, so-called rice grain Biwa pearls. The necklace is held in place by an 18-karat 750 yellow gold clasp set with four diamonds weighing 0.02 ct in W SI quality.

The Biwa pearls are characterized by their beautiful lustre, and the fact that they are set in 18-karat gold underlines their preciousness. This necklace is a true piece of jewelry that captivates with its uniqueness and elegance.

Total length 42 cm

77 ct or 15.5 g total weight

Here is some information about Biwa Pearls:

About 95% of the pearls sold today as “Lake Biwa” pearls actually come from various lakes in China. Legally, they cannot be called Biwa pearls if they do not come from Lake Biwa.

Our necklace consists of vintage pearls that were cultivated in Lake Biwa according to the highest Japanese standards. These genuine Lake Biwa pearls are very rare vintage pieces today. Since the 1930s, they have set the standard for the quality of mother-of-pearl pearls. Thanks to the particularly good water quality at that time, breathtakingly beautiful freshwater cultured pearls with extraordinary shapes and colors were created in Lake Biwa. To this day, the quality of these “old” Biwa pearls remains unrivaled.

In the 1970s, over-fishing and environmental pollution led to damage to the mussel stocks in Lake Biwa. Within less than 50 years, the production of Biwa pearls declined due to the pollution of the lake until finally no more pearls were produced. Today, genuine Biwa pearls are only available from old stocks. New Biwa pearls no longer exist; what are sold as new Biwa pearls are in fact cheap freshwater pearls from China.