Pearl river overlows in China

From Reuters:

The massive volume of freshwater pearls on the market have made the gem affordable to the masses. Now, local Chinese governments, concerned about environmental damage to lakes and reservoirs from pearl cultivation, are beginning to rein in production.

In 2007, China produced 1,600 tonnes of pearls, over 95 percent of the world's total output, the Gems and Jewellery Trade Association of China said on its website.

Lake waters where the pearls are cultivated are greenish, cloudy and often foul-smelling from a mixture of pollution and fertilizers dumped into the water to help the mussels produce pearls faster.

Environmental damage from pearl culture is minor compared with industrial emissions, heavy fertilizer runoff and untreated sewage that have fouled many Chinese rivers and lakes over three decades of break-neck economic growth.

Local governments are now under pressure to attack all sources of pollution.

Experience in other pearl-producing regions has shown that producing smaller quantities of higher quality gems can actually bring better returns for the industry as a whole.

"It's important that pearl farmers know that producing 100 kilograms of pearls is not more profitable than producing 20 kilograms," said Qiu Zhili, associate professor of earth sciences at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangdong province.

In French Polynesia, where Tahitian pearls are cultivated, the local industry association compiles output plans and strictly regulates market access. Pearls that do not meet gem grade standards cannot be sold as jewelry, Qiu said.

Guambat is beginning to connect the dots between big business and go green advertising onslaughts.