Chinese Pearls

Chinese Oysters
Has anybody paid too much for Fresh or Saltwater Pearls lately? Very possibly you have. The Chinese Pearl market was devastated this fall by two tropical storms. For the freshwater Pearls, that means pesticide and herbacide run-off. For the saltwater variety, decreased salinity kills off the oyster crop. 100 million oysters were killed in those two instances. What does that mean to you? It means that the Pearl necklace hanging around your neck is in the short run worth more than you thought. There are several Pearl jewelers in the U.S. who deal mainly in Chinese Pearls. Usually they are easy to obtain and cheap because China provides the majority of the world's farmed Pearls. Now prices have risen and a terrific opportunity to traffic in man made/artificial Pearls has come upon us. Use your smarts folks and wait patiently for the real stuff to return - in a year and a half.