[pearlshoppe]

I just read the article posted, and I find myself saddened. I have always loved pearls and what they symbolized, purity, beauty and uniqueness. I am a Southern born and bred and one of my fondest memories is my grandmother allowing me to put on her strand of pearls, which I now own. Style, grace and elegance are a Southern girl's greatest assets, worn as proudly as a girl's first strand of pearls. Now I read that China, a country and people I love to visit, will be churning out 30 million pieces of pearl jewelry a year. Next article I read will be where you can buy a string out of gumball machines, or worse they will replace the beads handed out at Mardi Gras every year. I have started an online pearl business, but I sit here wondering why I bothered. Pearls aren't something to eat, and with that many the market will be flooded and pearls will not only lose their value but will lose their honor as a coveted and prized piece of jewelry.