If you found out that your necklace of shiny, flawless pearls was created through the efforts of several scientists in a lab, would it still be just as valuable to you? A man named Zhan Weijian would like to think so. Weijan is owner of Grace Pearl, one of the largest companies in the freshwater pearl farming industry. Located far from Tahiti and other traditional pearl purveyors, Weijian’s company operates out of east-central China where pearls are grown in former rice fields. Chinese pearls, once worthless and with all the authenticity of a piece of costume jewelry, are now able to hold their own against the aesthetic perfection of natural, saltwater pearls.
