It's going to be interesting to see what happens with the South Sea-esque pricing we are seeing on these. The prices we've been hearing about are incredibly high, but there is a caveat. The pearls were sold almost exclusively to pearl wholesalers in Hong Kong, but they weren't paid for. The lots and strands were sold on 6-month consignment.
It seems like a smart move in one sense. The onus os now on the fw industry as a whole to make a market for them, but if people aren't willing to bite, what then?
China isn't like Australia where the market is so tightly controlled by Paspaley. With prices like this, every producer in China must be trying to figure the new technology. It seems like a dangerous game.