Pearls are renowned as the most beautiful organic gemstones, and Zhuji’s Shanghu Town, nestled amid lush green hills and clear waters, is globally celebrated as the “Pearl Kingdom.” The pearl industry has been developing for more than half a century. At a time when the industry is facing bottlenecks, how can we achieve a transformative breakthrough?

May 13 The Changying Zhuguangbaqi International Pearl Town Summit Forum, themed “Small Pearls, Big Dreams, Creating the Future,” was grandly held in Shanjiahu Town. The forum not only invited numerous experts and industry leaders to offer their insights and strategies for the development of the Pearl Town, but also announced several major initiatives on-site, helping the Pearl Town attract talent and capital resources and driving its industrial transformation and upgrading.

Shanxia Lake is the largest pearl distribution center in China, boasting the country’s largest pearl trading market and pearl farming base. Last year, sales of freshwater pearls accounted for 75% of the global market. However, due to various factors, the industry has long been stuck in the mid-to-lower segments, becoming a quintessential example of “high output but low value.” In recent years, guided by the local Party committee and government, many pearl enterprises have achieved certain progress in upgrading their industries through technological R&D, creative design, cultural integration, and cross-sectoral collaboration.

Last year, Zhuji City launched the construction of an international specialty town centered on the pearl industry, aiming to drive a transformative shift in the pearl sector. According to reports, Zhuji City plans to invest 3 billion yuan over the next three years to transform Shanjiahu into a distinctive small town that centers on the pearl industry and integrates “pearl industry + specialized tourism + internet + cultural creativity + financial capital.”

How should Pearl Town be developed, and where lies the path for industrial growth? Against this backdrop, a high-level forum—jointly hosted by the China Jewelry & Jade Accessories Industry Association and the People’s Government of Zhuji City, and exclusively organized by Zhejiang Angel’s Tears Pearl Co., Ltd.—has emerged at just the right moment. The forum has brought together more than ten renowned universities across China, prominent entrepreneurs from the pearl and jewelry industry, seasoned experts, and executives from well-known domestic brands. Together, they’ve offered insightful advice and suggestions on top-level design issues such as the development roadmap and key components for building an international pearl town, charting a course for the sustained innovation and growth of this beautiful industry. “This is the ‘Davos Forum’ of the pearl industry—it will point the way forward for our future development,” said Qi Niaoding, Chairman of Zhejiang Angel’s Tears Pearl Co., Ltd.

Pearl Town is a three-dimensional, multi-dimensional hub for entrepreneurship and innovation. To attract numerous high-quality entrepreneurial projects and talented entrepreneurs to the town, the forum announced the establishment of the China Pearl Makerspace. According to the introduction, the China Pearl Makerspace will be located in the Emerald Plaza of the Qidaizhou Group in Shangxiahuhu Town. The project is planned to receive an investment of 10 million yuan, jointly funded by leading enterprises and the government. It will provide entrepreneurs—from fields such as cultural creativity, e-commerce operations, ecological farming, smart tourism, and sophisticated processing—with low-cost, low-risk, and comprehensive support services. To address the financing challenges faced by entrepreneurs, a Zhuji Pearl Industry Fund will also be established as a complementary measure, with an initial scale of 200 million yuan.

Creative design is the soul of the pearl industry, a fact that pearl enterprises have long recognized. In recent years, Angel’s Tears has placed particular emphasis on cross-border designs—combining pearls with various materials such as rubies, sapphires, diamonds, and K-gold. This approach not only enriches the product lineup but also enhances the fashionability and trendiness of their offerings. Since 2014, the company has collaborated with China Gold to develop the “Zhen Ru Jin” series, which received high acclaim from consumers upon its launch. Last year, the company introduced a range of creative home products—including pearl celadon tea sets, pearl chess sets, and pearl wooden tableware—that significantly boosted sales despite the overall market downturn. Among these, a uniquely crafted pearl lotus cup set particularly shone at the G20 Summit, earning the company an excellent reputation.

To attract more design talent to the field of pearl jewelry design, the inaugural National Pearl Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition—and the first National College Student Pearl Jewelry Design Awards—organized by Angel’s Tears, were officially launched at the summit forum. Design enthusiasts from universities across the country are invited to participate in creative design and compete with one another.

Talent will always be the inexhaustible driving force behind industrial development. Angel’s Tears also signed cooperation agreements with 12 renowned domestic universities—including the School of Management at Zhejiang University, the College of Design and Innovation at Tongji University, and China University of Geosciences—on-site. These agreements will foster extensive collaboration in fields such as industrial design, business models, and jewelry design. In the future, relevant majors at these universities will offer jewelry and jewelry-design courses once a month. Meanwhile, enterprises and makerspaces will prioritize providing students from these universities with entrepreneurial innovation platforms and practical training bases.