YurPearls is committed to minimizing the impact of pearl cultivation on the environment. And, unlike other companies who say similar things, we do not "green-wash" - that is, pretend to care about the environment when we really don't. Yan, YurPearls' founder, has a Bachelors degree in biology, and has personally developed many environmental initiatives in his prior work.

 

Having travelled to the pearl-farms of rural China, Yan understands that pearl clams (specifically, the Hypriopsis cumingii species of clams grown in rural China) require optimal water conditions to live in, so the ponds the clams grow within are already at their optimal cleanliness and environmental quality level. The biggest problem now with the pearl industry in China is the vast amounts of clamshell waste produced in the process. While some of the shells are used as decorative items, most are currently discarded in dumps the size of a city airport. Here's Yan, holding up a shell:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These shells are still made up of mother-of-pearl on the inside, and often contain little dewdrops of pearl attached to the shell that are absolutely gorgeous. YurPearls acquires,  cleans and processes these shells into a variety of household items such as ring-trays, soap containers, and even plates (for the larger shells) - thereby finding them a second home, fulfilling the principles of the "circular economy". Check out our SHOP for more information about these products.

 

To further help solve this environmental problem, we are also currently working to utilize these pearl clamshells on a larger scale, both in existing markets and in new ones. If you have any ideas about how to make use of pearl clamshells either individually or in large volumes, feel free to comment below or contact us privately! We look forward to hearing your thoughts.

 

How can we solve the problem of clamshell waste?