Editor’s Note
This article highlights a significant step in standardizing China’s freshwater pearl industry, with Shaoxing releasing the first provincial-level guide for a comprehensive standard system. The development marks a move toward greater quality control and structured growth across the entire supply chain.
Recently, according to the Shaoxing Institute of Standardization, the province’s first group standard for the freshwater pearl industry—the “Guidelines for the Construction of a Freshwater Pearl Standard System”—has been officially released in Shaoxing. This guideline serves as a top-level design document for standardizing the entire freshwater pearl industry chain. It not only fills the industrial gap in the freshwater pearl standard system but will also inject strong momentum into the transformation and upgrading of Shaoxing’s pearl industry.
The pearl industry is a historically classic and highly recognizable industry in Shaoxing. Zhuji, as the core hub of Shaoxing’s pearl industry, has become the largest freshwater pearl farming, R&D, processing, and trading base in China and even globally. Statistics show that the annual sales of freshwater pearls in Zhuji have exceeded 50 billion yuan, accounting for 80% of the national market share, forming a complete industrial chain from pearl farming to brand marketing. However, during industrial development, issues such as an incomplete standard system and a lack of standards in certain areas have gradually emerged, to some extent constraining the industry’s quality improvement and upgrading. There is an urgent need for a systematic standard system guide to provide directional guidance.
The newly released guideline focuses on the full lifecycle management of freshwater pearls, comprehensively covering four core areas: basic and general standards, farming and processing, business services, and management evaluation. The drafting team systematically reviewed the current status and development trends of pearl industry standards both domestically and internationally, compiled and summarized 140 various pearl-related standards, clearly defined the coverage and application scenarios of existing standards, and, based on the characteristics and advantages of Shaoxing’s pearl industry, accurately identified weak links in the standard system. They proposed a list of standards to be led or participated in for future formulation or revision, clarifying the path for the continuous improvement of the industrial standard system.
The official indicated that the formal release and implementation of this guideline will provide clear operational guidance for building a scientific and comprehensive standard system for Shaoxing’s pearl industry, comprehensively strengthening its advantages in quality control, brand building, and market expansion. In the future, as the requirements of the guideline are gradually implemented, Shaoxing’s freshwater pearl industry will further consolidate its voice in the sector and expand its brand influence.
