Cultured pearls don’t have at their core a grain of sand, but instead arelittle plastic or glass beads or something that pearl farmers stick into theoyster for a year or so.

对于人工养殖的珍珠而言，它们的核心并不是沙粒，而是像小塑料珠或小玻璃珠之类的物体。 珍珠养殖者把这些小东西塞到牡蛎中，然后等上一年左右的时间。

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And there has been a human toll: more than half of the pearl farmers in Masaki have been forced out of business since 1988.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia