However, they said that if the situation continues, big firms at the top of the supply chain will also be affected, because most pearl producers in China are small farms which will turn to other businesses if they cannot sell for a while.
At least one US retailer is looking to take advantage of the situation. "It's a buyer's dream," said Jeremy Shepherd, owner of Pearl Paradise.com, who plans to visit China soon despite SARS.
"I am getting all the capital that I can to buy enough pearls for the entire holiday season, then I will be able to drop my price greatly," he said, adding that he expected profit and sales to more than double to US$1 million and US$5 million respectively this year.
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