The country and the poor pearl collectors are being deprived for long in absence of any initiative by any quarter to exploit and utilise the resources properly.

An organised syndicate, controlled from Tantibazar in Dhaka buys pearls from collectors at throwaway prices. The collectors get Tk 500 to 700 for each pearl against its price of Tk 1500 to Tk 3,000 in Bangladesh, depending on variety.

One carat natural pink pearl sells in the market at Tk 2500 to 3000, yellow pearl at Tk 2000 to 2500 and white pearl at Tk 15000-2000.

One carat cultivated pink pearl sells at Tk 1000 to 1500, yellow pearl at Tk 750 to 1000 and white pearl at Tk 500 to 750.

Natural pearl is superior to artificial pearl produced with chemical and cultivated pearl grown in ponds. Unlike those, the dazzling colour of a natural peal never fades.

Natural pearl has high value in western countries. It is used as ornament and is embedded in gold jewellery.

Natural pearl grows inside the 'belly' of oysters when silica enters it accidentally.

Pearls can also be cultivated in ponds. In the artificial system, silica is put into oysters and those are keep in ponds. After some years, pearls grow inside. But these pearls lose brightness within a very short time.

Greater Mymensingh is farmous for natural pearl because oysters are found in plenty in haors, rivers and other waterbodies.

The collectors collect oysters from waterbodies and find out pearls from inside. Oyster shells are used for making lime and the 'flesh' is used as poultry feed.

It is a difficult and time-consuming job as finding a pearl is a matter of luck. One pearl can be found after searching hundreds of oysters, according to collectors.

They said pearls available in Mymensingh region are brighter than those found in other areas of the country.

Pink pearl, available only in this area, is more valuable than yellow and white pearl.

Natural pearls are available in different sizes in Mymensingh region. Those vary from one sixth carat to three carat in weight, they said.

Some pearl collectors this correspondent talked to said they sell pears without measurement as they do not have any tool.

People from Dhaka and Mylensingh town come and buy the pearl.

Babul Rama of Hat Gobindapur village in Kalmakanda upazila in Netrakona said he gets only around Tk 500 from a big size pink pearl (weighing about two carats) whereas jewellery shops sell such a pearl at around Tk 6,000.

Islamuddin of Billpar village in Fulbaria upazila in Mymensingh district said they are deprived because they themselves can not market the pearls.

A jewellery shop owner at Mymensingh preferring anonymity said there are five big pearl traders in the town. Their men go to villages and buy pearls from collectors.

He said the business is controlled by traders in Tantibazar in Dhaka.

He said pearl is smuggled to India, from where it is exported to other countries.

"We collect (pearl) and sell those to traders in Tantibazar", he said without elaborating.

Bishawnath Sarker an old jeweller, said the natural pearl found in Mymensingh region is one of the top varieties in the world.

About one thousand people are engaged in pearl collection from waterbodies in Mymensingh region but they have no training.