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Purple freshwater pearls in Zhuji, Zhejiang province. [Photo provided by Shanxiahu town]

In the town of Shanxiahu, Zhuji county-level city of Shaoxing, tradition is meeting technology in unexpected ways.

Yan Rongrong, a jewelry designer, has been working with pearls since graduating from university. But her creative process changed last year after she attended a training session on vertical large AI models in Shenzhen.

"When I lack inspiration, I give prompts to the AI. The generated designs aren't perfect, and not always commercially viable, but they often spark new ideas," Yan said. "It used to take me a week to gather reference materials and draft a concept. Now, with AI, I can generate four different design options in minutes."

While she still prefers to rely on her experience and personal vision once inspiration strikes, Yan sees AI as a valuable creative aid — especially in the early stages of design. "With AI assistance and a designer's creative judgment, the results can be exceptional," she said.

Behind the scenes, Shanxiahu is planning to go further. Local officials are working to develop an AI model trained specifically on pearl-related designs and attributes. The goal is to enhance product-market fit and boost the commercial value of AI-generated outputs.