Are Pearls ecological?

A complex question. There are sellers on Etsy advertising "Organic Freshwater Pearls" in the wedding section. Pearls ARE organic (living). They grow in fresh and salt water. So far OK. However, read this article on the freshwater 'organic' pearls from China, and caveat emptor. Note that the article, though it seems to discuss potential environmental hazards, appears to greenwash some of the freshwater pearl culture aspects - bleach, chemicals, manure slurry, and fish farms (and doesn't discuss labor at all), and it was first printed in Modern Jeweler. Time for more research