Buying pearls in Beijing?
 

We're going to Beijing this summer and I'm interested in buying some saltwater pearls there, specifically black pearls. Does anyone have any experience with this? Any idea how much I can expect to pay, or if I can even find black pearls there? I'd appreciate hearing any tips, recommendations, opinions, etc. Thanks!

Paige, You will find lots of pearl vendors at the Hong Qiao Market in Beijing on the upper floors. I bought a nice pair of earrings for $3. I wasn't looking for black pearls but it's worth looking there. Have a great trip.

China produces mostly freshwater pearls. The black pearl is a product of Tahiti and other pearl growing areas in the South Pacific. Frequently in China silver nitrate is used to color off-color white pearls to resemble natural color black South Seas pearls. The oyster that grows black pearls rarely produces a pearl under 8mm, usually starting at 9mm and going up in diameter. Black pearls smaller than 8 mm have almost always been subjected to some method of dying to change the color. Pearls are not easy to buy unless you are very well informed, and values range wildly for pearls of the same size and color based on the thickness of the outer layer, which can't be easily determined by an untrained buyer. Pearls are also often coated with wax to increase their shine, which could wash off or wear off. Buy pearls if you like the look and feel the price is fair, but be aware you may not have purchased a bargain.

Three cheers for the lucid and very detailed advice given above. <BR><BR>From this you should also generalise: Don't buy in China anything which is expensive, or which elsewhere would be expensive, unless you have first made yourself very well-informed about the price of the *identical* item at home, and you are sufficiently expert to be able to tell a fake from the real thing. <BR><BR>Anything which can attract a high unit price, or which is particularly attractive to foreigners, or which has a particular reputation for excellence in China or a certain part of China can and will be faked, and there are more fakes than real things. In fact in some cases there are NO real things available, but only fakes. And there is no reliable shopping advice to be had in China itself, particularly not from your otherwise charming tour guide.<BR><BR>Fake jade, fake antiques, fake pearls, right down to fake DVDs, fake cookies ('Olio' and 'Orego'), fake 'Head and Shoulders' shampoo, and fake batteries.<BR><BR>It's not so much 'buyer beware' as 'buyer should be locked up for his or her own protection'. Stick to what simply pleases you, but don't speculate on its antiquity or authenticity.<BR><BR>Peter N-H<BR>http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html

Thanks very much for your input! <BR><BR>Does China produce white saltwater pearls? <BR><BR>So maybe I'll go for freshwater pearls! In Beijing, what do you think I should expect to pay for a 22" strand of marble sized pink (or other color) freshwater pearls? Any hints or advice? <BR><BR>Thanks again!

Paige--China is the world's largest producer of freshwater pearls; many freshwater pearls rival the Japanese Akoya pearl(traditional saltwater pearl) for beauty, but they are not as costly to produce, and not as rare. The jury is still out on whether they will maintain their luster over a lifetime and hold their value.<BR><BR>Freshwater pearls can be almost as round as Akoya pearls. They come in a variety of sizes, all measured in millimeter diameter. Before you go, you should go to a store to look at pearls, both Akoya and freshwater, to see the differences and to get an idea of size and length.<BR><BR>It is very possible to buy an 18" strand of 8 mm freshwater pearls in a department store or modest jewelry store for $500-$1000. The same size and length in an Akoya(saltwater) pearl will be $1500 to $15000 depending on the grade of pearl.<BR><BR>Chinese freshwater pearls come in beautiful colors--pink, peach, salmon, rose, white, grey, and can be bought as large as a marble(12mm) I saw a beautiful strand like what you have asked about in a wholesale jewelery trade fair for $5000 US. <BR><BR>Please listen to Peter above--there is no guarantee that the merchandise is what it claims to be, and pearls can be enhanced in ways that make really bad pearls look ok, but have little or no value.<BR><BR>I have sold jewelry for 10 years; I adore pearls, but absolutely would not spend a large amount for pearls from a source I do not know.<BR><BR>I can recommend a book that may help: "The Pearl Book: The Definitive Buying Guide: How To Select, Buy, Care For, and Enjoy Pearls" by Antoinette Matlins I bought my copy on Amazon.com, cover price $19.95, well worth the investment.<BR><BR>If you do decide to buy pearls in China, do it knowing that you have bought something pretty, but not necessarily a bargain, since you don't know the actual worth of the pearls. If you choose to spend a large sum, do not be misled by "Certificates of Authenticity", as they are meaningless, and can say whatever the seller wishes. Have your pearls appraised by a independent jewelry appraiser at home for insurance purposes.

Thanks!!

Paige, here is what I think:<BR><BR>First, the previous poster gave you very good advice.<BR><BR>Buying pearls is like buying stones and jewelry in general. It's a matter of trust towards the sales person.<BR>Unless you are a real expert in these matters, I would *never" buy such things in places, I probably won't go back to. And they do know that and some might try to sell you just about anything.<BR>Better pay a little more where you live, but then you will have something you'll keep for your whole life.<BR>I've never had the feeling I would really make a bargain in Asia, because *they* will make the bargain, believe me. <BR>Just my very personal opinion.<BR><BR>It's about the same like tourists buying fur coats of very bad quality in Turkey. Used to be very hip some years ago.<BR>Once back, nobody wanted to make necessary repairs. Quality seemed just too bad. Now, fur coats are mostly of out of fashion here in Europe and I am happy it is so.

The book mentioned above is really useful. I think the same authors have also written a book about buying gemstones that is similarly useful.<BR><BR>I'll just add that it is possible to buy very inexpensive strands of so-so but nice looking pearls at the pearl market for very little money (e.g. less than $10 for a strand - I can't recall what I paid. Earrings were about $2.50 a pair). The pearls look nice and are inexpensive. Price increases with the size of the pearls (also luster and roundness). Generally, in the pearl market the dealers on the 3rd floor all have the same merchandise of generally inexpensive (and thus not fabulous quality - but still nice looking) pearls. The 4th floor dealers were the ones with expensive strands, very large pearls, strings of large colored pearls (colored being substantially more costly than white pearls), high-luster high-roundness freshwater, and salt water pearls. Anyhow, it is possible to get pearls without an outlay of several hundred or several thousand dollars and enjoy the pearl market without the potential loss/being ripped-off for large sums of money, etc. <BR><BR>I got a necklace made of black pearls (sort of off-round, not great quality) spaced randomly on mutiple clear lines (I'm not explaining this well - but this style of necklace has recently been popular) at the pearl market for about $1.00 - Of course they may be colored or whatever. The point is that they look cool and were so cheap that it doesn't matter much beyond that.<BR><BR>be prepared to bargain hard for a good price. Don't be afraid to walk away if you aren't happy with the price, as the merchants all have the same goods.

Hi Paige,my wife works for a travel company and she and her co workers have traveled to Beijing from time to time and of course come home with pearls.They shop at a very reputable jewelry store located in the Hongqiao Market.The store is Sharon's Store and its located at 4201/4305 on the fourth floor.They have a web site that you can check out,good luck and have a great trip.<BR>www.sharonpearl.com

Thanks, Charlie. What sort of pearls has your wife bought there? Has she ever had them checked by another jeweler to make sure they're real?

One more question: what percentage of the original price did she pay? Thanks!

Paige my wife bought a freah water necklace,bracelet and ear rings during two trips,on the second trip she took the necklace with her so that Sharon could closely match the pearls for the bracelet and ear rings.No she hasn't had the set appraised,the set is pleasing to her eye and that's what counts for her,lol. She paid about $600 for the set.Sharon's store is an exclusive shop and there isn't much haggling going on,but if you say that you only want a necklace they may offer a reduction to add ear rings,that sort of thing.My wife's boss bought a very expensive set of pearls from Sharon and they were appraised at $1500/$1800 more than what she paid.Hope this helps :) .