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Originally Posted by theamericanlotus Thanks Jeremy for the info. My store is very specialty and I sell my pearls mostly with a story behind it. Somewhat like selling art. I am a fine art photographer and also use my world travels for producing new images for my gallery. Yes a mix of Pearls and Fine art.
I have seen some of your amazing videos on the net about Zhuji so am researching the photographic possibilities of the Zhuji area, and plan to maybe take a look this winter.
Some Indo contacts I have been making sell pearls by the Kilo, is this the norm in the purchasing of pearls, or just for large quantity buying? I am mostly selling fresh water chinese at this time, but want to slowly add some SS to build my arsenal.
Am I on the right track? My store is in a summer only tourist town, so a very niche market, but gladly I am getting a good response to my pearls.
Thanks again
Michael |
If you are adding a story to the pearls, it is a great idea to source the pearls yourself as you are considering. Having pearls with a story really enhances the perceived, and very often the value of the pearls.
South Sea pearls are not sold by the kilo. In wholesale trading they are universally negotiated by momme or kan. A single momme is 3.75 grams, and a kan is equivalent to 3.75 kilo. Kan is only used when discussing very large, mixed lots - often used for total production figures. For the most part lots are purchased by momme.
If you are starting small with South Sea, look for small lots with mixed sizes and qualities. If you need only a few pieces and purchase by selection, be prepared to spend quite a bit more per piece than otherwise.