[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Kathleen,

You will find plenty of Chinese cultured and fake pearls offered as varying types of pearls from local production. High quality cost the same as in the rest of the world and low quality tends to be cheaper. Natural pearls cost more in India than anywhere else in world (except Brunei) but are more available and fine cultured pearls also rather come at a premium than a discount. The best place to shop for pearls in India is Haiderabad but you have to be extremely well educated in pearls to find a bargain. The best place to find exceptional jewelry (with or without pearls) in India is Jaipur. In Jaipur the focus is on design and in Haiderabad on the pearls.

Zeide