[Tucs]

Hello,

I am going on a trip to China and I am planning to do some pearl shopping at Ling Ling in Beijing, which I read in this forum is an honest seller. I would like to get a nice necklace and also some earrings. I was wondering if somebody could advise me on this.

My bugdet for the necklace is $5,000, but I do not know much about pearl prices. I wonder what is the best I can get for that budget in that store -- would it be possible to get South Sea pearls?

Thank you very much!

[jshepherd]

I love Ling Ling to death, and we are very good friends. But if your budget is $5000, your best deal will not be had there. Her strength is in freshwater pearls. Your range is South Sea or Tahitian. These pearls are not produced in China, and they are heavily taxed upon entry. You would be able to do better in the US or in Hong Kong for those pearls.

Take one 0 off your budget and Ling Ling will set you up with a beautiful set of pearls in the 9-10mm range.

[Tucs]

Thanks a lot, Jeremy.

I live between Europe and Canada. I imagine that what you say about the US regarding price could be extended to those?

Also, wouldn't South Sea pearls in the US also be subject to tax when they entered the US?

Does your recommendation also apply for Tahitian earrings? I wonder if you mean that saltwater pearls are not very good quality in Beijing, or you just think they would be cheaper somewhere else because of customs tax.

Thanks again!

[jshepherd]

You would not do better from a retail store, but you can do better if you do your research. I am not certain it would be easy to find a good deal locally in Canada or Europe - you would have better luck in the US or in Hong Kong, if you ever travel there.

I am not saying that the quality of the Tahitian pearls are going to be poor (although the are often color treated after entering China) in Bejing. The saltwater variety you want to stay away from there is Akoya.

Tahitian pearls are taxed leaving French Polynesia, but not upon entering the US. In fact cultured pearls are never taxed upon entry unless they are in finished form. This is not the case in China. There are heavy taxes on imported pearls. This would include Tahitian earrings. You could very likely get a good deal from Ling Ling on the earrings, though. I would hesitate going for a whole strand in China, though.

If you visit (more or less) any pearl market in China, the only real deals to be had are on the freshwater. There is no "akoya pearl market", or South Sea/Tahitian market, although the traders do tend to keep a selection.

[pearls-wholesale-china]

i think you can buy the chinese akoya pearls in beihai,guangxi,china.if the budget is $5000,i think you can wholesale chinses akoya pearls and freshwater pears. there is a dealing akoya pearls city in there. chinese akoya pearls and freshwater pearls are all in low price and high quality.for your trip to china, it is worth. if you want to know more about chinses pearls market,please sent e-mail to me: pearlol@hotmail.com

Originally Posted by Tucs

Hello,

I am going on a trip to China and I am planning to do some pearl shopping at Ling Ling in Beijing, which I read in this forum is an honest seller. I would like to get a nice necklace and also some earrings. I was wondering if somebody could advise me on this.

My bugdet for the necklace is $5,000, but I do not know much about pearl prices. I wonder what is the best I can get for that budget in that store -- would it be possible to get South Sea pearls?

Thank you very much!

[jshepherd]

There is a lot of Akoya dealing in Behai, but it would be a very bad idea to go there without knowing what you are getting into. There is no pearl market in the area. In other words, you have to find factories, and find them without the help of locals (who "own" one) to save a huge cut, and none of them advertise or even have signs. As most of the local factories are family factories (small, 1 room operations), a large amount of time can be wasted.
The freshwater markets are much easier.

[jshepherd]

Originally Posted by pearls-wholesale-china

chinese akoya pearls and freshwater pearls are all in low price and high quality.for your trip to china, it is worth. pearlol@hotmail.com

Hmmm... didn't I just mention this phrase, or one very similar to it, in an earlier thread today

[Caitlin]

Hi pearls- wholesale

the budget is $5000,i think you can wholesale chinses akoya pearls and freshwater pears.

This person did not say they wanted wholesale- they said retail. Sounds like the money really got you interested, even if you did not understand the question.

You have a company and/or personal name? Right you you are a unknown entity to the rest of us on this forum. I like knowing who the other posters are and you are a big mystery- but you sure want customers from the ranks of this site!

there is a dealing akoya pearls city in there. chinese akoya pearls and freshwater pearls are all in low price and high quality.for your trip to china, it is worth. if you want to know more about chinses pearls market,please sent e-mail to me: pearlol@hotmail.com

Why do you want to share your knowlwedge of "chinses pearls market" through email, one on one with a potential customer? Why not just post it here on the site, the way other wholesalers do? Why should a customer give you their email address when they have no idea who you are?


Overall my tentative estimate is that you seem to be fishing for suckers wihout really giving out any information about who you are, the company you represent, or your particular role in the "chinses pearls market".

By all means, embarass me with your integrity- I would actually like that!

[Tucs]

Thanks again for all the information, this is very helpful.

I definitely do not want to go to an unknown place in China or anywhere else to spend $5,000 on pearls...

I do go to the US sometimes, though mostly New York City and Washington, DC. About a South Sea necklace, could you please tell me what is the approximate best quality I could get for $5,000 in the US? e.g. size of pearls (just to have an idea).

Jeremy, how much do you think a Tahitian earring would cost at Ling Ling? (a simple earring with large pearls). I will check the earrings there but I guess I should have an idea what a good deal would be before I go. I hear I must bargain a good deal.

Thank you again.

[jshepherd]

In the $5000 range you should be able to secure a strand in the 10-11mm range that is round, clean to light blemishing, with high luster. You would have a difficult time going larger, unless there were more blemishing or dull luster.

For a pair of Tahitian pearl earrings from Ling Ling you are looking to pay from $200 - $400 for a nice size. If you want a pair with superb luster and great color, ie peacock, she may charge you a bit more. One thing to remember, however, is that negotiation is expected.

[Tucs]

Thanks again for the detailed information. Can you answer a further question? If I get a freshwater necklace of pearls from Ling Ling, say of about 9mm-10mm as you suggest, do I need to buy the pearls separately and they then string them together or do I buy a necklace already done and with a clasp? If both can be done, which one do you recommend?

Thank you very much for all your tips.

[jshepherd]

Select the strand that you want first - it does not need to be knotted. Then choose a clasp - she will have a wide selection. Be certain that the clasp is 14k, and not 14k/20 or so called '10k'. Their 10k is nothing more than gold plating. So be sure to ask for solid 14k.

After you have chosen your strand and clasp, ask Ling Ling to string it for you. She has several employees that string, but she will string it herself if you ask her to, and her knots are very good.

[Tucs]

Hello, sorry to bother you with yet another question. I am thinking I will probably go for a strand of 9-12 mm or 10-12 mm, in the highest quality freshwater Ling Ling may have (which I guess is going to be no scratches and high luster).

Can you give me an idea of what would be an appropriate price to pay for such a necklace? I am not familiar with bargaining and would like to have an idea I pay a fair price.

Thanks a lot again for your help!

[jshepherd]

That is really difficult to say. It depends on what she has available, and more importantly, when she purchased the pearls. If they are from older stock they did not cost her too much. But if she just recently purchased them, the price may be high.
If the strand is very round, clean, with good luster, she could have paid as little as $800 early last year, or as high as $2000 this year. If the quality is just "ok", she may have purchased the strand for as little as $200. If the quality is not really ok, the price goes down again. It is almost impossible to know what would be a good price without seeing the strand.

[Tucs]

Jeremy,

I would like to thank you for your help. This is what I got in case you are curious. I got a strand of 10-11 mm freshwater pearls and matching 10 mm earrings. The pearls are beautiful, very round, without any defects, and to my untrained eye they seem to have good lustre. The necklace and earrings cost me $1,100. I also got Tahitian 9 mm earrings for $160.

Thanks again!