[ArtemisiaBlue]

I have a good friend who is going to spend a semester in Tahiti, doing something connected with biology, what exactly I am not sure. She has been talking about wanting to buy a piece of jewelry while she is there, since it should be more affordable there, but knows very little about what to look for. She knows I have been trying to learn about pearls recently and so she asked me if I knew - and I don't! Anyone been to tahiti and had a positive experience buying pearls there they could share? Would be grateful for any info i can pass on!

[jshepherd]

The only real value she will find will be intrinsic. Prices in Tahiti are on par with very high retail prices in the US. This is a huge tourist trade for them - everyone wants to buy Tahitian pearls when they go to Tahiti. What tourists find out in the end is often to their dismay - Tahiti's prices on Tahitian pearls are some of the highest in the world.

[purepearls]

If she wants to buy a high-quality Tahitian souvenir while in Tahiti, make sure you recommend that she does a little research about them first. Like Jeremy mentioned, it is a huge tourist industry and the pearls are priced really high. There are many sellers trying to sell well-intentioned tourists pearls that aren't the best quality. If she goes in educated about what she wants, she'll be more equipped to find a high-quality pearl and negotiate the price. She might want to even print off some pricing from pearl companies here on the guide so she has an idea of what she can negotiate down to.

[pattye]

Amanda, Jeremy, Terry, Kevin and Others

It is a great education to just go to your webstores and look at the pictures, colors and sizes. The photos are excellent and so are descriptions of the subtle colors. It is difficult to even find a strand or two at a high end store of the SS and Tahitians and more exotic pearls to look at. So I would second Amanda's suggestion, even for a person not in the market right now, just to expand one's pearl education.

Pattye Saab

[jshepherd]

I would say it would be wise for her to also stay away from any shops in known tourist areas. This will be difficult if she is to be in the Papeete area. But any shops frequented by tourists, or near an area where cruise ships dock, are going to be expensive. She shouldn't be fooled by the "wholesale" shops either that have boxes and boxes of loose - they are still grossly overpriced. If bartering is an option, most pieces I have seen there range 4-500% over average wholesale - just to give a jumping off point.