On the Ground Pearl Hunting in Lombok & Sumbawa – Ask Me Anything!

Hi everyone!

I’m Claudia, founder of BALI PERLA, a small low-profile pearl brand based in Bali. I’ve been a longtime reader here, and this is my fourth research + buying trip in, this time spending two weeks in Lombok, followed by a week in Sumbawa, before heading back to Bali. Sidenote: It's summer break so my family are also joining!

I’m not a big-volume buyer, the competition is high with lots of Chinese & Indian buyers here. Instead, I work in small batches and often create custom orders. I’m still learning with every trip, and I’m drawn to pearls that are full of character, especially those bold, baroque shapes that break the mold.

If there’s anything you’ve ever been curious about when it comes to Indonesian South Sea pearls, local farm visits, or anything I can observe while I’m here, I’d love to offer a window into what I’m seeing. I’ll do my best to answer questions or share what I can while on the ground.

Thanks for having me in this space. Looking forward to chatting with you all and learning from your insights too.

— Claudia | Co-founder of Bali Perla
Based in Bali • On location in Lombok & Sumbawa • Small-batch sourcing with stories in mind
@baliperla

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Day One Pearl Hunting Journal:

We just checked into our cozy hotel in Mataram, it has the most amazing all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet (always a good way to start a day of pearl hunting!). My partner needed a strong WiFi connection and a decent desk, while my toddler needed a pool and a playground cafe (shoutout to Teras Mayn for the awesome kids workshop they host daily) somehow we managed to sort both, so I can now focus on searching through Mataram. My filters are simple, vendors that have photos and at least +10 Reviews on Google maps and a valid WA that I've pre-emptively contacted before my visit.

My first stop was with a mother-daughter duo who’ve been in the business for over 25 years, truly inspiring. We happened to walk in just as they were heading upstairs with cakes and candles for a staff birthday. Everyone was so warm and welcoming, and the shop had a beautiful display of White and Golden South Sea pearls, plus a smaller collection of imported Akoya and Tahitian strands. I love to hear family legacy-building business origin stories, in most cases the next generation pursue the field with even more passion.

Loose pearls were priced per gram and varied by grade, starting from around $40–$120 USD/gram. I picked up two lovely round white South Sea pearls about 1.2grams each and 9.25mm that I plan to set as custom rings. (Sharing three photos here: one of the shop, one of me sorting pearls, and one with the mom, daughter, and my own little one holding our shopping bag.)



A few years ago, I took the the Pearls As One course by @jshepherd ,which was such a great introductory course to helping me grade pearls and create a strong basic foundation of everything. It was a big career transition time for me, and I just remember how I looked forward to completing the modules and printing/framing my certificate at the end of it. This October, I'll be enrolling to GIA's Bangkok campus in-person Pearl Grading Lab course to continue my pearl education. I really hope to spread the word of how sustainable, beautiful and mighty these gems are, and how their slow journey is filled with so much resilience and grit, that not only gives back to the planet but also local communities.

I'll be posting a video haul later on Instagram and TikTok (@baliperla), but in the meantime, if there’s anything specific you’d love to know or see while I’m on the ground, just let me know! I’m here to learn and happy to share what I can.

— Claudia | Co-founder of Bali Perla
Based in Bali • Sourcing small-batch South Sea pearls across Indonesia
baliperla.com

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Parabéns !!!