Chinese student coming to US

[Yikai]

Hi folks,

First of all, I want to introduce myself. I am from Zhuji, and my family owns a pearl company. I am now a junior in a Chinese college and next year I will transfer to University of Indianapolis to study International Business.

I knew this forum a long time ago. However, this is the first time that I have posted. It is so exciting that so many foreign friends like freshwater pearls. But in my hometown, it seems everyone just takes pearls as a way to make money. I have seen all kinds of pearls all around me for many years, honestly speaking; I hardly find they are that beautiful. Maybe that's because I am a guy.

I have talked to Caitlin for several times. I heard that some people at this forum went to Zhuji several times a year. It is unbelievable that you guys came all the way from US to purchase pearls, although I have seen many foreign friends in pearl market. Caitlin said that many processing companies claimed that they cultivated FWP by themselves, but not a one really cultivated pearls by themselves. It is a pathetic truth. Actually, only a few companies are cultivating pearls and classifying them. Most processing companies just buy pearls from other companies. It is a linguistic problem. If you can speak Chinese, every local will tell you the companies who are actually cultivating pearls.

Caitlin also mentioned that Chinese farmers are not educational while farmers who cultivate sea pearls are really professional. They invited pearl-guiders come for a tour and a working visit. We also have some famous farmers here; some are millionaires now, though. Actually, farmers in my hometown are very friendly (not like our government), they will be very happy if they can have you visit and work in their farms. If anyone wants to do so, we can arrange one visit. (I know some farmers, because we have farmers in our company) You can experience all the processes before pearls become necklaces. It would be great experience for both you and us.

I will be in this industry after I graduate, and I can not wait to be involved in it. I would like to make friends with all of you guys, no matter if you are a buyer or a collector. If there are collectors who are not convenient to come to China, please tell me what kind you like, I may help you get some.

Kind Regards,

Yikai

 

[elisa]

Welcome to the board! Good luck in Indianapolis. The Midwest is a lovely place to be, we are very friendly people

It's really cool to hear from someone so involved in the Chinese industry. I'm just a pearl novice, but I would be curious to hear more of the the Chinese pearl company perspective on a few topics:

-Environmental issues. If you've been lurking on the board, then you probably know that there is a lot of concern here about some Chinese farmers' harmful practices. Do you think there is growing awareness about environmental issues amongst Chinese pearl companies? Or does no one really care?

- Education & professionalism in Chinese pearl companies. You already touched on this, describing your conversations with Caitlin, but I'd love to hear more. What steps are companies taking to improve the quality of information going to consumers? Do you think industry standards have been increasing? What can be done about companies making false claims (eg. processors claiming to be farmers, too)?

-The economic downturn. How are Zujhi pearl companies being afected? Are comapnies retrenching? What's on people's minds?

thanks so much!

 

[jerin]

Hello Yikai and welcome to our forum!

If you are permitted by your folks it would be of great interest for us to get a little more information regarding luster treatment - the pro?s and the con?s of it.How would yo describe the quality your family?s company is selling on a grade from very baroque to real round pearls?

Thanks for any available information to us members here.

 

[laurenb]

Wow, it's very exciting to have you here!

 

[knotty panda]

You're gonna be a Hoosier! If you're in Indianapolis, you'll be a short distance from Cincinnati, Ohio! You'll be close to Chicago, Illinois for a weekend visit. And you can mosey on down to Nashville and visit Graceland, the home of Elvis! Whether you are in Indy or Bloomington, Indiana is a great central location.

 

[boo]

Yikai, I sent you a pm.

 

[GemGeek]

Welcome to the club!

Blaire

 

[Yikai]

Thanks, elisa. I am glad you are in Indianapolis, too. About the environmental issues, everyone here knows some farmers' practices are bad for environment, but no company would try to improve the environment, because it will cost a lot of money. In their eyes, money now is much more important than environment. Maybe that's one reason that CFWPS are cheaper: we do not need to pay for the environment. Actually, it has caused a big problem. In many ponds and rivers, water quality is very bad due to feedstuff for clams. Meanwhile, tons of shells piled in my hometown. I think our government would do something to solve the problem; otherwise pearl companies would keep doing that.


Some companies collapsed in the financial crisis because they borrowed too much money from bank and pearl price fell dramatically. Some companies who managed better survived. I think industry standards have been increasing. Actually "most" companies are making false claims; they usually have a nice relationship with farmers (now some farmers are bosses of big companies, and they process, too). They buy pearls from farmers. The best way is to purchase directly from farmers, because they process, too. You can not really tell if he is a processor or a farmer by what they say, every company claims they have farms. Locals all know who are processors and who are farmers.
Thanks, elisa. See you in Indianapolis.

 

[Yikai]

Hello Yikai and welcome to our forum!

If you are permitted by your folks it would be of great interest for us to get a little more information regarding luster treatment - the pro?s and the con?s of it.How would yo describe the quality your family?s company is selling on a grade from very baroque to real round pearls?

Thanks for any available information to us members here.

Hi, jerin. you asked the right person for the question. My father is in charge of the luster treatment. If you need any details, send me a PM, I will tell you how to do it. If you want to do really well, you need some big equipment and a lot of chemicals.

My family's company has all kinds of pearls, although we sell many (including baroque ones) to companies who have costomers for that kind. We ourselves sell 6-16mm pearls (AA- to AAA) to costomers in our store. I would say those pearls in our store are high-end.

Thanks, jerin.

 

[Yikai]

Welcome to the board! Good luck in Indianapolis. The Midwest is a lovely place to be, we are very friendly people

It's really cool to hear from someone so involved in the Chinese industry. I'm just a pearl novice, but I would be curious to hear more of the the Chinese pearl company perspective on a few topics:

-Environmental issues. If you've been lurking on the board, then you probably know that there is a lot of concern here about some Chinese farmers' harmful practices. Do you think there is growing awareness about environmental issues amongst Chinese pearl companies? Or does no one really care?

- Education & professionalism in Chinese pearl companies. You already touched on this, describing your conversations with Caitlin, but I'd love to hear more. What steps are companies taking to improve the quality of information going to consumers? Do you think industry standards have been increasing? What can be done about companies making false claims (eg. processors claiming to be farmers, too)?

-The economic downturn. How are Zujhi pearl companies being afected? Are comapnies retrenching? What's on people's minds?

thanks so much!

Thanks, elisa. I am glad you are in Indianapolis, too. About the environmental issues, everyone here knows some farmers' practices are bad for environment, but no company would try to improve the environment, because it will cost a lot of money. In their eyes, money now is much more important than environment. Maybe that's one reason that CFWPS are cheaper: we do not need to pay for the environment. Actually, it has caused a big problem. In many ponds and rivers, water quality is very bad due to feedstuff for clams. Meanwhile, tons of shells piled in my hometown. I think our government would do something to solve the problem; otherwise pearl companies would keep doing that.


Some companies collapsed in the financial crisis because they borrowed too much money from bank and pearl price fell dramatically. Some companies who managed better survived. I think industry standards have been increasing. Actually "most" companies are making false claims; they usually have a nice relationship with farmers (now some farmers are bosses of big companies, and they process, too). They buy pearls from farmers. The best way is to purchase directly from farmers, because they process, too. You can not really tell if he is a processor or a farmer by what they say, every company claims they have farms. Locals all know who are processors and who are farmers.
Thanks, elisa. See you in Indianapolis.

 

[Yikai]

Wow, it's very exciting to have you here!

Thanks, laurenb.

 

[Yikai]

You're gonna be a Hoosier! If you're in Indianapolis, you'll be a short distance from Cincinnati, Ohio! You'll be close to Chicago, Illinois for a weekend visit. And you can mosey on down to Nashville and visit Graceland, the home of Elvis! Whether you are in Indy or Bloomington, Indiana is a great central location.

Wow, I did not know about that! Thank you, knotty panda. I can not wait to go to Indiana and see the attractions.

 

[Yikai]

Yikai, I sent you a pm.

Thanks, boo.

 

[Yikai]

Welcome to the club!

Blaire

Thanks, GemGeek.

 

[Caitlin]

Hi Yikai
We look forward to your posts and hope we can get some inside information. Is there anything about luster treatments you can share publicly? We are always fascinated by enhancements and trying to find out more.

 

[Yikai]

Hi Yikai
We look forward to your posts and hope we can get some inside information. Is there anything about luster treatments you can share publicly? We are always fascinated by enhancements and trying to find out more.

No problem. I will post something about luster treatments.

 

[jerin]

Hi, jerin. you asked the right person for the question. My father is in charge of the luster treatment. If you need any details, send me a PM, I will tell you how to do it. If you want to do really well, you need some big equipment and a lot of chemicals.

My family's company has all kinds of pearls, although we sell many (including baroque ones) to companies who have costomers for that kind. We ourselves sell 6-16mm pearls (AA- to AAA) to costomers in our store. I would say those pearls in our store are high-end.

Thanks, jerin.

Yikai,
thanks for answering so promptly and as you are doing it so freely here comes another one: personally I do not think of enhancing any pearls in an industrial way but I would rather like to know if there are simple ways to get ones pearls shiny again in case they lose a bit of luster and with such components as a customer would have to her/his disposal.

Do your family have their own website so we could look at your pearls, quality and so on?

 

[Yikai]

Yikai,
thanks for answering so promptly and as you are doing it so freely here comes another one: personally I do not think of enhancing any pearls in an industrial way but I would rather like to know if there are simple ways to get ones pearls shiny again in case they lose a bit of luster and with such components as a customer would have to her/his disposal.

Do your family have their own website so we could look at your pearls, quality and so on?

If your pearls lose luster, you need to do bleaching and polishing.(that's what we do with a pearl necklace which loses luster) Chemicals may be available for you, but you have to get a machine full of corn chips. There are wax on the chips. That's the way we polish. In that way, you can polish the pearls and the pearls can hold the luster longer.

I'm sorry, my family's company does not have a website. They think it's a waste of money while I don't think so. I think we will set up one later when I begin to work. I can send you some pictures about my family's company and pearls. My email address is chandler1908@yahoo.cn, send me an email if you want to see them.

P.s Are you from Sweden, jerin? I want to go there to study my master's degree. I'm very interested in a program called "international marketing and brand management" in Lund University.

 

[Caitlin]

I've seen some pictures Yikai sent to me of piles of klonks and the factory.

Yikai
Would you be able to post some here? you also have the possibility of making a photo album in the Profile section.

Those klonks will really get people slobbering over them!

 

[knotty panda]

Wow, I did not know about that! Thank you, knotty panda. I can not wait to go to Indiana and see the attractions.

Well, looks like I failed the tour guide course! Graceland is in Memphis although Nashville is quite an attraction in it's own right. You'll never be bored, I can guarantee that.