Man Sang Holdings, Inc. Announces Changes of Directors

[Caitlin]

Press Release Source: Man Sang Holdings, Inc.
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 15, 2005--Man Sang Holdings, Inc. (OTC BB: MSHI - News), one of the world's largest purchasers and processors of Chinese cultured and freshwater pearls, announced that effective March 15, 2005, Mr. Hung Kwok Wing, Sonny becomes a director of the Company.
Source: Man Sang Holdings, Inc.

See:
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050315/156209_1.html
for this full press release.

I have a feeling that many of this company's products end up in this country. I would think it would be a company like this that could supply Walmart (or Target, etc), with its huge inventory in fw pearl necklaces and small akoyas- All of them are quite uniform in their lack of luster- all I have seen in these stores are notably of mass produced quality.

Notice I said "could". I am curious about the sales hierarchy of a company like this and if/how the pearls get to the trade shows, wholesalers and local bead stores, too.

I would like to understand how the distribution flows from Man Sang or equivalents to mass retail outlets like Target, Walmart, and bead stores I would love to have an expert discuss it in this forum.

 

[jshepherd]

Hi Caitlin,

This company is based in Tsim Sha Tsui where so many pearl companies are located. They are actually quite large and have 4 floors (I believe) in Railway Plaza. Their main stock is freshwater pearl, but I think they main cash cow is Tahitian. This company buys Tahitian pearl harvests by the oyster, not the pearl. In other words, they can use everything because of their size, so they purchase all of the oysters from farms before the pearls are harvested. They then sell most of the pearls loose, and make strands from the left-overs.

The Akoya pearls that I have seen from this company can be nice, but the premium is much too high for me. I actually know a few of the managers their quite well and we have discussed Akoya prices numerous times. Their main Akoya business that I have seen is mostly commercial quality, going for $1300-$1500 per kilo in the 6-7mm range. They do a lot of work with dyed pearls as well (golden, black, blue, etc.). I am not sure how much of their Akoya and freshwater product makes its way to stores here in the US.

They are also large players in Indonesian Golden South Sea pearls, and to a lesser extent White South Sea. I have seen their stock after harvest, and the strands number near 1000. The pearls are so valuable and expensive, this is a large inventory.

 

[Caitlin]

Thanks for the info!

It is information similar to that which can be found in "The Book of the Pearl", only it is 100 years updated. I love that book. You need to write a sequel because the industry has changed enormously and exploded since publication of Kunz' masterpiece!

The Book of the Pearl: The History, Art, Science and Industry
by George Frederick Kunz, Charles Hugh Stevenson