Korean Job Discussion Forums

[summer33ny]

I was told that pearls are cheaper in Asia and I was thinking of buying some as bridesmaid gifts. Anyone have any experience with buying pearls here? Are the prices good? Any places or areas you recommend to look?

[peppermint]

I bought a necklace a few years ago in Qingdao, China for around 16 bucks- They were selling them by the strand there in an underground market. They're not high quality pearls, mind you, but I bought them to a jeweler in Canada and he said they were legit.

[madoka]

It depends on your budget. You can buy cheap pearls almost anywhere, including Costco. You should be able to get 8mm earings for about $100 or so for some nice looking ones. Cheaper ones run $20 and up.

Tiffany's and Mikimoto are on the high end side and are a little bit more expensive than their counterparts in the U.S. Mikimoto specializes in pearls and are more expensive than Tiffanys generally speaking. I looked between those two stores and Mikimoto pearls were definitely better looking. There are three or four Mikimoto stores in Korea. They have earings that start around $300 or so depending on size/quality. I've bought about $7000 from Mikimoto the last couple of years so the sales people greet me by name now. Sad I know.

[lsrupert]

I haven't purchased any here in Seoul, but I have in Beijing, Qingdao, and Shanghai. Of those three places, Qingdao had the best prices. I was there in April of this year, and could buy a strand of pearls for the equivalent of $1!!! I don't remember the price in Beijing, but I just got back from Shanghai, and with haggling, we could get them down to 25yuan per strand. That's around $4.
Buying the pearls there is definitely worth the money! You can design your own necklaces, or just go with what they have.
If you go to China, just be ready to haggle. I've found that Shanghai was the most expensive, and all of the shop owners are out to cheat you. Definitely check things before you buy them. Do this even if it means taking it out of the package. I got ripped off several times on my last trip to Shanghai. When I asked for my money back, I was told that I only get 1/2 of it back. There was a long discussion and I ended up in the security office, telling my story there. (I was taken by the security guard!!!) They actually ended up being very nice in the security office, and made the shop owner refund all of my money. It was just a huge pain in the butt, though.
I hope that you find what you are looking for! I've made many amazing purchases in China. It's awesome to see what you can get for such little money.
Good luck!

[summer33ny]

Thanks guys for your input. I think I will wait to buy them in China. I have a trip planned there in March to Nanning, Xi'an and Beijing.

I bought myself a pearl bacelet in Thailand this Christmas. I wouldn't say I got ripped off but it definitly was not a bargain. I am excited to see what I can find in China.

[Mint]

I got a string of small pink pearls in Dongdaemun for a decent price last year [40$ maybe?]. They can be found for good prices if you hunt around.