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Philippines Pearl Shopping: Postcard from Manila

Peter Greenberg Worldwide
Locations in this article:  Hong Kong San Francisco, CA
Philippines Pearl Shopping: Postcard from Manila

Pearls on Display - Manila, PhilippinesDear Peter,

As you know, I consider myself a savvy shopper, but I was just, uh, shell-shocked by the selection and prices of pearl jewelry in the Philippines.

For the price of a good quality necklace in the U.S., it’s possible to buy a plane ticket to Manila, stay in a five-star hotel, and come home with a stunning strand of South Sea pearls to rival those worn by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

MOTHER OF PEARLS

I’ve always been crazy about pearls. In fact, they’re my (June) birthstone and I can remember my mother telling me stories each time she attached a tiny new bead to my add-a-pearl necklace when I was a little girl.

She said the ancient Greeks believed pearls were tears of joy shed by the Goddess of Love as she was born from the sea.

Pearl Necklaces in ManilaAn Arab legend claimed pearls were formed when oysters swallowed moonlit dewdrops after being lured from the depths of the ocean by the moon, and the Chinese believed these gems came from the brains of dragons.

Some cultures swear by pearls as an aphrodisiac, but I didn’t hear about that from Mom …

KNOW YOUR SOUTH SEA PEARLS

As I grew bigger and older, so did the pearls on my wish list. No longer satisfied with the little nuggets on my childhood necklace, I was ready for the big guys—South Sea Pearls. Ranging in size from 9mm to as much as 20mm, these gems are considered the Rolls Royce of cultured pearls.

Darwin, in northern Australia, produces some of the largest and best quality South Sea Pearls, most of which are creamy white or silver. Tahiti is known for its black pearls, while the Philippines (also known as the “Pearl of the Orient”), produce gold pearls that are over-the-top magnificent. They’re certainly among the rarest and most expensive pearls on the market today, and I had considered them way too expensive until I shopped in Manila.

The fancy jewelry shops in Manila’s upscale malls all sell pearl jewelry, but the best selection and prices are at the Greenhills Shopping Center, a short taxi ride from Makati City. This mall isn’t a glam destination, rather an indoor upscale flea market venue with an entire section devoted to pearl and gem dealers.

Learn more about Manila’s shopping scene with Shopping Manila: Suzy Gershman’s Postcard From The Philippines. 

PEARL HARBOR

Collection of PearlsThe Lifestyles section of the Greenhills Center is home to more than 100 pearl vendors who sell all shapes, colors and sizes of the gems. To find this section of the mall, enter at the Greenlanes Arcade taxi drop-off by Shakey’s Pizza, walk past the cheapie handbag booths and turn to the left, where you’ll see the “pearly gates” of shopping heaven.

You’ll find fresh water, cultured, South Sea and man-made pearls in all sizes, shapes and colors. There are bins of loose pearls, matched pairs waiting to become earrings, hundreds of hanging strands and ready-to-wear pearl jewelry.

Depending on the quality, a 16-inch string of 7mm white cultured pearls will set you back about US$20-$200, while the large South Sea variety is priced from $100 for a single medium quality 10mm pearl to $2,500 and up for a graduated 10mm – 14mm, 18-inch strand similar to Ms. Pelosi’s.

GOLD IN THEM THAR HILLS

My goal was simple …

Strings of pearlsI wanted a pair of lustrous gold colored South Sea pearl earrings, about 12mm in diameter, simply set. I’d seen a similar pair in Australia, but wasn’t willing to pay $1,800 to make them mine. After some serious browsing and pricing, I selected a beautiful pair of 13mm pale gold pearls at Bally Pearl & Jewelry and watched as they were drilled and set in 18k gold.

My price? Less than one third of the Australian gems and about half of what I’d pay at the San Francisco wholesale jewelry mart. I also found good buys in smaller pearls at Khai Pearl & Jewelry (8mm white pearl earrings for $40) and Beverly Pearl & Jewelry (7mm black pearl earrings for $20). All the pearl shops are lined up in rows, side by side, making for extremely competitive pricing. Like any flea market, polite bargaining is not only acceptable but expected.

Along with necklaces and earrings, Philippine pearls, mother-of-pearl and shells are made into boxes, placemats, flatware and plates, all of which are sold at Greenhills. You’ll also find cheap clothing, shoes, faux designer goods, electronics and local fiber crafts in this mega-mall.

The mall opens at 10 a.m. daily and is open until 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.  Depending on traffic, it will take 15-30 minutes to get there by taxi from Makati City; try to avoid rush hour.

With hugs from the Pearly Gates,
Sarah

By Sarah Lahey for PeterGreenberg.com. Born to Shop California Wine Country by Suzy Gershman & Sarah Lahey is now available on Amazon.com now and in book stores in mid-October!

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