Time to buy pearls

The best place to buy pearls is Hyderabad, where there are about 30,000 dealers. The prices have crashed by nearly 20 per cent. This is the right time to buy, says Nandita Shorey

THIS is the time to buy pearls as the prices in Hyderabad, the pearl capital of India, have crashed by nearly 20 per cent due to worldwide recession. Further, for the last six months, the pearl merchants of the city and, in fact, all over India, have been able to get the shining treasures at a cheaper price from their suppliers across the world, due to same recession.

As it is, the pearls are sold in tolas (11.6 gm), and just before the recession in September this year, the price of good quality pearls was Rs 10 per gm to Rs 2,000 per gm. The cream of the market, known as Basra Pearls, costs between Rs 500 and Rs 3,000 per gm. Take the price at 20 per cent less, and you know that this is the chance of a lifetime to invest in pearls.

There are certain do’s and don’ts while buying pearls, especially for tourists, who have to be extra careful. The advantage of buying pearls in Hyderabad is that you get a wide choice at better prices.`A0Do the rounds of a few markets before you start buying. This will give you an idea of the best buys and also the price range. Jewellery and precious stones are better bought from reputed stores. There would be anywhere between 20,000 to 30,000 pearl dealers in the city, but around the Charminar you find the most reliable of the jewellers.

White pearls have traditionally been popular in Hyderabad. A good quality white pearl reflects a lovely sky blue colour under ultraviolet light, while a poor quality one has a greenish or mustardish sheen. Black pearls that have a green sheen and baroque (irregular-shaped) pearls that reflect a rainbow of colours are also amongst the more valuable varieties. White pearls are popular with Indians, while the foreigners adore the coloured ones.

Natural pearls (Those made without man’s assistance) have become so rare and expensive that for the vast majority of people cultured are the only option. Cultured pearls tend to have a larger core or nucleus. But, in all other respects, they are identical. Interestingly, the best-cultured pearls are those that come from an oyster that dies after the pearl is removed. Oysters that do not die after the pearl has been extracted produce what are referred to as Biwa pearls. Generally, but not always, Biwa pearls fetch a lower price. As such, in the case of cultured pearls, ask the jeweller as to whether it is Biwa pearl. That will make him feel that he is dealing with a customer who has knowledge of pearls. But pearls to shun are the imitation pearls which are a different story altogether. In most cases, a glass bead is dipped into a solution made from fish scales. This coating is thin and may eventually wear off.

Lustre is a combination of surface, brilliance and a deep-seated glow. The lustre of a good quality pearl should be bright and not dull. You should be able to see your own reflection clearly on the surface of a pearl. Any pearl that appears too white, dull or chalky indicates low quality.

Since cultured pearls are grown by oysters in nature, it is very rare to find a perfectly round pearl. However, the rounder the pearl, the more valuable it is. Cultured pearls come in a variety of colours from rose to black. The size of the pearls is measured in millimetres. They can be smaller than one mm (0.1mm) in the case of tiny pearls, or as large as 7 mm for a big pearl. The larger the pearl, other factors being equal, the more valuable it will be.

If you are buying pearl necklaces, the following classification will help you to decide on what size to buy. Your dealer will have local or Hindi names for his calculations, but you should decide the size and length of the necklace: Bib consists of several strands of pearls of varying lengths. Collar consists of multiple strands of pearls worn high on the neck. Very popular during the 1930s, and making a bit of a comeback now, they are 12-13 inches long. — MF

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