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Mention the name of pearls to anyone in the jewellery trade in India and the name that pops up to mind is HYDerabad. People from different corners of the country flock to this once-princely (now home to IT honchos) State to possess the enchanting pearls in all its hues and forms. The city is a one-stop-destination for the rare, luminescent, soft, tear drop pearls.
Wide range, price and superior quality are some of the factors which make the city a true pearls paradise. From cultured pearls to the rare Basra, the city has all of them. One can get pearls ranging from Rs 10 per gram to Rs 2,000 per gram. Besides, if one has the uncanny knack of bargaining, Hyderabad is the best bet.
Today, you have scores of pearl shops in Pathergatti and Lad Bazaar known for their vividness and exquisite quality. A walk through these lanes recalls visions of a bygone era. A grandeur which is more than 400-years-old. Legend has it that pearls were showered on the people by the kings at the time of ceremonies as gifts.
Neither does the city have a sea-coast nor is it near to one, but still it is popular for the pearls. Why? Because Hyderabad is a haven for craftsmen involved in pearl culture and the labour charges here come cheap. A lesser-known fact is that in
Chandanpet (a few kilometers outside the city) an entire population is engaged in the delicate art of drilling pearls.
Source of these Pearls
China and Japan are the sources of pearls for entire city market. The raw pearls here are drilled, boiled for about four days to bleach them and rid them of their dark colour. They are later placed in glass bottles containing hydrogen peroxide, water and ether and sunned for four and five days in glass sun boxes with a mirror base. Finally, they are washed and assorted according to the shape and size.
Where to shop
You can't go to Hyderabad and not buy pearls. The market is wide-open with scores of pearl shops to choose from. You'll often find pearls being sold everywhere from plush stores to smaller outfits to street stalls. So obviously, the pearls differ in quality and price.
Anytime is shopping time. Holidays are a time for families and friends, office parties and romantic snuggles by the fire. But, shopping also means it is time once again to spend endless hours in the mall searching for the perfect gift for each person on your list. Shopping is bound to drive even the most seasoned shopper crazy, and often choosing a gift can seem like mission impossible.
Shopping for pearls in Hyderabad can be easy and even enjoyable. Areas like Abids and Basheerbagh are flooded with pearl shops. Of course, if one talks about buying pearls, Charminar (particularly Pathergatti and
Laad Bazaar) is almost always a favoured place.
Laad Baazar, particularly, is a bustling market where you can find just about anything --- pearls, bangles delicate brocades, soft silks, antique books, incense sticks and perfumes and colourful plastic kitsch.
The best buys in Hyderabad include pearl ornaments in a plethora of exquisite designs and shapes. Be it the cultured pearls studded in gold and silver jewellery of marvellous design or rice pearls ( a tiny variety) or the precious Basra (rare variety) , the city has all of them and the quality is just matchless. Tourists from far-flung places come to this city to buy pearls, which are sold in strings or raw by weight.
Some of the shops like Suraj Bhan Jewellers, Basheerbagh, Jagadamba Pearls (Basheerbagh and Secunderabad), Mangatrai Pearls are some of the shops which have exclusive sections for pearls. Some of the designs are exquisite and charming. Secunderabad too has its share of pearl shops.
Do's & Dont's
There are certain dos and donts while buying pearls, especially tourists who have to be extra careful. The moment you step into the city, you will feel like buying pearls. And that's the catch: Don't just start buying anything you like until you have had time to study the market and the range of pearls available. The advantage of buying pearls in Hyderabad is you get wide choice at better prices.
Do 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. Once you have spent time sauntering through some of the shops in the city, you will get a pretty good idea of what should be bought from where.
It is here that the tourists must be warned of touts who claim to take you to a 'brother's shop', 'friend's shop' or 'really-good-deal shop'. Invariably, you'll end up coughing up much more for your purchase than you would otherwise. So, watch out!
It's perfectly all right to say no if you are not interested in going to a particular shop. Unfortunately, most touts and salespersons can be amazingly persuasive to the extent of imposing their opinions on you.
Bargain like mad. Especially with street vendors and smalltime shops. Like anywhere else in the world what you get does not depend on what you pay, but how less you can manage to pay for it! The margin can be
up to as much as 50 per cent of what the vendor tells you your purchase is worth. Most shops accept credit cards and offer a discount of up to 30 per cent.
Gift of love and warmth
A gift is sure to delight any woman, from the fashion forward hipster to the classic minimalist, and with a little advice and knowledge. For a thoughtful gift for the hard-working career women who does it all, a classic strand of cultured pearls will do the trick. A cultured pearl strand is must-have in every woman's jewellery wardrobe and can be worn with everything from a business suit to a cocktail dress to jeans.
What better way to start the fine jewellery collection of a teenage daughter or niece than with simple Hyderabadi cultured pearl earrings. Cultured pearl studs will take a young woman through the most important events in her life, from her prom night to her first job interview to her wedding day. Pearl earrings are a gift that constantly will remind its recipient of the day they were bestowed upon her.
Pearl ornaments
Necklaces, multi-strand bracelets, pearl pendants, pearl cluster ring, single pearl rings, earrings, stud earrings, brooches, cufflinks, tie tacks and many more.
What's genuine, what's fake
Many pearls look quite similar. But there are certain intricate factors that determine a pearl's worth.
Lustre and size are generally considered to be the two major factors. Lustre for instance, depends on the fineness and evenness of the layers. The deeper the glow, the more perfect the shape and surface, the more valuable they are. The lustre of a pearl too determines its price. Moreover, if you can see a reflection of your face clearly by gazing into the pearl, that's high quality lustre. The foggier the reflection, the less valuable the pearl. Size on the other hand, has to do with the age of the oyster that created the pearl (the more mature oysters produce larger pearls) and the location in which the pearl was cultured.
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.
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. However, top quality natural and cultured pearls are identical to the naked eye in terms of appearance and quality. Only under an X-ray machine can a trained eye discern any difference.
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 than the impending death variety.
Pearls also come in many colours. The most popular colours are whites and creams. Silver, black, gold and pinks are also gaining increasing interest. In fact, a deep lustrous black pearl is one of the more rare finds in the pearl industry. Thus, they are expensive.
Imitation pearls 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. One can usually tell an imitation by
biting on it. Fake pearls glide across your teeth, while the layers of nacre on real pearls feel gritty.
Types of pearls: Natural, cultured and imitation
Natural pearl (often called an Oriental pearl): It forms when an irritant, such as a piece of sand, works its way into a particular species of oyster, mussel, or clam. As a defence mechanism, the mollusk secretes a fluid to coat the irritant. Layer upon layer of this coating is deposited on the irritant until a lustrous pearl is formed.
Cultured pearl: This variety too undergoes the same process. The only difference is that the irritant is a surgically implanted bead or piece of shell called Mother of Pearl. Often, these shells are ground oyster shells that are worth significant amounts of money in their own right as irritant-catalysts for quality pearls. The resulting core is, therefore, much larger than in a natural pearl. Yet, as long as there are enough layers of
nacre (the secreted fluid covering the irritant) to result in a beautiful, gem-quality pearl, the size of the
nucleus is of no consequence to beauty or durability.
Saltwarter pearls: They can come from either salt or freshwater sources. Typically, saltwater pearls tend to be higher quality, although there are several types of freshwater pearls that are considered high in quality as well.
Freshwater pearls: They tend to be very irregular in shape, with a puffed rice appearance the most prevalent Nevertheless, it is each individual pearls merits that determines value more than the source of the pearl.
Things to look for in pearls:
Lustre: 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.
Surface: Cleanness refers to the absence of disfiguring spots, bumps or cracks on the surface of a pearl. The cleaner the surface of the pearl, the more valuable.
Shape: 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. Baroque pearls which, are asymmetrical in shape, can be lustrous and appealing, and rounded often cost less than round pearls. Round, rice, oval, button (used in fingerrings). Drop pearl (used in earrings)
Colour: Cultured pearls come in a variety of colours from rose to black. While the colour of a pearl is really a matter of the wearer's preference, usually rose or silver/white pearls tend to look best on fair skins while cream and gold toned pearls are flattering to darker complexions. Other colours are orange, peach and yellow.
Size: Size of the pearls is measured in millimeters. They can be smaller than one millimeter (0.1mm) in the case of tiny pearls, or as large as 7 millimeters for a big pearl. The larger the pearl, other factors being equal, the more valuable it will be.
Weight: Pearls are weighed in tolas.
One tola= 11.6 gram.
Price: One tola=Rs 10 per gram to Rs 2,000 per gram (depending on quality)
Basra Pearl: One tola=Rs 5,000 to Rs 30,000
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