Buying Pearls in Vietnam

[Rachel O]

Hi,

I'm going to Vietnam in April and have heard it's a really great place to buy pearls. Is this the case, and if so can anyone recommend what to look for, and where to go?

Any advice much appreciated

 

[Adeline Leigh]

Hi Rachel, welcome! I live in Asia but am not sure if Vietnam is the best place to buy pearls. A quick google search revealed Halong Bay might have a pearl farm but other than that there are apparently some ads up for pearl farms on sale there so am not sure if I'd do some serious purchasing given the circumstances. Perhaps some of the experts/ wholesalers/ retailers on the forum can provide more info on that.

Anyways, am sure you will have fun.

 

[pearlescence]

From what I have picked up here and there I might go to a farm and buy akoya direct (undrilled)but other than that any pearls are likely to be imported (no matter what the vendors say) so no advantage. Welcome and where are you Rachel O?

 

[jshepherd]

I don't know of any popular market in Vietnam, but I do know there are a couple of PG'ers that have been to an akoya farm there and Chi from Galatea owns a farm there as well. If you can get your hands on some nice Vietnamese akoya it might be worthwhile. The nacre tends to be a lot thicker than akoya grown in China or Japan, and the colors are a bit more unique as well.

 

[Cees]

I posted this a few days ago about Akoya pearls in another thread:
Vietnam produces also Akoya pearls and I have already seen small 7.20-8.80 mm South Sea Pearl strands from same pearl farm owner.
Veteran Kobe pearl trader Devchand Chodhry of Orient Pearl (Bangkok) Limited is the owner and can be reached at dev@chodhari.net
Most akoya pearls are 2,3,4,5 mm and some also bigger. Seen also Akoya pearls with very good luster from them.

 

[Rachel O]

Thanks for the advice, will look into the contact that you gave. Was really looking for a large pearl, but will re-think that and go for some smaller un-drilled ones, from the farm direct - think we're going to one while in Halong Bay.

Do you have any advice how how to tell nacre thickness if undrilled?

I'm in England

 

[pearlescence]

I suggested undrilled loose from the farm simply because they are less likely to be imported codded up freshwaters brought in to sell to tourists. I would expect most farms would have one or two cracked ones around to show you so you could see nacre.
Be suspicious if they are all perfect rounds. (a bit too good to be true)
Indeed, Caitlin, it might be a great idea for a thread if we could collect all the scam and cod selling venues from around the world where tourists get tricked - even my dear favourite wish pearls! - Tourists Beware

 

[Caitlin]

Cod selling? In your part of the world that must mean something charged.

Do we dare start such a list, naming names? Maybe just a list of the typical tricks pulled on tourists.

Great idea! Indeed, you should name the thread and make the first post one about the wish pearls! Second could be about the freshwater pearls sold as other things. Well, maybe that could take up the rest of the thread!!!

 

[judimcc6]

I just got back from Vietnam, researching Vietnamese pearl farms, a couple of weeks ago. I stayed in the north on HaLong Bay, but there are other areas of pearling in mid (Hue) and southern Vietnam (Phu Quoc). In all of Vietnam, there are lots of pearl "outlets", but many of them are selling Chinese freshwater pearls that they have imported. It is hard to tell which are truly Vietnamese pearls. The lore of Vietnamese pearls is that they are cultivated in cleaner waters and for a much longer time then the Chinese. I went to a dealer in HaLong City, called Viet Pearl. Truong Manh was the Vice Director and the office was at Cai Dam-Bai Chay, Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province, telephone (+84.33) 3515 769. It was a fairly large retail store which sold everything from pearl creams for your face to very high end gorgeous pearls. The story I got and the video that was shown to me, was that they nucleate with only 1-2mm beads and harvest 8-8.5mm pearls. THIS WOULD MEAN THEY HAVE A NACRE OF AT LEAST 6MM! There were lots of lesser expensive pearls that couldn't have been that substantial of nacre, but I asked to see the top end and, god help me, but I went through every bag of pearls that those poor men had...I probably paid much more than I should have, but they are incredibly lustrous beautiful pearls. I also went to a pearl farm in HaLong Bay, by hiring my own junket for the day. I did get to witness the actual nucleation at this farm and the entire production. It was a pretty small farm, comparatively speaking, called Ha Long Pearl...oddly enough. If I can ever figure out how to upload photos, I would show you what I saw and even the pearls that I ended up selling my first born son for.

 

[Marianne]

What an awesome experience Judi! You can post photos. Pretty please. Even I did it..... once....... with Pattye on the phone coaching me along

 

[kojimapearl]

I went to a "pearl farm" in Phu Quoc once, while I was living in Saigon, some years ago. They had the pre-requisite gift shop, with a beautiful mural of the body of an oyster painted on the wall.. I tracked down the owner later on that week and met him for a beer (because that seemed to be his fancy). He was to say the least.. VAGUE about his Vietnamese farm, but was proud to talk about his days working on pearl farms in Australia. His lawyer who also happened to be there that evening, turned to me and in "lawyer speak" explained that all Vietnamese pearls and pearl jewelery needed to be "Vietnamese" was a some one to put a tag on them once they arrived from China or Thailand. In short, his farm was nothing but a few bouys off shore and a big shiney gift shop. Glad you got to Vietnam Judi, it is an amazing country. I am really glad you found some lovely pearls in the north.. Ha Long Bay is a magical place! Happy New Year, Sarah

 

[pearlescence]

Silly man to try to fool someone as pearl-wise as you Sarah...but does go to demonstrate just what stories can be spun for tourists to get the sale.
Caitlin, I'll happily start a new topic in the forum on this (with Sarah's post right up there in big letters) but in which thread - or should it have a new one all of its own to ensure it is easily found?

 

[judimcc6]

Great to hear from you Sarah. Saigon is a pretty wild place. Vietnam is a difficult country to track down the "real" story. It is still so invested in the remnants of the American/Vietnam War. The lack of viable avenues to invest from outside the country has led a lot of investors to pull out of the country. Bribes are a tangled weave and there never seems to be enough to the right person. Foreigners cannot own a controlling portion of an investment. Nobody but the government owns any land. You just lease it. And, it's pretty hard to get anywhere in business, education, or socially unless your family was VietCong...35 years ago! The lack of investment in infrastructure is a testament to how badly corrupt the government is. Needless to say, this info came from a lot of conversations with ARVN descendents. I was lucky to actually see the pearl farm production, so I KNOW there is some pearl production happening there. It is quite common knowledge o everyone, but the tourists, that the pearls being sold on the junks, at roadside stands and sidewalk salesmen are from out of the country.

I am still trying to upload pictures. I feel like a complete idiot! Now, I HAVE to figure this out! Blaire!

 

[pearlescence]

You've reminded me about something I learned about Vietnam a few years ago - they are desperate for property lawyers and some go over from here pro bono because all the property records were destroyed during the communist rule and there are so many claims and counter claims still to sort out - which is why the government owns all the land, They can't work out the actual owners. They also need surveyors for the same reason. Given how people can squabble and fight (literally in some cases) over a few inches of land sometimes when there is all the paperwork, without any it is chaos and a recipe for feuding and fallings out
NB in England all the land still belongs to the crown. we only 'hold' it as tenants from the crown. Blame William the Conquerer who conquered.
End of land law lesson!

 

[Adeline Leigh]

Hi hi, thanks for clarifying that Vietnam is still into pearl production... Vietnam here we come.

 

[kojimapearl]

Judi : with all that said Vietnam is still light years beyond it's neighbor Cambodia! Can't wait to see your photos.. And I am really glad that you got to see a real farm! Something i was never able to do as I spent most of my time in the south, and in the city for that matter. I have an even funnier story of tracking down natural Melo Melo Pearls in Nha Trang.. But that is one for a different keyboard, and probably a different thread! What I loved most about Vietnam was despite its problems the people have an insatiable drive to succeed and thrive... Its SO inspiring coming from a country where being laid off = a welfare check and a reason to complain.

 

[judimcc6]

Sarah, I think we need to discuss this story over a couple of glasses of wine in Tucson. And, yes, Cambodia is a rather heart rendering country. My guide came to tell me of the night his father was dragged out of the house by Pol Pot's soldiers and never seen again. He told me this story as the full harvest moon was rising over Ankor Wat. It was an incredibly large moment.


I hope these are some of the pictures of the pearl farm in HaLong Bay:

 

[kojimapearl]

WOW! Judi.. those are spectacular photos! You are ALSO a gifted photographer... wine/story telling date in Tucson is confirmed! Looking forward to seeing you again! Cheers and Chuc Mung Nam Oi !

 

[Nora]

Great photos Judi! Thank you.

 

[pattye]

Judi,

Terrific pics, thank you! Looking forward to seeing the magnificent pearls you purchased!!