pearl biz newbie, what china shows to attend?

[missmouse]

wow!
am i glad i found this website. awesome information!

i am a jewelry designer and small-time seller of jewelry in the US. i live in Shang-Hai (i am an american) so naturally i buy pearls and various semi-precious gem-stones here. however, so far i have only bought through the pearl markets in hong-qiao and nanjing road. i would like to attend some trade shows here, but am looking for suggestions on the best ones. are there shows that include fashion jewelry? i can also travel to beijing or hong kong.

my other question is: what exactly am i getting at the hongqiao market? is it all junk? i don't really sell strands of pearls, mostly fashion pieces with pearls mixed in, so i am not really looking for mikimoto quality stuff, just stuff that is pretty and will last. are there better sources in shanghai?

BTW, i deal almost exclusively with Ling Ling on nanjing road. i have seen their name mentioned here and wonder if others have experience with them. every once in awhile i will deal with Ru Pei Pei, but their prices seem inflated to me and i have not had good experiences with the sales staff (i speak mandarin).

again, this forum is an amazing resource. thank you so much in advance for any feedback.

thanks!
erin

 

[jshepherd]

There are several good fairs, but I think the Hong Kong shows are the best. They always attract the most suppliers. There is actually a show in about 3 weeks.
The Shenzhen fair is also good. It typically has more local suppliers so you do not have to weed through all the HK traders.
I would not necessarily say that all the pearls are junk at Hongqiao and on Nanjing. True, there is a lot of low-quality that passes through as these markets target tourists, but there are some dealers that carry high-quality freshwater pearls.
I know Ling Ling quite well. We worked together for a bit quite a few years ago. I still consider her a great friend and a very honest business woman. Ru Pei Pei was popular among the crews in Beijing back in the 90's, I have never dealt with her personally, but I have heard that she fell out of favor (got greedy, prices jumped).
If you are buying from Ling Ling I think you are getting good value for your money. She has a strong partner in Zhuji and a good base in Wenling. She is definitely one of the best traders.

On a side note, if you are considering a show, I suggest making a trip to Zhuji first. Selection and prices will be better. Although there are a lot of suppliers at the shows, the prices are always higher. I visit them typically one per year, but almost never purchase pearls. I am usually looking for findings and diamonds.

 

[missmouse]

thank you so much for the info.

i had never heard of zhuji...is there a specific 'pearl market' there?

this would be an easy day trip for me. i googled zhuji, but couldn't find the address of a particular pearl market.

thanks again so much for your input. your willingness to help others is obviously one of the reasons you have been so successful in your business!

xin nian kwai le!

erin

 

[jshepherd]

Xie xie nin!
Zhuji has a great pearl market - Shanxiahu! It has an open-air atrium and a lot of company offices around the exterior. This is where the traders from Hongqiao and other markets source their own pearls.
A trip to Zhuji is going to be easy for you. Take the train to Hangzhou and a cab/car to Zhuji (less than 2 hours). There are CFWP factories everywhere there, and of course, the large Shanxiahu market. You really do not need the address to get there - if you make it to the city you will be able to find the market.

 

[missmouse]

got it! thanks!

erin

 

[jshepherd]

Here is some more information you may find useful:

2006 China International Jewellery Fair - Beijing
November 9-13
www.cijf.com

2006 Guangzhou International Jewellery Fair - Guanzhou
March 2-5
www.newayfairs.com

2006 West of China International Jewellery Fair - Chengdu
(6th China Chengdu Jewellery Fair)
May 25-29
www.tyone.com

China International Gold, Jewellery & Gem Fair - Guangzhou
June 16-19
www.jewellerynetasia.com

The 5th Qingdao International Jewellery Fair 2006 - Qingdao
June 2-5
www.qdhaiming.com

The 6th Shanghai International Jewellery Fair - Shanghai
May 18-21
www.newayfairs.com

Jewelry Shanghai 2006 - Shanghai
This one is organized by the Gemological Association of China - should be a good one.
April 21-24
jewelry.broex.com

China International Gold, Jewellery & Gem Fair - Shanghai
November 2-4
www.jewellerynetasia.com

Good luck! If you happen to visit any of them and feel like reporting on them, we would all like to hear!

 

[missmouse]

oh, great! thanks for the list!

i will definitely attend the shanghai ones, and maybe the one in beijing this fall.

i would be happy to give a review! let me know if anyone has any specific requests.

thanks,
erin

 

[cindyclark]

zhuji

zhuji

Hi
I just got back from Zhuji, Shanghai and Suzhou. Zhuji had some good stuff and bad stuff. It took many visits to different stores to get the quality of some of the near round pearls in Suzhou. But, once I found the good shops the luster was higher and the price a bit betters.

Bottom line, you can get ripped off anywhere.

Not a lot of unusual pearls there, which my customers like. I did find one store that did specialize in that. However, there were many levels of quality there too. After much weeding I did find some awesome stuff, but it is definitely, "Buyer Beware".

Also, it is a bit remote to feel completely comfortable wandering around with tons of cash (which you must).

PS. The bathrooms were very interesting

Cindy Clark
Passion Pearls

 

[missmouse]

hi cindy,

i hope you had a great time in china!

interesting comments about suzhou. i have heard a lot of people going out there for pearls, but have never done so myself. maybe i will have to make a trip and see how it is.....

i agree it took a lot of searching to find nice pearls in zhu ji, but it seemed like when you found them, it was worth it.

LOL on the bathroom situation. i have lived in asia so long, i don't think it even phases me anymore.....

erin

ps-looking at this post, i just realized i missed ALL of the shows in shanghai that jeremy suggested . i have been busy with other business dealings and travel, and they just sped right by. i will, however, attend the ones in the fall and will give feedback to anyone who is interested.

pps-i was just at ling-ling yesterday and just wanted to again recommed this store to those who travel to china for pearls. they really have been lovely to work with!

 

[jshepherd]

There is still the Hong Kong show coming up next month. It is the best anyway!

When looking for top grade in Zhuji, it is very difficult to find it if you stay in the market - impossible in the open part of the atrium. It is easiest to go to one of the factories. In a decent size factory you should have a range of quality from garbage to gem.