Taiwan Jewellery & Gem Fair

[pearlescence]

That looks delish.

 

[Icyjade]

It was my mom's first jewellery & gem show, ever, and she was in absolute shock how much cheaper the pearls were.

Poor mom. At least from now on she can look forward to attending such shows regularly?
Are there many stands selling jade by the way?

Kelluvpearls I SO want to go to a bigger one, too!!!

Me too. But I'm not sure if my wallet/bank account can take it.

And following P-G tradition, a jewellery & gem fair isn't quite complete without a Ding Tai Fung meal (on my annual must-eat-list when I go home). Mine doesn't look like quite the spread the mini-ruckus HK group had since it was just me and mom, but it was yummy none the less. Soup dumplings rocks!

Sigh. Love the xiaolongbao at dtf. Is this the yong kang street store? I miss the yummy beef noodles n iced desserts too.
Oh and ru rou fan and the extra big chicken cutlet at the night market. Yums

 

[Purranha]

Icy!

Haha yes from your username I can tell you like jade, and so do I! There were a number of jade vendors, but honestly nothing you or I would like. And sadly the pearl selection at the Taipei show is quite poor, so that doesn't help our cause... BTW, have you ever been to the Jade Market in Taipei? Lots of touristy stuff, but there are lots of gems there. There are hundreds and hundreds of stalls so it does require some digging.

I went to the one in the new Sogo which is a block from my parents' place. I used to only go to Yong Kang street when they first started opening branches because the original spot was still superior, but it has really evened out by now. BTW, the Mango ice place has since relocated... I know, sad...

Haha yes I LUV the night market food, too!

 

[Icyjade]

Haven't been to the jade market. Any particular stall that you would recommend? I only like the really 'bing' kind of jade and I think prices have soared so much that the bangle that I want is probably unattainable. *sad face*

Oh yes I was referring to the mango ice at the corner. So yums.

 

[jshepherd]

And following P-G tradition, a jewellery & gem fair isn't quite complete without a Ding Tai Fung meal (on my annual must-eat-list when I go home). Mine doesn't look like quite the spread the mini-ruckus HK group had since it was just me and mom, but it was yummy none the less. Soup dumplings rocks!
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Yes!!! This IS a PG tradition!

 

[Purranha]

@jshepherd - wish I have the opportunity to attend a ruckus and HK fair at some point, but glad to extend the P-G tradition to the more obscure pearl corners of the world!

@icyjade - Mango ice have relocated to Chung Shao East Road section 4 near TongLing department store. I preferred the original spot much more. Now they try to add different weird toppings and stuff.

When you come back to Taipei, remember that the Jade Market ONLY opens on Sat/Sun as vendors from all over the island trek over for the weekend. They don't stay put at the same location within the market (I think they have to elbow for locations a bit) so it's really hard to say. Do keep in mind though the items are not jewellry & gem fair grade. While there are gems there, majority of items are more mass market. BUT I still highly recommend it - it's a lot of fun to experience. I sadly don't have photos on my traveling laptop, but will see if I can dig up some photos for you when I get back to NYC.

Yes I totally understand what you're saying - bing jade bangles are impossible to come by these days and you only see pendants fashioned into gords or buddhas and such. I still remember my mom gave away one ice jade bangle to a cousin for her wedding a few decades back while ice jade are not expensive yet, and I'm still mad at her today for doing so!

 

[kelluvpearls]

I love dumplings, great photo Purranha, thanks for sharing!

 

[GemGeek]

I am enjoying this thread immensely. It even has my favorite food!

 

[Purranha]

Ladies - I'm glad you are enjoying this thread! And hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

 

[Purranha]

I know this is a sliiiight detour from pearls, but since I'm here in Taipei...

I did a quick visit to the Jade Market and wanted to share some pics. The Jade Market is located in a stretch under an elevated highway. One side is Jade Market, and the opposite side is the Flower Market. Each has hundreds of stalls spanning multiple blocks.

In the Jade Market, they have jade (antiques, fine jewelry set in diamond, and craft grade stuff), color gemstones, semiprecious stones in solitaire and rondelle forms, coral, crystals, some pearls (mostly freshies with some akoyas and some tahitian/ssp), supplies & findings (modern and chinese vintage from the Ching dynasty), chops, even some tea stalls (with tasting!) and a stall fully dedicated to woolly mammoth ivory pieces.

I highly recommend anyone visiting Taipei to stop by during the weekend!

 

[Katbran]

Great photos ! You must be having the BEST time !! I'd be at a loss at a Jade market...I'm sure I'd end up buying plastic lol

 

[pearlescence]

I'd need a cargo plane if I visited there - both sides!

 

[Icyjade]

Oh looks like fun! Definitely on my to-do list if I visit Taipei. Thanks for the pics!

 

[JerseyPearl]

I'd need a cargo plane if I visited there - both sides!

Let me know if you are chartering a flight!

 

[CathyKeshi]

I'd take a seat on that plane ... and I'm afraid I'd need a pallet space in the cargo hold too LOL!

Thanks for the tour photos

 

[GemGeek]

Love it! Thanks for sharing the story.

 

[Arialle]

Hi, I am new here

I'm so glad you enjoy your trip to Taiwan~ I live in Taipei, so this market is actually my favorite place to go for jewlery~

To people who may have chance to visit this market in the future, beware there are lots of B and C grade jadeite tried to pass as A grade. And also, don't be shy to ask for discounts...cause the shop will usually provide a 20% off if you asked.

 

[Purranha]

oh hi welcome Arialle! I'm returning to Taipei, flying out tonight!!!

 

[Happy Huku]

Great thread, thanks Purranha and safe travels!

 

[baby nurse]

Have a good trip, Purranha!