In fact, the reason is very simple. Non-gem professionals must go to tourist attractions when traveling. When shopping, you must also be in the tourist goods sales area near the tourist attractions. In fact, how many times can you travel there as a tourist in your life? Then you should be able to understand that jewelry sold in tourist areas should not pursue cost-effectiveness to attract repeat customers.
Sellers pursue high profits, while tourists are generally worried about being slaughtered, so they often bargain and pursue low prices. In this way, the only intersection between the two is: good quality and low price? But the cost, quality control and limited supply of seawater pearls are doomed to be "cheap"? What should sellers do if they want to sell goods with "local characteristics" to tourists for profit? There are only low-quality freshwater cultured pearls with low prices, and ordinary people can't tell whether they are seawater or fresh water. Is the quality high or low?
However, the slaughtered tourists were puzzled: I obviously went to the famous producing area of seawater pearls. Where do freshwater pearls come from?
Because more than 99% of the freshwater cultured pearls in the world are produced in China. I often go to Zhuji, Zhejiang, a distribution center for freshwater cultured pearls. Many years ago, businessmen from the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Pakistan and other countries frequented there. Some of them even used the local dialect to bargain when buying food? They usually only buy poor quality or dyed freshwater pearls locally and bring them back to China cheaply. Then you should understand, right
When you spend hundreds or thousands of RMB, you want to buy a string of high-quality seawater pearls. How can a travel seller do such a thing, which is far from the purchase cost? But since I have traveled to places where pearls are produced, how can I do without some souvenirs of pearls? Therefore, when the language and professional background are not smooth, buying and selling low-quality dyed freshwater pearls at a relatively high price naturally becomes the result of "everyone is happy".
How to prevent it?
1, where the frequency of buying domestic freshwater pearls abroad is high, personal summary, for reference only, welcome to correct me.
(1), Bangladesh
The Bay of Bengal used to be an important producing area of natural pearls, which once produced the best natural seawater pearls in ancient times, but there is no report of freshwater pearls cultured in Bangladesh so far.
So far, I have seen a few dyed freshwater pearls bought from there, which are usually dyed gold.
Photo: The first mariculture natural color pearl necklace, with a wholesale price of tens of thousands.
Photo: Dyed freshwater pearl necklaces, the prices of tourist spots range from hundreds to thousands.
(2), India
The fishing of natural pearls began in southern India in BC, and cities are still famous for pearls, but there is no report of pearl culture in India at present.
When I was in Zhuji, I talked to several Indian businessmen. They usually buy things in small shops on the street. When asked if India still produces pearls? The general answer is "Of course, we produce a lot of natural pearls, and we mainly sell high-quality natural pearls". In today's environment, so many natural pearls can be produced. Merchants selling high-quality natural seawater usually buy low-quality freshwater pearl necklaces for tens of dollars, which is really intoxicating.
(3) South Pacific
The South Pacific has produced high-quality pearls since ancient times. The Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, French Polynesia and Cook Islands used to produce high-quality natural seawater pearls, but now they are important producing areas for producing high-quality seawater cultured pearls and occasionally produce natural seawater pearls. The world's largest natural seawater pearl "Laozi's Pearl" was captured in the Philippines on 1934, weighing 6350g.
Many islands in the South Pacific have beautiful scenery and are more suitable for diving and other activities, making them one of the best tourist attractions in the world. Isn't it great to buy a string of local high-quality seawater pearls after playing at the seaside? However, as mentioned above, before seawater pearls enter the market, their quantity and quality will be controlled by local associations and other industry organizations, and they will enter the hands of wholesalers and retailers through auctions. It is basically impossible to find a way out of a tourist area at a low price?
Before, a friend was playing on an island, and the seller said in English, "It's pearls, and pearls are abundant locally". After my friend consulted me, I continued to ask the merchant: fresh water or seawater? The merchant just told me: freshwater pearls.
Photo: Black mariculture pearls produced in the South Pacific, with a wholesale price of several thousand.
Photo: The wholesale price of mariculture pearls produced in the South Pacific ranges from thousands to tens of thousands.
Photo: "Good quality and low price" low quality and dyed freshwater cultured pearls are often bought by foreign businessmen in several sacks.
2, tourism, in the absence of professional knowledge, it is not suitable to buy pearl jewelry in the tourist commodity area for collection and appreciation.
3. If you really want to buy expensive ones, you can go to the shopping mall where local people buy pearl jewelry and buy some genuine products of famous brands.
Of course, traveling is not easy. I have come so far and spent a lot of money. If I don't buy something to remember and promote the local GDP, I will go home empty-handed, and sometimes it is difficult to convince myself.
My personal opinion is that at this time, as long as it is controlled within a reasonable budget price range, you can buy it as a tourist souvenir and spend a little money to buy happiness. Why do you have to care about what you buy? At this time, you should enjoy the fun and customs brought by shopping more, and the good memories brought by seeing this thing afterwards. After all, spiritual pleasure and enjoyment are sometimes better than material things?
Of course, this is also a matter of opinion.
Provided by Dr. li geng, a scholar studying in Germany (teaching in Jewelry College of China Geo University).