Would you buy pearls in St. Martin or St. Thomas?

[ryzmom]

I am looking to purchase some pearls, whether it be freshwater or whatever, I don't know the difference in either St. Marteen/Martin or St. Thomas. Can someone tell me the best place to purchase pearls and what kind to buy? This would be very helpful!

 

Thanks so much,

Deana

[mamaofami]

Neither, unless you do some research first. Go to a local jeweler and look at what they have. Ask questions about the difference between fresh water and regular pearls and find out the prices of both. I would probably buy them close to home rather than the Caribbean. Pearls are expensive and have to be strung properly so they don't break.

[CoralReef]

Both places have lots of stores that sell pearls, but I agree with mamaofani-- you must do some research first. You should go in knowing whether you want saltwater or freshwater, what size, what length, what color, how to judge quality, and what you expect to pay.

 

I got a beautiful 20" strand of 7.5 mm perfect cream saltwater pearls duty-free in Grand Cayman for 2/3 of what they would cost in the U.S., but I also saw freshwater strands selling for saltwater prices, tiny pearls selling for large pearl prices, strands with no knots between the pearls, etc. I was glad I'd done my research first. For example, I am tall and 18" strands didn't look right on me. If I hadn't done my research, I probably would have bought an 18" strand because they are more common.

[BigGuy25]

Listen to what mamofami and CoralReef say!!! We did research on the pearls that we bought this summer in Tahiti. And, we were glad that we did. Knowing a bit about color, size, quality, etc. is important. Even with that, you need to make sure that your buying from a reputable dealer.