SJPearls’ final Pearl Buying trip of 2017
Sep 8 2017
Father and son team Richard and Jack head off to the Far East on one of 2017’s Pearl buying trips this Sunday. As well as looking to update SJPearl’s range of 9 and 18 carat jewellery and spot emerging trends at Hong Kong’s Jewellery and Gem fair, the main objective of this trip is to restock supplies of Japanese Akoya and Chinese freshwater pearl rows. A rather brutal itinerary featuring 6 flights to 3 countries will ensure that a comprehensive search for the best quality product is successful.
For the past 37 years, Richard has been buying pearls, and has amassed a wealth of knowledge, experience and relationships with pearl farms and suppliers which will slowly be transferred to Jack. Every row, from the smallest freshwater to stunning Tahitian passes under Richard’s eyes. This gruelling process ensures that SJPearls maintains its reputation for suppling the industries’ finest products.
With the price of pearls, especially Chinese freshwater, rising due to economic and environmental factors, the challenge this September is to source high quality, small diameter rows, stocks of which have been rapidly diminishing at SJPearl’s Midlands HQ.
Japanese Akoya pearls, again, predominantly the smaller diameter rows, have been more problematic and expensive to source. This is due to the farm’s reluctance to produce small pearls, favouring profitable large sizes. Rising prices coupled with the Pound’s current weakness compounds the difficulty in sourcing pearls.
Strong relationships with suppliers, determination to please customers and personal high standards will ensure a successful trip. Look out for an update on their return and expect a refreshed range of jewellery before the exciting Christmas season commences.