| Vacationing in French Polynesia is more popular today | | | | Talk to the Locals |
| than ever before. Like many tourists before me, the | | | | Undaunted I was still determined to get my strand of |
| idea of lounging in my over-water bungalow sipping | | | | pearls. I decided to ask the people who lived there. |
| tropical drinks was a constant picture in my mind | | | | They certainly weren't paying these prices, and they all |
| months before I left. I was going to relax, and I was | | | | wear pearls. The concierge at the hotel was not a lot |
| going to buy pearls! The beautiful black pearls that | | | | of help. He directed me to the hotel gift shop which |
| Tahiti is known for. | | | | featured beautiful strands and jewelry from Robert |
| Now I am not a seller of Tahitian pearls, but I am an | | | | Wan, but they carried even higher price tags than the |
| admirer, and I like to do my research. Although Tahitian | | | | Robert Wan Museum showroom! I was not interested |
| pearls are beautiful, they can be very expensive. But | | | | in paying more for my pearls than my week in |
| with a little research and knowledge it is not necessary | | | | paradise. |
| to overpay as tourists most often do. | | | | That is when Merenui came to my rescue. The |
| Research Before You Leave | | | | sweetest young lady, working as a housekeeper in my |
| My pricing research started at my local mall, and | | | | hotel, was wearing a beautiful strand of slightly |
| ended very quickly there the same. Do not waste your | | | | off-round Tahitian pearls with striking overtone. It was |
| time. Prices and qualities are inconsistent, and pearl | | | | a gift from her parents and she wore it every day, |
| knowledge is nearly non-existent. The place to | | | | even to work. |
| research is on Pearl-Guide | | | | She was such a help and immediately started offering |
| On I got a real pearl education. I learned how to identify | | | | suggestions. There is no reason you should pay "tourist |
| quality pearls, preferred overtones that would match | | | | prices" as she put it. Poe Rava (Tahitian for black |
| my complexion, and even some negotiation techniques. | | | | pearl) comes from French Polynesia so tourists are |
| There are a lot of professional dealers that give free | | | | expected to pay any price. |
| advice every day on that Website, and every question | | | | Merenui directed me to the Vaima Center - a building |
| I posed was politely and thoroughly answered. | | | | filled with Tahitian pearl wholesalers! On the 4th floor I |
| My research on led me to several other Websites that | | | | met a wholesaler by the name of Ruic, and he |
| sold Tahitian pearls. Prices on these Sites were much | | | | showed me into to his company work room. Piles and |
| more consistent and reasonable than what I had seen | | | | piles of Tahitian pearls littered the room, and he had |
| elsewhere, and the information presented and | | | | hundreds of strands to choose from. |
| explained further educated me. The Site I did most of | | | | I showed Ruic my price list and he was impressed. He |
| my research on were | | | | told me that it was quite accurate, but it was |
| From these retail Sites I was able to get a very good | | | | wholesale, not retail. It would be very difficult for even |
| grasp on pricing and what to expect. I created a pricing | | | | he to sell me pearls at that level. |
| scale with the help of PearlParadise.com's staff even | | | | Cash is King - Bring it! |
| though I had no intention of buying pearls from them. | | | | While I understand that I am not a wholesale customer, |
| They gave me a range of prices of loose pearls and | | | | with all the research I had done prior to my vacation, I |
| strands in different shapes, colors and qualities. | | | | felt as though I deserved those prices! After just a bit |
| Window Shop the Dealers | | | | of pleading with Ruic he finally obliged. I could buy, but I |
| Armed with my knowledge I left for Tahiti. Three days | | | | had to pay cash. Tahitian pearls are a cash wholesale |
| in Papeete with an afternoon in Moorea and two | | | | business, and credit cards are not accepted in the |
| nights in Bora Bora is what I had to look forward to. | | | | trade. |
| In Papeete there are pearl boutiques everywhere. | | | | In the end, I left with a lightly-spotted round strand of |
| Every dealer claims to be a farmer, or the son of a | | | | pearls in the 11mm range, a single 12.0 mm pearl that I |
| farmer etc. But I did not buy! I wanted to check them | | | | plan to set into a pendant, and a matching pair of loose |
| all first. | | | | pearls to use in earrings. A complete ensemble, and I |
| My on-site education was nearly as useful as the | | | | only paid the US equivalent of $3,500. |
| research I had done back home in North Dakota | | | | The Lesson Learned |
| before leaving on vacation. I could immediately | | | | So now I have my strand of Tahitian pearls and a |
| determine which boutiques targeted unwary tourists | | | | pearl education to go along with it. I feel the effort I put |
| like I would have been, and I could see quality with my | | | | in was well worth it, as I saved more than $10,000. |
| own eyes. And I understood it! | | | | Yes, retail in Tahiti is more than quadruple wholesale! I |
| Prices fluctuate enormously, with simple pieces going | | | | have also learned that if I ever decide to buy Tahitian |
| for $100 and under, to a strand of large rounds at | | | | pearls again, it will be from my new online friends in the |
| Robert Wan's for more than $100,000. One thing | | | | United States. |
| became very apparent to me quite quickly. There are | | | | If you are reading this, you are probably getting ready |
| not a lot of real "deals" on Tahitian pearls in Tahiti. In | | | | to vacation in Tahiti. Like every other American you will |
| fact, the target price list I had created before leaving | | | | almost certainly buy pearls. Hopefully now you will be |
| was far different than any prices I found in the | | | | able to shop like a local! |
| boutiques. | | | | |