- Title: INDIA: Chinese pearls flood the famed gemstones market of Hyderabad
- Date: 25th October 2010
- Summary: HYDERABAD, ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA (OCTOBER 24, 2010) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC) VIEW OF CHARMINAR, THE HISTORIC MONUMENT IN HYDERABAD VIEW OF PEARLS AND JEWELLERY SHOPS PEARL NECKLACE ON DISPLAY CUSTOMERS BUYING JEWELLERY DISPLAY OF A PEARL NECKLACE WOMEN LOOKING AT THE PEARL NECKLACE VARIETY OF PEARL NECKLACES ON DISPLAY RED AND GREEN PEARLS ON DISPLAYED PINK AND RED PEARLS ON DISPLAY SHOPKEEPER TALKING TO THE CUSTOMER (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) MOHAMMAD LAIQ ALI, A DISTRIBUTOR OF PEARLS, HYDERABAD, SAYING "We import pearls from China. When it comes to us we select the variety and quality and we distribute it in the wholesale market and sell to the customers also. Tourists also like these pearls. Business is running good and public demand is also there for these pearls and we also earn good profits and they also earn profit. Earlier Basra pearls were famous, which are not now manufactured." CUSTOMERS BUYING JEWELLERY AT THE SHOP PEARL NECKLACE ON DISPLAY WHITE PEARLS DISPLAYED (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) MOHAMMAD LAIQ ALI, A DISTRIBUTOR OF PEARLS, HYDERABAD, SAYING "If we go by the quality, there is a wide range of good quality. Secondly, if we talk about the variety then there is oval type like egg shaped; button shape, which is flat and one is round shape. These are the three shapes of pearls which are available in different sizes." WOMAN LOOKING AT PEARL NECKLACES ON DISPLAY WOMEN TRYING PEARL NECKLACE
- Embargoed: 9th November 2010 01:01
- Keywords:
- Location: India
- Country: India
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA24KG31L5TLBE3S8FQ100M66JR
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: Hyderabad, the capital of India's southern state of Andhra Pradesh, is often referred as the 'City of Pearls' since it boats of the largest market of pearls in the country.
Of late, it is the pearls from China that are dominating the city's trade in pearls.
Chinese pearls are considered to be more affordable, a fact that has been acknowledged by both big players and the retail traders.
So much so, these Chinese precious stones have satiated the needs of the wholesale and retail traders as well as the buyers from various parts of country.
"We import pearls from China. When it comes to us we select the variety and quality and we distribute it in the wholesale market and sell to the customers also. Tourists also like these pearls. Business is running good and public demand is also there for these pearls and we also earn good profits and they also earn profit. Earlier Basra pearls were famous, which are not now manufactured," said Mohammad Laid Ali, a distributor of pearls.
He also noted that China offers a wide variety of pearls in size ranging between .5 mm and 12 mm in different shapes and colours such as white, pink, light pink and peach.
"If we go by the quality, there is a wide range of good quality. Secondly, if we talk about the variety then there is oval type like egg shaped; button shape, which is flat and one is round shape. These are the three shapes of pearls which are available in different sizes," added Laiq Ali.
Hyderabad's pearl legacy is as old as the city itself. The Nizams, who ruled the city, were great patrons of the gem and this in turn encouraged the merchants to procure the best pearls from Basra, Tahiti and some Gulf countries.
Pearl business was hit due to the economic slowdown and the decline in tourists, attributed to the political disturbance in the state.
But with gold prices touching the sky, the pearl trade floats on hope. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
