Pearls - Isla Margarita

[sanditecruiser]

Ahoy, Mates. We are on the Sun Princess sailing Oct 11. Have been trying to find out about purchasing pearls at Isla Margarita. There is not much in the way of information on the internet and wondered if anyone could recommend a reputable shop and give me an idea of quality and value available. Thanks, Norma (28 days and counting) :)

[WiscCruiser]

Don't go to Isle Margarita expecting to buy high quality pearls. The pearl vendors are plentiful, but I don't think any reputable shops are what people are referring to when they say to buy your pearls on the island.

 

My wife purchased a multi-strand necklace of pink pearls from a local market vendor. She enjoys them and they look very nice. Don't think we paid more than $15 for them. That's right, fifteen dollars. I didn't forget a zero.

 

Buy some as a souvenir and enjoy them for what they are.

[flamomo]

I read on a website for Isla Margarita that the pearls they sell are freshwater pearls, and priced very reasonably.

I'm planning to indulge myself when we are there in February.

[wieslaw]

Ahoy, Mates. We are on the Sun Princess sailing Oct 11. Have been trying to find out about purchasing pearls at Isla Margarita. There is not much in the way of information on the internet and wondered if anyone could recommend a reputable shop and give me an idea of quality and value available. Thanks, Norma (28 days and counting) :)

 

Hi Norma,

 

I do not know if the Sun Princess will dock in the old port (El Guamache) or the new one Porlamar (they have been building that for few years and maybe it is operational now).

Also, I do not know how particular you are about pearls......they are the natural ones (they are sold by the weight /carat) and the cultured pearls much much less expensive (sold by the size 6MM, 10MM and so on)...and they are rated into different classes depending how perfect or less perfect they are: shape, smothness, roundness, color and on, and on.

Also how is the pearl presented / mounted or the type of the string and how the pearls are located on the neckles string (knots between pearls) and what type of clasps are used and what material is the clasp made of (silver,gold plated,solid gold (14 or 18 or 24), platinum.

I am not an expert on any of that but I checked on some of the information available on the internet before we went to Isle Margarita last year in December.

I belive that "Margarita" means 'Pearl' in english language and there was a time that lots and lots of pearls were found around the Margarita Isle by the divers - it is not done there that way anymore. Most of the cultured pearls are 'grown / farmed ' in China and are imported to places all over the wolrd including Isle Margarita.

Now about the ports and prices: if you land in the old port there will be about 130 or so small stands / huts with old kind of goods including pearls and they most likely will be the lesser quality cultured perals ....and the prices will be from about 15 to 50 dol per neckles depending on the above described qualities or lock of them. They will be in different colors as well...all true pearl but dyed....do not mistake a black dyed pearl for the true vulcanic orgin black pearl......huge difference.

If you not looking for perfection that is a very good place to buy pearls.

 

If you land in the new port.....the stores and prices are the same like anywhere else in the world.....but you might find something unique and special.

 

Please click on the link below and spend some time reading the posts especially by Kristina.....you will find a lot of good information.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=123457

 

Wes

[nlb1050]

When ther last Oct I bought a multi strand necklace and matching earrings form a vendor in the building and am very pleased (total cot for both $45). Actually this vendor had the nicest pieces and prices.

[dforeigner]

Just FYI, Margarita is the name of a small beautiful flower. It has a yellow center with white petals. Perla is Spanish for pearl.

[sanditecruiser]

It sounds like you should research HOW to buy pearls and what to look for so that you can determine the quality yourself rather than depend on the integrity of the sellers. I realize that is what a person should do no matter where they shop - just wondered if someone out there had prior knowledge that would help. Thanks so much, all. Norma :)

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

A margarita is a daisy. However, Isla Margarita is not named Margarita because of an abundance of daisies there. In fact, I don't recall having seen ANY daisies there the two times I have visited the island.

 

It was given the name Margarita long ago by Spanish monarchs who wanted to honor the Austrian princess who was betrothed to the Spanish prince Don Juan.

 

Early Spanish explorers did find a wealth of pearls on a small island near Margarita and many were sent back to Spain. I really don't know if the quality of pearls sold there today would make them a worthwhile purchase or not.

[booboo4031]

When we were there in April, we were told by a local that the Porlamor pier is being held up by politics and it would be some time before it would open.

 

The straw market had a lot of interesting things and the pearls are what they are and vary greatly in price. I bought 16" and 18" strands for my goddaughters and paid $25 a piece and the quality was nice. Basically walk around and look before you buy.

[wieslaw]

Just FYI, Margarita is the name of a small beautiful flower. It has a yellow center with white petals. Perla is Spanish for pearl.

 

Hi dforeigner, thanks for the explanation for the name of Margarita, I guess I do not know any Spanish at all.....and I should.... I have been to Mexico few times and knowing the language would help.

 

Wes

[newmexicoNita]

It sounds like you should research HOW to buy pearls and what to look for so that you can determine the quality yourself rather than depend on the integrity of the sellers. I realize that is what a person should do no matter where they shop - just wondered if someone out there had prior knowledge that would help. Thanks so much, all. Norma :)

Norma, remember you are not spending hundreds of dollars, but it sound more like $50 or less. If you like what you see, buy it and enjoy it. No one will ask you what kind are they or where did you get them? I have real (not even cultured pearls) that belonged to my MIL, I have cultured that I got from a boyfriend over 50 years ago and Majorcan (spelling) we bought in Spain about 20 plus years ago. I wear whichever ones I am in the mood for at a given time and love all of them. NMNita

[ondeckatsea]

My husband bought mine while we were on a tour, in a small village where they (supposedly) specialize on the best pearls. He paid about $265. I'm not an expert. They looked good to me, the color is perfect, the size perfect and it has an 18 carat gold clasp. However, they are not knotted. It was an impulse buy. I don't think we were ripped off, but there is a chance we were. In the past when we've bought any kind of jewelry in the Caribbean, and we've bought quite a lot, we found it's better to stick with gold. They can't misrepresent it and gold is gold. Gems are a different story.

Anyway, I do love my pearls.

[wieslaw]

Norma, remember you are not spending hundreds of dollars, but it sound more like $50 or less. If you like what you see, buy it and enjoy it. No one will ask you what kind are they or where did you get them? I have real (not even cultured pearls) that belonged to my MIL, I have cultured that I got from a boyfriend over 50 years ago and Majorcan (spelling) we bought in Spain about 20 plus years ago. I wear whichever ones I am in the mood for at a given time and love all of them. NMNita

 

Norma, I agree with Nita. Who and when is going to be inspecting the pearls that you will wear......after all it is not the "pearl" that beautifies the women but I believe it is the person that makes the 'pearl' look beautiful.

And I do not know how important it is if the pearl is natural, fresh water, cultured or whatever.....it is still pretty much the same process and pretty much the same result....but to experts it might not be.

But the things that were important to my wife when she was buying the pearls on that island were : the clasp - not all vendors use the same kind, some just do not look strong enough and if they break....replacement in the US might cost more than the whole string of pearls that was purchased in Margarita, the material: if it is plated and the plating is very thin.....it will wear out quickly and the clasp will not look 'nice', if it is solid gold...it will not change color later......if the strand of pearls does not have knots between pearls....and it breaks.....good luck in finding them.

The difference in price (on the island)for about the same strand of pearls might be 10 to 25 dollars (gold clasp or not, knoted or not).

The larger pearls are more expensive (it takes longer to 'grow' them) and wife bought some but now she thinks that they are to heavy to wear.

The dyed pearls might loose their color and laster after while especially if one is not careful when they are being cleaned.

In most cases the cost of the the strand of pearls on that island was lower than price of a dinner in a restaurant ( 20 to 50 dol) so I am sure the enjoyment of having them will last a lot longer than the 'dinner'.

Norma, enjoy your stay on th Margarita island, we did.....and there are other nice things to buy there too....including some Murano glass (not the one from Venice but from the factory in Venezuela).

Wes

[KAYEF]

I wrote a long "story" on another thread ..........that thread was about not buying merchandise from "ship recommended stores"...anyhow, I bought beautiful pearls and they SWITCHED THEM ON ME when they put them into the velvet pouch. It took me almost four months to get the REAL ones (even though the ships "guarantee" those purchases.) It was a nightmare. And, it was the first time I'd made a purchase at a "ship" store.

I bought more pearls at vendors right by the ship and they are beautiful and were MUCH less AND they don't carry the emotional garbage I had to go through for those expensive ones which are a gorgeous, long, long strand of flat, bumpy ones. The ones they switched into my pouch weighed 2 ounces; the ones I originally chose weigh over 4 ounces........I could tell the difference the minute I took them out to wear to dinner the night I bought them. The pearls were much shorter and thinner AND several fell right off during the evening!!:mad:

Let the buyer beware.............check out the shipside vendors.

[sanditecruiser]

Which brings up another really good point I hadn't thought about. Watch the vendors package your purchase! It is great to learn from someone else's experiences. I do so appreciate everyone's comments. We are on the Sun Princess 10-11 departure and I want to do some Christmas shopping. Pearl jewelry would be perfect for many on my list this year.

Norma

[pearlookers]

Just a quick question. how do jewelers determine the value of a pearl?

[flamomo]

We bought pearl earrings from one of the vendors in the straw market right on the pier. I got for myself, my 3 DDs and my one and only DGD. Each of us has a different color. The wire of each s-shaped ear hook was marked 14k, and each pair was originally marked $12. Since I was buying 5 pairs, I got the whole lot for $40, after I dickered politely with the vendor. Nothing fancy, but wasn't looking for fancy or expensive. My DDs and DGD were thrilled to have pearls purchased in Venezuela, and so was I. Made a great souvenir for me and good gifts for everyone else.

 

If you are considering taking a ship's tour, I would NOT recommend the one that was the "Highlights of _____" type. There was a lot of barren desert land that we drove through, and there really wasn't that much to see in Porlamar. It was one of only 2 ships tours that we have ever taken that was boring.

 

Wandering around in the straw market was much more fun than that tour. There were a lot of vendors, and quite a variety of things, besides jewelry, available for purchase. I'd really like another cruise that includes Isla Margarita. I'd like some more pearls.