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THE BRIGHT SPOT

Food. Travel. Bargain finds. Random thoughts. A bright spot for sharing ideas and starting conversations!

Palawan South Sea Pearls

06.03.2013 by Leah //

Palawan is popular mainly because of ecotourism, which it promotes so responsibly and enthusiastically.   You won’t see mass tourism there, and in exchange, you get to experience being part of island communities that are unspoiled but very much thriving.

What you probably don’t know about Palawan is that, to borrow this description from Jewelmer, the international luxury brand for Golden South Sea Philippine Pearls: “Pristine tropical waters of the Palawan nurture the world’s largest pearl-bearing oyster, the gold-lipped Pinctada maxima oyster. A rich diversity of life, including rare and endangered species endemic only to the region, together with modern pearl farming technology, has enabled a unique partnership between man and nature to create the rare golden South Sea pearl.”

Thus, it’s just but natural for me to look for golden south sea pearls during our stay there.  And the best place to find them is at LRC 908 Market Mall, known as the “Pasalubong Center” of Puerto Princesa.

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But before you go shopping for South Sea Pearls, I suggest you orient yourself with this simple grading chart for pearls so you get the best among the lot (sample shown below is that of a golden south sea pearl):

edu_qualitygoldss_shape

It is said that the more intense the gold color is, the higher is its value.  But you know, when you see this plenty of golden pearls together, believe me – you’ll get lost haha!

P1090463b

When I shopped for my own golden south sea pearl, I challenged myself into buying one that will cost less than P2,000.00 (Tip #1 – set a budget).   Yes, a single pearl for that price.  Not impossible really because the pair of 11.5 mm golden sea pearls I bought at eBay years ago costs P8,000 or P4,000 for each pearl.

Next, do not rush in picking pearls (Tip #2).  If you can choose from their pile of loose pearls, the better and the more enjoyable it is.  Why?  Because it’s like picking the best tasting candy from inside a jar hehe!

But then again, we don’t have the luxury of time to check the condition of each and every pearl in the pile so do not hesitate to ask for assistance from the attendants there and narrow down your choices to these “sorted” pearls.  Do not get carried away with their recommendations, though, and if you don’t like what they chose for you, say it outright (Tip #3 – look like you know your pearls well so they will choose also the good-looking ones for you).

You can also skip looking at the unsorted pile and just ask for the high-quality ones (like those below).  It’s much easier this way and yeah, it saves time hehe!

P1090446c

If you are buying pearls to be set into earrings and ring, it is okay if not all of them are the exact likeness of each other.  I personally do not mind them not being of the same roundness (otherwise, they’ll look fake), for as long as the shade and luster are not too far from each other.

Also, having fish bites are okay (another indication that they’re not fakes), but too many fish bites are not always okay.   It really depends on what setting you’d like for your pearl.  If, for example, you want it to be set into a ring, then the presence of fish bites at the bottom part of the pearl is okay since they will be concealed by the setting anyway.  I would actually buy the pearl with fish bites that are easily concealable (that’s Tip #4)  because fish bites drive their prices lower (good point!) and then once set into a ring you won’t get to see them anymore (another good point!).  Plus, the gold component and craftmanship of the ring will now drive the price of the pearl ring higher (a good, good point!).

Here’s the golden south sea pearl that I got from the pile above, with the golden south sea pearl earrings I have at home  (grabbed from my Instagram account – @dbrightspot):

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The pearl I got is a little more intense in color than the earrings, but look, they matched each other perfectly in the picture!  The size of the pearl is about 11.5mm.  And since I will be setting it into a ring, the color difference won’t be obvious at all.

And the price of the pearl?   It was offered to me at P2,500 but I haggled hard (Tip #5 ) because of the presence of fish bites at the bottom part of the pearl.   I was able to buy the pearl for….(drum roll, please!)…. only P1,500.00   =)    Imagine, a golden south sea pearl for that price?!  It’s insane, right??

Anyway, my lucky streak continued and I found these 11.0 mm white pearls (with a hint of silver) that are already set in sterling silver.  They have very good reflection quality (can you see me inside the pearl holding my camera?) and that’s also an indication of above-average quality pearls (Tip #6 – check out the luster; the clearer your reflection is inside the pearl, the better).

P1090683b

P1090684c

P1090688b

You can see a fish bite at the right earring and that’s okay, it’s not visible at all when you wear the earring with this side down.

I invested no more than P5,000 for these south sea pearls (yes, very true!) and that made me a really happy pearl hunter!   =)

It also made me happy to see this lady finally buy the golden south sea pearl necklace I was eyeing at the same shop I was in.   It looks way, way better (and rounder) than this Jewelmer necklace that was once auctioned at UNICEF’s Auction for Action with a starting bid of P127,500 (photo is from Daphne.ph):

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The lady was actually haggling for more discount for this similar necklace when I came in.  She eventually bought it at P70,000.00 – a steal pa rin!   And she’s really happy with her purchase.   And I would have, too!  If only I’d gotten hold of that necklace first (sorry, no chance to take pictures but the Jewelmer necklace above will give you a good idea of the pearl sizes and length of the necklace).

Yes, you can buy big ticket jewelry items there at LRC 908 Market Mall because the big shops accept credit cards!   You can worry about the payment later haha!

Now that you know where Jewelmer sources its golden south sea pearls, you’ll know what to look for when at Palawan   =)

 

Categories // Jewelry Tags // earrings, golden south sea pearls, jewelmer, jewelry, palawan, pearls, south sea pearls

Comments

  1. Joanne says

    June 4, 2013 at 7:38 am

    Wow! I enjoyed reading this entry. It makes me want to book a flight going to Puerto Princesa for next year.

    I always wanted to have a pair of South Sea Pearl earrings.

    Thank you for sharing this info 🙂

    • Leah says

      June 4, 2013 at 12:51 pm

      Thanks, Diane! I’m glad you liked it.

      I had fun writing this, too =) I, too, am secretly wishing for another trip to Palawan – to get more pearls and have more of island hopping! =)

      • Joanne says

        June 6, 2013 at 2:23 pm

        Is 1500 the price for each pearl you’ve scored? Does it mean that you got 3k worth of pearl earrings? 🙂

        • Leah says

          June 7, 2013 at 12:41 pm

          The golden south sea loose pearl costs P1,500, while the pair of white south sea pearls (set into earrings) is just P3,500 =)

          • Joanne says

            June 10, 2013 at 3:21 am

            Thanks Leah! Your blog as always have been helpful 🙂

          • jean says

            January 19, 2014 at 2:49 pm

            Hi there! I want to have white south sea pearl earrings na kc naghahanap tlga aq nito & Im so happy & na super trust dhil sa nabasa ko dito at di lang un kaya din ng budget hehe.. nagbebenta po b kau tru LBC? gusto ko po umorder ng white pearl SSP nio kc matagal pa po ata aq makakapunta ulit Palawan.

          • Leah says

            January 19, 2014 at 1:39 pm

            Sorry po, I’m not selling SSP at the moment =) But I’ll let you know if I get hold of nice Palawan SSP in my next visit there =)

          • Badz says

            September 10, 2014 at 12:57 am

            That is true Leah. If u have time pleaae visit also our SSP Demo Farm at Bulalacao, Coron, Palawan. It may help to know more about SSP..

            Thanks,
            Badz of Hikari SSP Corp.

          • Leah says

            September 11, 2014 at 12:18 pm

            Thanks! Will contact you when I go to Coron, hopefully this year! =)

  2. edelweiza says

    June 5, 2013 at 2:52 am

    Wow, I want to have my own pearl jewelry someday. Thanks for sharing the pearl grade guide. 🙂

    • Leah says

      June 8, 2013 at 5:19 am

      You’re welcome! Once you have a pearl jewelery, you will definitely want to have more hehe!

    • Lucy says

      April 30, 2016 at 12:02 am

      Wow very interesting your story good tip im one of them like to hve SSP. Thanx for your tip.

  3. Diane says

    June 23, 2013 at 2:56 pm

    Wow! Thanks for the lecture 🙂 But I would be happier if we are friends haha By that I can really have a hands on training experience. It would take some time for me to revisit Palawan.. I will bookmark your post and try to remember everything.

    Ang galing!

  4. edelweiza says

    July 1, 2013 at 10:07 am

    Hi Leah, I’m such a very lucky girl today because I have been gifted by a Davao-based friend with a pair of 11.0 mm genuine white South Sea pearl earrings. It’s my first pair so I was very thrilled. And then I was reminded of this post so I checked the link again. Just like your pair, I’m happy to report that mine has very good reflection quality. So happy! 🙂

    • Leah says

      July 1, 2013 at 2:36 pm

      Wow that’s so nice, Edelweiss! You’re so lucky to have a very thoughtful and generous friend! =)

      Now that you have your SSP earrings na, won’t a pearl necklace be far behind? *wink wink* =)

      • edelweiza says

        July 2, 2013 at 3:23 am

        Thanks! Hopefully, when I get to visit Palawan (haven’t been there yet) I could get myself one. 🙂

  5. Dorothy says

    July 9, 2013 at 7:55 am

    First time to visit you blog Ms Leah. Is the LRC mall near the airport? I want to go to Palawan even for just a day for this!

    • Leah says

      July 13, 2013 at 5:11 pm

      Hi again, Dorothy! LRC Mall is in the city center talaga, not exactly near the airport =) You can ask the tricyles there to take you there, alam nila ito =)

  6. Dorothy says

    July 9, 2013 at 7:57 am

    Oops sorry I posted the comment accidentally. i just want to add that you have a nice blog. 🙂

    I’ve been wanting to go to Greenhills for south sea pearls but I changed my mind and want to go to Palawan instead, he he.

    • Leah says

      July 9, 2013 at 12:47 pm

      Thanks Dorothy and welcome to The Bright Spot! Yes, you should go see Palawan – first, for the south sea pearls and second, their amazing islands and beaches and third – their food! I still haven’t written about our food trips there. Will do that soon =)

  7. yen says

    October 2, 2013 at 5:28 am

    hello ms leah! anong name ng store in palawan po kayo bumili ng golden ssp? i want to buy also but im afraid baka fake yong mabili ko.. thank you

    • Leah says

      October 2, 2013 at 2:03 pm

      Hi Yen! It’s LRC 908 Market Mall (also called the Pasalubong Center). There are plenty of them sellers inside so look around muna.

  8. Dorothy says

    October 8, 2013 at 5:29 pm

    Hi again,

    Ask ko lang would you know if as early as 7am open na yung LRC 908 Market Mall and what time kaya sila nagko-close?

    Thanks 🙂

  9. Tisha domingo says

    October 24, 2013 at 5:25 am

    Wow! This is steal! I am eyeing for a golden south sea pearl also, but I want a bigger size than yours. Humn, all of a sudden I became interested in going to Palawan. Thanks for the nice post. You have given me a very good idea.

    • Leah says

      October 25, 2013 at 1:47 pm

      Tamang tama, may P10 sale sa Cebu Pac now! Go book a flight to Palawan na, Tisha! =)

      Thanks for visiting my blog =)

  10. philippines freelance web designer says

    November 4, 2013 at 7:41 pm

    very nice post. best blog.. (-:

    • Cely says

      November 24, 2013 at 9:01 pm

      I started researching about SSP and came about your website. My hubby & I will be in PI for about 2 1/2 weeks in March 2014 after our SE Asia cruise. I actually just planned to go to Greenhills to buy some pearls for pasalubong and may be buy me a gold one from Jewelmer. I already have 3 pairs of white SSP earrings & a ring but now after reading your blog I want a gold SSP. Now I seriously want to go to Palawan! I have asked my hubby’s niece to check on flights & hotel. I still have to hear from her. It’s nighttime in the Phils right now.

      • Cely says

        November 24, 2013 at 9:02 pm

        Oopps it’s early morning in PI

      • Leah says

        November 26, 2013 at 3:39 pm

        I hope you can visit Palawan soon, Ms. Cely!

        • Cely says

          November 26, 2013 at 9:36 pm

          Hi Leah… yes we are booked for 3 nights 4 days in March 2014! We are staying @ Microtel by Wyndham. I worried about transportation around the city but thru your website I learned about taxicles 🙂 and also about the best resto in PP “Ka Lui”. I love seafood & was excited about the seaweed lato that you posted. That’s my fav that we always try to find some when we visit PI which is not often. Anyway thanks for your blog. Please keep posting.

  11. Cely says

    December 5, 2013 at 2:03 pm

    I’m wondering if the LRC 908 Market Mall and the Tiangge Tiangge ay pareho . Really getting confused. I’m more excited about this side trip to P.Princesa especially the pearl shopping part than my upcoming SE Asia cruise in February!

  12. cher storry says

    December 16, 2013 at 4:36 am

    i got the same white pearl earring for only 2000PHP.. I didnt go out of the shop without a discount. I am defo coming back to palawan to buy gold south sea pearl set!

  13. Rowena says

    April 28, 2014 at 9:11 pm

    Hi Lea!

    Your blog is too neat and pretty to be ignored just like that after having a look around here! It doesnt deserving for you just to read and leave! I felt too guilty just to leave like that. so I posted your part with the Palawan Pearl on my fb blog, since I dont know how it works with folding somebody elss blog. Thank you by the way, truly youre a Pearl hunter expert.-). i learned a lot and enjoyed. i will Keep on coming back here for sure!

    • Leah says

      April 29, 2014 at 2:01 pm

      Hi Rowena! Welcome to The Bright Spot! =)

  14. Joanna Ambrona says

    May 18, 2014 at 11:58 pm

    hi just got home from palawan..i bought a pearl white/silver 14mm..they asked for 3,500 but i got it for only 1,700..i was thinking of buying loose pearls and sell it here in taguig..after i read your blog i decided to come back to palawan..your blog helped me a lot thanks…
    i just want to ask you if you know where to buy whole sale loose pearls..thanks

    • Leah says

      May 19, 2014 at 11:05 pm

      You can buy loose pearls also at LRC Shopping Center ö

      • aida galay says

        October 4, 2014 at 6:15 am

        Thank you so much for all the infos…i had fun reading and learning from you

  15. Carmen says

    October 12, 2014 at 5:56 am

    Hello, I read abut your posts about the golden sea pearls. It’s actually very nice. Are those pearls come with a 14k gold for earrings for golden pearls? Would you happen to know the price for golden pearls for 12mm and 14mm. How far is LRC 908 Market Place to Socrates Street (Subli Guest Cabins) in Palawan? Your response is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

    • Leah says

      October 13, 2014 at 10:34 am

      Yes, pearls set in 14k gold “pakaw” are available for sale too at LRC Market. You can ask your hotel about the location, everyone there knows where LRC is located =) About the price of 12mm to 14mm, depending on your preferences, you can get them for a price lower than P5,000 but again there might be imperfections in the pearls at this price point.

  16. Carmen says

    October 12, 2014 at 7:40 pm

    Hello Leah, I like your blog… it’s so nice. I would like to ask if you would have a idea as to the price of the 12mm golden pearls SSP and white SSP. Is the LRC 908 Market Mall in the city of Palawan. Please let me know and thank you.

    • Leah says

      October 13, 2014 at 10:38 am

      Hi Carmen! You can ask your hotel on the location of LRC Mall, everyone there knows where LRC is located =) But yes, it is in Puerto Princesa.

      About the price of 12mm pearls – depending on your preferences, you can get them for a price lower than P5,000 but again there might be imperfections in the pearls at this price point.

      • Carmen says

        October 14, 2014 at 1:05 am

        Thank you for the information. It was a great help! My apologies… I sent two messages and inquiry not knowing the first one was already sent. I would like to buy loose pearls as well but I don’t know any “alahera.” Would you mind to recommend anyone 🙂 I would like to buy pearl earrings for my nieces, mom, sisters and a friend. It would be a great help if I can buy them in an inexpensive amount but won’t compromise the pearl quality. In such a way, I would have great “pasalubong” that they will enjoy. I hope the seller will give me great deal of discount since I would like to buy lots for my loved ones and for myself. Hope to hearing from you. Thanks again in advance!

  17. fsnail says

    December 8, 2014 at 1:42 pm

    Hello Leah: hope u may help:
    i checked the price in Jewelmer shop, golden pearl price is very very high. and in green hills, the jeweler told me, most of gold pearls are dyed. do u have any advice how to check it dyed or nature color? tnx

    • Leah says

      December 12, 2014 at 12:59 pm

      Watch out for the “metallic gold” effect on the pearls, yung tipong parang gold paint ang effect. I was told by a pearl seller in Palawan that it’s really difficult to tell if it’s dyed or not, so the best option is not to buy those that obviously look dyed.

  18. Stella says

    April 10, 2015 at 12:43 am

    Hi Leah,
    Is the pearls in LRC Mall much more cheaper than the one in Greenhills? How about comparing their quality’s?

    • Leah says

      April 12, 2015 at 8:17 am

      Yes they are cheaper. They offer different quality of pearls. Those that are priced higher have better luster and shape.

  19. Donna says

    May 20, 2015 at 4:51 am

    This blog is really helpful for pearl hunters! You are such an expert 😀 I got 2 12mm blue grays and 2 13mm white rose for very cheap 🙂 But the thing is, I don’t know where to have them set and how much would it cost to have my precious pearls mounted into 14k rose and white gold earrings 🙂 I would sincerely appreciate if you could provide further tips 🙂

  20. marie says

    June 6, 2015 at 4:32 am

    hi. do the pearls look best in white gold, if you have it set into earrings, ring or necklace? thanks

    • Leah says

      June 12, 2015 at 2:58 am

      White / black or greyish pearls look best in white gold. Champagne / gold colored pearls are best set in yellow gold.

  21. Rose says

    June 28, 2015 at 1:49 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing your experience Leah. I have read some forums about pearls that you can buy in Palawan and somebody warned that there could be fake pearls being sold there. Is it true that all pearls from the pearl farms are sent directly to Manila?

    Can you still remember which store you bought your pearl? I would like to buy a good quality golden south sea pearl that’s rich and deep gold color. Do they sell AAAA quality or are those already set aside for export market? I’m curious what’s the highest grade I can buy in Palawan and how easy to find a good color like the one you bought there.

    • Leah says

      July 4, 2015 at 2:19 am

      I got my pearls from the stall at the left side when you enter LRC Market Mall.

      It helps if you know how to look for the best quality pearls, because that will also help you in haggling the price. They can show you good looking ones and say it’s AAAA but sometimes it’s just AA. So if you have an eye for spotting substandard ones then that would really help. Better talaga to have somebody knowledgeable about pearls to help you shop for pearls =)

  22. pina says

    September 5, 2015 at 12:03 am

    Hi leah, I have learned a lot from your blog . what about pistachio pearl? Are there some in Palawan? Is the price similar to other SSP? Thanks

    • Leah says

      September 11, 2015 at 12:25 pm

      Hi Pina, yes there are pistachio pearls in Palawan. Sorry but I was not able to ask their price, I’m more on the gold pearls kse pag sa Palawan kukunin.

  23. johnna says

    October 6, 2015 at 4:09 pm

    hello,

    May I ask if you know a credible pearl shop in Greenhills that is not that expensive? I am planning to buy some pearls for myself. But I don’t have time to go to Palawan. So I’m thinking to buy in Greenhills muna.

    • Leah says

      October 14, 2015 at 1:51 pm

      I highly recommend Berdori at Greenhills.

      Here’s my feature about Berdori:

      https://leahdeleon.com/2012/11/11/berdori-jewelry-at-greenhills/

  24. Nilda de la Rosa Descartin says

    November 12, 2015 at 5:29 am

    Hi, Lea. Is it ok if I copy your link to my FB Page called Beadifully Yours? My Page is about beads, gems, fashion accessory. Please like my Page. I want to connect with you thru your blogs. Thank you.

    • Leah says

      November 16, 2015 at 12:17 pm

      Sure!

  25. sweetypie says

    January 10, 2016 at 1:43 am

    Hello im so much happy coz i bought my south sea pearl im puerto princesa palawan…cool original with certificate in complete set…!

  26. K. Gamarcha says

    August 3, 2016 at 7:28 pm

    Hi, great blog! Thanks for sharing! Do you know any pearl farm owned by Filipinos and only Filipinos? I want to buy from them directly. Thanks!

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