Day 7: Kate & Brenna

Several times during this trip, we went shopping for pearls. In Hong Kong, we went to Allan Jewellery. It was a very nice jewelry store that had many pearl earrings, necklaces, and bracelets to choose from. We learned how to buy pearls and we heard about the different types and qualities.

In Shanghai, we visited Pearl City. It was a tourist attraction with a huge selection of pearls for all different prices.

Cultured pearls are produced from a man-made sediment put in an oyster. It's easier to control the size and shape of the pearl this way. Freshwater pearls are less expensive because the oyster is able to produce more than one pearl at a time. These are sometimes irregular in shape. Seawater pearls are more expensive. The oysters in seawater can only produce one pearl at a time. They usually are perfectly round.

There are several ways to differentiate fake pearls from real ones. Real ones have more texture so when you rub them together (or even on your teeth), it should feel rough and gritty.