Kota Kinabalu Travel Forum

Any lady VT members can advise me where to buy genuine and cheap pearls neclace & earrings ? What is a strand of pearl necklace (short), round shape, white or cream colour will cost ? Thanks

I am not one of the VT ladies, but I may be able to help. Pearls are a bit tricky when it comes to quality and size. I have used the Pearl Outlet to find out all I could about pearls. They do deliver internationally. Check out their website to find out about different types and sizes of pearls at: www.thepearloutlet.com

The famous place is at the Handicraft market locally known as Filipino Market where there are many outlets selling the pearls & other handicrafts. Its close to Hyatt hotel & the beach front. Ask any locals and they should be able to direct you to this famous place. Check this URL http://www.sabahtourism.com/attraction.php?ID=94 for further info.

Depending on types of pearls, I have never bought any necklace, but the bracelet starts as low as RM10 @ approx. USD3(or was it lower? - cant exactly recall).

Be prepared to spend time scouting the stalls before u made any decision and its here where u can bargain the price. Remember the sale is on cash term only!

Good luck

Lukluk is right about the Filipino Market.

I bought pearls there on many occasion. Cheaper pearls are the freshwater ones. There are a range of product there. Necklace, earrings, brooch, etc. Pearls come in many shapes and shades. The available shapes are round, corn and rice...hence the names. White color are cheaper than the others.

Simple stud earrings cost in the range of RM10 - 15. Necklace, short strand is around RM70. You can also buy in a longer length. One strand is about RM70, which is about 1 feet long. So when you buy a longer length, they'll calculate the price by the portion of the extra strands used.

To get a better bargain in the Filipino market, walk to the back of the building. The booths at the back are not frequently visited as the ones in the front, so, they'll be happy to give you good discount. Scout for a booth that has a wide range of selection, and that stick to it. It's easier to get discounts when you purchase all of the stuffs in one place.