Huge Pearl Selection

As the shop attracts a number of foreign tourist groups every day, it gets the name “Group Pearl Store.”

Arriving at the store, I was pleasantly surprised to find several shop assistants separately introducing their products in English to some overseas customers.

Each assistant was doing her best to offer foreign friends a pleasant shopping experience.

In showcases and on shelves, I found a wide variety of pearl jewelry to choose from. The pearls are pure in color and come in different sizes.

All feature beautiful, creative designs. A string of necklace with big pearl beads cost around RMB 4,000.

Also, a necklace pendant in the shape of a cross caught my eye. The pearl was pure, soft white, and the four ends were made of gold. It was priced at RMB 1,883.

In the earring section, a pair of earrings made of shining blue pearl beads and 925 silver stood out over others. It cost 1,281 yuan.

For men, the shop also offers pearl ties, stickpins, and cuff links.

Ivory carving artifacts

Elaborate ivory handicrafts are art treasures that transcend time. It has been considered one of “the eight consummate handicrafts of Beijing” since the Ming Dynasty.

Beijing ivory artifacts feature folktales, legends, ancient celebrities, plants and animals, and nature. However, they are rarely found today, due to the Ban on International Trade in Endangered Species.

Today, ivory carvers instead turn to bone carving or rosewood carving.

On the first floor of Baigong Handicraft Museum right near a lot of Beijing Hotels, I recently found a shop featuring both ivory and rosewood carvings.

The central showcase presented a milky white ivory necklace containing 3 bead strings for RMB 2,000. Other ivory jewelry included a bracelet made of ivory beads for RMB 450, while another band stringed with elaborate Buddha heads cost RMB 2,000.

According to the shop assistant, all these ivory jewelries were made before the ban. However, customers can also admire their big ivory sculptures on display, including Tiger Running down the Mountain, 500 Buddhist Arhats, and Running Horses.

As centerpieces, the shop also presents two large rosewood sculptures. One is “the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest” of the Temple of Heaven, the other is “the Nine-dragon Screen” of Beihai Park.

Eternal Pearls Gives You Eternal Memory

The best Pearl shop in Beijing is Fang Hua Pearls & Jewelry. I visited one of its shops in the Pearl Market near the Beijing Guangxi Hotel. Photos hung on the wall caught my attention immediately upon entering the shop.

You can find many celebrities like Margaret Thatcher and Cherie Blair among them. They came to Fang Hua to select pearls during their visit to China. In fact over one hundred leaders with their wives from other countries have visited Fang Hua.

How to select pearls? A good pearl can be told from its shape, luster and color. The best is the one which is round, and can mirror images reflected on it. I especially like a necklace of pearls with jade green.

It’s suitable for ladies working at office. The black pearls imported from Maldives are also appealing. But they are very costly because a black pearl is so rare.

Each necklace of pearls costs at least several thousand yuan.

Jade is believed to bring happiness and luck for the people, keeps away evil, and good for one’s health.

With its clear jadeite qualities, Hotan Jade has enjoyed a good reputation since ancient times. Its history can be traced back to 1200 years ago.

Jade Family is a Hotan jade shop near the Beijing Jiang Xi Grand Hotel,   which sells finished jade accessories as well as incomplete jade materials that you can design yourself.

From jade necklace and bracelet, to large jade home  adornments, Jade Family carries a large selection of jade merchandises.

The shop owner, Ms. Cao, told me their story of jade collection in Xinjiang.

She said that the mountains south of Hotan City are called Jade Mountains, and the river beside the Hotan city is called the Jade River.

Even today, you can find people picking jade from the river. Only in the Jade river one can find the best quality Jade, but the mountains are still mined for cheap jade product.

She showed me a top-quality jade horse. Even though I know little about jade, I still appreciated its whiteness and brightness. The item is sold at RMB 30,000.

Another piece I liked was the “Jade Mountain.” It had a shape of a mountain, with three old men standing by pine trees. All these represent longevity in China. It costs RMB 2500.

Jade Family also sells some daily items, like ceramic ware, tobacco bottles, and fingerstalls popular back in the early 20th century.

Rare Mineral Crystals And Jewelry Near Houhai Area

The shop is located on Tobacco Pipe Lane near the Phoenix Palace Hotel, in the Shi Cha Hai area.

Lots of mineral species, such as fluorite, cinnabar and pyrite, can be found here. You can find regarding each piece.

Some are even said to have the mysterious power to be able to bring people good luck.

The owner showed me one particularly special mineral crystal. It came from a mine in the Sichuan Province, where the earthquake hit last year.

He said the mine was destroyed during the quake, so this crystal has become incredibly rare.

Prices of mineral crystals are from RMB 1000 to RMB 3000. One fluorite I particularly liked, which resembles rock candy, costs RMB 2000.

Among the collection of meteorites, most are imported from other countries, and came to Earth this year.

How would you like to wear a ring made of meteorite? You may choose any meteorite in the shop, and have them create a ring for you.

The shop also sells jewelry made of diamond, jade, emerald, and other precious stones.

Prices are negotiable.

The shop owner speaks excellent English. Feel free to ask him anything you need.