Pearls, pearls, pearls

Greenhills Shopping Mall might be everything for the casual shopper but to me and most tourists and balikbayans, it is the Pearl of the Orient. Here you can find cultured pearls with all shapes and colors and if you dare to buy the higher priced pearls, you can get the South Seas pearls.

It is a little odd to me that it is more expensive to buy the round pearls rather than the odd shaped ones they call "siopao". To me the round ones look like fancy pearls so I opt for the siopao ones. Of course, the cheaper price did a lot to convince me. The South Sea pearls is just too much a jump in price that I did not even bother to check it out. Leery of being taken, I brought along a local friend who I entrusted the job of haggling. As in any other country, you do not pay the initial quoted price. Overall, I was surprised that the prices were a little firm. The quoted P150 for a wrist band of pearls, we got it for P130. They do the customizing while you wait. They can string up a necklace in less than 15 minutes. I bought a strand of pearls to be made into a necklace and a wrist band. I opted for two strings strunged together and they made it right there and there. Expect to pay for a siopao necklace around P300, for the round ones, about P900 and for the south sea pearl necklace, around P3000.