In Reply to: The low down on pearls posted by FreoGirl on Friday, 9. February 2007 at 07:28 Bali Time:
I bought a string of pearls in Lovina - the tictac-shaped ones strung jumbled on the thread - and the seller (while negotiating the price) explained he sold them for his brother who was a diver who gets them from the bottom of the sea off Lovina beach. I recall I paid about 90,000 rupiah for them and got the impression it was a good-for-me-good-for-you price. Now I know I got sold a yarn as well as the pearls! All part of the magic of Bali, and I guess if that was my livelihood I would be spinning the same yarn to the tourists.