By: B. K. Vijay
The first thing that strikes your mind when you think of Hyderabad is Hyderabadi Biryani and the famous pearls. Many travellers won’t leave the city without buying pearls. Hyderabad is popularly known as the ‘City of Pearls’ or ‘Pearl City’, even though it is not near to any sea. Pearl market in Hyderabad is wide spread and the pearls come in various sizes, shapes, colours and prices. The city is the centre for trading pearls in India.
History of pearls
The history of pearl trading is more than 400 years in Hyderabad. Originally, pearls were traded from Basra in Persian Gulf. Later the Nizams traded the pearls in abundance. Craftsman in Hyderabad were skilled in processing, grading and drilling of pearls and that is what makes Hyderabad an important destination for pearls.
Drilling of pearls
In the outskirts of Hyderabad, there is a village called Chandampet, it is 10kms from Tupran on route to Kamarreddy on Medchal highway road, where the entire population of the village is involved in drilling pearls, a unique skill.
Different types of pearls
There are three types of pearls available in Hyderabad. They are natural, cultured and semi-cultured. Natural pearls are formed naturally by the oysters in the sea; usually the shapes of these pearls are not formed in a particular shape. Cultured pearls are also real and natural; they are formed inside an oyster through artificial means, pearls that are sold in the market are all cultured pearls. Semi-cultured pearls are machine made and come in various shapes and colours.
Pearls in Hyderabad are available in different sizes and colours. But, the famous and rarest of the lot are the rice pearls and Basra pearls. The rice pearl is a tiny variety and the precious Basra pearl that is known for its sheen and glaze.
Ornaments made from pearls
The ornaments made from pearls are studded in gold, silver and imitation jewellery. The designs of this jewellery are marvellous and pearls are used in different ornaments like pendants, rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, brooches, tie tacks and many more to choose from.
Places where pearls are available
Pearls are available in every nook and corner of Hyderabad. But if you are looking for an affordable price, then places like Pattargatti and Laad bazaar are best choices. Pearls are also available in markets like Basheerbagh and General bazaar.
Pearls of Hyderabad are admired and possessed by people around the world. The city is a destination for rare, lustrous and various varieties of pearl that come in different sizes, shapes, colours and prices. If you are a pearl lover, then the city has all of them.