Cat Ba Island is known by many travelers for its natural beauty, turquoise sea, and forests. This island is also blessed with a product that few places have – Pearls.
With a perfect natural and ecological environment, Cat Ba is an ideal place for breeding pearls – a highly valuable industry for tourism and jewellery. Pearl production began here in the early 1990’s.
Ngoc Nu (scientific name Pteria penguin), is one of three rare oysters in Vietnam that is found only in Cat Ba. This oyster is much larger in size than other oysters currently available in Vietnam, which makes it perfect for the type of pearl used in jewelry products. For each oyster, the pearl farmers must painstakingly insert from 5 to 10 nuclei into the oyster, then cultivate them over long periods to produce a single pearl.
The waters around Cat Ba have an abundance of plankton, and good feeding results in pearls that have a very beautiful form that is highly sought after by both domestic and international travelers. The bracelets, necklaces and rings are very reasonably priced, averaging around 100,000 to 200,000 VND per piece.
Travelers should buy pearls at reputable store companies such as Halong Pearls Joint Stock Company. The company has two pearl farms on Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, along with two exhibition and retail outlets in Halong Bay. In addition, the company also has other stores in My Ngoc Shopping Center in Don Dien, Ha Khau, Halong city and Vincom Halong Trade Center.
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