Far from the maddening crowd
(City Weekend)
Updated: 2005-04-11 09:17

Tucked away behind wrought iron gates and a small, pretty courtyard on a discreet corner of Nanjing West Road you will find a charming little shop stacked full of gifts and knick-knacks that go down a treat with tourists. The shop is called "Pearls and Jewelry" and although it specializes in these two it offers a whole lot more.

The shop has been open for just over six months and is run almost single-handedly by dress and jewelry designer Candy Lou. She sits quietly in the corner as she sketches ideas for a new garment or unobtrusively beads pearls together. She is passionate about the quality of her products and is happy to leave customers to peruse the stock at their own pace.

Candy explained to me the difference between the fresh water pearls (which are bought in east China) and the sea pearls (which are found in the south). She values the pearls herself and prices range between *880 and *1,380 per string. All the jewelry is displayed immaculately on velvet or mannequins, and above the cabinet is a wonderful sign that describes three ways to identify real pearls: By teeth, touch and torch.

On entering the shop one notices a rack of silk dress samples, each of which has been individually made and designed. For between *960 and *1,480 you can have a dress specially fitted and made - using the finest Zhejiang silk - in about a week. Some designs do take a little longer if they are hand embroidered.

The shop is a treasure cove filled with all sorts of goodies characteristic of different parts of China: from coloured, glass ornaments to Feng Huang (Phoenix) silk embroidered pictures. There are also candles, purses, ties, scarves, bangles, leather lampshades, antique baby-booties, magnetic bracelets, quilted jackets, fur collars, slippers, earrings and clocks.

Although similar gifts could be found cheaper in the market or the bazaar stalls of Yuyuan gardens, this shop offers a laid back shopping experience where quality is guaranteed and it is this that makes it ideal for the foreign shopper who wants a snippet of Chinese culture in the gifts they send home.