What I Saw in This Warehouse Is Crazy, Where the World Buys Pearls

Step with me into China’s Pearl Wholesale Paradise as we explore one of the busiest and most fascinating gemstone hubs in the world—Liwan, Guangzhou. In this video, I take you on a rare walk-through inside a massive pearl wholesaler’s warehouse, giving you an up-close look at the incredible volume, variety, and quality of pearls packed into just one store.

Liwan is known globally as a powerhouse in the pearl trade, and today you’ll see exactly why. From endless rows of freshwater pearl strands to trays of perfectly matched round pearls, baroque pearls, rice pearls, button pearls, and more, this warehouse showcases the full spectrum of what China’s pearl industry has to offer. Whether you’re a jewelry maker, gemstone lover, reseller, or simply curious about where pearls come from, this behind-the-scenes tour is an eye-opening experience.

As we move through the warehouse, I’ll show you the difference between commercial-grade, mid-grade, and high-grade pearls—and how pearl buyers identify luster, surface quality, color, size, and shape. You’ll see everything from affordable wholesale pearls sold by the scoop to rare, premium strands that only top gem dealers usually get to handle.

Liwan isn’t just a market—it’s an entire ecosystem of suppliers, dealers, polishers, stringers, and exporters. This video gives you a real sense of the scale of the pearl trade in China and why so many international buyers travel here to source inventory for their jewelry businesses.