The clam shell, once pried open by Ye Feng, revealed its flesh filled entirely with pearls.
These pearls were numerous, easily twenty to thirty in total, all a golden hue. Their color was excellent, and they were incredibly round, their size almost unbelievable.
"How is it? Is the quality acceptable?" Ye Feng asked.
Tang Yan swallowed before replying excitedly, "More than acceptable? It's absolutely peerless, a rarity in the world!"
The price of pearls is generally determined by several factors:
The first is the distinction between wild and farmed. Farmed pearls are usually discounted significantly.
However, Ye Feng's pearls were undoubtedly wild, meaning their price wouldn't be low.
The second factor is luster. Pearls possess a typical nacreous luster; the better the luster, the higher the value.
Every pearl in this clam shell shone with brilliance, sparkling brightly. These were the most beautifully colored pearls Tang Yan had ever seen in her life.
The third factor is color. Pearls come in various colors, such as pink, purple, and black. Among these, golden yellow holds the highest value.
And all the pearls in Ye Feng's clam shell were golden yellow, with a very pure color, truly the ideal, perfect shade.
The fourth factor is shape and surface quality. Generally, the rounder the pearl, the higher its value. The cleaner and smoother the surface, the more valuable the pearl.
The roundness of the pearls in this large clam shell was impeccable, possessing a natural perfection.
...
The final, and most crucial factor determining a pearl's value, is its size. The larger the pearl, the higher its value.
And the pearls in this large clam shell were all exceptionally large. Visually, the largest were estimated to be over 20...
"Yo, young friend, you're here again? What have you brought this time?" Master Yu recognized Ye Feng immediately.
Seeing him, Ye Feng quickly smiled, "Haha! It's me again! I've brought some pearls for you to appraise!"
As he spoke, Ye Feng handed over the large clam shell.
Master Yu took the shell, glanced at it, and exclaimed in surprise, "My, this clam shell is unusually large!"
He didn't open it immediately, instead turning it over and examining it before bringing it to his nose to sniff.
"It carries the scent of seawater, and its surface is so rough with dense patterns. It must have been freshly brought from the sea, hasn't it!" Master Yu stated confidently.
Ye Feng cupped his fists, "As expected of an appraisal master, your insight is truly remarkable!"
"Heh! Let me see the pearls inside!" Master Yu said, prying the shell open.
The next second, he too was stunned!
His eyes widened, his breathing grew heavy, and his entire body trembled slightly with excitement.
He immediately fetched his tools, extracted all the pearls, and began his meticulous examination and measurement.
After half an hour, Master Yu finally calmed down and said, "Good heavens, this is magnificent! Twenty-seven pearls in total! The quality in every aspect is perfect! Six of them are over 18mm in size! Three are over 20mm, and one even reached 22mm!"
Hearing this, the manager, Tang Yan, was also astonished, exclaiming, "This, this is simply unbelievable! The largest pearls we sell in our store are only 18mm!"
"Mr. Ye Feng! Are you selling all of these pearls? We'll take them all! We can offer you the highest market price!" Master Yu said, clearly tempted.
Ye Feng was about to agree when he suddenly remembered his primary purpose was to have a necklace made. He shook his head, "Sell them all? That won't do!"
He needed to have them made into a necklace first. The surplus could then be sold.
"Why not?" Master Yu asked, perplexed.
Ye Feng then explained that a friend's birthday was tomorrow, and he wanted to make a necklace as a gift.
After hearing this, Master Yu and Tang Yan finally understood.
"I see. However, even for a necklace, using the largest and finest pearl would suffice! You don't need so many!" Master Yu stated.
Ye Feng frowned at this, "Really?"
"Of course!" Master Yu and Tang Yan said in unison.
"Then why do the necklaces I've seen have dozens of pearls strung together?" Ye Feng inquired.
Master Yu gave Ye Feng a look, "How small are other people's pearls? How large are yours! If you were to make a necklace with pearls this size, it wouldn't be called a necklace, it would be a string of prayer beads!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Feng pictured a necklace made of such large pearls and indeed, it resembled prayer beads used by monks.
"Alright! I won't sell the largest one. Please make it into a necklace for me. Make it unique and beautiful!" Ye Feng instructed.
Master Yu nodded, "Certainly! I'll design it personally. I guarantee you'll be satisfied, rest assured!"
"That's good! By the way, how much can the remaining ones be sold for?" Ye Feng suddenly asked.
Master Yu pointed at the pearls and replied, "A total of twenty-seven pearls. There are twenty-one pearls ranging from 11mm to 17mm. I'll buy them from you at the highest average market price, 200,000 yuan each, totaling 4.2 million!"
"As for the three pearls measuring 18mm and above, they are considered 'super large pearls.' These are like treasures of a store anywhere. For the three pearls between 18mm and 20mm, I'll buy them at 1 million each, totaling 3 million!"
"And for the two pearls exceeding 20mm, I'll buy each one for 5 million! That's 10 million!"
"The final total comes to 17.2 million! What do you say?" Master Yu asked.
However, upon hearing the price, the manager Tang Yan immediately leaned in and whispered something to Master Yu, who smiled and shook his head.
Ye Feng paid them no mind, as he was completely immersed in the astronomical price of over ten million. He murmured to himself, "This, so much?"
In his estimation, he had thought they might fetch a million or two at most. He never imagined they would sell for over sixteen million.
"That's right! This is me showing my sincerity, buying them from you at the highest market price! If you went elsewhere, they'd likely deduct four to five million from you!" Master Yu said confidently.
Ye Feng nodded, "Oh, thank you very much, Master Yu!"
He then briefly discussed the necklace design with Master Yu, who asked him to return tomorrow for it.
After Ye Feng left, the manager Tang Yan immediately asked, "Uncle Yu, why did you offer him the highest price right away?"