Mangatrai Pearls

Hyderabad is called the City of Pearls because most of the world's pearl processing passes through it at some stage, and Mangatrai, trading since 1905, is the address locals give when someone asks where the real thing is sold. The flagship is at Punjagutta, with an older branch at Basheerbagh. Everything comes with a certificate of authenticity, from a modest strand to pieces meant for a collection. Prices run above the stalls near Charminar; what the difference buys is certainty. Even without buying, it is the quickest way to learn how a genuine pearl looks and feels.

Modest strands to collector pieces, each one with paperwork you can trust