Betty
Sue King - otherwise known as "The Pearl Goddess" - created King’s Ransom in 1979. She was an elementary
schoolteacher in San Francisco when a newly enacted law prompted
massive layoffs. Fortuitously
an opportunity to wholesale diamonds provided the impetus to carve
out a career in the gem industry. Soon her inventory expanded to
cabochons, carvings, classic and phenomenal gems, pearls and
designer jewelry. Pearls took precedence when she began buying
overseas and soon they became her headliners. From the very
beginning, unusual and seductively sublime pearls with unique allure
have been her selection criteria.
“I consistently find colors and special pearls I have never seen
before when I travel overseas. Pearls that shimmer with fine orient
and brilliant luster simply call out to me like a siren and I cannot
resist. When special strands are somewhat promising, I am able to
change pearls to make them scintillating.
This comes from having formed close relationships with a handful of
suppliers over the years. They know how high I grade and that I
select only the best. They collect new products for me to review so
often I am the first to select from new offerings. I communicate
regularly with them to stay updated with the caprices of current
pearl harvests and hear about what’s new in pearls.”
When Betty Sue returns from overseas buying trips, everyone wants to
be the first to find fresh new treasures. Designer clients rely on
her to bring them the best and most unusual pearls providing
inspiration to push their design boundaries beyond expectations.
Manufacturers trust her to evaluate color (along with quality) for
their productions, colors such as Key lime blonde, Caribbean blue
sea, sage and celery, and Golden Philippine sunrise SSPs.
King’s Ransom’s inventory’s strength is in the broad range of
freshwater pearls that continually evolve with new shapes, sizes and
intense colors. Estate dealers looking for loose one-millimeter
pearls find what they need. Contemporary brides complete their pearl
trousseaus selecting from white blush nuggets and white angel wing
keshi, and can explore a cornucopia of loose pearls and stands with
white cloud mabes, pink sky rounds, and lavender sunset Biwa style
in natural colors. Milk chocolate rounds, turquoise
surf bits and deep blue sea nuggets are some of the newer dyed
colors. Freshwater nucleated pearls have become more affordable in
fine quality and lovely floral colors. Luster finish, shape and
color have consistently improved making them more and more
attractive with fully shaped, rounder pearls that rival those from
South Sea locales.
Her ecumenical rainbows of Tahitian colors are found in pairs, loose
and strands. Arresting peacock colors splash over surfaces and your
eyes don’t want to leave. Chocolate truffle pairs and espresso
strands in natural colors are in demand. Loose pearls in celadon,
tropical blue, midnight black Tahitian pearls in sizes under 8 to
16mm are readily available as are multicolor strands. South Sea
round and baroque pearls from Australia the Philippines, and New
Zealand abalone mabe complete her prolific offerings. Finely matched
pairs of white and golden, graceful white baroques, finely tuned
brilliant golden singles, strands of rounds and baroque SSP are all
within reach. Also not to be missed are King’s Ransom’s classic,
fine quality Japanese and Chinese akoya pearls.
In working intimately with virtually every segment of the pearl
industry, her goal is to stay atop of current and future trends. She
is keenly interested in matching pearls with clients’ skin tones,
hair color, preferences, special occasions and budgets. “In the
process we grow in tune to each other’s experiences of pearls by
sharing lives, philosophy, psychology and numerous moments that are
mutually enriching.”
Teaching comes naturally to the “Pearl Goddess”. A
popular speaker, Betty Sue has shared her wit and wisdom about
pearls at the AGTA Tucson GemFair™ Seminars, GIA Alumni
Associations, WJA, NAJA, ISA and ASA NorCal. She has been a featured
discussion leader at Bonhams & Butterfields. She will be returning
to speak again in July 2010 at The Antique Jewelry & Art Conference
(Jewelry Camp). Always ready to share her passion, Betty Sue takes
all inquiries to heart and seeks to replace confusion
with clarity.
Knowledge alone is not enough to survive the competition from mass
marketers,
retailers & Internet sites. In staff training, Betty Sue weaves the
technology and romance of pearls with the understanding of the human
psyche and our natural obsession for beauty. This combination is
designed to fuel the staff with inspiration for quality sales and
meaningful customer relations that last.
Her collective knowledge of pearls, trends and new products is
quoted in numerous trade journal articles. From her extensive
travels to cultured pearl sites with GIA’s Cultured Pearl Tours, she
has contributed her writing and photography in GIA’s Loupe. When
sizeable round Chinese freshwater pearls were initially making a
statement, her strands were the poster models that graced the cover
of GIA’s Gems & Gemology, summer 2000. Most recently, her chocolate
pearls are featured on the cover of the AGTA GemFair™ Tucson 2010
mailer.
She reviewed the book, Pearls, A Natural History for GIA’s Gems &
Gemology. Betty Sue wrote about her experiences in the pearl
industry in Auction Market Resource, June 2002, “Cultured Pearls
Galore: A Tucson Retrospective”. In 2005, she was nominated for the
Award of Excellence by the San Francisco Chapter of the WJA and for
the Trailblazer Award by NAWBO. Her degrees are a B.A. from
University of Arizona and M.A. from Arizona State University, both
in Elementary Education. Minors in Art and English find expression
in how she sees the aesthetics of beauty and translates them into
words. Her formal education and teaching experience are integral to
her inspirational presentations. She also serves as Secretary on the
Board of Directors of the American Gem Trade Association, an
organization that promotes industry standards of professional and
ethical business practices.
Enthusiastic clients say: With Betty Sue it is not just about the
product it is about the passion and love of this queen of gems. Her
passion is infectious, her knowledge is poetic, and her style is
unique (C. Ellias). You truly do touch the divine. Your efforts are
akin to the goddess Diana, the true huntress who searches the globe
and discovers tempting treasures that dazzle the eyes and pause the
heart. … We bow upon bended knee to the great divine of nature and
its champion huntress (L. Ponter).
Betty Sue continues: “With kudos from my clients and a resurgence in
holiday sales, I remain upbeat about the direction of the economy.
Pearls have enduring traditions of elegance and style in our psyche.
We offer buyers quality at a variety of price points with classic
and fashion forward pearls to energize and fuel the market. There is
no doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t want to be in any other
business, my passion is obvious, I love what I do.”
At trade shows you can select first hand from a
full array of pearls & natural diamond crystals.
• AGTA GemFair™- Tucson Convention Center
• AGTA GemFair™JCK Las Vegas - Sands Convention Center, Venetian
Ballroom
• SNAG Conference – Houston, TX 2010 (location differs each year)
Betty Sue King can be reached at:
King’s Ransom
3030 Bridgeway Suite 209 • Sausalito, CA 94965 • USA
(877) 331-2650 Orders • (415) 331-2650 Voice • (415) 331-9402 Fax
http://pearlgoddess.com •
bettysue@pearlgoddess.com
