Buying a pink sapphire in Thailand

[kkeen15]

I''m going on a pleasure visit to Thailand in a couple months. Meanwhile, in my quest to find a diamond for my engagement ring I have also fallen in love with pink sapphires! I know that area of the world is a great place to buy colored gemstones if you know what you''re looking for (which I don''t right now). Has anybody had experience buying gemstones or even just one gemstone in Thailand? I would buy it in Bangkok (I know there are better prices near the Myanmar border but my trip will be to the islands of Southeast Thailand). What would you suggest for a relatively uneducated person about to buy a gemstone like this in Southeast Asia? I only want one stone about 8-12mm. I would have it recut by the person who cut Josh''s blue sapphires. Thanks a lot!!

Kristin

 

[winyan]

I'd ask Mogok who's in Burma, but might know something about Thailand, or Wink who occasionally posts here, who was in Thailand last August. I was there around 30 years ago, bought stones and 'princess rings' (opals and rubies) in Bangkok, but I no longer have either ring. The stones are around the house somewhere, buried w/the 'around the world' trip stuff.

win

 

[DiamondExpert]

Be VERY careful, however, with any corundum you purchase.

There is a lot of beryllium diffusion treatment of both ruby and all colors of sapphire coming out of Thailand.

Also, don't think that the prices/misrepresentation decrease, the closer you get to the source...it has been said that the closer you get to the mine, the more synthetic material you will find being sold in parcels.

This is not a big issue if you are just planning to spend a few $, but is for big ticket items.

You can protect yourself by having a trusted, knowledgeable agent along.

Good luck!

 

[valeria101]

How could I stay away from THIS thread

I would not jump to the opportunity, but take it with the respective grain of salt. If you are talking about a round stone, it is not going to be really small for that size. I would think the place is great to look around and learn with credit card tucked away until the last moment.

Also, I wander whether you will really get a better deal than Richard can provide. It might be a good idea to get a quote for the piece in the US and try to 'beat it' for a similar item. Not that this wards off the possibility of ending up with some unidentified quality for the same price... but at least would keep most of really bad deals at bay.

It's a great idea - I would think - to keep in mind some benchmark for nice quality and see what prices are being charged for what. After all, it is easier to see allot of merchandise on a large gem market than it is in the US - by asking each jeweler to show you a few bits. Thailand is a better place than Eastern Europe or Central America, but something is telling me the same rule of caution applies.

Just a gem hunter's 0.2, of course

 

[mogok]

Hello...
Hum I'm not in Burma: if I was I could probably difficultly speak with you as internet is not really fully available in Burma except for some very special people. I go to Burma every 2 months as an average.
My main work is to teach gemology and to analyse gemstones in a gemological laboratory in Bangkok... I also work as gemologist for gemwow.com. Busy life in Bangkok but very exiting as i'm able to see many stones, things and meet many fun people.

Kristin if you come in Thailand and wish my assistance, you can find me at the AIGS (Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences) laboratory in the 6th floor of the Jewelry Trade Center in Silom road. I will be glad to help you or any other pricescope user visiting Bangkok.
AIGS is a very welcoming institute for all the persons who want to learn about stones or to get some expertise about the stone they intend to buy.

If you want to find a pink sapphire in Bangkok you will have a large choice of gemstones from the Unheated stones to stones treated traditionally and of course you will find also the stones heated with additives such as beryllium. Fine Pink sapphires can be find from Burma (Mogok), Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Madagascar mainly...
Whatever if you have some time during your trip I will be pleased to help you to find a stone that fit to your wishes.

All the best,

 

[kkeen15]

Thanks for the offer, Mogok! I might take you up on that. We're going to be on Ko Chang for most of the trip (It'll be about 9 days) but we fly into Bangkok. I'll PM you as the trip gets nearer (set for late July).

Thanks to everybody for your input! After reading your thoughts, I'm going to think hard about whether I want to do this or not. I think a stone of the size I'm looking for is going to be at least the equivalent of a few hundred dollars, and I am not going to buy one there if I don't feel totally comfortable and confident about it.

Kristin

 

[innerkitten]

Mogok, can a person actually get a good deal there though? Or will they pay about the same price as they would online or in the U.S for the same quality stone?

 

[winyan]

Oops, sorry mogok !!...I don't know where I got the idea you were in Burma!

But Thailand is even better for the purpose of this thread!

Thanks for the update!

win

 

[winyan]

mogok


A suddent thought...if you are in Bangkok, that means I might get to replace one of my "Princess" rings?

I had given one to my Aunt, who was buried in it, and the other to my Mother, who ah...well, I *think* she might have decided a trip to Atlantic City was more important.

Anyway, I would love to replace the ruby one I had given my Aunt. Not right away, but sometime in the next year, maybe? They weren't large rubies, but very pretty.

Thanks much, mogok!!


win

 

[kkeen15]

I am wondering about that too, Innerkitten. Is it even worth my while to take the time during my vacation to seek out a great stone w/ my specs, or could I just as easily find a stone at the same or similar price, with a great selection, online? I mean, it would definitely be fun to see the vendors in Bangkok, but it would make it a lot MORE fun if I knew I was also saving 20% or more by buying there!

Kristin

 

[mogok]

Well of course you can get good deals in Bangkok or even better in Chanthabury ( the small thai city not very far from Ko Chang which is the world capital of heat treatment ). Many buyers are here as rough stones from all over the world come here to be heated and cut or simply to be cut or even just to be sold.
Every week end you have markets in Chanthabury and you can also go to the border towns with Burma in Mae Sot and Mae Sai. But whatever its better if you go there to have some solid knowledge on gemstone identification and pricing.

About the prices in Bangkok retails stores compared to online, well its simple: You have here a lot of cybercoffe in which you can compare as much as you want. Some places can be more expensive than but many places will usualy give you interesting deals. The key point is that here you will have an incredible choice... like nowhere else!

Many buyers coming here are using brokers in order to buy gemstones. The brokers are living here and know the market. Their interest if double: to make their customer happy in order for him to come back and also to make his supplier happy with a sale. A good broker will help you to find the correct item you are searching and help you not to be cheated.
People you meet in the street are usually crooks.

There are several brokers that are part time teachers in AIGS and that could help you to find the stone you are searching. It can be interesting as you may like that see many stones in a short period of time. But whatever my advise is for you to know exactly what you want and to come here with ideas about the prices of similar items in your place. Then you will be able to compare...

And whatever if you want to be sure about a stone you have here in bangkok 6 gemological laboratories that provide services at very competive prices for people who just want to have "a third person opinion" about the stone they intend to buy. AIGS for exemple is issuing mini reports in 24 hours for around $20...and full reports for around $50.
When you intend to buy a stone which will cost you several hundreds or thousands. You can all the time negociate with the buyer that you want him to provide such a gemstone report...
Whatever most of the things depends of the quality and the reliability of your contacts in Bangkok.

I will be happy to help you for your stones. And for the rest I may also help you as before to become professional within the gem trade, I've spend 10 years as a tour guide specialised in Asia for a big french tour operator.

All the best,

 

[kkeen15]

I'm reviving this post because I will be in Thailand from July 30 to August 8. I'm still interested in getting a pink sapphire, but I've just thought of some other issues...

I'm confused about what is actually available on the market. Are there untreated pink sapphires? Are most stones available in Thailand treated sapphires? Are there also fake sapphires, that aren't even corundrum(sp)?

I would not be buying this as an engagement ring, or as a ring I would wear often. It would be more of a fun piece for going out. Also, I've read that its not easy to tell the difference between a treated sapphire (not sure if I mean fake or treated--which is most common??) and a natural sapphire. With these things in mind, what problems do you see in me buying a sapphire without knowing whether its real or not? Is it something where, if I was misled, I would be paying about 1000% of the item's value?

If I found a beautiful stone, and the price was very very low, indicating that it was probably not real, what kind of problems might I have that I wouldn't have if I had bought a sapphire? I mean, will the stone be less durable, fade in color, or something like this? What I'm asking is basically: Will a treated stone make me just as happy for just as long, so long as I don't care that it's treated?

I really appreciate your offer to help me out, Mogok. The thing is, I won't know in advance whether I'll have time to meet you or not. My FI and I are working our a**es off here, and he wants to spend as much time as possible on the beach in Ko Chang, not in another sprawling, dirty city (we're in Seoul). I'll talk to him again about it, but as it stands we won't be looking around in Bangkok. It might be possible to check out Chanthaburi though.

Thanks all for the advice! I'm really excited about this trip.

 

[mogok]

Hello Kristin,
Well no problem if you have no time to come to visit me in Silom Road, Bangkok... Anyway if you think that you will pass send me a private message and I will send you a way to contact me directly. If I can be of any help during your trip I will do my best for you or any other pricescope visitor.
Have a nice trip in Kho Chang!

 

[innerkitten]

Kristen, Funny that you have revived this post . I finally had a look at the gemwow web site and it has some examples of unheated pink sapphires on it's site. Some of them are very pretty.

I think they're in the rare stones section or the mogok section or something. Cool site.

I guess if your about to go you should start doing your research now.

By the way I'm really jealous that your going to Ko Chang. I was there seven years ago. It wasn't very built up then. There were no resorts, and I almost got bit by a cobra !

 

[kkeen15]

Thanks, Mogok! It'd be great to meet you and see the Silom gem stores. The outlook's not good on that right now though

I did check out your website, and there are some excellent stones and deals to be had there. Does your company take requests for certain stone specifications? Just curious.

I also found a company called Geolite which is based in Colorado. They sell diffusion-enhanced pink-orange sapphires at what I understand to be pretty good prices. I might check them out if I don't find anything in Thailand!

 

[mogok]

Hello Kristin,
Well Geolite sells synthetics don't they?
Regarding to the website I help besides my gemological school and lab work they take some request if you email them. The girl taking care of the customer relations is a gemologist former student from AIGS. She will do her best to help you...
Whatever the stones in the Burmese Gem Gallery are all unheated, native cut from Burma. In the Thailand gem center you can find a large choice of other gems from many origin that belongs to friends in Bangkok.
Most of these stone are visible in a show room in Silom.
Well for the rest they are good passionate people, mostly former students from my school that wanted to start a different e-commerce project dealing with gems. This is the reason I help them...
All the best,

 

[kkeen15]

Yep, they're laboratory created. Had to confirm that by checking the website, I had assumed they were natural diffusion-treated stones.

 

[wanderlost]

Howdy...

after exploring different forums here on Pricescope, I'd have to recommend you heading over tothe Guerilla Gemology section and bone up on the information as much as possible (or just print it and read it on the plane ride.... It's outstanding that Mogok has offered his services & although I may not be traveling out of the states in a while, I will definately be checking out the website.

Hope the link to Richard's tutorial on determining authentic stones is helpful, if nothing else it's quite interesting.

 

[mogok]

Hello,

You can now go to visit the new version of the AIGS website in which you will be able to discover many photographs of gemology students spending their week ends and holidays in field trips in and around Bangkok: Mogok, Pailin, diamond cutting factory, pearl company, Thai gem markets,...

The prupose of this website is to make people discover the interest to study gemology in one of the most active gem trading center in the world: Bangkok in Thailand.

Now I've no problem to meet and to help as I already said pricescope member visiting Thailand. I will be happy to help if I can...

All the best,