Just left Jeff Davies office (Bangkok)

[keemoog99]

Vendors at JTC are a mixed bag. Prices are all over the place. Depending on what you are looking for I would go only for recommended vendors. Of course the testing lab is right there so you can get anything tested. Most important stones have lab reports. At the AIGS gemology school also at JTC, you can talk to the teachers. They can give you some recommended vendors. In fact, some of them have a side business of finding stones for clients and stores. My teacher once brought in three rubies, each costing around $35,000 (heat treatment only), that he was sourcing for a client.

AIGS has some of the best colored gemstones in their reference inventory. Built up over the years from all the gemstones coming into the colored stone capital of the world and they cherry picked for the school. Nice stuff you can't find so easy any more.
My colored stone grading and pricing teacher was a ruby/sapphire expert, Khun Pattarat. He could find anything. He also has a small lab for testing the lesser value stones. I think Jeff Davies has used him.

You can spend hours going from booth to booth. When I went to AIGS in 2012, I would spend the afternoons looking at all the gemstones. Great way to spend an afternoon. If you have the time and money go to the school. Really informative, not stressful but not easy, I flunked synthetic and treated gemstones the first time. But Bangkok is a great place to spend a few months.

Scott Davies, no relation to Jeff is also nearby and he has unique to find stones, like hackmanite, maw-sit-sit, jadeite, lots of sphenes, faceted moonstones and really good prices. He's American and a geologist by trade. He has a web presence.

I have only bought less expensive stones so I can't comment on the more expensive ones. And I have bought only for personal use. And yes, this is colored stone heaven...

 

[minousbijoux]

Vendors at JTC are a mixed bag. Prices are all over the place. Depending on what you are looking for I would go only for recommended vendors. Of course the testing lab is right there so you can get anything tested. Most important stones have lab reports. At the AIGS gemology school also at JTC, you can talk to the teachers. They can give you some recommended vendors. In fact, some of them have a side business of finding stones for clients and stores. My teacher once brought in three rubies, each costing around $35,000 (heat treatment only), that he was sourcing for a client.

AIGS has some of the best colored gemstones in their reference inventory. Built up over the years from all the gemstones coming into the colored stone capital of the world and they cherry picked for the school. Nice stuff you can't find so easy any more.
My colored stone grading and pricing teacher was a ruby/sapphire expert, Khun Pattarat. He could find anything. He also has a small lab for testing the lesser value stones. I think Jeff Davies has used him.

You can spend hours going from booth to booth. When I went to AIGS in 2012, I would spend the afternoons looking at all the gemstones. Great way to spend an afternoon. If you have the time and money go to the school. Really informative, not stressful but not easy, I flunked synthetic and treated gemstones the first time. But Bangkok is a great place to spend a few months.

Scott Davies, no relation to Jeff is also nearby and he has unique to find stones, like hackmanite, maw-sit-sit, jadeite, lots of sphenes, faceted moonstones and really good prices. He's American and a geologist by trade. He has a web presence.

I have only bought less expensive stones so I can't comment on the more expensive ones. And I have bought only for personal use. And yes, this is colored stone heaven...

Great review - makes me want to move to Bangkok and take gemology classes there.

 

[keemoog99]

thank you for the comments. i spread my courses out. 1st time did the 3 months gem id in 2007, then came back in 2012 and did colored stone pricing and grading, one month then synthetic gems grading and treatments, one month and then spent one month outside of AIGS with a diamond broker, one on one. gave her my idealscope and ASET as a going away present. she loved them. said it physically showed her why the stones she thought were off, were. (i.e. light leakage, too much green in the ASET etc.) she looks at hundreds of stones a week. i own two diamonds and didn't need the toys really.

if i want the AIGS certificate and graduate gemologist degree i would have to take their diamond grading class. it's only one month, maybe that would be a good excuse to come back next year. but since this is just my hobby, i don't care about certification. just about everyone that takes the class is in the business so you have good contacts. my friend Ross, Seda Gems was in my class and his family owns an opal mine in Australia. some of his sapphires have been recommended here on cs. may is full of holidays here so the jewelry production has slowed down. nothing to show you yet.

 

[keemoog99]

oh, and i am resetting the avr in my avatar. the lotus petals are too pointy. ouch.

 

[chrono]

Keemoog,
Thank you for sharing your Bangkok learning experience. It sounds fantastic and I wish you success in your endeavours!

 

[Dioptase]

Never been to BKK, Chrono?

 

[chrono]

Never been to BKK, Chrono?

Several times.

 

[Dioptase]

So you know all the secret places

 

[keemoog99]

where are all the secret places? i have four days left.

 

[Dioptase]

I guess you know the Silom area pretty well since you studied at AIGS.
Did you try the Thai restaurant กัลปพฤกษ์ on Pramuan Road? (when you leave JTC go in the direction of Worawat Building, walk pass it then turn immediately right. Walk down on Pramuan Rd like 100m and the restaurant is on the left side).
It's delicious traditional Thai cuisine, and prices are very reasonnable. Don't stay inside of the restaurant: the patio is the best part, in the shade with trees around. Go there for lunch! It's the best place since Chai Karr closed down (I'm still depressed about it... they had the best spicy soups I ever tried )

 

[keemoog99]

thanks, will try to find this week.

 

[Dioptase]

thanks, will try to find this week.

Did you find it?
Now it's crazy rain in BKK...

 

[keemoog99]

tried to go but my crazy friends ended up taking me everywhere but, and yes today i got drenched waiting for my friend to pick me up at on nut sky train exit. i guess i'll have to come back next year and take the diamond grading at aigs. gives me a good excuse to come back for a couple of months. at least everything is a little cooler now. still didn't get to all the booths so that's another reason to come back. i love this place but i don't like to 20+ hour plane ride to get here. regards.

 

[Dioptase]

tried to go but my crazy friends ended up taking me everywhere but, and yes today i got drenched waiting for my friend to pick me up at on nut sky train exit.

Ouch! I'm sorry for you, it really poured buckets today.

 

[chrono]

So sorry; carrying a good umbrella everyday seems to be a requirement in that region.

 

[keemoog99]

please don't rub it in. my daughter said,"take your umbrella." it seemed like such a clear day, ha ha...my friend who was picking me up owns a jewelry store so it was better i couldn't stay long or i would be penniless. it's bad enough i spent a lot of time (and money) with my other jewelry store. time to run away to the U.S. you could go broke saving money here.

 

[Dioptase]

If it can make you feel better: I had an umbrella when it was raining like crazy a few weeks ago; it was pointless. I got soaked as well, not to mention the sewers were overflowing everywhere. There were pools 2-3 inches deep on silom. I had water up to my ankles (and not nice, clear water).
Anyway, have a safe flight back home!

 

[keemoog99]

in bkk you take the good with the bad. you can show me the restaurant next time i'm in town.

this amethyst is 2.14 carat from jeff and had set in white gold and diamonds.

 

[keemoog99]

hand shot -- size 5 finger.

 

[iLander]

Lovely ring, great stone!

 

[Siameseroo]

Beautiful ring - I love that the setting is substantial yet feminine.

 

[keemoog99]

here are the gray spinels, 5mm rounds with a slight pink modifier. they look like diamonds they are so sparkly.

 

[keemoog99]

and the ammy stones which he cut down from 6mm to 5mm so they would fit the earring jackets.

 

[keemoog99]

the 2+carat cushion citrine kite set in a custom lotus yellow gold ring. see my avatar. i reset the diamond and pic to follow. from jeff.

 

[keemoog99]

finally the 1.43 avr reset in yellow gold. since it is P color, i guess it's close enough to be a colored gemstone.

 

[keemoog99]

last one. side view.