[Jewelry making - Article 01395] - Re: [Orchid] Buying Gems in Thailand

[richard Wise]

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    Tammy, Having bought in Thailand many times over the years I have one
    bit of advise for you, forgetaboutit!  Is Mom cognizant of gem
    types, qualities, treatments, prices?  If not, Mom is a disaster
    waiting to happen.  There is no consumer protection agency in
    Thailand.    My advise, let mom enjoy her vacation and tell her that
    the cute, little smiling Thai who approaches her on the street and
    will take her to his mother's jewelry factory where she can buy
    wholesale, is a shill for the factory. 

    Several years ago a young new age type couple came to my office to
    ask my advise on buying in India.  They had a connection with a very
    sincere young Indian fellow who would set them up to buy gems at
    dramatically low prices.  They could import to the states and make
    large piles of dough.  Well, to make a long painful saga short, they
    came to see me several months later, having ignored my advise.  They
    had with them strands of big honking ruby beads that they were
    selling for $1-2 per carat.  Well this was some of the African ruby
    out of Moro Goro that I had seen in the rough at $125.00 per kilo or
    .025 cents per carat  in Nairobi.  It had been shipped to India,
    dyed, oiled and cut into beads in sold to them for 50 cents a carat.
     It was opaque, greasy and plug ugly.  They had sunk about 10
    thousand in this stuff.  Funny thing, none of the jewelers they
    called on would buy it. 

Regards,  
Richard
P.S.  Maybe an Orchidian who lives in Thailand will help and guide Mom


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