Best place in Bkk to buy a diamond ring for 'the wife'

[davidst01]

Am I best to buy from a reputable shop inside one of the big shopping centres like siam paragon?   

 

How will I know if its real or fake? 

 

thanks

Edited December 18, 2017 by davidst01

[keithpa]

Buy the diamond ring, sameday, take it to be valued, the diamond will be worth 60% or so less.

[DoctorG]

Save yourself the worry (and money) about it being fake by just going out and buying a fake.

[observer90210]

I would purchase either in Hong Kong or in Europe ...

[rak sa_ngop]

Go to the Jewellery Trade Centre next to Holiday Inn on Silom Road. Trade prices from honest dealers. Maybe the range of diamonds may be a bit limited but lots of other precious stones and designs to choose from. For diamonds the piece should have a certificate from a recognised lab. There is at least one lab in the JTC that can test for you.

 

Diamonds are easy to test mounted or unmounted based on their unique thermal conductivity. But grading the diamond i.e.valuing it, is more difficult.

[1FinickyOne]

Buy gold instead. A nice necklace or bracelet and a couple of rings. 

[sometimewoodworker]

I (and SWMBO) went to one of the big Chinese gold shops on Yaowarat Road who specialise in jewellery containing stones. She chose the ring within my price range.

 

You are extremely unlikely to be scammed there as thier reputation is worth far more than any profit they could make.

 

A professional jeweller a little later confirmed that we had paid a very reasonable price and that the stone (a diamond) was high quality.

 

We did not  look to pay a low price for a high quality product and so we were not cheated.

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, observer90210 said:

I would purchase either in Hong Kong or in Europe ...

I would certainly not buy in Europe as the markups are very much greater there.

[PETERTHEEATER]

Best place in Bkk to buy a diamond ring for 'the wife'?

 

The Prawit Emporium is probably a safe bet.....

[StevieDee]

I have used this guy a few times.

 

No complaints at all

 

Tarum at Thai Native Gems, [email protected], 0819076451

 

You choose the grade of diamond you want (always comes with separate authentication), choose the setting & metal & he makes it for you.

 

This way you get exactly what you want and you are able to keep in your budget

 

He has an office at State Tower (Lebua hotel)

[Cohen]

It's OK if you are not smart. But please don't be silly. If you are in Bangkok already. You should buy a new wife. Not a diamond. It's more cheap. More fun.

[DrDave]

Venus Jewelry on Wireless Road, about a 5 minute walk from the American Embassy. Honest and friendly, with excellent service and prices. Check their reviews on TripAdvisor - very highly rated.

[KClark]

Venus Jewelry (Venus-Thailand.com) on Wittayu Rd, across from Lumpini Park.  Family business started in 1966, very reputable and they stand behind their products and workmanship.  Favorite of visiting U.S. military for decades.  Won't hurt to at least give them a visit.  I'm sure the wife will appreciate whatever you end up getting.  Happy hunting.

[sikishrory]

My experience shopping for diamond rings in Bangkok.

The diamond rings I looked at in Tiffanys emporium are 35,000 baht+ and they didn't have size 47 and said it would take 3 weeks to get it.

I looked at 2 shops in MBK one seemed decent. I have his card here. He had a diamond ring in gold for 11,000. Went back in the morning to buy it but was to early so went to another shop that was opening up and a lady presented me with a tray of rings that looked dodgy as if somethong a 12yo girl would get from toyworld. She seemed dodgy so I left to a hua seng hong gold shop (satellite shop in silom).

She was also unhelpful/rude and said that it was a gold shop and they don't sell jewellery. I since learned that this franchise has a gold/gem shop on yaowarat amongst others.

Anyway, I ran out of time and ended up just buying 2x 2 salung 23ct wedding bands from a shop in Pattaya for 11,500 and very happy with them. 

If I were to buy a diamond I would go to hua seng hong gold/gems on yaowarat rd confident that I wouldn't be ripped off. They are one of the first 2 gold shops in chinatown or bangkok and are very famous but also expect them to be quite busy. I have seen them full of customers.

 

[MyFriend You]

1 hour ago, KClark said:

Venus Jewelry (Venus-Thailand.com) on Wittayu Rd, across from Lumpini Park.  Family business started in 1966, very reputable and they stand behind their products and workmanship.  Favorite of visiting U.S. military for decades.  Won't hurt to at least give them a visit.  I'm sure the wife will appreciate whatever you end up getting.  Happy hunting.

I second Venus, have bee buying the Lady diamonds there for twenty years.  But have been associated with Venus since 1972 - they garantee everything.

[blackcab]

Van Cleef & Arpels. Ground floor of Emporium, next to the main entrance.

[timendres]

I purchased from Sathaporn in MBK.

Reputable and recommended by several knowledgeable people.

It was on the basement level at the very end at that time, but may have moved since then.

That said, I would recommend that you make sure the diamond is GIA certified.

These stones are laser engraved, which is not easily faked.

 

[mikiea]

8 hours ago, observer90210 said:

I would purchase either in Hong Kong or in Europe ...

yea ,,,like we all know and understand there are no crooks in hong kong or th eu .

[mikiea]

Just now, mikiea said:

yea ,,,like we all know and understand there are no crooks in hong kong or th eu .

it is well documented that almost 80% of all diamond purchases (single unmount) are over market price and when you have the stone mounted the retailer is operating at a 6 to 8 hundred % profit margin . ya cannot win on he retail side of diamonds . other stones are another matter ,  robust trade in them brings risk down .

[Ulic]

The mark up on diamonds is incredible. Bargain hard. Pay no more than 50%

of the asking price. start with 30%. My suggestion would be to buy gold. 

I know a diamond ring is not an investment buy a symbol of your love, but

still, in 50 years when you are both gone the gold will have more value. 

Edited December 18, 2017 by Ulic

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

Anywhere knuckle head...

[phuketrichard]

Jewelry trade center off Silom road, dont use anything more than 18 K gold, plenty of very good shops and will pay much less than any Jewelry shop in any mall, forget buying diamonds in China town area,  they specialize in THAI GOLD jewelry (23k- 96.5%)  not gems

 

BUT, this was the slogan my grandfather used ( he was a diamond merchant in Washington DC for over 40years)

 

"If you dont know ur diamonds, , know ur jeweler"

 

23 k wedding bands?? bet they get out of shape fast

[PhonThong]

Pracha Jewelry in Nana Plaza opposite the Nana Hotel.

 

They are GIA certified and very nice to deal with.

 

 

[Lancelot01]

You could ask any Tuk Tuk driver to take you to his brother's 'jewelry workshop.

[Nice Boyd]

On 12/18/2017 at 2:45 PM, kenk24 said:

Buy gold instead. A nice necklace or bracelet and a couple of rings. 

My Isaan gf won’t even look at a Diamond or 18k gold, it has to be Thai, some lb told her it not look Real, the 18k, so refuses uI wear it, lose face I guess or look Keen yow

Edited December 19, 2017 by Nice Boyd

[geisha]

Is your wife Thai ? I ask this because the gold mounting on rings is Thai gold, and  Europeans and westerners don’t really appreciate the  colour. Most of the jewellery shops in Central , Paragon etc will not be selling fake diamonds. They might not be the best quality and cut though, but much cheaper than Europe. I saw a white gold ring I was fancying in Europe lately with a few small’diamonds, here a similar one is about 40% cheaper. But I couldn’t see of course the quality . Don’t ever buy 23 carat gold, it’s too soft. 

[phuketrichard]

Quote

.... Most of the jewellery shops in Central , Paragon etc will not be selling fake diamonds.

true but they will mark it up 1,000%   Rent they pay there is crazy

Quote

Don’t ever buy 23 carat gold, it’s too soft.

ONLY true if ur using it to set a gem in,  otherwise all thai gold is 23k ( 96.5%)

I have necklaces and bracelets over 20 years old and still fine

 

Quote

a few small’ diamonds, here a similar one is about 40% cheaper.

and u have studied diamonds?  Know the dif between a FL, IF , VS1, VVS1  Clarity?

know the dif between a D and G color diamond?

[sikishrory]

Yeh  23ct/96.5% is quite solid in a 2 salung band shape and Thais appreciate it alot more hence why you can't buy 18ct rings in your average thai gold shop.

I also think it's a generalisation that westerners "don't appreciate the colour". I think this is something that someone wrote once on the internet and everyone has taken it as gospel. 

[jamesmacleod]

I bought a diamond ring from here http://www.myglitzjewels.com/ in Bangkok city centre (near GaySorn) (they made it themselves)

Customer service was very good, sales support was very good and they helped me a lot!

 

I got a real diamond from them, with real gold, price was not great, but cheaper than many countries!

Edited December 19, 2017 by jamesmacleod

[pieeyed]

I found the best deals you can ever get is go to Impact or Bitec and look for some booths selling pawned jewelry. Can buy most rings, necklaces and such for about 1/3 the price of new. Some very nice stuff for good prices.