I was told that back in '68 an Army friend of a friend use to bring pockets full of Star Sapphires from CM 

back to the States. He was stationed here in LOS during the Viet Nam war.

 

So, I am wondering if said gems are still about and abundant. If so where and how much etc.? 

I plead ignorance on the subject and am asking for some friendly info.  

No idea about their current availability but if they were coming from CM then they were most likely Burmese in origin and are highly prized. The Thai variety come from near Kanchanaburi.

To understand the values, you need to find a jeweler who will spend time educate about them. There's no way of doing this online.

A 10-carat Star sapphire can sell for US$100 or for US$5,000, while a man-made star sapphire costs only US$10.

 

 

If buying star sapphires only go to reputable shops. They are easily faked and can be bought wholesale in bulk online for around $ 5 a carat. Fakes normally are cut from a boule with a flat bottom an excellent colour and high quality star that rolls when the stone is rotated. Fake stars rotate in the same way. as genuine stars. Real stones usually have a rough and not a glass like table ( top part of the stone) Star rubies are faked in the same way. I was once offered a $ 5 stone for $ 1000

We went to Kanchanaburi (gem capital of Thailand) and saw lots of them from different sources. It’s a wholesale environment where buyers from all over the world visit. Go have a look I’d say. 

Chanthaburi is another option for saphires and topaz. 

Be very careful if buying in Chantaburi or near the Burmese border. Many fake stones - doublets etc . Are sold as star star stones. Black star stones crack if knocked even if genuine.  You should expect to pay a starting price of $1000 and upward per carat for a good stone. Professional buyers will pay less. It is not a game for amateurs.  The seller may offer a certificate but the gem labs vary from good to unreliable and some are partnered with gem sellers. It is worth noting that the price of the stones go up exponentially as the weight and size of the stone increases.

Caveat Emptor.  Once a deal is done dont bother complaining to the police if you feel cheated. Bargains are possible but for the uninitiated very rare.

A long time ago I was looking for a black star Safire. I looked in many shops in Bangkok but didn't like what I saw. The star was not very prominent so I looked at the blue star Safire and it looked great. It is a synthetic stone but looks far greater than the black when the sun shines on it.

On 5/3/2023 at 10:43 AM, AustinRacing said:

We went to Kanchanaburi (gem capital of Thailand) and saw lots of them from different sources. It’s a wholesale environment where buyers from all over the world visit. Go have a look I’d say. 

I meant to say  chantaburi not Kamchatkanaburi. My bad