Testing Quality Of Diamonds

[differentbutsamesame]

I recently bought a piece of 18k gold/diamonds jewelry and i'd like to have it quality-tested and valuated by a gems/goldlab.

The reason why i want to have it tested is because i found some other nice pieces of diamondjewelry at the shop which i'd like to buy. Before i do so i want to know if the jewelry i bought is really worth the price i paid for it, if the total carat weight of the diamond matches the shop's certificate and if there's been any chemical or laser treatment on the diamond to make it look better.

I've seen one or two gemlabs in silom road, is that a good place to have the jewelry tested?

[H2oDunc]

EHHHH isn't the point where you have the diamonds checked to make sure they are real supposed to be before you pay for them ?

Taking them to somewhere now to find out they are cubic zirconium or something is a bit late

Just my 2 satangs worth

[vont]

Which country did you say you were bred and schooled, friend?

You really ought to have your stone verified BEFORE you hand over your euro, not after the purchase?

You really ought to also tell us here, what did the seller tell you about the 3 C of that stone.

Wanna do that, so many here can give you an exactly accurate assessment without seeing your real stone? LOL ,

[BngkkB]

On Rama IV there is a GIA office, You can drop by any week day with the stone, pay the fee and leave the diamond and they will get you a full report with certificate in a few days.

GIA Laboratory, Bangkok

10th Floor U-Chu-Liang Building

968 Rama IV Road Silom Bangrak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand

Tel: (66) 2 632 4090

Fax: (66) 2 632 4096

Email: < email address removed >

Office Hours:

10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. (Mon-Fri)

Edited April 2, 2011 by metisdead
Not to post email addresses in posts due to potential spam problems.

[vont]

On Rama IV there is a GIA office, You can drop by any week day with the stone, pay the fee and leave the diamond and they will get you a full report with certificate in a few days.

GIA Laboratory, Bangkok

10th Floor U-Chu-Liang Building

968 Rama IV Road Silom Bangrak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand

Tel: (66) 2 632 4090

Fax: (66) 2 632 4096

Email: < email address removed >

Office Hours:

10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. (Mon-Fri)

I am a frequent visitor to the 47th Street and even though also have many vendor friends there,

but would never leave my stones with anyone, unless that stone has already been laser-photoed and certified.

Perhaps, I was born in a skeptically suspicious family.

[needforspeed]

IAGS at the Jewelry trade center, silom road next to Holiday inn.

Full report is about 1900 TB

[fredob43]

Is it worth it I can tell you now No. First you have the stone dealer's profit. Then the maker's one usualy 200/300% + vat. If you can get back 40% of what you paid for it you've done well.

If you were in England you would only get back 25% after you walked out of the shop. So not all bad. Try and sell it to another firm and see what you will get for it.

[Bakseedaa]

Which country did you say you were bred and schooled, friend?

You really ought to have your stone verified BEFORE you hand over your euro, not after the purchase?

You really ought to also tell us here, what did the seller tell you about the 3 C of that stone.

Wanna do that, so many here can give you an exactly accurate assessment without seeing your real stone? LOL ,

Sorry, but its 4Cs..... carat, cut, clarity and colour... and you probabaly paid way over its true value if you bought it as jewellery, and thats a fact. Sorry my friend.

[MPJ]

Their are still many places to buy diamond jewellery in Bangkok, for half the price you would pay in Europe or US, most of reputable manufacturers will offer GIA certificates with all their jewellery (On 0,30ct up)

If you already bought it and want to check your diamond, GIA is the best lab in town but also the most expensive. Some labs on Silom road like Tokyo Labs are much cheaper, but safe and accurate too.

AIGS lab inside Jewelry Trade Center is the best lab for color stones. Most of these labs will certify but not put a price on your jewellery.

What size are the diamonds ? Where is the shop you are buying from ? They didn't give you any certificate ?

There are very few chemically treated diamonds in Bkk, unless you buy canary yellow diamonds i would not worry about chemical treatment. Their are a few laser drilled diamonds but still much less than in the US (almost 1 out of 3 there.) Laser drilling isn't a scam, it can be a way for customer on a budget to get a bigger and cleaner looking stone for less $. It's not a scam as long as it's stated by the seller.

That's why you should always buy jewellery with a certificate containing at least the color, clarity, seperate weight of the stones, cut, fluorescence and possible treatment.

Stay away from bad cut as much as bad color or clarity. Avoid strong fluorescence diamonds, as they will tend to look blue or 'milky'.

The major concern i would have if i was you is on the color and clarity of the stones.

Most shop in MBK sell H-K color/SI-I3 clarity, those diamonds can look good from far but are absolutely disgusting to any trained eye. Stay away from MBK ...

Sorry for my poor english i'm a swiss (jeweler).

[MrRed]

Nobody actually mentioned the fact that you stated 18 carat Gold /Diamonds jewelry.

A good quality diamond(s) will be set in purer Gold than 18 so it will be low grade if you are fortunate.

Much better to just buy Gold

[MPJ]

A good quality diamond(s) will be set in purer Gold than 18

Absolutely not, 18K is standard even for D-IF big size diamonds.

[nocturn]

On Rama IV there is a GIA office, You can drop by any week day with the stone, pay the fee and leave the diamond and they will get you a full report with certificate in a few days.

GIA Laboratory, Bangkok

10th Floor U-Chu-Liang Building

968 Rama IV Road Silom Bangrak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand

Tel: (66) 2 632 4090

Fax: (66) 2 632 4096

Email: < email address removed >

Office Hours:

10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. (Mon-Fri)

i actually have a shop right next door. leave the gem with me and i will let you know overnight. Im cheaper too.

[nocturn]

Nobody actually mentioned the fact that you stated 18 carat Gold /Diamonds jewelry.

A good quality diamond(s) will be set in purer Gold than 18 so it will be low grade if you are fortunate.

Much better to just buy Gold

why do you say this? the purer the gold, the softer the setting and the more likely you are to lose the stone. then there are those of us who find very yellow, high carat gold just plain naff.

Edited April 5, 2011 by nocturn

[Jettbot]

On Rama IV there is a GIA office, You can drop by any week day with the stone, pay the fee and leave the diamond and they will get you a full report with certificate in a few days.

GIA Laboratory, Bangkok

10th Floor U-Chu-Liang Building

968 Rama IV Road Silom Bangrak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand

Tel: (66) 2 632 4090

Fax: (66) 2 632 4096

Email: < email address removed >

Office Hours:

10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. (Mon-Fri)

I am a frequent visitor to the 47th Street and even though also have many vendor friends there,

but would never leave my stones with anyone, unless that stone has already been laser-photoed and certified.

Perhaps, I was born in a skeptically suspicious family.

So is there such a thing as a while you wait place so you don't leave it overnight?

How do you know who you can trust?

Edited April 5, 2011 by Jettbot

[BngkkB]

As I mentioned earlier GIA lab's. It is the Industry standard. But as Vont said, make sure that it is lazered and documented, what I don't think Vont understands is that GIA labs is the place to get it lazered and Certified, that is what they do. They do not sell Diamonds or Appraise their value, they just give you the correct specifications of the stone and lazer inscribe it.

I only deal with wholesalers and they will leave several stones at one time with out thinking twice. If you have ever been to the GIA office I think your worries of them substituing the stone with a fake will be put to rest. The best thing is to take the stone with you to the GIA office and see for yourself.

[thairet]

Hello, I hope you can help with this "cheap" query.

I have a lot of "rocks" which came from Saudi Arabia which are iether cubic zirconium or plain old zirc 02.

When cut, they are very attractive to the untrained eye. My "rocks", some off which I have had cut into a variety of shapes, produced really cheap jewellry for kids in the family.

They are relatively cheap to cut in Thailand (although you probably get less than a 50% return from the "rock" you submitted.)

Cubic Zirconia lab-grown are even cheaper, but my rocks at least have more age. I suspect that they are monoclinic rather than cubic in structure due to their relatively young age (info from SA) compared to cubics, but I do not know.

Is there any market for these "false" diamonds? Maybe in UK as austerity kicks in?

Thanks expert expats!

[Mrjlh]

Nobody actually mentioned the fact that you stated 18 carat Gold /Diamonds jewelry.

A good quality diamond(s) will be set in purer Gold than 18 so it will be low grade if you are fortunate.

Much better to just buy Gold

Not sure that is true. Any thing over 18K begins to be too soft to support the high quality diamond. Best check that one.

[MPJ]

That's right, High quality diamonds are always set in 18K Gold or Platinum.

23K is for plain gold thai style jewelry, way too soft to be safe.

[differentbutsamesame]

Their are still many places to buy diamond jewellery in Bangkok, for half the price you would pay in Europe or US, most of reputable manufacturers will offer GIA certificates with all their jewellery (On 0,30ct up)

If you already bought it and want to check your diamond, GIA is the best lab in town but also the most expensive. Some labs on Silom road like Tokyo Labs are much cheaper, but safe and accurate too.

AIGS lab inside Jewelry Trade Center is the best lab for color stones. Most of these labs will certify but not put a price on your jewellery.

What size are the diamonds ? Where is the shop you are buying from ? They didn't give you any certificate ?

There are very few chemically treated diamonds in Bkk, unless you buy canary yellow diamonds i would not worry about chemical treatment. Their are a few laser drilled diamonds but still much less than in the US (almost 1 out of 3 there.) Laser drilling isn't a scam, it can be a way for customer on a budget to get a bigger and cleaner looking stone for less $. It's not a scam as long as it's stated by the seller.

That's why you should always buy jewellery with a certificate containing at least the color, clarity, seperate weight of the stones, cut, fluorescence and possible treatment.

Stay away from bad cut as much as bad color or clarity. Avoid strong fluorescence diamonds, as they will tend to look blue or 'milky'.

The major concern i would have if i was you is on the color and clarity of the stones.

Most shop in MBK sell H-K color/SI-I3 clarity, those diamonds can look good from far but are absolutely disgusting to any trained eye. Stay away from MBK ...

Sorry for my poor english i'm a swiss (jeweler).

Danke shon for your advice. I will check out GIA labs and Tokyo labs.

The problem is i don't know much about jewelry and i don't buy it as an investment.

[MPJ]

You are welcome, If you have any question, feel free to message me