Diamonds And Gold/cheaper In Canada Or Thailand ?

[lowerlakeside]

i am married to a thai women.next year we will have a wedding ceremony in thailand at her families home.i want to buy her a new diamond ring ,and gold necklace.Would i be better to buy them in Canada or would ther be better deals in thailand (ie :price per karat etc)

[shalin999]

I think getting a diamond ring from here would be much cheaper than Canada. for one thing our company deals in diamonds and jewelery. So we can offer u a good deal. All the diamonds are from Belgium and certified. The labor for making a ring is also cheaper here than in Canada.

[Prakanong2005]

I think getting a diamond ring from here would be much cheaper than Canada. for one thing our company deals in diamonds and jewelery. So we can offer u a good deal. All the diamonds are from Belgium and certified. The labor for making a ring is also cheaper here than in Canada.

Sounds a real top notch company there with a hotmail address!!

OP - buy the gold in Thailand if its chains, bracelets etc.

As the guy above mentioned Belgium it can be cheaper to fly to Belgium, go to Antworp and get a certified diamond from the dealers there set how you want. You would probably save the cost of the flight and long weekend away if you were getting a diamond better than your average high street jeweller.

Do a serach for diamoinds and antwerp and you will se the official sites - they do tours and show you around the workshops

[Carmine6]

I think getting a diamond ring from here would be much cheaper than Canada. for one thing our company deals in diamonds and jewelery. So we can offer u a good deal. All the diamonds are from Belgium and certified. The labor for making a ring is also cheaper here than in Canada.

Sounds a real top notch company there with a hotmail address!!

OP - buy the gold in Thailand if its chains, bracelets etc.

As the guy above mentioned Belgium it can be cheaper to fly to Belgium, go to Antworp and get a certified diamond from the dealers there set how you want. You would probably save the cost of the flight and long weekend away if you were getting a diamond better than your average high street jeweller.

Do a serach for diamoinds and antwerp and you will se the official sites - they do tours and show you around the workshops

Yes, buy the bigger gold items in Thailand. It's got a higher gold content than what you'll get in Canada and you can actually take it to a gold shop and sell it back later based on weight. The benefit to buying in Canada is that the metal won't be as soft and will look better longer. But it's not as yellow as the gold in Asia due to the lower gold percentage, so might not be as appealing as what your wife is used to.

[AmeriThai]

The OP wants to buy a diamond ring and a gold necklace. A gold necklace from a gold shop would be fine. But the rings usually found in the gold shops are much too soft to use for a diamond ring. Most of the better gem stores in BKK use the same standards of kt weight gold for gemstone rings as would be found in Canada or the USA because it's stronger and more durable to keep the gems intact. Admittedly, the high percentage gold in Thai gold shops is dazzling, but much too risky to use for gemstones.

[barryofthailand]

Your better off purchasing in Canada. The gold in thailand as stated is much too soft 24K. The gold in canada is of good quality 14 to 18K. Gold from western countries like Canada, USA, England is of much better quality.

Barry

[chuchok]

Your better off purchasing in Canada. The gold in thailand as stated is much too soft 24K. The gold in canada is of good quality 14 to 18K. Gold from western countries like Canada, USA, England is of much better quality.Barry

Why?

[barryofthailand]

Look, and feel the difference, and you will know why.

Barry

[chuchok]

Look, and feel the difference, and you will know why.

Barry

Can't agree.most western gold is no where near pure and looses half it's value the second you purchase it.There is also a huge difference between say the wholesale price of 9-18 gold and the retail price.Pure Thai Yarrowat gold, the margin is perhaps 3-5%, where western gold the margin can be as large as 300%.Ever wondered why thay can can have 50-60% sale prices..

Because Thai gold is almost pure, it is very soft.Other metals can be added to harden the gold (silver, palladium, copper, zinc or nickel ), however this will lower the amount of carats .

The reason why Thai gold or it's equivilent is so sort after is that it can act as an investment/ currency.

If westerners had been brought up around pure gold, they would look down ther noses at western gold...just like most asians do today.

[AmeriThai]

Look, and feel the difference, and you will know why.

Barry

Can't agree.most western gold is no where near pure and looses half it's value the second you purchase it.There is also a huge difference between say the wholesale price of 9-18 gold and the retail price.Pure Thai Yarrowat gold, the margin is perhaps 3-5%, where western gold the margin can be as large as 300%.Ever wondered why thay can can have 50-60% sale prices..

Because Thai gold is almost pure, it is very soft.Other metals can be added to harden the gold (silver, palladium, copper, zinc or nickel ), however this will lower the amount of carats .

The reason why Thai gold or it's equivilent is so sort after is that it can act as an investment/ currency.

If westerners had been brought up around pure gold, they would look down ther noses at western gold...just like most asians do today.

Persoally, I like Thai gold because it has a deeper gold color to it. I have a ring of Thai gold, but I don't wear it often because it's just too soft and subject to damge and scratches. Western gold looks pretty bland in comparison. But for frequent wearing, such as a wedding ring, 14K or even 18K gold rings are much more durable because, as you said, they are made with other ores not only to reduce the karat, but to make them harder and subject to less damage. I agree that the resale value of Western gold jewelry is less than Thai gold. But then the traditional idea of a wedding ring is suppose to be long lasting for sentimental reasons.

[simcity]

i got a nice gold band ring made in Bangkok , about 1 baht or bit more , i bough a star sapphire in chiangmai , and in australia a jewelry put it together , look good and hard !

[somchai jones]

Your better off purchasing in Canada. The gold in thailand as stated is much too soft 24K. The gold in canada is of good quality 14 to 18K. Gold from western countries like Canada, USA, England is of much better quality.

Barry

Gold from western countries like Canada, USA, England is of much better quality.

Baffling. How can Canada/UK gold be 'better quality' when it is far less pure than Thai gold?

Look, and feel the difference, and you will know why.

Barry

Can't agree.most western gold is no where near pure and looses half it's value the second you purchase it.There is also a huge difference between say the wholesale price of 9-18 gold and the retail price.Pure Thai Yarrowat gold, the margin is perhaps 3-5%, where western gold the margin can be as large as 300%.Ever wondered why thay can can have 50-60% sale prices..

Because Thai gold is almost pure, it is very soft.Other metals can be added to harden the gold (silver, palladium, copper, zinc or nickel ), however this will lower the amount of carats .

The reason why Thai gold or it's equivilent is so sort after is that it can act as an investment/ currency.

If westerners had been brought up around pure gold, they would look down ther noses at western gold...just like most asians do today.

Oops... should have read further. Chuchok sums it up very well.

[haha]

about 10 years ago, one of my annual routines was to buy a few thai gold bracelets here in bangkok, then, return to the states to sell them. it was just a hobby thing, but what I found out from that experience was that I could sell the thai gold jewelry for at least 3x what I paid for it here.

if you go to the right gold jewelry shops, you will see gold bracelets where the design is exquisite. much more intricate than what I have seen in the states, or in hong kong even.

the best selling bracelets were the charm bracelets. and the best customers were philippino girls. once, I showed a group of philippino girls 5 thai gold bracelets - all of different designs. the girls all wanted the gold charm bracelets. I could have sold at least 10 of them at that time if I had them.

as I recall, the girls like the way the charms were made. very detailed. one of the charms on the bracelet had this "ball within a ball within a ball" look. the girls would die for it. hehehe.

[TokyoT]

The necklace you should certainly buy in Thailand. As many posters on the forum have pointed out the Thai gold is a higher karat than what you typically find in the west. The higher gold content also means the gold looks significantly different. So if you do buy the necklace in Canada your wife may not like the look of it, and therefore not wear it.

The ring is another story. A result of the higher gold content in Thai gold it is also significantly softer, and therefore may not be the best choice for a diamond setting. I think your best bet here is to go “window” shopping with your wife in Canada to get some feedback from her in regard to the look of the rings available. If she does not like what she sees you might be better off not getting a diamond ring – spend the money on more Thai gold. I would be concerned about possibly loosing the stone out of the softer settings in Thai gold.

I personally don’t like the look of Thai gold. To me it is too bold and reminds me of someone trying too hard to show off their wealth (but here in Thailand that is part of why they wear the gold in the first place). People wearing a lot of Thai gold always reminds me of the pimp looking characters in American movies. But to Thais the look is very fashionable and preferred over the look of 14K or 18K gold more popular in the west.

[Mighty Mouse]

Gold is gold, it doesn't lose value as long as you buy at market prices.

If you buy gold jewellery at a retail outlet, you will pay top dollar. You need to buy wholesale, thus saving yourself markup value. The way to do this is to buy gold second hand. (auctions, private sales, bankrupt stock etc.)

If you buy jewellery because you love the design of the piece, then you are spending your money on something you want to wear because it looks attractive, not because of the amount of gold in the piece.

The total value of the piece may well be a lot more that the market value for the gold content, as the price includes design and workmanship.

If you buy gold for gold content alone, then you would be wise to buy Thai gold as it is almost pure.

9ct and 18ct gold jewellery is sold specifically to be worn. It should not be purchased for investment purposes.

[Lourens]

I think that you will find that daimonds are the same price no matter where you buy them from. I thought daimonds would be cheaper in South Africa because that is where most of them comes from. But a stone of similar size and purity cost exactly the same in Thailand and in Saudi Arabia. It's all controlled by the De Beers company.

[spog]

Huh, I thought that 24K Thai gold was only something like 99.95 fine

Whereas western 24K gold is 99.999

EDIT: http://gold.yabz.com/buying_gold.htm

Swiss gold is 999 fine (24K) = 99.9% pure gold

Thai gold is 965 fine (23k) = 96.5% pure gold

Edited February 23, 2006 by spog

[sadman]

Does it have to be a straight choice between Canada and LOS? I get diamonds from Goa, which works out about two thirds cheaper than in the UK. Don't know about plain gold, though.

[AmeriThai]

Huh, I thought that 24K Thai gold was only something like 99.95 fine

Whereas western 24K gold is 99.999

EDIT: http://gold.yabz.com/buying_gold.htm

Swiss gold is 999 fine (24K) = 99.9% pure gold

Thai gold is 965 fine (23k) = 96.5% pure gold

Nice reference! It should be pretty obvious to anyone that pure gold is 24kt or 100%. Looks to me like the web page is talking about the level of fineness as it pertains to making gold jewelry in various countries.

The percentage stamped on my gold ring and neckchain is 96.5% (23.16 karat).

I've seen shops saying they sell 100% (pure) gold. Probably close, but not an exact 100%. From what I gather such gold is primarily in the form of bars or certain amulets, but not for things like rings, etc.

[cdnvic]

I think that you will find that daimonds are the same price no matter where you buy them from. I thought daimonds would be cheaper in South Africa because that is where most of them comes from. But a stone of similar size and purity cost exactly the same in Thailand and in Saudi Arabia. It's all controlled by the De Beers company.

Only SA diamonds, and within 5yrs Canadian diamond production from the big mines coming online in the northern territories will surpass South African production. You may want to get a Nunuvuut diamond in Canada and have the ring itself made here. where the work would be done cheaper.

As for gold quality, you can get 18k gold at any Canadian jeweler. Going much more pure than that will make the ring too soft.

cv

[Mighty Mouse]

Diamonds are not all the same, nor is their true value.

The following was recently written by Richard Russell of the Dow Theory Letters.

One of the major factors in the world diamond picture is De Beers, the company that controls about 40% of world production and 60% of diamond wholesaling. The talk for years has been that diamond prices are phoney, since they are fixed and controlled by De Beers. But today Russia and Canada both produce diamonds, and I believe the diamond market is now relatively free. After all, if Canada or Russia wanted to, they could undercut De Beers on the price of diamonds. In other words, there is competition in the diamond world, since De Beers no longer control the world price of diamonds.

I've received a lot of questions and interest in diamonds as a store of value. You hear an amazing amount of pure baloney about diamonds, such as "yeah, you buy 'em at retail but where can you sell 'em?" Or "diamonds are a manipulated and controlled market. Without the manipulation, the prices would collapse."

Interestingly, there are large ads in the New York Times every week -- ads offering to BUY diamonds. Now why would these people advertise to buy your diamonds? Obviously, because they believe they can sell your diamonds (if they're gem-quality) at a profit. Yes, there is no problem selling gem-quality diamonds.

First, we must realize that there are two broad classes of diamonds. There are what I call the "junk diamonds" that are sold in chain jewelry stores in every mall in the nation. Most of these junk diamonds are small, poor quality and overpriced. If you buy, say a half caret diamond ring for $2,000, you may be offered little or nothing for that ring or the diamond in that ring if you attempt to resell it. As an investment, most chain store diamond rings are close to unsaleable.

There is, however, a huge legitimate diamond market for gem-quality stones. Despite what you may hear, small diamonds (under a carat) are not rare. Any stone 3 carats or over is considered a "larger stone." Over 5 carats is a "large stone," and is fairly rare. Over 10 carats is considered "very large," and extremely rare. Small diamonds are not rare, but if gem quality they are salable. Large gem-quality diamonds are rare, and their price goes up geometrically with size.

Over recent years, diamonds have become somewhat of a commodity. This is because of the "rap sheet," which is put out monthly by the Rappaport company. The rap sheet lists different cuts of diamonds, and it prices them according their color and clarity. Thus diamonds can be graded according to a standard -- but the cut and the look of every diamond, regardless of size, color, shape or clarity, is different. Thus, a gem-quality diamond may sell "above or below rap." A beautifully cut diamond may sell above rap, while the same size and quality diamond that doesn't quite have the same appearance may sell below rap.

Aside from size and shape and cut, diamonds sell on the basis of their color (how white are they?) and their clarity (how free from defects are they?). A perfect diamond as to color and clarity is a D color internally flawless diamond. Colors in diamonds run from D (the best and whitest) down to K, L, M, the poorest. Any diamond from D down to J color is considered a "white diamond." The best clarity is IF, and clarity runs down to VVS, VS, to SI, the poorest (SI means slightly included, inclusions (defects) that you can see with the naked eye).

You almost surely cannot buy a diamond at a wholesale price. Furthermore, you should not buy a diamond strictly as a store of value. The stone you buy may or may not turn out to be a worthwhile store of value. You buy a "good" diamond because you've fallen in love with the stone, or because you want to give the diamond to your spouse or your lover as a present.

You don't buy a diamond to sell at a profit two years from now. The chances are 10 or 20 years from now you will be able to sell your gem-quality diamond for a profit, maybe a big profit -- but that isn't why you bought the stone in the first place.

The market for diamonds is now greatly enlarged, due to Asian buying and particularly Chinese buying. Fifty percent of all weddings in China now involve the purchase of a diamond. And the mass of Chinese are getting richer. The Japanese are also big buyers of diamonds, and they are now preferring larger stones set in platinum.