Buying Gemstones In Chiang Mai

[westbounder]

I'm looking to buy some small pocket sized gemstones (jade, crystal, rose quartz, etc.) and I was wondering how to go about buying them here in Chiang Mai.

Any ideas?

Thank You

[diddums]

Drive to the border I think is best.

[heybruce]

Drive to the border I think is best.

If you mean Mai Sai/Takilek, I wouldn't advise that unless the buyer is an expert on the stones. I don't know anything about gemstones, but I know that in the land of fakes I wouldn't spend any significant amount of money without first educating myself or finding a trusted expert, then buying from a reputable dealer.

[worgeordie]

Theres a man on Thapae Road who sells Gems,and has been doing

so for many years,so you would think he is honest and reliable,but

with my bad memory I just cannot remember the name of the shop,

He does advertise in those tourist magazines,maybe someone can

recall his name? just come to me its Saraze ? something like that

regards Worgeordie

Edited February 12, 2013 by worgeordie

[fcgprg]

Theres a man on Thapae Road who sells Gems,and has been doing

so for many years,so you would think he is honest and reliable,but

with my bad memory I just cannot remember the name of the shop,

He does advertise in those tourist magazines,maybe someone can

recall his name? just come to me its Saraze ? something like that

regards Worgeordie

I think you mean Sharaz jewellry on thapea Road ,i can confirm any stones bought off him will be genuine.

[HaleySabai]

I think you mean Sharaz jewellry on thapea Road ,i can confirm any stones bought off him will be genuine.

.......After all he is the "Gemstone Genius" .... and has been in town for a LONG time.

[orang37]

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Westbounder,

Given you describe what you want as "pocket sized gemstones (jade, crystal, rose quartz, etc.)," I believe most people would assume you are after cheap mineral specimens, not true gems.

The shop I think that Khun Worgeordie and Khun FCGPRG may be referring to is Shiraz Jewels, which is down toward the lower end of Thapae Road at 170 Thapae Road. The owner is Khun Nasser. I have never done business with him, or heard anything about him.

I would personally recommend the shop of Khun Fahim Ahmed, named Silver Arts, at 50 Loy Kroh. About in the middle of Loy Kroh between Changklan, and the outer moat road (Kotchasarn), His shop is really a gem, and bead shop, not a silver shop.

I have known Khun Fahim for years, and he has treated visitors I have referred to him with courtesy, and generously taken the time to educate them about the varying grades of gems, and the types of heat-treatment used, or not used, for certain stones, and how that affects their value.

In every case (three different persons), my friends who bought gems from him, when they had the gems evaluated back in their home countries by professionals, as part of having them mounted, found they were an excellent value in terms of price, and exactly as described by Khun Fahim. Please note that I have no business relationship with him, and, in fact, have never purchased anything from him myself. I have sought his advice on stone selection for replacing a missing "dragon's eye" gem in a remarkable rose-quartz statue of Mae Kwam Im (known more widely outside Thailand as Kwan Yen, and, technically, the "female manifestation" of the Dhyana Buddha, Avalokitesvara, in later so-called "Mahayana" Buddhism, as developed in India and China post 500CE), part of my own art collection.

He is from an extended "clan" in Jaipur, India, in the gem business for a very long time, and he served a long apprenticeship in every aspect of the trade, from a very young age, including learning cutting stones himself, and, then, learning appraisal, before being sent abroad to run his own store. He speaks perfect English, Thai, and Hindi-Urdu.

You might check out what he has. He is genuinely friendly, and never "pushy."

yrs, ~o:37;

[NancyL]

We bought jewelry from Shiraz over twenty years ago -- frankly I'd kind of forgotten where we got it, I just remember it was bought during a vacation to Chiang Mai and that our jeweller in the U.S. was very impressed with the quality when I brought the pieces in for appraisal after returning from our vacation (incidentally, he said some "jade" we bought from a sidewalk vendor at the wat on Doi Suthep was glass, but that's another story.)

Anyway, recently I lost a small diamond from a pave setting of a piece I bought in the U.S. Someone said to go to Shiraz for the repair. I was amazed to realize I recognized the place, once inside, and also the owner. Same guy who sold us the beautiful quality jewelllry during our CM vacation two decades ago.

[fcgprg]

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Westbounder,

Given you describe what you want as "pocket sized gemstones (jade, crystal, rose quartz, etc.)," I believe most people would assume you are after cheap mineral specimens, not true gems.

The shop I think that Khun Worgeordie and Khun FCGPRG may be referring to is Shiraz Jewels, which is down toward the lower end of Thapae Road at 170 Thapae Road. The owner is Khun Nasser. I have never done business with him, or heard anything about him.

I would personally recommend the shop of Khun Fahim Ahmed, named Silver Arts, at 50 Loy Kroh. About in the middle of Loy Kroh between Changklan, and the outer moat road (Kotchasarn), His shop is really a gem, and bead shop, not a silver shop.

I have known Khun Fahim for years, and he has treated visitors I have referred to him with courtesy, and generously taken the time to educate them about the varying grades of gems, and the types of heat-treatment used, or not used, for certain stones, and how that affects their value.

In every case (three different persons), my friends who bought gems from him, when they had the gems evaluated back in their home countries by professionals, as part of having them mounted, found they were an excellent value in terms of price, and exactly as described by Khun Fahim. Please note that I have no business relationship with him, and, in fact, have never purchased anything from him myself. I have sought his advice on stone selection for replacing a missing "dragon's eye" gem in a remarkable rose-quartz statue of Mae Kwam Im (known more widely outside Thailand as Kwan Yen, and, technically, the "female manifestation" of the Dhyana Buddha, Avalokitesvara, in later so-called "Mahayana" Buddhism, as developed in India and China post 500CE), part of my own art collection.

He is from an extended "clan" in Jaipur, India, in the gem business for a very long time, and he served a long apprenticeship in every aspect of the trade, from a very young age, including learning cutting stones himself, and, then, learning appraisal, before being sent abroad to run his own store. He speaks perfect English, Thai, and Hindi-Urdu.

You might check out what he has. He is genuinely friendly, and never "pushy."

yrs, ~o:37;

Yes that is the man and the shop sorry about the mis spelt name.

[Joop50]

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Westbounder,

Given you describe what you want as "pocket sized gemstones (jade, crystal, rose quartz, etc.)," I believe most people would assume you are after cheap mineral specimens, not true gems.

The shop I think that Khun Worgeordie and Khun FCGPRG may be referring to is Shiraz Jewels, which is down toward the lower end of Thapae Road at 170 Thapae Road. The owner is Khun Nasser. I have never done business with him, or heard anything about him.

I would personally recommend the shop of Khun Fahim Ahmed, named Silver Arts, at 50 Loy Kroh. About in the middle of Loy Kroh between Changklan, and the outer moat road (Kotchasarn), His shop is really a gem, and bead shop, not a silver shop.

I have known Khun Fahim for years, and he has treated visitors I have referred to him with courtesy, and generously taken the time to educate them about the varying grades of gems, and the types of heat-treatment used, or not used, for certain stones, and how that affects their value.

In every case (three different persons), my friends who bought gems from him, when they had the gems evaluated back in their home countries by professionals, as part of having them mounted, found they were an excellent value in terms of price, and exactly as described by Khun Fahim. Please note that I have no business relationship with him, and, in fact, have never purchased anything from him myself. I have sought his advice on stone selection for replacing a missing "dragon's eye" gem in a remarkable rose-quartz statue of Mae Kwam Im (known more widely outside Thailand as Kwan Yen, and, technically, the "female manifestation" of the Dhyana Buddha, Avalokitesvara, in later so-called "Mahayana" Buddhism, as developed in India and China post 500CE), part of my own art collection.

He is from an extended "clan" in Jaipur, India, in the gem business for a very long time, and he served a long apprenticeship in every aspect of the trade, from a very young age, including learning cutting stones himself, and, then, learning appraisal, before being sent abroad to run his own store. He speaks perfect English, Thai, and Hindi-Urdu.

You might check out what he has. He is genuinely friendly, and never "pushy."

yrs, ~o:37;

Dear Orang, happy to read such a well written post from you again after quite a period. (Or did I missed some?)

Hope you are doing well and thank you for the advise which will be useful for me also.

Joop

Edited February 14, 2013 by Joop50

[sticklee]

Bee Tree in Ban Tawai. On the left side when entering the village, a 2 storey building and they are upstairs. The owner is American and travels extensively buying gems and rough stones. Most stones are cut and polished by them, the owner during much himself. All top quality stones and certified. They have a lot of rare and unusual mineral samples and semi precious stones. I have a few smaller rubies and sapphires for sale, if interested pm me.