Buying wedding rings in Thailand v UK

[Pete Beale]

My Fiance doesn't like the colour of Thai gold and I assume it's high karat content would make it too soft for a hard wearing ring, so is it possible/practical to buy lower karat wedding rings in Thailand, 18 karat or less. If it is possible would it be worth buying in Thailand or would I be better off getting them in UK as my Fiance suggests I do.

[Baerboxer]

Congratulations and best wishes on your forthcoming wedding.

We bought all are jewelry here, except for the wedding bands which were from the UK. Yes, UK 9 carat is much harder wearing than the higher carat that Asian's normally prefer. The cost of UK rings in mainly the labor for that reason, so bear that in mind.

Best.

[cassde]

My Thai wife prefers the colour of Thai gold and states that UK gold that she inherited would not be bought by Thai gold dealers, even though it was hallmarked. Interesting?

[Khunangkaro]

We bought rings four years ago at Yaowarat in Bangkok. Yes they are soft gold metal.

Deformed (bended) easy under work when handling tools and get scratched.

What annoys me is the sharp edge that cuts the skin of my finger.

Thus I cannot wear my ring all the time.

Wish you all the best with you both.

[sometimewoodworker]

Hi Peter

If you have the time then any good jewellery shop will make rings for you in any carat you like, any design you want and any colour you want. The colour is achieved by mixing in different metals, ours have rubidium to make part white.

I designed our wedding rings as an intertwined mix of a white and a yellow ring on the front changing to a single yellow ring on the back, with our names engraved in the reverse, my wife on the yellow and mine on the white. They are 18 carat which is standard for wedding rings and after wearing mine virtually continually for 9 years it is still perfectly round.

They are unique.

Edited September 18, 2014 by sometimewoodworker

[stgrhe]

Your fiance is right, you should not use anything above 18 carat for a ring if the stone is valuable as higher carat gold is soft and there is a greater risk of loosing the stone. However, many dealers in Bangkok deals with 18 carat gold. Go to a dealer in one of the top malls. If your fiance wants a diamond remember to go for quality first, not size. If you have the budget for it, buy a certified diamond and make the ring. Also, if your fiance prefers white gold, I would strongly recomend platinum instead, is has much better lustre, is harder but regretably also more expensive.

For certification never ever accept a so-called 'in-house' certification made by the dealer. The best reputation of the certification authorities have HRD (which is an abbreviation of the Dutch “Hoge Raad voor Diamant”) whereas the American GIA have had some mishaps.

Good luck to you!

[ChristopheNocher]

Hi Pete, I agree with your fiance. Anything above 18K is made for Asian market. Mostly Indian. 18K is not a problem to find in Thailand tho.

Be careful with what you buy in mall if you were willing to go there. The price won't be necessary cheaper than in UK and you might have some bad quality too.

STGRHE is right about diamond quality and certificate also.

I am working in the high jewelry market, if you need help or advice you can contact me.

Wish you all the best with your fiance!

Chris

[Anon999]

My Thai wife prefers the colour of Thai gold and states that UK gold that she inherited would not be bought by Thai gold dealers, even though it was hallmarked. Interesting?

Very true, they look at anything less that 24 carat as 'no good'.

[rotary]

Platinum is all the fad now plus wears longer and holds diamonds better some people claim.

[arjunadawn]

I had purchased all my jewelry from Venus Jewelry over on Wireless rd BKK. Great products prices and services. Very happy. Once, they even gave me full return on 89th day after purchase of engagement ring. Yea, it soured that quick. Great people.

[gb33]

Hi Pete,

18K gold is a very good alternate solution for you. The color of 18K gold we use in the west is less intense than "Thai gold" and its significantly more durable. For all intents and purposes an 18K ring will last a lifetime - or more. As another posted mentioned in this string, the color of the gold is determined by special alloys, which are added as part of the production process. I will admint that 18K gold gold is much lighter in color than Thai gold yet it keeps a rich look and feel to it. An overall good choice.

Regarding prices, because the raw material (gold and diamonds) is pretty much the same globally the price difference between the UK and Thailand is negligible. Once you've got an idea of the design you're looking into creating, I am happy to discuss this with you in a little more detail in person. I own and operate a high end jewelry factory inside a jewelry specific industrial estate near Suvarnabhumi. Please feel free to contact me, I'd be happy to help you get started.

Regarding where to buy, unless you know what you're doing if I were you Id be wary of buying from local shops and malls. I wouldn't do it.

Regards and good luck.

Greg

[gb33]

Platinum is all the fad now plus wears longer and holds diamonds better some people claim.

I dont know if this statement is true, platinum has been trending downward for some time now. Regarding diamond security, this factor is based more on the skill of the setter and the eye of the QC manager. If anything, 18K yellow is trending up, beyond white gold.

Several years ago I replaced my wife's platinum rings with 18K white gold. Over time, platinum has a grey look to it.

[Grindting]

I've always thought thai (or asian) gold looks very tacky. The bright yellowness as stated by others does not indicate purity, as a bar of 999.9 etc gold pure does not look like that when cut. I remember I bought my ex wife (thai) an 18k gold wedding ring from the UK to use when we married, as I thought it would be more tasteful and will look better in years to come compared with the local thai's scratched up and tacky yellow coloured monstrosities using 22/24k gold. She was disappointed in my choice, probably because she could not easily cash it in on a rainy day in Thailand.

Go 8 years forward I was married this year to a proper woman who has taste and decorum, i went with platinum, for myself and her wedding ring, and her engagement ring is also platinum. Much better than white gold which will yellow over time and need more polishing jobs.

In some way I regret not getting the rings in asia (Indonesia or Thailand etc) as platinum itself is a bit closer to the real market rate, although much harder to find in non-big brand stores for the hi-so's (de beers / Tiffanys etc), but still can be obtained. And as for the stone, GIA certified diamonds Are cheaper in Indonesia / Thailand than the UK, you can get better deals if you shop around. Could have saved about £400 on the stone wth the same specification and a couple of hundred on the platinum. Obviously don't buy in the tuktuk's favourite jem store!

You will always pay for what you get and do not discount the quality that can be obtained from a Cartier or de beers diamond, just because a GIA certified diamond will have the same spec and indicate an 'excellent' cut.. Those de beers cuts ARE in a league of the own, and really do sparkle like something else. But the additional cost compared with going it alone (buy your own diamond / setting independently) can be up to double ! But they retain their value more. Wish I could afford a de beers diamond for my mrs that's all I can say, they are something else, and she deserves it. But she was more than thrilled with my choice of .5 carot, D colourless VS1 in platinum

[NickMay]

We bought our engagement ring and wedding bands at MBK. Most of the brokers there had legitimate certs on the rings we looked at. A few, not so legitimate. You can haggle a bit as most of them have their diamonds overpriced so you think you're getting a deal when they offer you less. We had them appraised in Singapore for a bit more than we paid, so I feel we got a good deal. I have a good knowledge of diamonds, so I don't recommend that everyone should do this without some serious research, but a good deal can be had as well as a massive rip-off too.

There is absolutely no reason to buy a ring of more than 18K. Because it is so soft, it will bend, losing it's shape and luster and possibly losing the diamond. I bought a Thai gold ring a year ago and traded it in last month because it was so misshapen that it was cutting my finger. I could bend it just by squeezing it with my fingers. I have 18K now and it is much better.

[Mrjlh]

Go to the "Jewelry Center" on Silom Rd. in Bangkok. Ask for 18K rings and certified if yo have diamonds. Lots of choices. They will even make a custom setting very reasonable.

[DrDave]

I had purchased all my jewelry from Venus Jewelry over on Wireless rd BKK. Great products prices and services. Very happy. Once, they even gave me full return on 89th day after purchase of engagement ring. Yea, it soured that quick. Great people.

I can also recommend Venus Jewelry. Bought my wife's diamond engagement ring there years ago. Good people and good prices. Just a block or so down the street from the US Consulate on Wireless Road.

It's owned by the family of one of my Thai friends in the USA.

[Bpuumike]

Hi Pete,

18K gold is a very good alternate solution for you. The color of 18K gold we use in the west is less intense than "Thai gold" and its significantly more durable. For all intents and purposes an 18K ring will last a lifetime - or more. As another posted mentioned in this string, the color of the gold is determined by special alloys, which are added as part of the production process. I will admint that 18K gold gold is much lighter in color than Thai gold yet it keeps a rich look and feel to it. An overall good choice.

Regarding prices, because the raw material (gold and diamonds) is pretty much the same globally the price difference between the UK and Thailand is negligible. Once you've got an idea of the design you're looking into creating, I am happy to discuss this with you in a little more detail in person. I own and operate a high end jewelry factory inside a jewelry specific industrial estate near Suvarnabhumi. Please feel free to contact me, I'd be happy to help you get started.

Regarding where to buy, unless you know what you're doing if I were you Id be wary of buying from local shops and malls. I wouldn't do it.

Regards and good luck.

Greg

Greg is quite right.

I had 18K wedding rings made in BKK for my niece and her (now) husband back in the UK. I think the price was the same, or less, than 14K rings bought off the shelf in the UK. Also made to your own specs. They provided the ring sizes required and turned out to be perfect fits.

Feel free to PM if you need a reliable and reasonably priced jeweller in the Sukhumvit area.

[richard_smith237]

We had platinum rings as preferred the colour when compared to gold - thus the wear / softness is not an issue.

My Wife also had a replica of her 3.5 carat Diamond Engagement ring made (by http://boonthipjewelry.com).... replicating the White Gold part of the ring for Silver and replacing the Diamond with a Cubic Zirconium... The real deal stays secure, the replica gets worn without concern or worry.

[rotary]

I guess there are pros and cons to anything plus the jeweler will try to sell what is in style that has the best mark up it expect.

[Grindting]

We had platinum rings as preferred the colour when compared to gold - thus the wear / softness is not an issue.

My Wife also had a replica of her 3.5 carat Diamond Engagement ring made (by http://boonthipjewelry.com).... replicating the White Gold part of the ring for Silver and replacing the Diamond with a Cubic Zirconium... The real deal stays secure, the replica gets worn without concern or worry.

I've heard of this kind of thing before. But I don't see what is the point?

On days she's roughing it, just don't wear it (as that's a bloody huge fvkin rock!). And on normal days, just wear it with pride! If I had a £30,000 patek I'd wear it all the time, I don't relate or agree with the whole 'special occasions' crap.

What's the point in an engagement ring she can't happily wear every day with pride? My mrs engagement ring was probably about £2500, I know not a lot compared to a stone like your mrs. But she doesn't even take it off scuba diving, it's not going anywhere. Why didn't you just buy something more modest and then put the balance of cash in a bond? Unless the ring was handed down by a relative for example

Edited September 18, 2014 by Grindting

[kevinc]

If i was you i would buy 18k fromn U.K. Thai gold is 96.5% gold (23 carat) and sold in 'Baht' weight so as a Baht weight is roughly 15 grammes the Thai gold makers use half a Baht weight (7.5 grammes) or variations of dividing 15 grammes into halves or quarters. As Thai gold is predominantly made for investment gold the quality isnt very good (in most cases) as they work on a very small percent margin above the price (weight) of the actual gold. When i look at Thai jewellery through an eye glass it is roughly and poorly made, (i am in the jewellery business in UK) Also due to it being 23 carat it is like lead in its consistancy, it tends to bend easy and chip (when designed as rings). It tends to feel rough on your finger also and can nip your skin. 18 carat gold in Thailand is more expensive than 23 carat as its imported so its seen as better but it is highly taxed.

Platinum (as someone suggested) is grey and like a lead colour also but because of its dull grey colour it is (as white gold is also) electroplated in Rhodium (similer to chrome plating on car parts), the Rhodium wears off in a year or so and it looks dull again. Platinum is stronger and heavier than 23 carat gold.

18 carat rings in the UK are more likely to be of much better quality as its not really sold as weight so the percent (mark up) is probably 3 times more than Thai 23 carat gold. U.k Jewellers to justify the price above the actual gold weight value have to sell better quality designed gold. 18 carat is perfect for long lasting smooth wearing wedding rings.

Just dont pay rediculous prices for them. There are plenty of sellers on ebay and such like that will sell you nice 18 carat rings at a fraction of the high street shop price. As a guide i personally wouldnt buy anything less than 4 grammes for a lady and 6-8 grammes for a mans wedding ring as they will be too thin.

Hope that helps and good luck.

[Jip66]

Give this guy, Narinda (an Indian friend of my father located in Bangkok), a call 0066 819288656, tell him what you want (he can do both 18k & Thai gold) & I'm sure he will give you a very reasonable price. Congratz by the way

[sometimewoodworker]

If i was you i would buy 18k fromn U.K. Thai gold is 96.5% gold (23 carat) and sold in 'Baht' weight so as a Baht weight is roughly 15 grammes the Thai gold makers use half a Baht weight (7.5 grammes) or variations of dividing 15 grammes into halves or quarters. As Thai gold is predominantly made for investment gold the quality isnt very good (in most cases) as they work on a very small percent margin above the price (weight) of the actual gold. When i look at Thai jewellery through an eye glass it is roughly and poorly made, (i am in the jewellery business in UK) Also due to it being 23 carat it is like lead in its consistancy, it tends to bend easy and chip (when designed as rings). It tends to feel rough on your finger also and can nip your skin. 18 carat gold in Thailand is more expensive than 23 carat as its imported so its seen as better but it is highly taxed.

I don't know where your information is comming from but it is wrong. Thai makers are perfectly able to alloy gold, it isn't rocket science. The price in a good shop is based on the gold content plus making. Our wedding rings were priced on that basis, 18 carat and so were less expensive than 23 carat. Alloying was done in the Thai workshop not imported

18 carat rings in the UK are more likely to be of much better quality as its not really sold as weight so the percent (mark up) is probably 3 times more than Thai 23 carat gold. U.k Jewellers to justify the price above the actual gold weight value have to sell better quality designed gold. 18 carat is perfect for long lasting smooth wearing wedding rings.

Having seen, and bought both Thai, mostly from Yawalat, and UK gold the quality of workmanship was just as good, design is a personnel choice and I prefer the Thai design so for me Thai gold is better designed, just as well made holds its value, and very much less expensive.

Certainly for most gold it is nice to be able to sell an item you no longer want for a reasonable price, sometimes at a profit. Rather than the UK model where the buying price is about ⅓ to ¼ of the world gold price while the selling price is probably at least 3 times WGP so you will never get anything close to the price you paid.

Just to illustrate I have an item that I paid ฿16,000 for that I can sell today for about ฿75,000

Just dont pay rediculous prices for them. There are plenty of sellers on ebay and such like that will sell you nice 18 carat rings at a fraction of the high street shop price. As a guide i personally wouldnt buy anything less than 4 grammes for a lady and 6-8 grammes for a mans wedding ring as they will be too thin.

Hope that helps and good luck.

for weight it will depend on style but that is a good starting point.

As to buying on eBay the Latin phrase caveat emptor is one to take to heart. You have no way of knowing if what you get is real or plated, I would never trust somebody who could easily disappear.

[sometimewoodworker]

Hi Pete,

18K gold is a very good alternate solution for you. The color of 18K gold we use in the west is less intense than "Thai gold" and its significantly more durable. For all intents and purposes an 18K ring will last a lifetime - or more. As another posted mentioned in this string, the color of the gold is determined by special alloys, which are added as part of the production process. I will admint that 18K gold gold is much lighter in color than Thai gold yet it keeps a rich look and feel to it. An overall good choice.

While makers would like you to believe in "special" alloys there is nothing very special about the alloying metals. Certainly there is special knowledge of the exact amounts of metals to add to get the colour you are aiming for (more copper redder, more silver, not so red) but as I mentioned before you can get virtually any colour you want by adjusting the alloying metal proportions. So for that you may need an expereanced gold smith.

http://chemistry.about.com/od/jewelrychemistry/a/goldalloys.htm

FWIW our Thai 18 carat rings are very similar in colour to Thai 23 carat as that was the colour my wife wanted.

Yellow Gold (22K)

Gold 91.67%

Silver 5%

Copper 2%

Zinc 1.33%

Red Gold (18K)

Gold 75%

Copper 25%

Edited September 19, 2014 by sometimewoodworker

[gb33]

Give this guy, Narinda (an Indian friend of my father located in Bangkok), a call 0066 819288656, tell him what you want (he can do both 18k & Thai gold) & I'm sure he will give you a very reasonable price. Congratz by the way

If anyone is going to contact this fella Narindra, please PM me first.

-gb33

[gb33]

Hi Pete,

18K gold is a very good alternate solution for you. The color of 18K gold we use in the west is less intense than "Thai gold" and its significantly more durable. For all intents and purposes an 18K ring will last a lifetime - or more. As another posted mentioned in this string, the color of the gold is determined by special alloys, which are added as part of the production process. I will admint that 18K gold gold is much lighter in color than Thai gold yet it keeps a rich look and feel to it. An overall good choice.

While makers would like you to believe in "special" alloys there is nothing very special about the alloying metals. Certainly there is special knowledge of the exact amounts of metals to add to get the colour you are aiming for (more copper redder, more silver, not so red) but as I mentioned before you can get virtually any colour you want by adjusting the alloying metal proportions. So for that you may need an expereanced gold smith.

http://chemistry.about.com/od/jewelrychemistry/a/goldalloys.htm

FWIW our Thai 18 carat rings are very similar in colour to Thai 23 carat as that was the colour my wife wanted.

Yellow Gold (22K)

Gold 91.67%

Silver 5%

Copper 2%

Zinc 1.33%

Red Gold (18K)

Gold 75%

Copper 25%

Hi Pete,

There is an entire industry which specializes in the design and manufacturing of alloys. The chemistry involved in this process is in fact quite specialized. If one were to simply mix 25% copper to some pure gold and hope that the 18K red gold item would look nice, they would be making a mistake. Not to put too fine a point but, the alloys do not simply change the color, they help prevent porocity, pitting, brittleness, cracking, tarnishing.. several things. The casting of high quality jewelry is tricky and challenging.

At the end of the day, please don't over think this stuff. Whats important to consider is that the ingredients are important to the final quality of your item. This is sort of like buying bread in Bangkok. If you buy a loaf of bread from a Thai baker, it'll taste like sugar and be full of ingredients you might not want in your body. If you buy your bread from a French baker it'll be made with care, taste lovely and the ingredients will be as expected. For several reasons, where you buy your ring matters if only because if you pay for a top quality product you should expect top quality raw material.

Would you be upset if you found out the copper or silver used to alloy your wife's ring was scrounged (or stolen) from a building site or a melted silver tray from a pawn shop? What if your wife gets a rash from the ring you bought her? Ill say this, be careful when / if you start talking with any the recommendations made in this thread. I know of one that you-should-be-very-wary-about, PM me for further info. For my company purposes, I purchase all my alloys from an American company called "United Precious Metals". This company is based in New York and they specialize in properly sourced and ethically manufactured alloys and raw material for the jewelry industry.

Good luck man.

gb

[Jip66]

Give this guy, Narinda (an Indian friend of my father located in Bangkok), a call 0066 819288656, tell him what you want (he can do both 18k & Thai gold) & I'm sure he will give you a very reasonable price. Congratz by the way

If anyone is going to contact this fella Narindra, please PM me first.

-gb33

For what reason would people need to PM you first? Do you personally know 'this fellow Narinda'?

[gb33]

Give this guy, Narinda (an Indian friend of my father located in Bangkok), a call 0066 819288656, tell him what you want (he can do both 18k & Thai gold) & I'm sure he will give you a very reasonable price. Congratz by the way

If anyone is going to contact this fella Narindra, please PM me first.

-gb33

For what reason would people need to PM you first? Do you personally know 'this fellow Narinda'?

Yes, I do know him, quite well actually. I assume you can read between the lines behind the reasons of a PM.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

My Thai wife prefers the colour of Thai gold and states that UK gold that she inherited would not be bought by Thai gold dealers, even though it was hallmarked. Interesting?

UK gold, has so little gold in it, it's practically worthless.

"Ratner c.r.a.p"

Real gold is the color of Thai gold, mainly because Thai gold is the real stuff.

As for how long it lasts, longer than most marriages.

Edited September 24, 2014 by AnotherOneAmerican

[gb33]

My Thai wife prefers the colour of Thai gold and states that UK gold that she inherited would not be bought by Thai gold dealers, even though it was hallmarked. Interesting?

UK gold, has so little gold in it, it's practically worthless.

"Ratner c.r.a.p"

Real gold is the color of Thai gold, mainly because Thai gold is the real stuff.

As for how long it lasts, longer than most marriages.

Huh, UK gold? Just look at the stamp.

14K gold: 58.5% pure gold

18k gold: 75% pure gold

Thai Baht gold: 96.5% pure gold