THE JEWELLERY TRADE CENTER:
Buying a Gemstone in Thailand
The Jewelry Trade Center in Silom, Bangkok
Table of Contents
- What is the Jewelry Trade Center?
- Can I Visit the Jewelry Trade Center?
- The Gem Sellers of The Jewelry Trade Center
- Is It Safe to Buy a Gemstone In The Jewelry Trade Center?
- Is Buying a Gemstone Cheaper at Jewelry Trade Center?
- Can I Have My Gemstone Set into Jewelry at The Jewelry Trade Center?
- The Sapphire Merchant in the Jewelry Trade Center
- Shop the The Sapphire Merchant Gemstone Collection
The Sapphire Merchant's showrooms, located in Christchurch, New Zealand, and the tower of the Jewelry Trade Centre in Bangkok, offer a unique gemstone viewing experience. Whether you're in Thailand or New Zealand, our showrooms provide a safe, welcoming, and private environment to explore our extraordinary collection of natural gemstones.
1. WHAT IS THE JEWELRY TRADE CENTER?
The Jewelry Trade Center (JTC) is a building dedicated to precious gemstones. Located in the gemstone and jewellery district of Silom, Bangkok, it is a towering 220-meter skyscraper and the crowning jewel of this vibrant district.
The Jewelry Trade Center comprises 59 floors, with every type of business related to the gemstone industry. When you enter The Jewelry Trade Center from the ground floor, you are greeted by glass booth after glass booth filled with lustrous, sparkling gemstones and jewellery, brightly lit, showcasing the natural beauty of the items on display. The basement and first five floors are a traditional mall set-up, with a mixture of gem dealers' booths, stores selling minerals, jewellery supply stores, and gemological testing labs. There are also coffee carts and clothing stores throughout.
The front entrance of The Jewelry Trade Center
2. CAN I VISIT THE JEWELRY TRADE CENTER?
The Jewelry Trade Center is open to the public, making it a must-visit destination for gemstone enthusiasts. You can explore the first five floors of the center between 10 am and 7 pm Monday through Saturday.
The Jewelry Trade Center is a tourist attraction in its own right. Walking through The Jewelry Trade Center, you will see thousands of emeralds, rubies, sapphires and pearls, and every other type of precious and semi-precious gemstone you could imagine! The sheer scale of precious gemstones, jewellery and minerals on offer is hard to comprehend until you see it with your own eyes, and the value of the gemstones held in this building is genuinely startling.
Exploring all the Jewelry Trade Center has to offer. Precious gemstones, jewellery and minerals, there is something for every gem enthusiast here.
3. THE GEM SELLERS OF THE JEWELRY TRADE CENTER
The Jewelry Trade Center is a melting pot of people from different cultures and countries worldwide. Along with Thai-owned gem booths, you will also find booths leased by Pakistani, Indian, Sri Lankan, and African gem dealers, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. The coveted gem booths in The Jewelry Trade Center are bid for at auction, with the highest bidder taking the lease on the booth. There are long waiting lists for these prime-position booths, and they rarely become available. Wandering through The Jewelry Trade Center is a front-row seat to the gem trade. Gem traders go about their daily business, sorting gemstones and openly negotiating deals with other traders; others are working on or cleaning jewellery pieces. Everything is out in the open, and watching as a new visitor to the building is fascinating.
A local gemstone dealer busy at work in the Jewelry Trade Center
4. IS IT SAFE TO BUY A GEMSTONE AT THE JEWELRY TRADE CENTER?
Yes, it is safe to buy gemstones in The Jewelry Trade Center. However, some precautions should be taken.
Firstly, research the gemstone you are interested in buying. A better understanding of the gemstone will equip you with the knowledge to ask questions and know what you are viewing. We have a growing list of written educational pieces in our 'Beyond the Facet' blog to help the knowledge seeker better understand precious gemstones.
Secondly, take your time. Don't succumb to pressure to buy. Figure out your bottom line on price, and when it comes time to negotiate, hold your bottom line. Be prepared to walk away if the price is unrealistic.
And finally ALWAYS have your gemstone reported on by a reputable gem laboratory before money changes hands. There are several fantastic gem laboratories located in The Jewelry Trade Center, including AIGS (Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences), which we would recommend using.
The cost incurred for the laboratory report is the responsibility of the buyer; however, if the report comes back with conflicting findings to what was stated about the gemstone or agreed upon, then this can be used to cancel the sale of the gemstone and payment for the report is not required. Please note that it is acceptable for a gemstone to weigh 0.1ct, give or take from the weight quoted, and this is not grounds to cancel a sale. Grounds for cancelling a sale would be the verdict on gem variety and treatments.An example of this is when you are told a sapphire is unheated, but the laboratory report comes back as heated. This would be grounds to void a sale. Before you start negotiations for a gemstone, establish these boundaries to avoid conflict at the tail end of the closing deal.
We welcome you to make an appointment at our showroom in The Jewelry Trade Center if you are looking for a safe and comfortable low-pressure environment to view and explore the world of precious gemstones. Contact us today to schedule your appointment.
Can I Haggle a Gemstone at The Jewelry Trade Center?
Haggle is another word for negotiating, and 'haggling' is a standard practice when buying a gemstone in Thailand. Some gem dealers do not haggle, and they will state this at the beginning; however, this is the minority. Read our above paragraph, 'Is it safe to buy a gemstone in The Jewelry Trade Center?' for more information on the haggling process.
What is the Best Way to Pay for a Gemstone at The Jewelry Trade Center?
Consider how you will pay for a gemstone before you buy from The Jewelry Trade Center. Many dealers do not offer credit card facilities; if they do, up to 4% is added to compensate for credit card fees. Before you negotiate for a gemstone, clarify what form of payment the gemstone dealer will accept and query credit card fees. Many gem dealers want cash upfront. If you need access to cash, there are handy ATM's at The Jewelry Trade Center, which take foreign cards (again subject to a fee). International bank transfer is the most cost-effective way to pay for larger gemstones. However, this can take two working days to clear. If you are using this method, you may need to place a deposit on the gemstone to hold it, then wait until the transaction clears until you can collect the gemstone. Discussing payment methods to avoid surprises when the deal is closed is always important.
Opening prices are high, so make sure to haggle the price. Cash is the most preffered form of payment in The Jewelry Trade Center. Many vendors do not accept credit cards or apply fees as high as 4%
5. IS BUYING A GEMSTONE CHEAPER AT THE JEWELRY TRADE CENTER?
Buying a gemstone in Thailand doesn't always equate to cheaper gemstone prices, and many gem dealers at the Jewelry Trade Center will match retail prices seen in the Western market. Precious-coloured gemstones continue to rise in value and price, which is no different in The Jewelry Trade Center. There are always sharp deals to be had when buying a gemstone, however, these deals don't come daily, and strong negotiation skills are the key ingredient to buying a gemstone at the right price.
Throughout the first five floors of The Jewelry Trade Center, prepare to be quoted higher prices for quality gemstones, especially if you are a Western tourist.
Buying a gemstone in an open environment under pressure can also result in paying higher prices for gemstones. If you don't understand what you are buying, it's easy to make errors when evaluating a gemstone.
We suggest making an appointment at our office in The Jewelry Trade Center. Here, you have the privacy to view our extraordinary collection of precious gemstones in a comfortable environment. You can get the gemstones out, touch them and interact with them in a way that's not always possible in the booth area of The Jewelry Trade Center. This gives you the benefit of a private, no-pressure environment, teamed with our expertise and knowledge. We will walk you through what you are looking at, educate you further on the gemstones, and support you in obtaining a laboratory if you wish.
We also encourage you to shop around to compare prices. This is the optimal way for a less experienced buyer to shop for precious gemstones to help you achieve a better price.
Are All The Gemstones in The Jewelry Trade Center Real?
The biggest concern a tourist or gemstone enthusiast may have when shopping for a gemstone in Thailand is whether the gemstone they are buying is genuine or not. Thailand has a reputation for gem scams, and many unwitting buyers have been sold synthetic gemstones or not as originally advertised.
The Jewelry Trade Center, which sells natural gemstones and diamonds, also has gem dealers specialising in lab-created coloured gemstones and diamonds. Generally, a gem business operating in The Jewelry Trade Center would make this distinction, and gemstones sold as natural in this building almost always are. Read the above paragraph, 'Is it Safe to Buy a Gemstone in The Jewelry Trade Center,' for helpful buying advice.
Admiring some of the many beautiful gemstones on display at The Jewelry Trade Center
6. CAN I HAVE MY GEMSTONE SET INTO JEWELLERY AT THE JEWELRY TRADE CENTER?
Thailand is one of the most important hubs in the world for producing fine-quality jewellery at the manufacturing level.
At The Sapphire Merchant, all our custom jewellery pieces are created in Thailand for our New Zealand clientele. Additionally, we have clients in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
We can assist you with this process if you want to set your gemstone into a high-quality jewellery piece (or something simple).
We use computer-aided design (CAD) to create a stunning, true-to-life image for you; we work closely with you to perfect the design.
We use high-quality metals, gold or platinum, and natural or laboratory-created diamonds, whichever you prefer. Upon confirmation, your custom jewellery piece will be ready in 9-14 days. If you are no longer in Thailand, we use FedEx to ship to your door. You don't need to be in Thailand to undertake this process.
Visit our showroom in the Jewelry Trade Center or shop our online collection of gemstones from the comfort of your home. Choose a gemstone, and let us guide you in this process.
Alternatively, you can view our collection at our showroom at The Jewelry Trade Center in Thailand or our showroom in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Custom designed Paraiba Tourmaline Ring with D-Colour VVS Diamonds
7. THE SAPPHIRE MERCHANT AT THE JEWELRY TRADE CENTER
The sixth floor of The Jewelry Trade Center is the gateway for a security checkpoint and elevators that give access to the remaining 53 levels of the building. On level 46, The Sapphire Merchant has a beautiful office space with views overlooking sprawling Bangkok and the MahaNakhon Skyscraper, Thailand's tallest building at 314 meters.
Throughout these 53 levels, thousands of people work and live (the upper levels are one—and two-bedroom Condos). The office spaces are predominantly leased by gem dealers who specialize in coloured gemstones, but they also include diamond dealers, gem treatment suppliers, and the prestigious AIGS (Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences), which offers a Diploma in Gemological Studies so you can become an accredited gemologist.
Access to floors six and above in The Jewelry Trade Center is by appointment only. To arrange an appointment, contact us, and we will find a time that best suits your schedule.
We have listed a portion of our extraordinary gemstone collection in our online store. We have many more unlisted gemstones in stock, so if you are looking for something specific, please feel free to contact us, and we can assist you with your gemstone hunt.
Gemma from The Sapphire Merchant working in the Jewelry Trade Center office
Gemma, Tabish and Vincent Pardieu in the office at Jewellery Trade Ceter