You are invited to visit MY HOUSE
" CHANTABURI...City Of Gems "
MY HOUSE, Chantaburi located some 250 kilometers from Bangkok, the town owes its prominence to the nearby presence of a legendary gem mountain known as the Khao Ploei Waen. In the past sapphires and rubies littered the ground there in such quantities that village children used them as marbles or smashed them into pieces for the pleasure of making colored sparks fly.
It was this treasure trove that put Chantaburi firmly on the map as one of the world's top gem-trading locations, an accolade it still merits today.
At least 80 percent of the world's rubies and sapphires transit Chantaburi at one stage
or another on their journey from the mine to the retail outlet.
The gem business is a major component of Chantaburi's local economy, which is otherwise largely based on agriculture and fishing.
The gem traders' association estimates that some 20 percent of the province's population
is directly employed in the gem sector, and the indirect benefit is felt in a considerable portion of the province's economy.
The nerve center of Chantaburi's gem trade is the Talaat Ploei, or gem market,
located in the heart of the old town.
The market, an informal collection of open-fronted shophouses at the intersection of Si Chan and Thetsaban streets, operates on weekends from Friday to Sunday.
Thousands of dollars' worth of gems lie scattered on the tables, and African, Indian and Sri Lankan dealers mingle with Thai, Chinese, Japanese and even the occasional Western buyer.
Typically from the mine to the end consumer a gemstone changes hands at least seven
times,and jumps in price a thousand percent. Even between Chantaburi and Bangkok the price difference can vary by up to 30 percent.
Huddled at rickety tables with jeweler's loupes screwed into their eyes, the buyers rent space at one of the shophouses and put up a sign listing the gems they are interested in acquiring.
Sellers patiently line up to present their stashes and eye the stones of the competition.
It all seems very amicable with no raised voices, just quiet bargaining that leads to a deal being refused or concluded with a handshake.
There is surprisingly little crime in this ancient brotherhood of gem traders, where trust is everything and anyone who doesn't play by the rules will find it impossible to do business again anywhere in the world.
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" Special Tip from ThaigemsCity & ThaigemVillage "
Q: How to Identify a Mozambique Paraiba Tourmaline with LOUPE or with the naked eye ?
A: You will see the red, reddish-brown, brownish or black rutile needle inside the stone.
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