discover an unforgettable jewelry experience and a

DISCOVER AN
UNFORGETTABLE
JEWELRY
EXPERIENCE AND
A SUBSEQUENT
PUBLIC RELATIONS
BONANZA BY
VISITING 10 DYNAMIC
DESTINATIONS
ADVENTURE
METER is on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is helping dig your own stones in Madagascar.
B Y
T R A C E
S H E L T O N
10
NEW YORK
BELGIUM
MONTANA
INDIA
EAST AFRICA
BRAZIL
BOTSWANA
SOUTH AFRICA
MADAGASCAR
THAILAND
WANNA
GET AWAY?
OF COURSE
YOU DO.
PROBLEM IS, there’s a
store to run, employees
to manage and jewelry
to sell. But you deserve
a break once in a while.
And if you won’t do it for
yourself, do it for your
customers.
That’s right: Leaving your store could
actually be one of the best things you can
do for your clients, provided you choose
the right destination.
“There’s a reason people love The Discovery Channel, The Travel Channel,
and National Geographic,” says Jim Fiebig, a former retailer who found so much
success traveling direct to the source for
colored gemstones overseas that he now
specializes in guiding retailers on such
trips and promoting gemstones for various organizations (see SellMoreColor.
com and GemstoneTrips.com for more
information).
“As a retailer, when I came back from
Madagascar or Tanzania or Brazil and
showed a customer a pile of rough, they
couldn’t wait to write me a check,” Fiebig
says. “I would get a four-time return on my
inventory dollar.”
Only 10 percent of Americans actually
hold a passport, Fiebig says, but most want
to vicariously participate in the romance
of far-away places by purchasing gemstones mined, cut or traded there.
“Why wouldn’t you want to promote
yourself as direct-to-source?” says Rob
ROB MAY: If you’ve
been to the source,
it’s a great story to
tell customers and
should be part of your
overall story.
May, president of the Natural Color Diamond International Association (NCDIA).
“If you’ve experienced the mining, the cutting and the overseas trading, that’s a great
story to tell customers. And it shouldn’t be
a one-time PR hit — it should become part
of your overall story.”
May adds that building stronger relationships with your suppliers by visiting
their trading offices can also benefit your
business immensely. “Diamonds are going
to get harder and harder to source, so if
you promote your relationship with your
supplier, they can then go to the mining
companies and show them that they have a
retailer telling the entire story to their customers,” May says. “Every few years, the
suppliers have to go back to their mining
partners and give a presentation on why
they deserve this rough, so why wouldn’t
you want to be a retailer of choice?”
The publicity and inventory benefits
are bountiful, so you owe it to your store
and your customers to make the trip. But
where should you begin?
You can see three different aspects
of jewelry creation: mining, cutting and
trading. You can visit the mines and see
some amazing rough and cut gemstones
in places like Brazil, Africa and even
ANTWERP
BELGIUM
In Madagascar, you can even dig, if
you like.
Montana, along with the diamond mines
in Botswana, South Africa and Australia.
Then, you can watch diamonds being cut
and traded in India, Antwerp and New
York, as well as the largest gemstone markets in the world in Thailand, Hong Kong
and Idar-Oberstein in Germany.
“Whether it’s mining, cutting, or trading, you have a story to tell when you get
home. It makes you sound more like a direct source,” May says. “You’re not just in
the industry, you’re a part of the industry
as a whole.”
And in some cases, you’ll be seeing gemstones that have only recently been discovered, Fiebig says. “There’s never been
a better time in all of human history to
buy color gemstones because the sources
are available now,” he says. “You’ll see tanzanite and zultanite and things that didn’t
even exist 50 years ago because no one
could get into those areas to mine them.”
All of that pays off with customers as
you continue to tell that story over the
years. “After a while, I could go to Florida
and come back with a tan, and customers
would say, ‘Hey, you been to Africa again?
What’d you bring back?’” laughs Fiebig.
“People would line up at the store to buy
these gemstones, and this in a town of
10,000 in southern Michigan where our
biggest industry was seed corn. So when
people tell me color doesn’t sell, I say,
‘You’re right. you sell.’”
So what are you waiting for? Pick a location, pack your bags, and see what the
world of diamonds, gemstones and jewelry has to offer!
58
JULY 2011
JEWELRY
CONNECTION:
Considered
“The Diamond
Capital of the
World”
FLIGHT TIME FROM
NEW YORK: 7.5 hours
DON’T MISS: The
Diamond Quarter,
one square mile
through which
passes $16
billion in polished
diamonds each
year
ADVENTURE
METER Moderate
6
O
NCE the richest city in the world, Antwerp
remains one of the most important ports in
Europe, but its primary claim to fame is its
diamond trade. The Diamond Quarter is filled
with more than 12,000 of the world’s most skilled cutters and
polishers, 3,500 brokers, and includes four of the world’s 28
diamond bourses (the most of any country). All told, approximately 80 percent of the world’s rough diamonds (and 50 percent of polished diamonds) go through Antwerp.
“Visiting the diamond brokers in Antwerp is a great experience to bring back to your customers,” says Annette Kinzie, co-owner of Leonard Jewelry with her husband Kent in
Stillwater, OK. “People want to be a part of that direct buying
experience and feel like they’re getting the deal of a lifetime.”
The Kinzies promote their annual trip 30 days in advance
by radio and TV. “Some customers want something specific
while others just give us a budget,” Kinzie says. Upon their return, they hold an event to show off the loose diamonds purchased in Antwerp.
“The trip is thrilling,” Kinzie says. “You feel like you’re in
the thick of the industry action. You get more of a feel for our
industry than just the end result of selling in the store.”
Rob May suggests going one step further with customers:
“One great way to take your customer service to another level,
especially for customers buying expensive diamonds, would
be to take them to Antwerp, show them the rough diamond
they’ll be purchasing, and take a picture of it that they can
save to go with the finished diamond after it’s been cut and
polished,” May says. “They can experience the process of their
diamond from start to finish.”
BOTSWANA
W
HEN newly-formed Botswana inked a deal
with De Beers to explore and mine all of
the country’s diamonds, it went from being
among the poorest countries in the world to
boasting one of the highest standards of living in Africa in just
four decades.
Four large diamond mines operate in Botswana, including the richest in the world in Jwaneng and one of the Earth’s
largest in Orapa.
Georgie Gleim of Gleim the Jeweler in Palo Alto, CA,
traveled to Botswana several years ago and visited the Orapa
mine. “Its vast scale was quite impressive,” she says. “I have
used the pictures I took in numerous presentations to vari-
DON’T MISS:
The De Beers
diamond sorting
complex in
Gabarone — the
largest, most
technologically
advanced sorting
complex in the
world
Vicki Cunningham stands amidst the serene
beauty of the Botswanan landscape.
FLIGHT TIME FROM
NEW YORK: 15 hours
JEWELRY
CONNECTION:
The world’s
largest producer
of gem diamonds
The open pit mine in Jwaneng, one of the
world’s richest diamond mines.
ADVENTURE
METER Intense
8
ous community groups, giving them a bit more insight into
diamond mining and helping them understand just what a
difficult and expensive proposition it can be.”
Vicki Cunningham of Cunningham Fine Jewelry in Tulsa,
OK, visited the Jwaneng mine last year, as well as the De Beers
sorting facility. “The Jwaneng mine is an open pit mine, which
I’d never seen, and they’re still finding a couple thousand carats a day,” Cunningham says.
The real treat, though, was watching the sorting technology: “There had to be millions of diamonds in those machines.
There’s a machine that sorts them by color and one that sorts
them by size. Then there was a machine with long rollers that
separates the rough, so the flat pieces go one way and the
round pieces go the other way. And I was thinking, how does
it know that?”
Of course, as Gleim says, no trip to Botswana can be all
about diamonds: “I was able to do some safari trips, which
must be included in any trip to Africa.”
BRAZIL
B
RAZIL may be best known for its stunning
beaches and vibrant culture, but it also boasts
one of the world’s strongest economies and,
more importantly, an extraordinary variety of
gemstones.
“Brazil is one of the easiest places for Americans to visit,”
Fiebig says. “The time zone is off by maybe an hour, so there’s
no jet lag. You can take a vacation to Rio de Janeiro or Bahia,
either of which will be within a plane or bus ride of gemstone
mining.”
Governador Valadares, a city in the eastern part of the
country, is home to the Brazil Gem Show and an array of gemstone mining that includes amethyst, citrine, and tourmaline.
And one of Fiebig’s favorite destinations is Ouro Preto, which
“abounds in the most beautiful, real, precious topaz on the
planet, called imperial topaz. It’s the only place on Earth that
this amazing gemstone occurs,” he says.
The Kinzies have seen both mines, and watched workers
sort rough as it moved across conveyor belts. “It’s a great experience to share with customers,” says Annette Kinzie. “We
had pictures taken and brought loose gemstones and quartz
crystals to show customers what they look like in their natural
form.”
Most Brazilians speak English, making the country easy
for Americans to navigate, and the beaches at Ipanema and
Copacabana in Rio are internationally famous. Fiebig says the
hotels are excellent, the people are passionate, and the food,
wine and beer are wonderful. And, he adds, Americans are
more welcome in Brazil than many other places. “They still
love Americans and are honored you would take the time to
come and see them,” he says. “When American jewelers travel
to Brazil, they’ll receive a much warmer reception than they
will anywhere in Europe.”
JEWELRY
CONNECTION:
One-third of
the world’s
gemstones are
mined in Brazil
(excluding
diamond, ruby and
sapphire)
PHOTO: ©GIA REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION
DON’T MISS:
The province of
Bahia, home of
emerald mining,
incredible
beaches and
landscapes, and
exceptional music
and cuisine
FLIGHT TIME
FROM NEW
YORK: 9.5 hours
ADVENTURE
METER Intense
7
EAST AFRICA
TANZANIA AND KENYA
DON’T MISS: Ngorongoro
Crater, a 100 square-mile
“natural enclosure” formed
three million years ago
that features almost every
individual animal species in
east Africa
L
JEWELRY
CONNECTION:
Abundant
gemstones
including
tanzanite and
tsavorite
PHOTO: ©GIA REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION
FLIGHT TIME FROM
NEW YORK: 15 hours
ADVENTURE
METER Extreme
9
Shovels, pry bars and picks are used to
follow the gem-bearing veins (above). Masai
traders show a parcel of tsavorite in Tanzania (top). PHOTO: ©GIA REPRINTED WITH PERMIS-
SION
IONS AND LEOPARDS and elephants and…
tanzanite? Not only is east Africa (including
Kenya and Tanzania) one of the most spectacular
places in the world to visit in terms of flora and
fauna, but it also boasts an incredible array of gemstones.
“From rhodolite to tanzanite to tsavorite, everything comes
out of east Africa,” Fiebig says. “There are beautiful hotels, the
food is fantastic, and most people speak English because these
were once British colonies.”
In addition to the three mentioned above, other gemstones mined in the region include ruby, sapphire, emerald,
amethyst, aquamarine, beryl, chrysoprase, peridot and tourmaline. Tanzania has mined diamonds for several decades
and is the third-largest gold producer in Africa.
American retailers can get the deal of a lifetime, Fiebig says, because of a lack of access to the market. “Some Sri
Lankan dude will come in and pay $1 for a handful of rough,
then sell it to an American for $100. That’s the economics of
scale. You can pay them $3, make $100, and help support an
African family while you’re at it,” he says.
Aside from the affordability of the gemstones, one of the
biggest draws is the tanzanite mines. Designer Erica Courtney says visiting a tanzanite mine is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. “The tanzanite grows in pockets of crystals among
pyrite and rock crystals. You’re wearing a head lamp, so everything is glittering — it’s amazing to see,” she says. “It really
gives you something to romance the stone when you go back
to your store.”
And if you ever wanted to see the inspiration for The Lion
King in person, there’s nowhere like east Africa. “When people think about going on safari, they think about South Africa,
but if I was going to Africa, I’m going to Arusha in Tanzania or
Nairobi in Kenya,” Fiebig says. “If you take a safari there, you
will see the big five (rhinoceros, lion, leopard, elephant and
buffalo). That’s real Africa.”
Fiebig plans to take a group of retailers to the first ever
Arusha International Fair in Tanzania (www.arushagemshow.
com) April 26-29, 2012.
JULY 2011
61
MONTANA
M
ONTANA, home of Little Big Horn and Yellowstone National Park, is known as “The
Treasure State.” But while the state’s flag
may bear the words “Oro y Plata” (meaning
“gold and silver”), what it’s best known for in jewelry circles
today is its incredibly valuable Yogo sapphire, first discovered
at Yogo Gulch in 1895.
Unfortunately, the commercial Yogo mine is deep and
dangerous, running nearly 400 feet deep into solid limestone.
However, the plentiful Montana sapphire can be mined by the
public in several dig-for-fee areas, and can be found in every
hue. The best-known sapphire mine is the Spokane Bar mine,
and the most commonly found color there is a green-blue
shade, but under heat treatment the sapphires can be turned
blue. Other gemstones that can be found at the mine, though
uncommon, are diamond, topaz, citrine and ruby.
Another interesting destination for jewelers are Montana’s gold mines, as the area enjoyed a gold rush in the 1860s
and still produces a sizeable amount of gold. Additionally, the
state’s palladium mine has a reputation for being environmentally friendly as well as profitable.
ADVENTURE
METER Moderate
5
JEWELRY
CONNECTION:
First gem-quality
sapphires in the
U.S. found here in
1865; site of 19th
century gold rush
PHOTO: Amber Roberts
Miners extract palladium from the Stillwater Mine. In
some areas, sapphires (inset) can be mined for a fee by the
public. PHOTO: STILLWATER MINING COMPANY
“We also have the Montana Museum of Mining in Butte,
which features some great examples of semi-precious gems
and precious metals, as well as a rip-roarin’ time,” says Claire
Baiz, president of Big Sky Gold & Diamond. “Butte is host, in
mid-July, to the National Folk Festival. It’s a great destination
to learn about mining.”
Baiz also recommends Last Chance Gulch in Helena,
which celebrates the gold mining history of the area. “I know a
fellow who has a major Montana sapphire wholesale biz out of
Helena. He’d welcome potential clients,” Baiz says. “The fact
that Helena is on one of the most beautiful drives in the lower
48 states and is midway between Glacier National Park and
Yellowstone Park does not hurt its desirability as a pit stop,
either.”
JULY 2011
ARKANSAS
Craters of Diamonds
State Park is the only
diamond-producing
site in the world
where the public can
search for diamonds.
Australia
The Argyle mine
in East Kimberley
produces rough diamonds and is the primary source of pink
diamonds.
Basel
Switzerland’s Baselworld (March 8-15,
2012) is the most
influential trade show
in the watch industry,
featuring 2,000 exhibitors and 100,000
attendees.
Beijing
Don’t miss Cai Bai,
China’s largest jewelry retailer, which
reportedly does $1
billion in sales out of a
single location.
Lou Loader hand-selects
sapphires at the Yogo mine.
62
MORE GETAWAY GEMS
FLIGHT TIME
FROM
NEW YORK:
3.5 hours
DON’T MISS:
Mining your own
sapphires at the
Spokane Bar mine
Canada
Yellowknife is dubbed
“The Diamond Capital
of North America” and
features several diamond mines.
Dubai
A free
trade environment,
Dubai’s
low import
duty and no-tax policy
makes it an ideal
place to buy gold and
jewelry.
Hong Kong
With 3,200 exhibitors
from 46 countries,
the Hong Kong Jewel-
lery & Gem Fair (Sept.
19-25) is the world’s
largest jewelry show.
Idar-Oberstein
Known as the capital
of Germany’s gemstone industry, the
city’s cutters fashion
gemstones imported
primarily from Brazil
and Africa.
Israel
Tour the Israeli
Diamond Center in
Ramat Gan, which includes the Harry Oppenheimer Diamond
Museum.
Istanbul
Experience the city’s
history of jewelry
craftsmanship at the
Grand Bazaar, the
world’s oldest mall,
dating to 1453.
N. Carolina
Rock hounds can
dig up more than 60
gemstones in opento-public mines.
Singapore
Singapore’s absence
of duties and sales
tax has made it a
thriving center for
jewelry trading.
Vicenza
Vicenza Oro takes
place three times a
year (next is Sept.
10-14). It’s a great
place to experience
the rich heritage of
Italian jewelry.
MADAGASCAR
T
FLIGHT TIME
FROM NEW
YORK: 17.5 hours
Plush accommodations in Antsiranana in the
north of Madagascar are near demantoid garnet
mines.
PHOTO: JIM FIEBIG
DON’T MISS:
The
Analamazoatra
Reserve, home
of the Indri (the
largest species
of lemur) and a
variety of other
wildlife endemic to
Madagascar
HE FOURTH-LARGEST island in the world,
Madagascar separated from Africa approximately
165 million years ago, and its flora and fauna have
evolved in isolation ever since, making it one of
the most biologically diverse places on the planet. More important for jewelers, it’s one of the most geologically diverse
places as well.
“Every gemstone outside of tanzanite, zultanite and diamond is mined in Madagascar,” says Fiebig, who moved to the
country for a time in order to serve as a guide for American
retailers.
In Madagascar, retailers can observe the grueling process
by which the country’s gemstones are mined — and the beautiful results of those efforts. “You have to see what it takes to get
this stuff out of the ground,” Fiebig says. “The workers go into
this enormous hole of a mine and bring up all this dirt; then
they go to the river and wash and sift, wash and sift. They wind
up with a baby food jar filled with three to four gemstones,
none of which will cut a carat. That’s a day’s work.”
While the Malagasy people don’t generally speak English
(Malagasy and French are the primary languages), they appreciate American visitors. “It’s the last frontier,” Fiebig says.
“You’ll go places where you’re the first white person anyone’s
ever seen. They can’t believe we’ll drink two beers or two coffees. When they see Americans, they behave the way we might
act if we witnessed the royal wedding.”
The average annual earnings per household are only $240,
and 70 percent of Malagasies live below the poverty line, but
Fiebig says American retailers are helping, not hurting, the locals by purchasing gemstones directly. “I tell retailers, ‘Don’t
feel terrible! Buy more gemstones!’ You can buy gemstones
at a price that pays Malagasy workers generously while still
making an incredible profit when you bring them back to be
cut and set. Diamonds or gold can’t make that kind of difference. You buy more garnets in Madagascar, and a kid somewhere is going to eat.”
ADVENTURE
METER Extreme
One of Fiebig’s clients, Steve Moriarty, looks
over a pile of Spessartite rough. PHOTO: JIM FIEBIG
JEWELRY
CONNECTION:
Almost every
species of gem
is mined here,
including half the
world’s sapphires
PHOTO: ©GIA REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION
10
INDIA
JEWELRY
CONNECTION:
Cuts over half
of the world’s
diamonds;
also known for
gemstone cutting/
trading and
distinctive jewelry
T
HERE MAY BE NO PLACE with more fingers
in the jewelry industry pie than India, where diamonds were first mined as long as 2,500 years ago.
Not only are 11 in every 12 diamonds polished there
... not only does the gem and jewelry industry employ 1.3 million people ... but the industry as a whole is worth $27 billion,
and India is the fastest growing jewelry market in the world.
Surat is India’s diamond processing hub, while Mumbai
is angling to rival Antwerp for diamond trading. “It’s just incredible to see the sheer immenseness of 1,000 people working and how the diamonds go from cut to rough and out the
door,” May says. He advises
retailers to contact an Indian
ADVENTURE
METER Intense
diamond dealer to get an itinerary made up. “They can roll
out the red carpet for you,”
he says. “You can see the Taj
7
Mahal while you’re at it.”
When it comes to gemstone trading, Jaipur is one
of the most well-known hubs
in the world. The city boasts
skilled artisans who cut and
polish gemstones, as well as
64
JULY 2011
FLIGHT TIME
FROM NEW
YORK: 16 hours
DON’T MISS:
The Bharat
Diamond Bourse
in Mumbai, the
largest diamond
exchange in the
world, just opened
in October 2010
numerous gem dealers. “Twenty years ago, we scoffed at anything cut in India,” Fiebig says, “but today, some of the best
cutters in the world have trained these guys —they will cut
gemstones exactly the way you want for more brilliance.”
Most Indians speak English, making the country userfriendly for Americans, and transportation and accommodations are reliable. India International Jewellery Week takes
place this year July 31-Aug. 4, followed by the show Aug. 4-8
in Mumbai. Both provide an excellent opportunity to see what
the world’s most rapidly developing nation has to offer.
NEW YORK
“
JEWELRY
CONNECTION:
One of the largest
diamond processing
centers in the world
and a nexus of worldrenowned fine jewelry
stores
IT’S THE PULSE OF THE INDUSTRY,” says
Jonathan Landsberg, co-owner of Landsberg Jewelers in Rye Brook, NY, and son of venerable 47th Street
icon Norman Landsberg of New York’s Diamond District. If you’re a jewelry retailer who’s never visited the District, that section of West 47th Street between Fifth and Sixth
avenues in midtown Manhattan, then you’ve taken a huge
piece of the jewelry industry’s past and present for granted.
The value of a single day’s trade on the block averages $400
million by some reports. The current Diamond District, which
moved to its current location in 1941, gained even greater importance during World War II when many Orthodox Jews fled
Antwerp and Amsterdam to settle in New York City, bringing
their expertise with them.
“You can visit diamond cutter after diamond cutter after
diamond cutter,” Landsberg says. “You can’t get that visual
without going to New York. For me to have a ring sized and
polished from our 47th Street store takes 15 minutes.” He adds
that he’s seen more and more retailers coming to the Diamond
District to take advantage of its unique advantages, such as
direct diamond buying or better quality and more affordable
repair work.
Visiting retailers will also hear from “hawks,” people trying to sell diamonds or gold on the street. “The stories about
guys showing you jewelry and diamonds inside their coats? All
true,” Landsberg adds.
He also touts the value of visiting landmark New York jewelry stores on Fifth and Madison avenues, as well as some of
the high-end jewelry/clothing stores. “You learn that a woman
who buys a certain pair of shoes will buy jewelry of a similar
taste level, and that her husband can find something there as
well,” Landsberg says. Additionally, interested retailers can
shop arts and gallery stores in Soho. “You can get an entire
overview of our industry in all of these areas of New York,” he
says.
ADVENTURE
METER Easy
3
66
JULY 2011
SOUTH AFRICA
W
HEN DIAMONDS were discovered in the
area around Kimberley in 1867, a diamond
rush began that produced more diamonds
in 15 years than all of India had produced in
2,000 years. The De Beers Mining Company, under the leadership of Cecil Rhodes, began to establish its stranglehold on the
world diamond trade. Today, while South Africa is now only
responsible for 15 percent of the world’s diamond supply, it
remains one of the most interesting places to learn about the
diamond mining process and its history.
Howard and Vicki Cunningham of Cunningham Fine
Jewelry in Tulsa, OK, visited the Cullinan mine, site of the
discovery of the largest rough gem-quality diamond on Earth
— a 3,106-carat stone. During the trip, Vicki noticed that some
of her fellow retailers had brought customers with them.
South Africa offers a combination of
luxury and adventure.
JEWELRY
CONNECTION:
19th century
diamond rush
drastically altered
supply and
changed the way
the world thought
of diamonds;
original home of
De Beers
FLIGHT TIME
FROM NEW
YORK: 16 hours
ADVENTURE
METER Intense
8
“Those customers’ jaws were on the floor,” she says. “They
couldn’t believe what it takes to find diamonds. Next time I go,
I want to pick a couple of customers to go with us.”
Cunningham says that customers back home love to
browse the “look books” she put together of their trip to South
Africa. “We also rotate the photos through a loop on our TV
screens around the store,” she says. Additionally, Cunningham had her staff post daily updates to the store’s Facebook
page of where she and Howard were each day and what they
were doing, so that customers could follow their progress.
The Cunninghams plan to make another trip soon. Last
time, their host, SA Gems, treated them to a day at the beautiful and world-famous resort, Palace of The Lost City, near
Johannesberg. “I love it in South Africa. Every time I’ve gone,
it’s been awesome,” says Vicki. “I love the safari part of it, and
I love the diamond experience as well.”
DON’T MISS:
“The Big Hole,” the
original Kimberley
Mine that covers
42 acres — one of
the largest handdug holes in the
world
A De Beers worker in South Africa brings the
sparkle out of a rough diamond.
68
JULY 2011
THAILAND
L
EGEND has it that a glowing rock appeared in
the sky above Chanthaburi in Thailand, but
when residents tried to touch it, the rock fled,
dropping thousands of baby gemstones in its
wake. Regardless of how the gemstones arrived, there’s no
question that today, Thailand lives up to its self-proclaimed
title of “World’s Gems and Jewelry Hub.”
“At least 90 percent of the colored gemstones on Earth
were cut in Thailand,” Fiebig says.
Chanthaburi, a four-hour car ride from Bangkok, has
been touted as the colored gem capital of the world. Rubies and sapphires were discovered and mined nearby
in the mid-19th century, and today, traders from across
the globe bring precious and semi-precious gemstones
to Chanthaburi. “If you’re serious about buying colored
gemstones, you can spend more money than you have in a
weekend in Chanthaburi,” Fiebig says.
But Thailand boasts more than just cut gemstones:
Thais are some of the best jewelry craftsmen in the world.
“The Thais know how to interpret our designs while maintaining our personality,” says Sam Koumi, president of Argento Vivo and S.K.F. International. “Their craftsmanship
ADVENTURE
METER Intense
FLIGHT TIME
FROM NEW
YORK: 17.5 hours
8
DON’T MISS: The
twice-yearly Bangkok
Gems & Jewelry
Fair, featuring 1,200
exhibitors from 35
countries and 35,000
attendees
is not cookie-cutter; there’s lots of feeling there.”
Koumi adds that Thais are the friendliest people in all
of Asia. “They’re open, honest, and they do their best to
speak English to make it easier for Americans,” he says.
The best time to visit the country is during the Bangkok
Gems & Jewelry Fair, says Koumi. Fiebig agrees, encouraging retailers to pair a trip to the fall Bangkok fair (Sept.
14-18) with a visit to the Hong Kong Jewellery and Gem
Fair (Sept. 19-25). “If you like Asia and do a big buy, that’s a
great week to go.,” he says. “You can buy more than you can
anywhere else in the world in a short period of time.”
JEWELRY
CONNECTION:
Huge source of
manufacturing
and trading
of jewelry and
gemstones,
including some of
the world’s best
gemstone cutters
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