According to the statistics of the Thai Gem and Jewelry Institute, Thailand’s exports of gems are valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, and Chanthaburi is the main source of these transactions. Chanthaburi is a province in eastern Thailand. This small city adjacent to the left bank of the Chanthaburi River with a population of only tens of thousands has brought huge benefits to entire Thailand.
In Sanskrit, "Chantha" means "moon", Buri" means "city", and "Chanthaburi" means "moon capital". As we all know, Thailand is the world's premier colorful gem kingdom. Chanthaburi, with the gem mountain, was famous for the production and trading of red sapphires as early as the 15th century.
Chanthaburi has Thailand's largest gem trading market and gathering place for gem processing industry. Almost all gemstones in Thailand are cut and polished in Chanthaburi.
1. Processing
80% of the sapphires produced in the world enter Thailand, and Chanthaburi is the gateway for gems to enter Thailand. The mining and processing of gems in Chanthaburi are mainly family workshops. In addition to the large and small gem processing workshops and processing plants in the city, as many as 20,000 local farmers also participate in the collection and processing of gems. Farmers work and do business during the day, grind gems and teach skills at night. Due to the high quality and low price of gem processing technology, many countries in the world such as Australia, Brazil, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, African countries and even some jewelers from China come to this place to process gems. Thailand's jewelry processing technology is also world-class, "processing in Thailand" has become synonymous with fine jewelry industry technology. The Thai jewellery industry not only possesses world-recognized cutting and polishing handicraft technologies, but also possesses core processing technologies such as heat treatment processes that can improve the quality of colored gemstones. In addition to advanced gem processing technology, Thailand's gem design is also very good. In terms of design, the strength of Thai gemstones lies in their delicacy. Gemstones are often delicate and exquisitely combined by designers. They have unique Thai national elements. They are shining brightly under the soft lighting, which makes people who love fashion hold their breath.
2. Occurrence characteristics of gems
Chanthaburi is located 245 kilometers southeast of Bangkok. It is a famous sapphire mining area with the largest sapphire reserves, a long mining history and the largest output in Thailand. Its production accounts for more than 70% of Thailand's gem production. The ore-forming parent in the mining area is the Quaternary Pleistocene (2 to 3 million years ago). It is a basalt produced in the form of rock pipes, rock necks or petronites, and occurrences, mainly high alkaline basalt and olivine basalt. , Generally contains corundum. The economically valuable sapphire ore is the residual and alluvial sand deposit after the primary ore is decomposed, sorted and enriched by weathering. The gems in the placer are mainly sapphires, with a small amount of rubies, accompanied by zircon, garnet, black spinel, pyroxene, feldspar, etc. The sapphires produced in the Chanthaburi mining area have blue, green, yellow, and composite colors, as well as star sapphires.
3. Gemstone trade
Chanthaburi, the border capital city of Thailand with a population of only tens of thousands, is blessed with precious gem resources, making it a famous gem city in Thailand and an important gem distribution center and free market in Southeast Asia. Gems are the backbone of the local economy, and the gem economy has a strong atmosphere. Gem trading days are Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In the cross street in the downtown area of gem trading, a round diamond-shaped ring model stands at each end, marking the soul of the city. There are many family workshops in Chanthaburi. Many farmers come to sell goods. There are more than 100 gem shops on both sides of the street, jewelers from all over the world, Thais, Southeast Asians, Indians, Pakistanis, and Caucasians. trading. There is no jewellery counter in the store, only one office desk and chair after another. When the buyer sits down, the seller will show the gems around the buyer and check the price. The trading of gems is very complicated. It is inevitable that dragons and snakes are mixed, fish eyes are mixed, and it is inevitable. The roadside market is rather chaotic, and the quality of gemstones cannot be guaranteed. Generally, it is not suitable to buy. In order to strengthen the management of the gem market, the government adopts a registration system to register qualified and reputable gem shops. Of the more than 100 gem shops in Chanthaburi, only more than 50 are registered by the government. Generally speaking, the product quality of these stores is guaranteed, the reputation is good, and there is a store to find if there is a problem. Chanthaburi is an international gem free market where gem merchants from all over the world gather. The international market has higher requirements for the quality, vision, experience, and adaptability of jewelers. It not only requires a proficient grasp of the quality, processing, and processing conditions of various gems, but also requires proficiency in distinguishing the origin and characteristics of different gems, and grasping the instantaneous price of gems variety.
