Thailand is, of course, the world’s center of business for the gem and jewelry trade. Asia has a strong appreciation for the value of gems and gold. This attraction to gems has produced many well established gem markets. This is very fortunate for the visitor and especially for the gemology student. The wonderful characteristic of the colored stone business is that it is open to anyone. Unlike the diamond business, the colored stone market is wide open to anyone who wants to participate. It does not matter if you have a lot of money or a little, there is always someone who will sell to you. The danger is that it is the buyer’s responsibility to correctly identify what is being purchased and know its value.
Even though the identification of treated gems is becoming more difficult everyday, it is still possible to identify nearly everything with hand tools in an open market situation. However, to do this, it takes training and experience. There are plenty of gemology schools around the world that can give you some level of training, but few can give you experience at the same time. Attending a gemology course in Thailand is a huge advantage because a student can visit many gem shops anytime they like and go to gem markets on the weekend.
Thailand's Gem Markets