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Kanchanaburi Sapphires once mined in the
small province of Kanchanaburi just to the west of Bangkok Thailand are famous
throughout the jewelry world. Fine quality deep blue Kanchanaburi
sapphires have been used in some of the best precious Sapphire jewelry pieces by
top jewelry designers. Kanchanaburi blue sapphire pendants, diamond and
sapphire rings and diamond sapphire earrings are truly the most
precious of jewelry.
THAILAND: Gem mining is currently low in
Thailand compared to what it was few years ago (when I was not yet
involved in gem business but active as tour guide). Some mines are still
in production in Kanchanaburi and Chanthaburi areas. With the decline of
the gem mining industry within the country, Thailand has transformed
itself from the mining center it was in the 1960's and early 1970's to
the world's major transformation center for rubies and sapphire.
Possibly 70% of the sapphires and 90% of the rubies are currently
passing one day in Thailand on their way from the mines to the final
customer. Thailand currently provides (along with Sri Lanka for
sapphire) the best heat treatment technology available for ruby and
sapphire. It is a major cutting, jewelry making, and business friendly
export center as well.
Now regarding mining activity in Thailand, there are 2 main centers:
Kanchanaburi: The Bo Ploy area 30km north of this very touristy city,
known for its bridge over the river Kwai, where the company SAP is still
mining a large domain and is converting the areas mined already into a
golf course and lake resort. Bo Ploy is now just a shadow of was it was
in the past. The area was discovered in 1918, and a small gem rush
occurred, but soon the deposit was thought to be depleted. Its
rediscovery in 1987 turned the area into a major mining center. After
few years of strong activity, the production has decreased. Currently
the loss of mining activity has made difficult to find a room to sleep
or even a place to eat in Bo Ploy, which is difficult to imagine in
Thailand . Besides blue sapphire, large quantities of black spinel known
locally as “nin” are mined and most of the time sold on many Thai
markets as “onyx”.
Fieldgemology
Nowadays the Thailand Sapphire Mines are almost all
redundant but sapphires are still traded in the gem markets of Bangkok
and Chantanaburi. Some of these gemstones are Australian sapphires,
Ceylon sapphires or Burmese sapphires but it is the Kanchanaburi
sapphires that often fetch the highest prices.
Bangkok Companies has access and contact
with some high class precious jewelry designers and jewelry
manufacturers. If you are looking for precious jewelry in white gold,
yellow gold or platinum with sapphires or other precious gems then
Bangkok Companies is a full service
product sourcing company in Thailand. For All your
sapphire jewelry needs please email
bangkokcompanies@gmail.com with your requests.
Below are just a few of
the blue sapphire jewelry items that can be sourced in Thailand.
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