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 |
Shopping
cart
