Recognized as the “king of precious stones,” Ruby is famed for its exquisite red color and eternal beauty, mesmerizing and attracting both gem aficionados and jewelry makers worldwide. In the jewelry industry, Rubies are always in high demand, thanks to the splendor they can add to any jewelry design, elevating its worth and visual appeal.
Hence, accessories makers always stay on the lookout for the best deals in wholesale markets to cater to the surge, and their search literally comes to an end in Thailand.
Thailand & Ruby: A Unique Love Story
Thailand is a beautiful land, known for its multiple site attractions, cultural heritage, cuisines, and definitely gemstones, especially Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. Thailand has long served as a major mining and production hub for Ruby.
Although there aren’t many deposits remaining in the country, it is still the primary location for cutting and treating the priceless Ruby gemstones and more. It is the ideal place for buying this red beauty at wholesale prices. Read on to know everything about Ruby in Thailand and the wholesome buying experience of the same. Let’s go step by step!
Why Choose Bangkok for Wholesale Ruby Purchases?
The reason why so many people choose to travel to Thailand to buy wholesale Rubies lies in its past. Thailand’s position as the world’s reliable gem trading nation results from its extensive historical, cultural, and political contributions to the history of gemstone evolution and effect.
History says Bangkok was always a gemstone-rich country. During the 15th century, visitors gave a shoutout regarding the magnificent Ruby reserves in the country. Even the French ambassador wrote in 1687 that the nation was “abounding in mines of Rubies and Sapphires.”
Although Thailand has long been aware of the presence of Rubies, mining didn’t start till the early nineties. The Chanthaburi mines in the southeast of the country have generated the majority of Thailand’s Rubies. Thailand-mined Rubies have rich red “Siamese” color and superb clarity, adding to their allure.
However, Thai reserves are already exhausted, yet the nation continues to serve as the hub of the global Ruby trade. Both Bangkok and Chanthaburi have developed into significant centers for the cutting, treating, and selling of Rubies, attracting an international clientele. So, what’s the reason that people come from across the world to Thailand to purchase wholesale Rubies?
1. Fair Trade
Bangkok has a thriving wholesale and retail gemstone market that has existed for many years. Believe us when we say that Bangkok’s gemstone dealers and jewelers have a long history of professionalism and ethics, which has helped them achieve the status of the undisputed king of the gemstone trade market.
2. Wide Range
Thailand, one of the world’s greatest trading centers for colored stones, is where most high-quality Ruby production takes place. You can get a wide range of cuts, colors, and quality Rubies here.
For example, if you are searching for a specific type of Ruby color, such as dark red, or purplish red, in a particular shape and size, such as the oval, octagon, square, etc., you can get many dealers to provide you with the same. Depending upon your needs and preferences, you can check out a significant Ruby range here.
3. Quality Purchase in Best Prices
When it comes to gemstones, substandard products are not an option, especially in the wholesale category. From a reliable dealer, you will get thoroughly inspected Ruby gemstones in bulk in the criterion of 4Cs (color, cut, clarity, and carat) in Thailand.
The Bliss of Purchasing Ruby in Thailand: Understanding Wholesale Ruby Markets
If you want to purchase wholesale Rubies in Bangkok, you need to know these two names for sure: Chanthaburi and Trat in Southeast Thailand. These places are known to produce the majority of the world’s Rubies as well as a sizable number of Sapphires and house the great markets, labs, cutting and polishing facilities.
Let’s explore these markets’ characteristics and specialties to comprehend the dynamics of the trading of Ruby.
1. Chanthaburi Market: The Heart of Ruby Trading in Thailand
Chanthaburi is most commonly referred to as the city of gems even though its actual name means city of the moon. It is said that most of the world’s gemstones are thought to transit through the City of the Moon at some point.
Chanthaburi’s gem market is still one of the biggest and liveliest in the world. With a major cutting facility set there, it is the traditional hub of the colorful stone industry. Besides most dealers maintaining their export offices there, weekdays are rather calm with almost no rush.
The market, however, really comes to life on the weekends, with overflowing numbers of buyers, sellers, and brokers in the nearby streets and lanes with their make-shift tents, scales, calculators and of course gemstones. As the usual practice, buyers take a seat at a table and wait for brokers or dealers to come to them to record their orders.
Dealer runners whirl from table to table, noting demands, displaying gems, and returning price bids to their superiors, who further process the deal.
What History Says
Thailand was a significant producer of Sapphire in the 19th century, particularly the Eastern province of Trat, which is close to the Cambodian border, although it was less well known for its Ruby production. The military confiscated the gem mines in Burma following a coup d’état in 1962, thereby cutting off the world’s major ruby suppliers.
The focus then shifted to Chanthaburi, which is located on the Gulf of Thailand about 250 kilometers Southeast of Bangkok. The extraordinary Siamese Ruby made this province and its neighbor Trat quickly the world’s capital of Rubies. But the Ruby mines were exhausted in less than 40 years.
Chanthaburi will always have a role in the global gem trade despite the lows and highs of the demand.
2. Trat Market: Rubies Trading at its Best
Like Chanthaburi, Trat is a significant province for mining Rubies. Bo Rai Rubies are distinguished by having a darker red body color with patches of black extinction in faceted stones as a result of this. The Rubies can, however, occasionally cut exceptionally beautiful jewels and need to be cleaned. The majority of recovered Rubies have overtones of purple or brown; hence, heat treatment is necessary to enhance color.
The most well-known gem market is in the Bo Rai District, which is 50 kilometers from the Cambodian border. Due to thriving trade with Cambodia and the coast, Trat boasts more markets relative to its size than virtually any other town in Thailand, which will thrill those who enjoy shopping for gemstones. The weekend market here is also fun as Chanthaburi and allows gemstone lovers to get as much as they want.
Purchase Ruby from Trusted Gemstone Wholesaler, Sunny Creations Limited
If you are looking for a great ruby buying experience, then there is nothing better than Thailand. You get Rubies in all kinds of shapes, sizes, color variations, and cuts, thanks to the wide range of variety available in affordable deals to cater to everyone’s individual needs. Well, if you think you need a helping hand to get authentic Ruby gems, then you can visit Sunny Creations Limited.
We are an established and renowned dealer in calibrated gemstones, especially Ruby, Emerald, and Sapphire in Thailand, and are known for quality assortment. So, what are you waiting for? Get in touch with us to get some great deals.
Sources & Resources
- https://www.gia.edu/doc/Ruby-and-Sapphire-Production-and-Distribution.pdf
- https://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Thailand/sub5_8h/entry-3318.html
- https://www.gia.edu/gia-news-research-Chanthaburi-gem-market
- https://www.gemscene.com/chanthaburi—city-of-gems.html
- https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/winter-1982-chanthaburi-trat-gem-keller