FireDragonII

I was walking around the jewelry section at the MBK shopping complex in BKK and saw a real pretty white gold chain that I would like to buy. I have seen the chain in many shops there, but would like to find out if anyone had experience or knowledge about buying gold here.
The price is quoted per gram, and the cheapest I saw was 1,200 bht per gram.
1. is this reasonable?
2. is the gold here REAL?
they claimed it's 18k white gold, though the chain indicates "750" - which they say means 18k.

would love to hear some inside info before i spend 200 USD on it!!

Thanks all...!

lcuy

It doesn't matter how great the price per gram. if the jewelry is not truly 18 k you will have paid too much. Anyone can stamp a 750 or 18 K or whatever on a metal.

I buy my jewelry in Bangkok at SJ International, where I know it is real. Call them and they'll send a car (no obligation, really) for you. Ask to work with Lily. Tell her you were sent by Kathie from Seattle and she'll give you an excellent price.

Kathie

The chain might be fine, but I don't know that MBK is a place I'd trust to buy fine jewelry. There are lots of gold dealers in Chinatown, but the gold there will mostly be 22k (and it will be gold colored, not white gold). Note that gold is internationally priced, so the only thing you are getting a discount on is the workmanship.

If you want to buy fine jewelry, SJ is the place I've been buying from for over 20 years. The real jewelry bargains in Thailand are in sapphires of every color and rubies. Do call them and they will send a car to pick you up at your hotel and will return you there, no obligation.

SJ International, 125/8 Sawankhalok Road, Dusit, Bangkok, phone 02-2342446, 02-2342447, 02-2411875

For sapphire and ruby jewelry my rule of thumb is that I should be able to buy a piece of jewelry in Bangkok for one fourth of the retail price in the US (one-half of the wholesale price).

FireDragonII

thank you guys.... SJ sounds nice, but would they have simple stuff like just a white gold chain???

(I have a beautiful pendant and chain, though the chain keeps tearing, and I'd been looking for a new chain for some time - and only now finally found one I like!)

Does SJ have stores elsewhere in Thailand? we are heading to Phuket tomorrow morning, and will be back in BKK for only some limited time in about a week... do you know if they have a Phuket branch that I can go to?

Thanks!

MichaelBKK

BTW, "750" means 75.0% gold content - 18K.

Careful about using the term "white gold", as in most of Asia that means platinum - or dead man's gold.

rhkkmk

i agree with kathie...mbk???

white gold is fine in bkk....we have purchased it from our jeweler frequently as one of our kids prefers white vs yellow gold...

all gold in thailand is sold based on its weight basically...this price changes daily and is set internationally. that said you can purchase many things cheaper in thailand because there is such a small charge for the "workmanship"... this being an add on price to the actual gold value...

one example....my wife designed, or stole the design, for what we call a 'nantucket braclet'.... its basically a bangle with a clasp and a small replica of a woven nantucket basket on it...in the shop in nantucket where we first saw it, made up in 14K yellow gold, the price was $1250.
we wife brought pictures to thailand and had it re-created adding weight to the original, through use of a heavier gold braclet, and adding two small sapphires on the bale. the thai price was $285 in 18K ... I should not that this was about 5+ years ago when gold prices were substantially less worldwide. but the relative savings remain today...

sapphires, btw, are the best savings that you can have in thailand vs usa...

simpsonc510

OK, I'm well familiar with MBK. I know that they do sell a lot of knock-off items; but I would not be so quick to pre judge their gold jewelry.

I have one gold chain that I purchased there. I have not worn it often, but I have not found fault with it either.

What do some people find to be the problem with MBK jewelry?? If someone is looking for something simple, and is not wanting gemstones (which I would probably prefer to buy at SJ or at a reputable department store), what is the problem with buying at MBK? Call me curious.

Carol

Kathie

Michael, I'd never heard that platinum is referred to as white gold in parts of Asia. Of course, platinum is much more expensive than gold, both per gram and because its hardness makes it more difficult to work with. But that is very interesting.

Carol, my concern is buying any jewelry from an unknown jewelry store, paprticularly in a place so well-known as the mall of knock-offs. The chain might be perfectly fine, but as noted, anyone can stamp a chain with 750. I wouldn't hesitate to buy gold in Chinatown, for instance. But unless I knew the vendor, I probably wouldn't buy at MBK.

rhkkmk

i agree....i guess at home i would not go to BJ's/Cosco or the local discount store to buy gold items....yes they probably are 10 or 14, or even 18K gold but they are of lesser quality in the workmanship, density of the metal etc...

carol...we all have been very polite to you in the past, but there is that huge green mark all around your neck...

simpsonc510

Bob... you are so naughty!!! Behave yourself! haha

Kathie, it's always best to buy where you feel most comfortable spending your money. I buy a number of items in MBK (and they are not knock-offs) and I have been quite happy with them. I will continue to shop there. I am not a buyer of expensive jewelry, in any sense of the word. Not my thing. But for a nice simple gold chain, I can find what I want at MBK.

Carol

Kathie

No question, Carol, you know much more about shopping at MBK than I do.

lcuy

I just felt that if she doesn't know 750 is 18K then she may not know a whole lot about jewelry, and SJ might not cost anymore than the $200 but the quality will be guaranteed.

I guess I am more suspicious of gold stands as I have a friend who used to do asssaying (I think thats the term). They would go in, take samples and often find much a lot of stuff marked 18K or 14K was in fact 10K or less. It is still nice jewelry, but just not what promised.

mohan

I can't speak for Thailand, but platinum = white gold in Chinese language.

As a general rule, I would only buy jewelry from a recommended jeweler. I would hesitate to buy gold in Chinatown unless i know who i am dealing with.

MichaelBKK :what is dead man's gold?

rhkkmk : how many days did it take the jeweler to finish the bracelet? was it SJ international?

Thanks.

mohan

I remember Diane Sawyer did a piece on 20/20 many years ago where she took the jewelry her husband bought for her for appraisal and found they did not worth half what he paid for. The jewelers were in the heart of the diamond district in NYC and they supposed to offer wholesale price but that didn't happen, did it?

FireDragonII

wow... thanks y'all...
I guess I dont know much about Jewelry, I have a few beautiful pieces - gorgeous engagement ring and tennis bracelet from my man ;-), but dont tend to buy jewelry often.
I HAVE been on the lookout for a nice chain, so now I wonder about MBK...
if the quality isnt "perfect" - what does that meab - that an apraiser would tell me it isnt perfect - or that it would go black etc over time?
I just want it to look nice.

Also, the stores were unwilling to go down in price.. i wonder if it was "knock-offs" and not real gold -wouldnt they have wanted to sell it to me for a lower price just to get the profit?

I am not interested in gems, should I head out to SJ for a simple chain and do they have a shop in Phuket?

Kathie

SJ's only store is in Bangkok. You could go there for a simple chain, though I've always purchased stone (rubies and sapphires) jewelry there.

If the chain at MBK is genuine gold (and from what Carol says, she thinks it is) it wouldn't go black. But examine the workmanship carefully. How secure is the clasp? Are there any kinks in the chain, paces where the links have been bent slightly? Are the links all the same size, and are the links well closed so they don't pull apart?

If you want to buy jewelry, do so in Bangkok, not Phuket.

haroth

for the gold content (purity), goldsmiths use .999 and under to classify the content. it is never 1.000 because all of the impurities are never refined out. 18K is .750; 14K is .585. sometimes they also stamp 18K. yellow gold at .750 has 25% alloy (silver and copper to retain the gold color) to harden the piece. if you see the baht chains they are .999 and very dull yellow. no alloy.

white gold is an alloy usually nickle or palladium that will 'whiten' the appearance. obviously the more yellow gold the more yellow the appearance. the problem is going the other way. they could add more nickle and less gold and it will have about the same appearance. so you must deal with a reputable shop.

the goldshops at MBK on the second floor are reliable. you can see the large shops with the gold display on the walls and in the counter.the daily cost in baht (currency) is for the weight in baht (1/2 baht weight = 15.3 grams) a baht chain is one baht weight and would be 30.6 grams. a troy ounce in USA is 31.103. in the past number of years they hae started adding a 'workmanship' cost but its not too much.

if you see something you like keep it in mind and look elsewhere. you can always return and it will be there. no bargaining.

for whomever questioned about turning 'black' gold is inert as is silver so it doesnt turn black. it is always the alloy.

also the diane sawyer expose was about emeralds at the high end shops in manhattan. they succumbed to the wholesalers who werent accurate about the quality given the price that these shops were selling. now they all check the stones and price them themselves. (of coure the price is way too high anyway, but rich folks dont care).

if you are buying gems, take their advice to see SJ Jewelers or Thai Stone Jewelry in the NaNa Hotel lobby. there are hundreds of shops all over and chances are you will overpay for what you get if you do not know gemology.

MichaelBKK

Mohan, "dead man's gold" is just that - gold buried with the dead, which brings bad luck if you take it. I learned all this years ago when I worked for Platinum Technology, and the guy opening the China office was tearing his hair out because the literal translation of "Platinum" in Chinese is "white gold" - which means "dead man's gold".

mohan

haroth: Your explanation is illuminating. The wedding ring I bought for my husband is looking more nickel than platinum. My 18 K chains are getting more brownish over the years. i hope they can be refresh. What is the deal with department store's sales? They don't adjust their gold price and they offer 50% sales. Their gems are junk i know that but what about the gold? Money is one thing. it does not feel good to be misled

Since you know so much I hope you don't mind answering the following question:

Sorry FireDragonII, may i hijack your post for a second? Pardon me please

Where is a reliable place to sell my Chinese gold jewelry in Manhattan nyc? I received some very heavy bracelets, some rings and pendants from relatives as wedding gift eons ago. I don't wear them because the designs are not my taste so i might as well sell them, right? I don't know of any reliable jeweler here in Manhattan and am afraid to walk into any gold stores in Chinatown to do transection. Yes, i have trust issues.

MichaelBKK:yes, the literal translation of "Platinum" in Chinese is "white gold"

http://definingcharacters.com/blog/2006/03/11/platinum/

I know jade are dug up from graves. It won't surprise me gold as well.

Kathie: thanks for recommending SJ international. I am looking forward to going there. By the way, I updated the post on atms in BKK.

simpsonc510

haroth
Your information is much appreciated. Thanks for sharing.