Buying gold in China Town, Bangkok
 

When I was in Bangkok several years ago I bought a heavy gold bracelet in China Town. When I got home I was not too happy with the design and have rarely worn it. (Impulse buy I guess) I was wondering if I could trade this bracelet back to a jeweler and get something I really like when I return to Bangkok next month. Does anyone know if the jewelers also buy gold back?

Yes you can. Gold shops show two prices, a buying price and a selling price. When you buy something you pay the weight of gold multiplied by the selling price plus something extra for the workmanship. However, when you sell you normally only get the weight multiplied by the buying price, the same price as you get for selling a gold ingot.

Although the difference between the buy and sell price is normally quite large you could conceivably make a profit depending on the price of gold when you bought your piece.

I'd also love to know if someone knows a good goldsmith. I have a pair of silver earrings that I would love to have copied in gold. Preferably 18 kt

gloria...we have had very good luck having copies made of various peices of jewerly at our jewerler: thai stone jewerly, in the lobby of the very grotty nana hotel, soi 4 sukhumvit rd....we have never been disappointed....we see porn or mr lee

Rhkkmk-- will they do things without stones?

Gloria, any jeweler in Bangkok should be able to copy a pair of earrings. My jeweler, SJ International has copied things for me.

austine, the gold you buy in Chinatown is high carat gold and so there are limits as to designs. While I have a set of heavy plain bangle bracelets in 23k gold from Dubai, all of my other gold bracelets are 18k which is much more durable. You may want to sell the gold to a jeweler who will make you a bracelet of your design out of 18k gold.

yes they do lots of things without stones...we have had earings, braclets and pins made without stones...it is not a bargaining store either which makes it easy...they can shave the price in various ways by changing the K of the gold or weight of the item...so that makes it very nice...for instance when my wife wanted a substantial braclet made they askes how heavy...this is not an american concept...she replied substantial and they arrived at a standard weight and it was perfect when produced...at about 1/4 the cost of american ready made---18K...i think it was 54 grams???? it cost about $700. we have replacement earing made, but often it is just as cheap to have a pair made and the gold will match that way also...

Rhkkmk-
How long do they usually take to make something? Usually I go to Bangkok at the beginning and end of a trip but because of ff flights and the desire to NOT be in Bangkok again over New Years I'll be there for 7 days at the end of my trip. I assume that's plenty of time if I go the first day. Am I right?ending ndisia;;mg