I heard that the airport in Chiang Mai has good deals on gemstones. Does anyone know if the gemstone at the airport are genuine?

Also, in Bangkok what are the names of some REPUTABLE gemstone dealers?

Are prices on gemstones negotiable and if so, what's the procedure to get the best deal?

Visted both the Silver and Gemstone factories. I would not shop in either, again: average quality, high prices, obnoxious high pressures sales people.

In BKK, we bought my wife a couple of nice rings at: http://www.venus-thailand.com/about.html#. If you have time, they will also do custom work. I thought the prices were fair to good.

The jeweler in Bangkok I have been buying from for more than 20 years is SJ International
phone 02-2432446 or 02-2432447 or 02-2411875.
They are located at 125/8 Sawankhalok Road, Dusit, Bangkok.
Call them and they will pick you up at your hotel and deliver you back after you shop.

I wouldn't buy gemstones from the airport, though I would expect the stones to be genuine, but I wouldn't expect them to have the quality or selection that a good jeweler would have.

my favorite place is the small thai stone jewelry in the nana hotel on soi 4, sukhumvit rd....i find their prices fair....i do not negiotate prices with them....they have ways of making things cheaper if you ask...change from 18K to 14K gold for instance...make it lighter in weight is another...that would be custom work of course not from the case...

i would never buy any gem in an airport

I had a fabulous trip to Thailand and did, in fact, visit SJ International. I am extremely satisfied with all my purchases. I recently visited their website and found the deals on the website aren't like the ones I got when I visited them personally. Kathie, do you or anyone else, have any suggestions. I tried negotiating with them via email and they are sticking firm on their website prices. Any ideas on how to negotiate a deeper discount.

You are trying to get a deeper discount on the web prices? I think the web prices are not negotiable. You need to visit in person to get better discounts.

Living in Chiang mai we have a lots of friends visit us from the U.S. and some like to shop for jewelry and gems. We always take them to Gems Galery outside Chiang Mai. One of the reasons is because all the Gems are numbered. Each Gems is guaranteed and if the purchase price is more than the appraised value by a reputable gems dealer in your home country you can take the gem (or jewelry) to any Thai Embassy and receive a full refund.

You can bargain here a little but found that 10% is about the discount limit.

There is also a Gems Galery in Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya.

My wife and I purchased our wedding rings here and are very satisfied.

Randy and Ning