A group of Australian with a gem business in Bangkok have developed a process for bonding gemstones to gold for a layered, multi-colored affect with they call Ultra Gem.

            Harvey Bamford, sales manager of Pacific East Trading Co, said the company began experimenting with techniques for bonding gold to gems after seeing the work of a US designer who also uses the process. “The US designer is the only other one we know using this technique,” Mr. Bamford said, “but while he only does expensive pieces of limited production our aim is for commercial production.”

          It took Pacific East Trading one year to “develop the integrity of the bonding so that it would last a lifetime,” Mr. Bamford said. “We guarantee it.”

            Prices per piece range from US$20 to $300 and up, depending on the type of gemstones used, the karatage of the gold and the size of the piece.

            All kinds of shapes, from rounds, to tubes to hearts, diamonds and fancy shapes are possible with Ultra Gem, and the company has produced combinations of dozens of gemstones, including oilite, citrine, amethyst, tourmaline, topaz, orange hessonite garnet, blue opal, black onyx and chrysoprase.

            “Any mineral is possible with Ultra Gem,” Mr. Bamford said. “All of them come out looking pleasant and some look surprising beautiful, this is an evolving thing,” he added. “We intend to keep on developing it. We’re now getting into bigger sizes of 8-10mm, which brings down the price per carat.”