Thailand and the region Thailand makers bid for diamond congress
A bid to host the 1998 World Diamond Congress by the Thai Diamond Manufacturers Association has received support from the international diamond community.
President of the Thai Diamond Manufacturers Thai diamond Manufacturers Association Chirakitti Tang pitched the proposal to the board of the International Diamond Manufacturers Association while at the President’s Conference of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses, held in Johannesburg, South Africa from July 2-5. After his return to Bangkok, Chirakitti said that Thailand’s efforts looked promising.
In an interview with JewelSiam, president of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses Eli Izhakoff said Thailand’s hosting of the conference would be “a positive thing” that would serve to highlight the country’s world diamond trade.
Final word on Thailand’s bid will have to wait until the 1996 conference scheduled to be held May 26-29 next year in Tel Aviv, Israel.
New gem museum opens in Myanmar
The Myanmar Gem Museum recently opened near the Gem Emporium Hall in Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar (Burma).
The four-story building in the town of Mayangon is a ten-minute drive from central Yangon, and is located very near the famous Kaba-Aye Pagoda. On the lower floors are jewelry shops full of cut gems, jewelry, jade carvings, and jade rings and bangles.
The museum is located on the top floor, and features a large collection of jade, including one rough imperial jadeite stone weighing 4.7 kg. In addition, the museum has on display a rough star sapphire weighing 6.3 carats, as well as a collection of gold and silver bars. Also of note is an impressive jade tea set which highlights the delicate craftsmanship of Burmese artists, as well as a collection of rough stones including rubies and sapphires from Mogok, peridot, spinel and rarer stones such as danburite, scapolite, and chromium diopside.
The entry fee to the museum is $5 for foreigners.—Reported by U Tin Hlaing, Department of Geology Taunggyi University.
New firms added to Basel Fair list
With the addition of 16 new Thai companies, the list of exhibitors for the World Watch, Clocks and Jewellery Fair in Basel, Switzerland has now reached its final complement of 41 firms.
According to a report in the Bangkok Post, Swiss organizers of the world-famous fair confirmed the admission of all 25 companies which participated in last year’s fair as well as the 16 newcomers.
While these admissions should have signaled the end of an ugly episode which embarrassed the Thai industry internationally, another problem might be arising.
According to The Post, two companies which participated in Basel 95 broke a “gentleman’s agreement” to refund money spent preparing the unused Thai Basel area to companies which were unable to exhibit at Basel 95.
“The action by two companies negates much of the good work done by the Thai Gem and Jewelry Traders Association in pushing for a more positive profile of Thai exhibitors at the Basel Fair,” the article quoted an anonymous source as saying. “It is really unfair for these companies to behave in a very unethical manner after using the Association and the Thai Basel Group to gain entry into the main fair.”
Top gemologists coming to Bangkok
Many of the world’s top gemological figures will be coming to Bangkok when the 25th International Gemological Conference is held here from Oct 20-Nov 5.
Hosting the conference is a strong signal of Thailand’s growing status as a provider of gemological and laboratory-related services.
The IGC is a technical conference organized for professional gemologists every two years with the aim of facilitation cooperation and coordination between professionals in this field. For this event, professional gemologists from more than 30 countries will gather to discuss the latest gemological developments.
The meetings are closed to the public. The venue for the first half of the conference will be Rayong, while in the second week delegates will travel to areas in northern Thailand including Mae Sai.
The conference is organized by the Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences (AIGS) and sponsored by the Jewelry Trade Center.
Before the IGC meeting, AIGS will capitalize on the presence of the renowned gemologists by holding Gem Horizons 95, a one-day open conference to be held at the Jewelry Trade Center.
The meeting will feature such distinguished speakers as George Bosshart, Henry Hanni, Alan Jobbins, Robert E. Kane, John I Koivula, Margherita Superchi, Varunee Thiramongkol and Kenneth Scarratt.
Among the topics to be addressed include “The Beauty of Inclusions”, “The Enhancement of Red Stones by Diffusion,” “The Montana Sapphires,” and “The Story of the AGEE Hydrothermal Synthetic Emerald.”
Admission to Gem Horizons ’95 is open to the public. Those wishing to attend should make reservations as seating will be limited. For more details, contact the AIGS registrar at (662) 267-4315-9.
Thai gold off take increases by 29%
Thailand was the fastest growing gold market in Southeast Asia last year, according to World Gold Council statistics.
Statistics showed that overall gold demand in 1994 was 124 tons, a 29 percent increase over 1993. Jewelry demand in Thailand remained the mainstay of the market, with approximately 118 tons consumed in 1994, a 28 percent increase on the previous year. There was also renewed interest in gold investment—which rose from four tons in 1993 to six tons in 1994.
Overall regional demand continued to be buoyant in 1994 with total annual consumption reaching 376 tons, a record 21 percent rise from 1993, reflecting the fast expanding economies of Southeast Asia. As in Thailand, jewelry made strong progress throughout the region, whereas the gold investment demand picture was mixed; sales of bers and coins, while up 26 percent to 23.6 tons, still only represented six percent of total gold off take in the region.
Indonesia was the next fastest growing market, registering a 21 percent growth at a record 97 tons in 1994. Jewelry demand was up 18 percent to 93.5 tons and gold bars and coins reached 3.5 tons from on ton the previous year.
Singapore consumed 23.9 tons, up 12 percent, and Malaysia, 24.8 tons, an increase of 11 percent. Strong jewelry demand in the island republic, up 20 percent to 22 tons, more than offset the soft gold bars and coins demand that fell 37 percent to 1.9 tons. Similarly in neighboring Malaysia, jewelry off take of 17 percent at 23 tons overshadowed lower investment demand at 1.8 tons, a drop of 36 percent.
In comparison to the rest of the Far East, Thailand trailed only slightly behind Hong Kong in growth, whose consumption level for 1944 increased by 30 percent over 1993. However, its total demand was 48 tons versus Thailand’s 124 tons.
In South Korea, the year’s off take of gold was up 18 percent at 106 tons. Jewelry demand was up 17 percent to 95.6 tons, while gold bars and coins were up 30 percent to 10.4 tons.
At 224.3 tons, overall gold demand in China was consistent with 1993’s level, with jewelry products accounting for the lion’s share of off take. With much chuk kam jewelry being bought for investment purposes, and political succession questions raising uncertainties about continued reforms, jewelry off take seemed set to continue at a healthy pace.
S’pore gemologists choose new board
The Singapore Gemologist Society recently elected a new executive committee for 1995-96.
Oooicers include Tay Thye Sun(President); Yee Heng Chiong (Vice-President); Freeman Gan Cheng Soon (Secretary); Francis Ng Fen Sin (Asst Secretary); and Patrick Lee (Treasurer). Committee members are Tan Chye Koon, Lee Cheung, Kerwin Lau Chiu Man. Auditors are Mabel Lim Kah Muay and Martin Seah Cheng Chye.
A new twist on old synthetic tricks
Selling synthetic stones as natural is unfortunately not a new practice. However, the two latest laboratory alerts from the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) report new twists on this old trick.
Tay Thye Sun of the Far East Gemological Laboratory reports a synthetic emerald that was sold as natural using an SSEF certificate that did not belong to the stone: close examination revealed slightly different measurements and weight. The SSEF report number was 27270 and SSEF has offered to double-check any emerald sold with reports 27265 to 27295 at no charge.
Shyamala Fernandes of Gem Testing Laboratory in Jaipur, India reports synthetic blue sapphire mixed into tanzanite parcels. A quick test to separate out any synthetic sapphires: tanzanite, with a specific gravity of 3.34, will float or sink slowly in methylene iodide, but synthetic sapphire will sink fast.—ICA Gazette.
GIA Thailand starts home-study program
Tired of traffic? The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is planning to introduce a home study program in Thailand for students.
GIA Thailand has been conducting courses in diamonds and colored stones since 1993 in its Silom office. The home-study program would allow students to complete their studies according to their own schedule, not the school’s.
According to Christopher Keenan, director of GIA’s Thailand office: “The learn at home program allows you complete your study at a much more generous time period, usually two years per course, but you can also complete the course in a couple of days. It’s up to the student to set their own pace.” The program covers diamonds, diamond grading, colored stones, colored stone grading, and gem identification.
While the home-study program by itself will allow students to receive a Gemologist degree, in order to receive the well known Graduate Gemologist (GG) degree, students will need to take three additional short extension classes at the GIA laboratory on diamond grading, colored-stone grading and gem identification.
The “learn-at-home” program in Thailand began a trial run last April, with about 12 students. Currently, the organization has approximately 300 students in Bangkok—at least 50 of whom have successfully completed the diploma course since January 1993. Future plans also include the translation of the home-study program into the Thai language.
While GIA’s home-study program may be new to Thailand, it’s nothing new world wide. Over GIA’s 64-year history, more than two-thirds of the nearly 300,000 students who have graduated from GIA programs and courses worldwide have done so through home study.
For further information, please contact GIA Thailand at 238-2420. Of by fax: 236-9829.
Belgo-Thai to expand production
Press pot and diamond bench maker Belgo-Thai Diamond Equipment is expanding to counteract growing local competition and is diversifying into a wider range of services, according to a report in the TDMA News.
Belgo Thai has had a long relationship with Belgian press pot maker Rouvensnv, importing preshaped press pots and completing their manufacture in its Lopburi factory.
The company will soon be able to fully manufacture press pots and increase annual capacity to 15 million units.
Further services offered include polishing and bruiting machine maintenance and plans are afoot to manufacture and assemble its own polishing and bruiting machines.
A delegation of Japanese businesspeople led by Phatai Sooksommai, director of the Thai Trade Center in Fukuoka, Japan, visited the Pranda Jewelry factory on Bangna-Trad Highway recently. Prapee Sorakraikitikul, vice-president of operations, led the visitors on the tour.
After the success of its Bag-heera watch, Christian Dior has now released Mini-Bagheera, an elegant slim version of its predecessor. The watch is available in two styles—classic, with a black dial, and elegant, with a gold dial and sapphire crystals.
The world gold Council recently held a design seminar in Bangkok. Entitled “Evocative Gold—An Asian Renaissance,” the seminar was designed to promote the development of a Thai identity in gold jewelry design. Pictured are: (from left) Yuthana Sukwaree, a design expert from Beauty South Asia; Somkid Chotkavanich, director-general of the Fine Arts Department; Pongpan Pongsiribanyat, WGC Thailand manger; and Daniela Invernizzi, a leading Italian designer of gold jewelry.
Money woes force Am Thai layoffs
The extended slump of the jewelry market in Thailand claimed another victim on Aug 1 when the local manufacturer Am Thai was forced to lay off 90 of its 110 workers.
Sagging exports over the first half of this year have hurt many low-to mid-range jewelry manufacturers. Some fringe players have closed their doors, and press reports indicated that even one of the country’s biggest companies—industry giant Pranda Jewelry—had laid off up to 300 workers.
After battling falling profits and suffering a split with his American partner, Dean Gilliard of Am Thai decided it was time to downsize. Now, with a skeleton staff of 20, Gilliard is biding his time and waiting for his next move. “We’re still in business,” he says, “still buying, still producing, just on a smaller scale.”
Gilliard is trying to sell the current Am Thai factory on Bangna-Trad Highway—which he says he is willing to part with for a “very interesting” price. Once the business is sold, he will consider moving his operations to India or China. Another possible option is to remain in Thailand and focus his production on jewelry in the middle price ranges. “If you cut out the low-end losers, it’s a good business,” says Gilliard.
Gilliard says that he was hurt by intensified competition on the low end from countries like India and Sri Lanka, as well as improved techniques in advanced countries like Japan, where workers are now setting stones in wax as opposed to casting. This has meant a strong rise in productivity, which has lessened the appeal of producing jewelry in labor-intensive countries.
“I want to take some time and observe,” he says. “Every business you end up being so entrenched in the day-to-day bullshit, you can’t see the forest for the trees. You have to stand back and decide where you want to go and where you can go.”