Thaigem were caught out by the GIA

Jewelry Discussion
1

Just thought this might be of interest to some if they are buying
from Thaigem. This is a BIG problem (in my opinion) if you are buying
your stones from overseas cutting houses with no good way of knowing
what you’re getting (and thus, selling).

Thaigems isn’t a leaner operation do to the tsunami. They were caught
out by the GIA who bought 200 amethyst and when tested 80% were
synthetic. So much for the certificate they give.

Craig
www.creativecutgems.com

2

Hi Craig,

Thaigems isn't a leaner operation do to the tsunami. They were
caught out by the GIA who bought 200 amethyst and when tested 80%
were synthetic. So much for the certificate they give.

Do you have a source for that

Alain

3

Hi Craig:

This is something I have been wondering about for a long time. Are
there, in fact, many jewelry makers out there who may or may not be
using synthetic and just don’t know it? maybe never find out? I have
been told “shop only at reputable dealers”. It can be difficult to
do. Someone can be reputable for twenty years and not become
disreputable until the day he/she locks the doors and takes off for
Mexico.

Thanks
Kim Starbard
Cove Beads

4

Could you post a link to the story?

Thanks,
Tom

5 
Do you have a source for that

Not yet, working on it… It was a repost of what someone told me on
another list.

Craig
www.creativecutgems.com

6 
Not yet, working on it.. It was a repost of what someone told me
on another list.

It would be useful if on postings such as these the poster states
whether what he/she is reporting is personal experience or hearsay.
You don’t believe everything you hear on TV or read in the
newspapers do you. Someone’s reputation may be enhanced or diminished
unjustly.

Kevin Kelly

7

Good Morning,

There has been enough postings on this subject to pique my curiosity.
First I went to www.gia.edu and did a search on synthetic amethyst.
Found lots of interesting reading, but nothing about them and
thaigems.

I then did a Google search using the following search term thaigems
synthetic amethyst GIA

and other than loads of marketers who load their webpage with search
terms to draw people to their sites nothing of interest was returned.
I then did a search on thaigem and GIA and found some references to a
dispute concerning heat treatment of sapphires. I then narrowed the
search to the following search term:

thaigem gia heat treat surface sapphires

and found a few interesting articles about a dispute between the GIA
and Thai heat treaters in general dating back to 2002. Thaigems was
mentioned in several articles.

The dispute centered on if sapphires that had been treated should be
labeled has heat treated (has was being done) or surface diffusion
treated.

You will find some interesting reading and insight into the
controversies surrounding this issue and classification of treatments
and / or enhancements in general.

Some interesting links are

http://tinyurl.com/e43oz
http://www.agta.org/consumer/news/20020225corundumtreat.htm
http://www.agta.org/consumer/gtclab/orangesapphirealert.htm

I’m sure if thaigems had been caught out and it was public enough to
cause a precipitous drop in sales that there would have been some
mention of it that I could have found. I half suspect the 200
synthetic Amethyst is a distortion of the above controversy.

Just my 2 cents
Kay

8

A propos of the Thai Gem/ amethyst thing has anyone ever thought
about a direct telephone call to G.I.A. in Carlsbad Ca.? You can
Google until you’re giggling, but straight from the horses’ mouth is
better ! If they didn’t do the deed, then they would probably welcome
setting the record straight; if they DID do it, they might not admit
it for legal purposes.

It was long ago admitted that synthesized amethyst would be very
difficult to keep out of the market inasmuch as it is very expensive
to do the analysis required and the value of the material is so
small. If you go to a major show where there are large dealers in
cut stones you can pretty much immediately tell which stones are
natural and which are not. On the other hand, when the synthetics are
mixed in with the naturals it can be very difficult to pick out the
phonies. Natural stones always have miniscule variations whereas a
tray full of synthetics will usually have a uniformity that is
anomalous.

Back in the late seventies it was suspected that the Russians had
dumped a large amount of twenty point synthetic diamonds on the
market. Ruby parcels are always suspect inasmuch as synthetics have
been mixed in with the naturals for decades. As usual, let the buyer
beware…and, don’t ever suppose that all dealers can
unequivocally certify all their stones as being natural. After all,
a good synthesizer can always find a way to sneak in the back door
with synthesized inclusions and defects. If there’s a will, there’s a
way !

Ron Mills, Mills Gem Co. Los Osos, Ca.

9

Ok, I’m going to retract that post I forwarded regarding Thaigem.
The person who originally posted it on another jewelry list has yet
to respond to my inquiry for sources.

I won’t be so quick to try to warn/inform everyone next time! Still
don’t know if it’s real or not but I haven’t heard anything else
about it.

Craig
http://www.creativecutgems.com

10 
It was long ago admitted that synthesized amethyst would be very
difficult to keep out of the market inasmuch as it is very
expensive to do the analysis required and the value of the
material is so small.

Actually, the test is quite simple. A polarizer is used to determine
the presence/absence of polysynthetic twinning. Almost all natural
quartz exhibits polysynthetic twinning; synthetic only very, very
rarely.

Wayne Emery
The Gemcutter
@Wayne_Emery1

11

perhaps someone from GIA, if they are looking at this site could
comment or would like to address the issue i am quite positve there
is someone out there from GIA who could direct info or inquiry no good
to have rumors out there floating around thanks -goo

12 
Just thought this might be of interest to some if they are buying
from Thaigem. This is a BIG problem (in my opinion) if you are
buying your stones from overseas cutting houses with no good way of
knowing what you're getting (and thus, selling). Thaigems isn't a
leaner operation do to the tsunami. They were caught out by the GIA
who bought 200 amethyst and when tested 80% were synthetic. So much
for the certificate they give.

I passed a copy of your post to the Bangkok GIA purchaser (at the
Bangkok gem show yesterday). He didn’t know that the Bangkok GIA had
purchased ANY amethyst from Thaigem during the last 1 1/2 years. He
also said that he has been involved with GIA in Thailand for the
last 1-1/2 years and this was news to him. He also said that he
would follow up.

When people talk or write about other people or companies, in any
public form, they should do so only based on first hand knowledge
and NOT on hear say or what they thought they read. Once the damage
is done a libel suit may follow if there is a loss of income or
image.

We have seen in the past where people have had a “first hand”
problem with a supplier and they would post their problem in this
form. The supplier then responded and the matter was resolved to all
parties satisfaction.

This form is a very powerful tool, but we must all be careful that
all of the send in to the form is correct and not a
rummer or hear say.

Len Rummel, AG
@Leonard_Rummel