Diamonds in Indonesia

[amywarr]

I am going to Bali next week and am wondering where I can buy diamonds there. Is anyone familiar with the prices there as opposed to prices here in the US?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Just send me your money if you are going to waste it and I will give it to a worthwhile charity.

 

[niceice]

Instructions for buying diamonds in a third world country...

1. Go to your bank and withdraw all of your money.

2. Place it in a circular metal canister, an average size coffee canister will do nicely.

3. Wet thorougly with lighter fluid.

4. Stand back and toss in a match.

Legal disclaimer: We will not be held responsible for bodily injury or mental anguish. You and only you are responsible for your actions. Any person who chooses to undertake the aforementioned project or who buys a diamond overseas does so at their own peril

 

[derekinla]

If you're not going to buy a diamond in Indonesia, at least you could spend some money on some good satay with peanut dipping sauce. You'll leave feeling much more fulfilled.

 

[mike04456]

Let me chime in to agree with all of the above: buying gems in the third world is for serious professionals only. Even experienced gem dealers get burned from time to time. Tourists are guaranteed to get fleeced; either you pay way too much for substandard goods or you simply waste good money on fakes. And it's not just Indonesia, it's pretty much anywhere close to the source. Gem expert Richard Hughes has come up with a neat formula, which is in my experience very accurate: the number of scams being offered varies inversely with the square of the distance from the mine--i.e., the closer you are to the source, the less likely it is that you're being offered anything genuine. Caveat emptor.

 

[mdx]

Check this e-mail we recently received Talk about an honest thief.

“l am very glad to inform you that l have more than the
quantity you are talking about. l fully assure you that you
will be astonished at the various kinds in my stock.
l would also like you to know the whole truth of this
business,this gems are stolen from the mines both here and
from Angola and mostly from Botswana. lt is not officially
gotten. You are very free to bring your gemmologist but it
must not be one of the people staying in South Africa. This
is to aviod the trails of the law.Please,you should call me
for a more meaningfull discussion.
Regards,
Phezile Gama.”


Wayne
Melbourne Diamond Exchange

 

[innerkitten]

Well it may not have good diamond deals but it's agot nice silver and gold jewelry, wood carvings, wood furniture and great textiles, the people are very friendly and the foods good too. I spent two months in Sumatra and a month in Bali.
Have a great time

 

[valeria101]

WOW! I have no idea why you want to buy diamonds in Indonezia, but I your short e-mail does not tell that you might be dealer-seeker-of-baigains as the numerous posts imply! There is truth in them IF you DO hunt 'dirt cheap diamonds'! As far as I had the pleasure to discover gems can be safely and profitably bought anywhere from Tajikistan to Kashmir. Is this the kind of deal you are seeking? If all you want is to buy a diamond from your next vacation destination, those are available anywhere, GIA certificates and all. However, prices are very uniform and certified, good quality pieceS get MORE expensivethe further you get from the certification/cutting centre (Russia - for sure, despite local world-class cutting). This is easy to explain, just look at the posts above: if a seller in a developing country has to reasure SUCH buyers (and those have the money, not his compatriots

) then he must go to great length and cost. In Indonezia as in the US, you get what you pay for, and often you don't. Buying from reputable shops is good practice anywhere, especialy if you must take into account 'cultural differences' when deciding what is 'reputable'.

What you can better scoop in Indonezia? relatively cheap Indian-cut diamonds: If you like 'champagne', blacks and browns, this could be a good opportunity...