EBay Thaigems

[chroman]

Oh KLC, that sucks. I hope you can get a refund easily. Mine came via USPS from a WA address, so there may be hope for tracking and delivery conf w/o international shipping.

After your pain, I was a little hesitant when a package showed up today. Much to my surprise, it was actually orange! My macro skills this evening don’t seem to be so good (it looks a bit better then this IRL) but it’s actually fairly close in color to the vendor photo.

 

[KLC]

Oh KLC, that sucks. I hope you can get a refund easily. Mine came via USPS from a WA address, so there may be hope for tracking and delivery conf w/o international shipping.

After your pain, I was a little hesitant when a package showed up today. Much to my surprise, it was actually orange! My macro skills this evening don’t seem to be so good (it looks a bit better then this IRL) but it’s actually fairly close in color to the vendor photo.

That's lovely! I filed for a refund under the item not as described option and received an email saying the return was accepted but the vendor couldn't provide a shipping label. It says however that they'll have to refund the shipping costs as well. Also I'm not having to ship it internationally, just to WA. So that's not so bad.

 

[Nicko1702]

Heyo,
I've bought a couple of items from ThaiGemStore, and mostly been pleased with the price point for product aspect. I try to keep in mind these could be used in more rustic looking jewelry, and not pieces that I would compare with commercial jewelry. As a new jeweler but long time mineral and gem enthusiast, ThaiGemStore has provided me with several pieces to study and that have also set well in some early jewelry creations. Something I try to keep in mind is that they basically function like one of those bargain $15-25 dot boxes you would find at any gem and mineral show, but they are online.

The biggest issue I have with them, is the stones are clearly cut hastily - and some of them turn out pretty janky. The cuts are the worst parts I would say. The second point that can be inaccurate are the clarity or inclusion grades: I have received stones that were more included than their grade and stones that were less. Lighting also matters a lot, and the images they post are taken with a macro lens and doctored to make the color pop. The pics are a highly idealized representation compared to how the stone will look in person, and I understand that (other reputable stone cutter like Earth's Treasure or Kosnar use similar methods as a marketing tactic). Some of the coloration has been disappointing, but others have been a good investment with rich tones.

In terms of treatments - especially for sapphires - I have a microscope that I use to discern what treatment they receive. Usually I actually find their description to be accurate. Most sapphires are at least heated, albeit, it can be hard for me to tell if they were pressurized or heated in a particular way. Personally, I do not mind if a stone is simply heated or with a little pressure. I have not received a Diffused or Fissure-filled stone from them without the description stating so (I bought one Diffusion for reference from them). I also bought two Beryllium treated stones that were stated as such. I have not bought any composite stones or fissure filled from ThaiGemStore, and I also have not received any . I do not believe I have received any synthetic stones either.

ThaiGemStore has actually become a really valuable study tool for me, and I have bought over two dozen items from them, spanning garnets, sapphires, spinels, emeralds and tourmaline. Attached is an image of a wirewrapped ring I made with a spinel from him. I like how it turned out, but the photo does not pop really.

 

[Nicko1702]