Where in the world to buy _______?

[Rose-gold-or-bust]

Hello,

I’ve started mixing my jewelry buying habits with my traveling habits. I bought my tanzanites in Tanzania because that’s the only place they are mined in the world. I bought from a Tiffany in NYC because it is such a iconic NYC jewelry store. But now I am clueless. What other travel/jewelry adventures should I put on my bucket list? I’ve thought about buying Emeralds in Ireland (the Emerald Isle) but they are not mined there - would that experience still make sense?


Thanks for advice and ideas!

 

[distracts]

In Scotland get either thistle jewelry or Scottish agate. In Mexico, Taxco silver of course! Australian opals (or pink diamonds... depending on your budget lol). These are just what occurs off the top of my head.

 

[chroman]

How about Fiji or Mexico and visit a pearl farm?

 

[stracci2000]

Emeralds-Columbia
Opals, Sapphires-Australia
Nephrite Jade-New Zealand, British Columbia
Sapphires-Sri Lanka, Thailand
Tourmalines-Brazil, Maine
Turquoise-Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada
Tahitian pearls-Umm...Tahiti
Larimar- Dominican Republic
Amber-Baltic Countries
Akoya pearls-Japan

Cameos, Murano Glass-Italy
Black Hills Gold-South Dakota
Hook Bracelet-St. Croix
Hawaiian Heritage bracelet, Niihau shell lei-Hawaii

 

[Rose-gold-or-bust]

Thanks for all the ideas! Gonna store these for later in case I end up in any of these places

 

[qubitasaurus]

What about some nice handworked gold? In some places they have traditions where you buy it paying a certain $$/g and then they will work it into a necklace for you. I think this is common in some places in india, iran and I think I have seen it done in Istambul.

Otherwise the obvious one is to visit the jade or pearl markets in a chinese city, or go to the gem markets in one of the south east asian countries like Bangkok or Burma. Or visit a gemshow in hong kong ot singapore. Or buy emeralds in columbia. However you will be scalped if you tey to do any of these without knowing what you are doing -- so i would strictly play with small amounts of money (unless you are super proficient with a loupe and know how to spot the tell tale signs of most popular treatments).

 

[arkieb1]

Lightening Ridge (Aussie outback), best black opals in the world, Broome, some of the best South Sea Pearls in the world. Can you tell I'm an Aussie

 

[Tartansparkles]

In Scotland get either thistle jewelry or Scottish agate.

You can *almost* buy gold mined in Scotland too
https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/f.../firm-almost-ready-to-start-digging-for-gold/

 

[Diamond_Hawk]

Fun thread - great suggestions!

 

[WinkHPD]

For a great vacation, go to the State of Minas Gerais (General Mines) in Brasil. For sure start in Belo Horizonte (Beautiful horizon). Talk to people there to find out which cities to travel to for buying gems, but wear your best negotiating underwear, prices are ALWAYS negotiable in Brasil. A side trip to Ouro Preto (Black Gold) should be considered a must! It is a small town on top of a mountain and the Church of the Slaves is an incredible edifice to visit. The story told is that the slaves would wash their hair at night for the gold dust from the mines and that is how they got the gold to plate so many things inside the church.

Popular gems you may encounter there that are mined in Brasil: Tourmaline, Amethyst, Aquamarine, Garnet, Topaz, Quartz, Andalusite, Dendritic Quartz, Rutilated Quartz, Agate, Calcite and others.

Side note: The last time I visited Ouro Preto on a Rotary Friendship Exchange, our host took us to a favela (slum) on the outskirts of town. There we went to a small dental office sponsored by the local Rotary Club, which was there primarily to teach children in the slum how to brush their teeth.

What do you think might be the unintended consequence of teaching children in a slum to brush their teeth? (Guess first, then scroll down.)










My father was a dentist, and once it was pointed out to me it made sense. However, I never would have guessed the answer.

In the years following the introduction of tooth brushing, the infant mortality rate in that slum declined by ten percent. Pretty amazing!

Wink