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Pigeon's blood ruby is very desirable; in fact it is the most desirable color for ruby. For a long time the best stones came from Burma but these are mostly mined out, and now the majority of very high-quality stones are coming from the mine in northern Mozambique, not terribly far from Pemba. You would have a much easier time finding a Mozambican ruby of fine color than one from Vietnam. Most of the Vietnamese ruby that I have seen here is pinkish, and not top color. I don't mean to say that there is no pigeon's blood ruby from Vietnam, just that I have not seen any in the market here in Bangkok.
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I might be missing something but what is advantage of using a international pharmacy?
I'm just thinking of local and walmart and such I don't see a advantage of international.
I would say it depends on your situation. I live in Bangkok but travel a lot. The biggest advantages for me are MUCH lower cost for the medication, plus I don't have to see a doctor every time I need more. I've taken the same pill for fifteen years; I don't need a doctor to tell me if it's working or not, or to give me permission to buy it. In some situations depending on the medication you might need to see a doctor annually or something- but for me, the extra expense and hassle of seeing a doctor is just a waste. |
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What happens if I borrow ten bitcoins, and then the price shoots up to $1,000 per coin? Am I sunk?
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Just got an answer. Very slick. This might be fun and profitable.  |
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My wife and I own a business in Bangkok and we have applied for a loan but didn't hear anything back other than an auto-reply. Is there someone processing applications right now?
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I just want to say that I placed yet another order with Swiss Pharmacy a few weeks ago and as always shipping and product were perfectly on-point. I have never had any issue with them but once when my goods were seized they re-shipped at no expense to me. I make small orders and their prices are really good, so for them to do that was really above and beyond the call of duty. I am always impressed with how fast their customer service replies when you have a question.
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 Beautiful gemstones do not have to be expensive. If you would rather not pay tens of thousands of dollars for a natural ruby, this 3.30 carat synthetic ruby just might fit the bill. $25 plus shipping.  This type of stone used to be a rarity- a flame-fusion synthetic ruby with inclusions that appear to be natural. Now they are becoming widely available and the process by which they are produced has become known. The crafty Thai cookers have taken synthetic sapphire and quench-crackled it to create fissures in the stone. Then it is cooked with a flux chemical in order to fill the fissures in. The result is a synthetic gemstone that appears to be natural, even to many experienced jewelers. If you would like more information about this process please feel free to ask. Bear in mind that this stone began life as a synthetic ruby that was created in a laboratory, not a natural ruby that was mined from the earth. The interesting thing about synthetic ruby is that it has the same physical, chemical, and optical properties as a natural ruby.  For anyone who wants to learn more about gemstones this is an exceptional example of just how tricky gemstone treatments can be. Many people have been fooled by these stones...don't be one of them! As a GIA Graduate Gemologist I understand my obligations to portray gemstones accurately, price them fairly, and disclose any and all known treatments. If you have any questions about this stone just send me a PM on this forum, or go to tiptopgem.com or paragonuniversaltrade.com as both of these forward to my business Facebook page where you can leave a message. Gemstones are not just my business, they are my passion so please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions about gemstones, or about the market price for ruby, sapphire, emerald, or diamond.  |
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That's a really good question grouper fish. There are a lot of resources around but of course you will want to pick and choose to get the most accurate information possible. Barbara Smigel is brilliant and her free online course is great: http://www.bwsmigel.info/That will give you a lot of information as a beginner. It is accurate, well-organized, and explained very well. I like this book a lot, and there is a newer edition that is a lot more expensive, but the old one is great and cheap: http://www.amazon.com/Gemstones-World-Revised-Walter-Schumann/dp/0806994614/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414846613&sr=1-2&keywords=gemstones+of+the+worldCheck your local library for books as well! Maybe the best advice I can give you is to take your time. Some people jump right in and buy expensive stones before they are ready and before they understand the various treatments and how they affect value. This can be a disaster. There are plenty of very inexpensive gemstones that are interesting and beautiful and that have a lot to teach you. It is fun to look at gemstones on eBay, but be extremely cautious of the claims made and be aware that some gemstone dealers have no problem lying if they think you will never figure it out! Also remember that much of the information in the gemstone auctions is just plain wrong. If you read a statement on eBay, try to verify on your own via other sources whether it is right or not. Most of all, have fun and enjoy whatever direction your interest takes you. Some people collect only synthetic gemstones, and this is a great way to start any collection. Get to know the "fakes"- the synthetics and imitations- before you invest much of your hard-earned cash. Ask questions on this thread if you want; I would be happy to answer them. Best of luck to you. I think you will find gemstones to be a very compelling hobby that has a lot to offer. It's art, beauty, science, and fun! |
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Hi Dozerz,
Sorry I missed your message. Let me PM you...
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Just ask if you are curious about any of the stones in the gallery and I will tell you what they are, how much they cost, and what the weight and dimensions are. Just glancing over the pictures I see:
Burmese peridot
Pakistani peridot
Sphene from Madagascar
Tanzanite
Sapphire
Amazonite
Yowah/Koroit opal
Mexican matrix opal
Fire agate
Quartz with tourmaline inclusions
Quartz with rutile inclusions
Tourmaline
Rhodolite garnet
Prasiolite
Tanzanian sunstone
Blue topaz
Carnelian
Lemon quartz
Amethyst
Fire opal
Botswana agate
Mookaite (brecciated)
Spinel
Color shift change garnet
Demantoid garnet
Kyanite
Mawsitsit from Burma
Kyanite
None of these are expensive gemstones but many are very beautiful and they are interesting as collectible gemstones and for anyone who wants to learn more about gems with hands-on experience but doesn't want to invest a huge amount of money to learn. Most concepts in gemstones and in gemology are simple and they apply universally across all qualities of stones.
As a GIA Graduate Gemologist and a person passionate about gemstones, I am more than happy to answer any questions you have about any of these stones!
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The 2.14ct unheated blue sapphire is now SOLD
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 On very rare occasions, my wife and I come across important gemstones. This stone has to be one of the most remarkable rubies I've seen to date. At over 9 1/2 carats it is a massive size. Because it is totally untreated and has a GRS/Swisslab report signed by Dr. Peretti stating it is unheated and also pigeon's blood color, this is truly an important stone. It hails from the Montepuez mine in Mozambique.  Please inquire if you are interested in this or any other ruby. Also if you are a gemstone afficianado or just want to learn more about gemstones, please send me a PM here on the forum with your e-mail address and I will add you to my newsletter list. I publish perhaps 6-10 newsletters per year and each one has very valuable information on the gemstone trade from an insider's perspective. Because my wife and I are in the gemstone district in Bangkok, we have access to stones and information that is not widely available. Because we use Constant Contact to publish our newsletter, unsubscribing is just a click away if I bore you. But you will not be bored if you have any interest in gemstones; I assure you!  This stone is offered at 725,000USD. We have ruby from one to ten-carat size and prices are generally from $1,000 and up depending upon quality, color, and treatment distinctions. This particular stone is completely untreated, but we also offer ruby that is heated, or heated and flux-healed. If you have any questions about ruby treatment, please inquire with me by sending a message on this forum, or go to tiptopgem.com or paragonuniversaltrade.com which forward to my business facebook page where you can leave a message, or just give me a call. My wife Melanie and I are in the office from 11:00AM to 6:00PM Bangkok time. If you are in the USA you can dial my desk direct and toll-free at 800-607-1425. That number has been operational for my American and Canadian clients for over a decade! From other countries you can reach me at +66 2-635-8585. I would be happy to take your call and answer your questions!  Other lab reports are available for this or any other gemstone that we sell. In colored stones, it is important to know what you are buying and an independent laboratory report is an important part of that assurance. If you have questions about the labs that are available please ask and we can discuss how much the various reports cost and the time each lab takes to complete their work on your stone.  As always if you have any questions about ruby, sapphire, emerald, or diamond- or colored diamonds- please get in touch! |
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If you are interested in a Sri Lankan (Ceylon) sapphire that has only been treated with traditional heat, and you also want deep, serious blue blue blue color, this might be the perfect stone. Oh and it's cheap. Well, we all have different ideas of cheap but relative to the sapphire market right now in Bangkok, I feel that I am offering this blue sapphire at a very modest price. I have been buying and selling blue sapphire for eleven years now, and in terms of value this is one of the best I've seen.       The color is superb, the brilliance is superb, it has a very large "face" meaning that when the cutter cut the rough stone, he was able to be very efficient and he got more face-up size than you would normally see in a sapphire that weighs this much. This is critically important to the value of a stone because nobody wants to pay for a sapphire that looks smaller than its weight would suggest. This blue sapphire from Ceylon weighs 2.81 carats, but face-up it appears to be over three carats. It's a big, bold, bright yet deep blue gemstone. Sapphire is the birthstone for September, but blue sapphire is also a statement of loyalty and fidelity. If you can only give a woman two gemstones in her lifetime, if she is your wife choose ruby and sapphire. Ruby is love and passion, blue sapphire fidelity. It sounds like a great combination, yes? 2.81cts x 1390USD/ct Natural blue sapphire from Sri Lanka, cushion shape, only traditional heat. No diffusion, no chemicals- only heat. This gemstone was mined from the earth, cut and polished, then heated by man. I do not expect you to take my word for any of this, so an independent laboratory report is available. I am in the gemstone district in Silom, Bangkok, Thailand and there are probably a higher concentration of gemological laboratories here than anywhere else in the world. If you want AIGS, GRS, GIA, Tokyo Gem Lab, GIT, or some other lab just let me know your choice. I will then tell you how much the report fee is and how long it takes to get the stone back from the laboratory. I am a GIA Graduate Gemologist and you can verify that at GIA.EDU. I understand my ethical responsibilities to describe gemstones accurately, price them fairly, and disclose any known treatments that the gemstone has undergone. And remember you not only have my guarantee, but also the independent laboratory gemologists' opinion of your gemstone. All laboratories in Bangkok require two separate qualified gemologists to agree on the identification of a gemstone before a report is issued. I can offer my opinions on laboratories here as I am personally acquainted with a fair number of gemologists employed at these institutions. These are only my opinions however and other gemologists or gemstone dealers in Bangkok may disagree with some of my assessments. Still, if you want to know just ask me. If you buy a ruby, sapphire, emerald, or diamond and you don't buy it from me there is a very good chance that you didn't get the quality that you can afford. That's a shame. Don't settle for gemstones that are mediocre. A gemstone will outlive you, and it will outlive the next generation and the next. Even if a beautiful gemstone only gives you pleasure and pride for your lifetime, isn't that enough to ensure that you invest your time and money wisely? My wife and I shop very efficiently. We are right in the middle of the gemstone district in Bangkok and we have literally hundreds of gemstone wholesalers from whom we can source. Whether we buy from a huge wholesaler or a one-man cutting shop, we always buy the most beauty for the money. Please call me at 800-607-1425 if you are in America or if you are in a different country dial me direct at +66-2-6358585. Tip Top Gem and tiptopgem.com are wholly owned by Paragon Universal Trade Co., Ltd, a Thai limited liability corporation. When you dial my number it rings on my desk in Bangkok and we are in the office from 11:00AM to 6:00PM Monday through Friday. Please give me a shout, or e-mail me your requirements for a ruby, diamond, emerald, or sapphire. My wife and I would be pleased to serve you. |
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The unheated 2.14 carat blue sapphire is SOLD.
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