Where do you buy gems in Thialand?

Travel Info
I want to buy star ruby's

Travel Tips

The best place is to get them at Maesai/Tachilek market, or the suppliers at the border town north in Chiang Rai.

Many of the gems are imported from Burma and you'll find some high quality ones there. Be wary of fakes, though. You will not only find star rubies, but an abundance of other choices to choose from!

There are other places in Bangkok where you can find them, but it may be costly compared to those from Maesai (many of them in Bangkok comes from there, by the way). Some other sources are from Western Cambodia, but I cannot tell you exactly where it is right now.

Hope this helps and good luck!
Others

I don't even know what that is >? sorry
You really have to be an expert, or you'll just end up with beautiful fakes
The best place to buy a good gems or jewelry would be at Gems Gallery as it is the biggest gems and jewelry store in the world. All the item comes with a certificate and they will buy back their jewelries. They have 3 outlets in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket.
We have used SJ International in Bangkok (in Dusit) and have been very pleased. Good prices, nice quality. Look up their phone number, call them and they will pick you up at your hotel. NOTE: if you take a taxi or go w/ a tour group you will end up paying more, as commission will be paid to whoever brings you (as a general note, this is true for almost any business in Thailand).

Be cautious, as many places are not reputable and you may end up buying fake gemstones. Do your homework, learn how to spot fakes and - best - get feedback from people who have worked with specific jewelers first hand.
Frankly, to buy gems in Thailand, you have to know your gemstone well to know the real ones from the fakes. This is because of a high number of fake gemstones that is available on the present day market and can be offered to you in Thailand.

Most of these beautiful genuine gemstones come from Myanmar or even Cambodia/Laos. However usually the quality ones come from Myanmar.

There are a few border towns where you get get these star rubies, though these are rare than star sapphires which there are plenty and hopefully you can tell the difference. But you will need to recognise one as they can be in the form of finished gem or a gem crystal fresh from the ground. Of course the polished product will cost higher than the crystal, but your benefits if you know the crystal will definitely be much higher.

The border towns you can try will be Mae Sot and Rim Moei in Tak. These 2 have border crossings where villagers from both sides trade and sell.

Good luck.
Honestly, I suggest you dont shop for gems in Thailand unless you are guided to a shop by a local contact or friend.

There are several lapidaries in Bangkok and other major tourist cities. But these will usually palm off inferior quality gems and precious stones at extremely inflated rates. And unless you are an expert in the field, there's no way you can know whether you've got your money's worth.

In some cases, lapidaries are known to mix imitations with real gems while making jewelry. Or, in handing out similar looking but useless fakes to unsuspecting customers.