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GemSelect Newsletter - May 2008In our newsletter this month:
Our Home in Chanthaburi, Thailand Back to Top
![]() Thailand Map - Chanthaburi
GemSelect is based in Chanthaburi, Thailand, a town of about 50,000 people located 245 km southeast of Bangkok (see map). It is not a very well known tourist attraction. In fact you'll hardly find it mentioned in the average guidebook. In the gemstone world, however, it's a different story - Chanthaburi is one of the international centers for cutting and trading colored gemstones, as important as Jaipur in India or Idar-Oberstein in Germany. Chanthaburi's weekend gemstone market is a rare experience for any gemstone lover. Chanthaburi is also a wonderful place to live and work. As expatriates who've settled in Thailand for some years, we've come to love the life here. Though living and doing business in a developing country can be challenging - we've survived a major flood and a minor military coup in the last couple of years - the quality of life and the hospitable Thai people more than compensate for the occasional difficulties. ![]() Local Fruit Market in Chanthaburi Thailand
While foreign tourists have not yet discovered us, Thai people know Chanthaburi as an area of great natural beauty and outstanding food. Located on a plain between the Gulf of Thailand and the rugged Chanthaburi Mountains, Chanthaburi is one of the few places in Thailand where you can enjoy both unspoiled beaches and mountain waterfalls. With an annual rainfall of more than 3,000 mm, Chanthaburi is famous for its tropical fruit, particularly durian, rambutan, mangosteen and longan. We also have abundant seafood, especially shrimp, much of it exported; and Chanthaburi is an important producer of high quality white and black pepper. ![]() World Famous Durian Fruit from Chanthaburi
Chanthaburi also has quite a fascinating history. When Ayutthaya, the historical capital of the Kingdom of Siam, was attacked and completely destroyed by the Burmese in 1767, the country was thrown into chaos. A Thai military commander named Phraya Taksin retreated to Chanthaburi, where he built up a force to repel the Burmese. After the defeat of the Burmese, Taksin became King of Thailand in 1768 and started to rebuild the nation. ![]() Catholic Cathedral in Chanthaburi, Thailand
Though they fought a series of wars with Burma, the Thais are proud that they have never been colonized. While all the other countries in the region - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Malaysia and Indonesia - were once colonies of the French, British or Dutch, Thailand remained independent. Chanthaburi, however, was a temporary exception. When Thailand tried to exert control over Laos and Cambodia in the 19th century, it led to a conflict with France in 1893, known as the Paknam crisis. This resulted in the French occupation of Chanthaburi until a peace treaty was signed in 1905. Signs of the French occupation can still be seen in the French architecture of the old town and the largest Catholic cathedral in Thailand. With its flourishing gem trade, and fruit and seafood industries, Chanthaburi is a prosperous town; probably one of the wealthiest in Thailand. It has a small but significant foreign population, though most are African gem traders, not Westerners. English is not widely spoken, but foreign visitors are warmly welcomed.
New Content at GemSelect Back to Top
We add hundreds of new gems to our inventory every day and we upload new content to our site each week, in the form of articles and reference material. Recently we've added new articles on topics including Zultanite, synthetic corundum and the gemstone cutting process. For useful buying information, see our new articles on untreated gemstones and buying tourmaline.
Rare and Unusual Gems Back to Top
In a new feature beginning this month, we focus on a rare and unusual gem from our recent acquisitions. This month's featured gem is a huge sphene from Sri Lanka: ![]() Natural Heart Shaped Sphene at GemSelect
Sphene, also known as "titanite", is a brilliant yellowish-green, green or brown gemstone of high luster, unique shades of color and an intensive fire, comparable to that of diamond. Although it is always in demand, sphene is a rare gem and very large sphene gems with excellent clarity are extremely rare. This 12.18 carat heart-shaped piece is the largest sphene we have ever been able to buy, and also one of the cleanest. Sphene tends to be included, but this piece is so clean we've graded it VVS. The brilliance and fire of this sphene is difficult to capture in a photograph; this gem glitters like very few colored gems we've seen. This large sphene is perfectly sized for a very impressive pendant.
Customer Questions Back to Top
Every month we answer questions of general interest from our customers. Please feel free to send your questions or suggestions to our support team at help@gemselect.com! Question
I was just wondering ... why do so many gemstone names end in "ite"? Thanks for your thoughts. MM, USA.
Answer
The "ite" suffix is derived from the Greek word, lithos meaning rock or stone (the adjectival form of lithos is "-ites"). It is a convention in the mineral world that new minerals are given names ending in "ite." The Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association publishes guidelines for naming new minerals (or renaming old ones).
Question
Is there a difference between brilliance and luster in gemstones? Or do they have the same meaning? FB, Australia.
Answer
Brilliance and luster have loose meanings in everyday language, but they are technical terms in gemology. Brilliance refers to the light reflected from the interior of a gem. Thus only a transparent gemstone can be said to have brilliance. Luster, on the other hand, refers to the light reflected from a gem's surface. Brilliance is graded from low to high, but luster is usually described in terms such as vitreous (glass-like), adamantine (diamond-like), silky, resinous, dull and greasy.
Keep up with our new arrivals before they hit the newsletter by joining our thousands of fans and followers on our social networking pages. We love interacting with our customers - you can visit us on Tumblr, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest! To ensure you can receive our emails, please be sure to add help@gemselect.com to your list of safe contacts, or you add us into your email address book! Please feel free to contact us with any questions, comments and queries! We respond to each and every email we receive. Happy Gem Hunting!
About Us
Overall Rating -> 9 I did not have any problems Posted By Clilrichard in January, 2025 Source: Bizrate Overall Rating -> 10 Good selection, trusted quality. What I have purchased has always been as discribed. Posted By Sterling in November, 2024 Source: Bizrate Overall Rating -> 10 I am never let down by GemSelect. I love that you get the exact stone you want. Shipping is always in a few days. I have spread the word about GemSelect on social media jewelry creating groups that I attend. This sapphire is going to make one gorgeous ring Posted By Desertchick in April, 2025 Source: Bizrate Overall Rating -> 10 I like the site, it's easy to navigate. There are sometimes items I'm looking for that aren't there, but mostly I can find what I need. Posted By Nate in March, 2025 Source: Bizrate Overall Rating -> 8 Gemselect is the only seller I trust to buy star gemstones. I bought a star sapphire from them before and was pleased with the purchase. I was disappointed in a star gemstone bought from another site. So, I recommend gemselect. Posted By Thomas M. in June, 2024 Source: Bizrate Overall Rating -> 9 Site is easy to navigate - details on cut, polish, and finish work and techniques were helpful. 3d view or wireframe diagram of stones would be nice. Posted By Tb in August, 2024 Source: Bizrate Overall Rating -> 10 I always enjoy the selection and the unique cuts I can find here. I would love to see more hex cuts tho! Maybe some rose cuts too! Posted By Blkfower83 in October, 2024 Source: Bizrate Related Articles Sapphire Info Sapphire Gemstone: What is Sapphire? Sapphire Color and more Tourmaline Gem Info Tourmaline Information - The most colorful gem on Earth Aquamarine Info Aquamarine Information - Get the facts, figures and stories behind... 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Gemstone Prices Gemstone Prices - A review of what influences the amount you pay Loose Gemstones from Mine to Market Loose Gemstones From Mine to Market - Gems and Jewelry Information... Precious Stones Precious & Semi-Precious Gemstone History, Legends & Myths Rare Tourmaline Rare Tourmaline Gemstones - Unique and distinctive varieties The Secret of Spinel The Secret of Spinel Gemstones Allure of Yellow Sapphire Yellow Sapphire: Meaning, Properties, Details and More Kunz and Tourmaline Kunz and Tourmaline - Creating the colored gemstone market Sources for Fine Ruby Gems Sources for Fine Ruby Gems Gem Mining in Madagascar Sapphire and Ruby Gemstone Mining in Madagascar Healing Gemstones Healing Gemstones: Could Gems Have Special Powers? 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