All that Glitters

A trading table on the Gem Street

Bustling Gem Street

One of the serious tables where the activity was frenzied.

Fridays see the quiet little city of Chanthanburi transformed from shuttered store fronts to a buzzing market for gemstones. Traders arrive from all around Asia. There are Arabic and East Indian folks sitting behind rows of small tables, buyers and sellers busy with negotiations. Stones of all colours are laid out in dazzling displays. The more precious specimens of rubies and sapphires appear out of small pouches, are laid out and sorted, and then swiftly whisked our of sight when the deal is concluded.

I was offered a few deals by men in the street, but know enough of my complete lack of knowledge to openly proclaim my ignorance. This seemed to satisfy the glass dealers looking for an easy rube, and rube I would be.

Watching the deals go down was fascinating stuff. Sellers would start to retract a handful of gems and have their hand grasped by the dealer's own hand as he entered a new figure on a calculator and turned it to the seller. When an impasse was reached, the calls would go out and the resident expert for that group of tables would step up to pass judgement on the quality of the stones or the acceptability of the price. Sometimes this seemed to clinch the deal and other times the stones would be retracted and another buyer or seller sought for. There was no shortage. Down the main gem street and up each of the Sois (alleys) there was a frenzied trade going on. This will continue until Sunday and then the city will go back to sleep.

What I saw was just a small portion of the gem trade here in C-Town. Many of the shops on the narrow streets are higher end gem stores, importing stones for cutting, wholesaling cut stones, or selling completed pieces of jewelry. The local craftsmen have a reputation as fine gem cutters and make up a large part of the local economy.

Blended in amongst the gem tables were food stalls of all varieties. I had lunch at a tiny Indian joint, which supplied the local East Indian and Sri Lankan traders with vegetarian food. My 35 baht ( $1.10 ) lunch was amazingly good. During the course of the meal, orders for take-out would be phoned in or harried traders would appear through the door, offer their prayers to the Hindu shrine, place their orders and then hurry back to their stalls. The cafe owner or his kids would then bring the meals to the hungry traders.

Altogether and amazing afternoon of observed commerce. I cannot pretend to understand a tenth of what I was witnessing, but it was intriguing nonetheless.