A gem dealer's journal — rough

Simon Dussart: Your book emphasises the mine to market approach in the trade. What changes would you like to see, believe we should operate, in how the gems are sourced and sold to ensure a more ethical practices? Actually, how would you define ethics in the trade ?

Richa Goyal Sikri: I’ve written several articles on responsible sourcing, and four years working on this book has been an incredible learning experience for me in this space. Think of responsible behaviour like a multi-tier cake. You can’t start from the top. The first step must be the foundation, which in my opinion is transparency. What I mean by this is being true and clear in what you are selling? Treatments, enhancement, and origin (to whatever extend possible). Be clear in what you know about the stone and what you don’t know. To this layer, we can add others such as responsible behaviour towards our suppliers, employees, community, and environment. Often when you say the word ‘responsible’ the tendency is to point a finger to a miner or a merchant, what about the government? How is the government and the bureaucracy supporting the industry?

Hey Loungers, You often hear us talking about Thailand, and Bangkok in particular, as being the beating heart of the gem trade yet never really explained why. Well, today, we can finally help you get a better grasp over the importance of Thailand for our merry trade. Today, we have the pleasure of introducing you to one of Chantaburi’s Lords of the Ruby trade. Today, we have the pleasure of interviewing the owner of the titanic Gemburi company, the jovial and outgoing Phuket Khunaprapakorn! Khun Phuket, the floor is yours!   Discover Gemburi's K. Phuket Khunaprapakorn story now as a...

Hey Loungers, Today we’re happy to introduce you to one of the many people working in the shadows for the trade. Today, we have the pleasure of interviewing one of the famous scouts and gem hunters the trade relies on. Today we interview the man who, in his own words, is living the dream. Some of you may have seen him in recent years alongside Vincent Pardieu in expeditions, talking to prominent gem dealers about securing rough gemstones half way around the globe or sharing pictures of his ranch on internet during his down time. Today we propose you to...

Hey Loungers, Today we have the pleasure of restarting an arc that we began a few years ago with E.Billie Hughes. Today, we are blessed with the presence of the Space Enchanter: Danny Sanchez! We discovered Danny’s work a few years back as we were discussing photomicrography with some of his peers here in Bangkok. Since then, we have had the pleasure of purchasing a few of his shots and finally met him before the COVID folie really kicked in on a world-wide basis at Tucson 2020. Today, we are given the opportunity to discuss his path, his art and...

Hey Loungers, Today, for the second consecutive chapter and third opus of our Nomad’s Arc we interview our pal Sébastien Bahri. Sébastien brings the French touch to our favourite nomadic team by co-hosting the sales and marketing chair with Josh Saltzman in Nomad’s Bangkok office. Today we’ll learn of Sébastien’s path and colourful daily activities. Seb, the floor is yours,   Welcoming Sébastien Bahri and his Tanzanite from Nomad's in the Lounges - Photo Credits: Nomad's Co., Ltd   AsiaLounges: First of all thank you Sébastien for being with us today in the Lounges. Can you tell us more about...