Why buy from us

I know you think we would answer this question with a self promoting grand statement of our relentless pursuit of perfect customer service, unwavering customer loyalty, finest quality and lowest prices on the planet. But all of this being true to varying degrees, our main attribute is the fact that we have experience with the one product we sell, that being high Karat gold jewelry from Thailand, known as "Baht" gold jewelry.. We have lived in Bangkok for seven years. "We have learned by doing" which the Thai people proudly proclaim and we ex-vets refer to as O.J.T. (On the Job Training). We have been to the factories that produce the jewelry and the shops that sell it. We have studied at the Asian Institute of Gemological Science and have shopped for sapphires at the Chanthaburi market. We have proven to be resourceful for customers who look for unique or custom pieces from the Kingdom. We stand behind each piece we sell with an all inclusive money-back guarantee. Also, we are a phone call away. Call 928-202-4532 and talk with me directly. Can you imagine calling someone in Thailand to arrange a return. By the way don't plan on Thai gold shops to accept a returned item if purchase from the United States on the Internet. They have to pay a much higher duty to receive the jewelry item in return than we pay in America to receive it.

Yes, the gold is real (Au). The question should be, how do you know the karatage? That is, whether the piece is 18k, 22k, or 23k or 24k . Well, that's a little more complex of a matter. First, we have to have an understanding of the facts relevant to gold jewelry. 24 karat gold (Pure gold) is considered by most to be too soft for most jewelry. But by adding an alloy of 3.5% of a harder metal such as silver and copper or occasionally other metals, the gold becomes less malleable and becomes more useable in jewelry. In other words, it stands up to daily wear and tear better and doesn't acquire dents and other dings as quickly as pure gold jewelry would.

The standard purity in Thailand has been 96.5% pure for the last 150 years. The stamp that you will see is .965. If you see anything other than this stamp you should question the authenticity of the piece. The gold shops in Thailand readily accept returns on the gold they have sold customers. Gold is really treated as a currency. It is physically bought and sold everyday at every gold shop in Thailand. Considering this, I think you will understand that it would not be in the best interest of the gold shop to sell a low purity piece of gold jewelry and then have to buy it back in the future when the gold price has possibly increased. So there is a standard purity that is acknowledged by both the seller and the buyer. Now days the Thai government tests the gold purity prior to it being sold to the gold shops. This is due primarily because of the discovery that a few disreputable shops were selling low grade goods to tourist during the American presidential visit in 2004. This put in question the entire gold retail industry and has thus become more regulated which has also added cost to the product. Assaying gold to determine exact purity is achieved most accurately through fire assay. But this process destroys the tested piece for the determination since the piece is melted and the different metals are separated. A less evasive way to determine gold purity but not as accurate is by using the acid test. This is sold as a kit and is quite reliable in determining whether the piece is gold at all and if it is the approximate purity based on speed of oxidation. We use this on pieces that we purchase from new jewelry sources. Also see hallmarks and purity stamps below for additional info.

As of this date (October 31, 2008) gold jewelry (can not contain stones) can be shipped from Thailand with G.S.P. privileges. G.S.P. stands for Generalized System of Preferences offer to many third world and developing countries that virtually makes the goods you're receiving duty free. In order to qualify for this status your shipper must know what documentation is required and they must make sure that it is attached to the FedEx waybill when shipped. If not it will be treated as dutiable and you may be billed for the duty with no recourse!

On the other hand, if you are visiting Thailand you should feel safe in purchasing high karat gold jewelry in any of the major gold shops in China town. But avoid buying in Department stores or the malls. There you will pay perhaps as much as 20%-30% more for gold jewelry. But sometimes the designs of the jewelry are more stylish or contemporary than what you will find in a Thai gold shop in China town.

The term "BAHT" has four meanings. Firstly, it is the name of the currency of Thailand. ($1.00 US Dollar = 38 Baht). Secondly, it is a unit of weight measurement when weighing the gold jewelry. ( i.e. 1 Baht = 15.2 grams). Thirdly, it is referred to as Baht jewelry if the purity of the gold in the jewelry is of 95% purity or above. Fourthly, some refer to "Baht" as a style of jewelry usually associate with the various styles of 23k gold chains. This is strictly an American definition though since Thai people only purchase .965 gold anyway. They consider any purity less than 23k (96.5%) as inferior except for earrings which are usually sold as 90% (.900) gold. By the way if you are reading this on a website other than 23kgold.com please let me know. I have found my information appearing on Thai sites trying to sell plated gold products and the Thai generally just copy and paste the English info without knowing completely what they are copying.

Our 18k gold earrings, Buddha amulets, gold clasps and our .999 Sukhothai silver products are always in stock. Our .965 gold chains/necklaces and bracelets are custom ordered since there are so many possible weight, length and style combinations. This really works in your favor since you can order the desired necklace in new condition instead of one that has been hanging around on the rack for months. We find that our customers usually don't mind waiting the 3-4 weeks for a piece to be custom made. We note in the item description if the item is in stock. During the Christmas season we always have many 1/4 Baht and 1/2 Baht chains in stock.

When you want to place the order you will contact us via Email or by phone with the description of the item as far as item # or link style, length and weight in Baht. You must then send a personal check, money order, cashiers check to our business address. We also accept PayPal payments and Visa/Mastercard via our merchant account. The order is placed when the total payment has been received.

Work begins on the item when the Thai maker receives the payment in full from us. I understand the difficulty for customers to have to pay for the items up front and the degree of trust necessary to continue with the purchase. We have lost many sales because the well-meaning customer could not bring themselves to making the difficult decision to send the money to us. Those who do have that degree of trust are rewarded with a world class high karat gold jewelry item worth sometimes three times the price paid in American retail stores and a contact that they can trust for jewelry purchases in the future. I can only try to explain to prospective customers that we have been in business since 1999 and that it would not make business sense for us to jeopardize our business reputation for the sake of a short term profit.

Yes we will ship overseas as long as payment is not made by credit card. The risk of fraud is extremely high when a credit card is used for foreign purchases.

You will always find a purity stamp of ".965" on the chain or some bracelets which would indicate a purity of a little over 23k. You may also find a Chinese symbol 9"Hallmark" that identifies the factory where the item was made. This is important only to the gold shop who would want to know where the piece was made when purchasing back the gold item from a seller.

Baht gold has become popular in the United States and in Europe because of the purity of the piece. And this translates into real value. In America much of the jewelry that is sold is a mere 10k purity. Retailers rely on a perceived value in selling their jewelry. The real value however is just not there. People today want value and you get that by purchasing the highest purity gold you can. The detail possible with the high karat gold is astonishing. People also love the natural deep color richness of the almost pure gold jewelry.

Indian Gold Sales Surge Despite Crisis

October 26, 2008 / World

Indian consumers are still dazzled by gold despite the economic crisis, according to a report by Business Line.

According to the All India Gems & Jewelry Trade Federation (GJF), gold sales between October 1 and 20 soared by 66% to 50 tons, as compared to the same period last year. With the approach of Dhanteras, gold sales are expected to hit a new record.

"Jewelry returns to the gold standard"

By Olivia Barker, USA TODAY Updated 6/20/2006

In the jewelry boxes of today's fashion flock, all that glitters is yellow gold.

Shunned during the minimalist '90s as symbols of Dallas-era excess, gold baubles — stacked bangles, layered chains and silver-dollar-size hoops — are dominating runways and red carpets again as the yellow metal burnishes its image. More.....

"Gold returning to the spotlight"

Prices of ornamental gold in local shops have increased by 24.75% since the start of this year.

Bars gaining favour, fund is a new option

SRIWIPA SIRIPUNYAWIT, Bangkok Post

The recent steady surge in the price of gold has renewed interest in an appealing asset class, particularly for those aiming to diversify their investment portfolios. More......