Jewelry Buying in Jaipur

Namaste!

She’s Shopping India:
Traveling in foreign and exotic locations often tempts us into luxury purchases we might not have made at home. Mexico is famous for it’s gold and silver. Amsterdam for diamonds. And India for precious and semi-precious stones: rubies and emeralds and sapphires, oh my!

Just because you’re away from home and the safety of the family jeweler (ok, Moi doesn’t have one either, but it sounds so luxurious!) doesn’t mean you have to be taken in by every jewelry con man. Moi is lucky enough to be traveling through India with a woman intent on purchasing a few bejeweled momentos: and this lady travels with her own loup!

She’s not a gemologist, but Moi did learn a few tips on buying stones:

- travel with a loup. Or borrow the jeweler’s.

- check the stone for carbon spots: little black dots that are natural to real stones. Carbon spots are a good thing to prove the stones are real, but you don’t want too many in a stone. Red spots are also natural, but too many red spots are also bad.

- real stones are dense, not porous. You can usually see clearly through colored glass. Real precious stones: diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, will be more cloudy, with shades of color from their facets. Verify they are not dyed stones, or that semi-precious stones are not real stone dust mixed with glue.

- don’t immediately walk in and announce your price limit. When you find a stone you like, ask to see a less expensive and a more expensive piece. Then ask the jeweler to explain what makes the expensive piece more valuable.

- ask for a certificate of authenticity, detailing exactly what you are purchasing.

- and if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is. Even though in most shops you can haggle the price down 40-60%, you can’t buy something wonderful for nothing.

If you don’t know your stones and aren’t comfortable haggling, go to one of the government approved Cottage Industries. They’re in major cities throughout India. They sell everything from jewelry to pashminas to sarees to tea to marble tables to swords and daggers…and everything in between.

Prices are fixed, but there is an honored guarantee. You get what you paid for, or you can return it. Although you can’t haggle down the price, don’t be afraid to ask for a discount: if you’re buying 2 rings and a necklace, ask for their best price. If you’re gifting all your friends with pashminas, consider 5 and ask for the 6th free. You might get lucky! A 10-15% discount just for asking is very typical.

India is a land of hospitality, and our hosts want their guests to be happy.

Moi tip: if you’re thinking of buying real stones on vacation, do your homework: check out prices and quality before you go.