Hill Tribe Silver

[kittyboy]

I will be in Thailand for 4 weeks and I have been "taking orders" as it were from friends who want thai handicrafts.. etc..

One friend has asked me to look around for Hill Tribe Silver. She would like a necklace or some silver beads..etc..

Also, my sister wants me to pick her up a couple of pairs of earings - saphire and or maybe ruby.

I have seen a couple of recomendations for gem stores in Pataya - Honest Gems...etc...

Others have recommended going to BKK.

Where would be a good place to buy Hill Tribe Silver - a necklace and maybe some beads?

A recent post recommended China Town in BKK to buy gold - what about silver and gems?

Mark

[kjun12]

Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai would probably be the best place to find silver. Be very careful purchasing gems. It is very easy to get ripped off. Many fakes are sold.

[francois]

In Pattaya, at Royal Garden shopping mall you will find one or two silver shops on the upper level. An impressive amount of silver is displayed but not sure if have "Hill Tribe Silver".
The recommended gem shops in Pattaya are a good choice for sapphires,etc.

In Chaing Mia there is an area known for crafts and silk. I have been there several times but not for a couple years but I did enjoy the area.

'Hill tribe silver' would not pass muster as 'silver' in any recognised western jewellers. It is an impure alloy with, in most cases, a silver content of barely over 50% and items made with it are invariably so weak and fragile that they easily and quickly break.

The silver shops already mentioned in Royal Garden by Francois are a far better bet (although, of course, you will have to pay for the 'real thing').

[Wesley]

I can't say much about the silver, but the hill tribe boys up in Chaing Mai are certainly worth a there, Believe me!

Wes

'Hill tribe silver' would not pass muster as 'silver' in any recognised western jewellers. It is an impure alloy with, in most cases, a silver content of barely over 50% and items made with it are invariably so weak and fragile that they easily and quickly break.

The silver shops already mentioned in Royal Garden by Francois are a far better bet (although, of course, you will have to pay for the 'real thing').

Pissyboy,

in the hope that your friends and your sister are not quite as unbearable as you, you would be well advised to take Snowkat's advice - I would say he has been lucky if he has found "hill-tribe" jewellery with a 50% silver content! Sapphires and rubies are not found in Thailand (those "mined" around Chanthaburi are imported from the Pailin area in Cambodia) so you are unlikely find any bargains. Note the comments at http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/fo ... 25-15.html (http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/best-place-to-buy-a-gold-ring-t16225-15.html)

[TrongpaiExpat]

There's a place that I have been to a few times in Chiang Mai but I can't remember the name and can't find the business card. It's quite large and has a nice selection of silver.

It's on hyw 1006 Charoen Mueang Road. From town when you cross the "super Hwy"9-the ring road, it's on your right about 1km.

Take Charoen Mueaug Road (rt 1006) from town out in the direction of the 'Super Hwy" rt 11. Cross the super hwy and on your right about 1km you will see a large silver show room. If you are arriving on the Super Hwy( from the north), look for Makro and turn left.

Locate these roads on a map and if you don't have your own transportation I would be careful with a tuk-tuk taking you there and then getting a commission that will be passed off to you.

[kittyboy]

'Hill tribe silver' would not pass muster as 'silver' in any recognised western jewellers. It is an impure alloy with, in most cases, a silver content of barely over 50% and items made with it are invariably so weak and fragile that they easily and quickly break.

The silver shops already mentioned in Royal Garden by Francois are a far better bet (although, of course, you will have to pay for the 'real thing').

Pissyboy,

in the hope that your friends and your sister are not quite as unbearable as you, you would be well advised to take Snowkat's advice - I would say he has been lucky if he has found "hill-tribe" jewellery with a 50% silver content! Sapphires and rubies are not found in Thailand (those "mined" around Chanthaburi are imported from the Pailin area in Cambodia) so you are unlikely find any bargains. Note the comments at http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/fo ... 25-15.html (http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/best-place-to-buy-a-gold-ring-t16225-15.html)


Thanks for the information.

As for the quality of the silver тАУ I doubt my friend cares whether the silver is up to тАЬinternationalтАЭ standards or quality. This is not an investment тАУ this is a small gift from me to her. I give her the gift because she is an important person in my life. I want to give my sister a gift from Thailand because she is an important person in my life. Neither one of them are luxury queens тАУ it is the fact that I am thinking of them and want to give them something unusual that is important. Not the amount of money I spend тАУ so the тАЬQualityтАЭ of the silver is not the point. The point is demonstrating to people who I care about that I am thinking of them.

My friend and sister are very bearable - thank you so much for asking and the advice. However, I expected a more typical response from you which is generally much longer, self-important and self-referential.

Thanks for the information.
As for the quality of the silver тАУ I doubt my friend cares whether the silver is up to тАЬinternationalтАЭ standards or quality. This is not an investment тАУ this is a small gift from me to her. I give her the gift because she is an important person in my life. I want to give my sister a gift from Thailand because she is an important person in my life. Neither one of them are luxury queens тАУ it is the fact that I am thinking of them and want to give them something unusual that is important. Not the amount of money I spend тАУ so the тАЬQualityтАЭ of the silver is not the point. The point is demonstrating to people who I care about that I am thinking of them.
The point I was trying to make is that it is not the quality per se, but rather the ease in which jewellery made from such 'silver' breaks because of the poor quality of the metal. It would be a shame to buy an item of jewellery as a gift for your sister or friend (especially if, as you say, they mean so much to you) as a souvenir only for it to break after being worn one or two times. Now if you were to buy ornaments or other items not frequently handled it would be a different matter!

[kittyboy]

Thanks for the information.
As for the quality of the silver тАУ I doubt my friend cares whether the silver is up to тАЬinternationalтАЭ standards or quality. This is not an investment тАУ this is a small gift from me to her. I give her the gift because she is an important person in my life. I want to give my sister a gift from Thailand because she is an important person in my life. Neither one of them are luxury queens тАУ it is the fact that I am thinking of them and want to give them something unusual that is important. Not the amount of money I spend тАУ so the тАЬQualityтАЭ of the silver is not the point. The point is demonstrating to people who I care about that I am thinking of them.
The point I was trying to make is that it is not the quality per se, but rather the ease in which jewellery made from such 'silver' breaks because of the poor quality of the metal. It would be a shame to buy an item of jewellery as a gift for your sister or friend (especially if, as you say, they mean so much to you) as a souvenir only for it to break after being worn one or two times. Now if you were to buy ornaments or other items not frequently handled it would be a different matter!

My friend specifically wants hill tribe silver. She makes jewlery and wants some beads etc... so she can make something for herself, from something I gave her. So the point is to get her something SHE wants and not something someone else thinks would be better for her. So you are correct the quality of the material is not the point. The point is doing something for someone and not trying to correct them so that they are making a more appropriate choice that conforms to my opinion or your opinion abut what might be a more appropriate gift. (read below my opinion on opinions).

Pissyboy,

tell us where you are going (Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, etc) and it may be possible to give you more specifics. There is, for example, a Long-necked Karen "village" about 20 minutes outside Pattaya where the sort of ghastly trinkets you want are available! Also, for example, if you only want the beads, some lapis-lazuli, etc rather than the silver, etc.

[krobbie]

Kittyboy wrote: "My friend specifically wants hill tribe silver. She makes jewlery and wants some beads etc... so she can make something for herself, from something I gave her. So the point is to get her something SHE wants and not something someone else thinks would be better for her. So you are correct the quality of the material is not the point. The point is doing something for someone and not trying to correct them so that they are making a more appropriate choice that conforms to my opinion or your opinion abut what might be a more appropriate gift. (read below my opinion on opinions)."

There are many bead shops on lower Sirawong Road down toward riverside and along the Charoen Krung (New) Road. By many I mean dozens. Most of the bead ware is imported from from the middle east but the hoice of individual beads is fantastic. From amber with silver and turquoise to tiny garnets. Beautiful.

Good luck on the hunt.

Cheers
krobbie

[kittyboy]

Pissyboy,

tell us where you are going (Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, etc) and it may be possible to give you more specifics. There is, for example, a Long-necked Karen "village" about 20 minutes outside Pattaya where the sort of ghastly trinkets you want are available! Also, for example, if you only want the beads, some lapis-lazuli, etc rather than the silver, etc.

Ghastly is such a judgemental word. Do you find that the people who wear such things have ghastly taste? Or is just the jewlery that is ghastly? Just curious... if so it seems like such an intersting position. Do all all thai people have such ghastly tastes by your standards? I will have to tell my friend Karen about your estimation of her tastes in beads. I am sure she will be devastated to know that you GF disapprove of her choices. I will report back to you what she says. I suspect she will break out in a fit of crying and self-pity at having not been validated by your obviously superior tastes in all things especially things thai. (obvious sarcasm at work here - I think her reaction would be more along the lines of who the fuck cares what some guy thinks -- is he making the jewlery out of my beads... I don't fucking think so - or she might observe that GF should stand for go fuck yourself - she is that kind of girl -- a bit of a potty mouth. )

I will be in Pattaya and BKK. I am not going up to Chang-Mai or Chang-Rai. So I need to shop for those ghastly (gf's opinion) beads and trinkets it will have to be around the pattaya or bkk areas.

[TrongpaiExpat]

I will be in Thailand for 4 weeks


I will be in Pattaya and BKK. I am not going up to Chang-Mai or Chang-Rai

Oh, I misunderstood. I have to keep remembering that for most of you Thailand=Pattaya. You will get a better price if you go up north unless you go to some tourist rip off joint.

Why are you baiting Gonefishing? He does not have enough self control to just ignore you as I do him.

My friend specifically wants hill tribe silver. She makes jewlery and wants some beads etc... so she can make something for herself, from something I gave her. So the point is to get her something SHE wants and not something someone else thinks would be better for her. So you are correct the quality of the material is not the point. The point is doing something for someone and not trying to correct them so that they are making a more appropriate choice that conforms to my opinion or your opinion abut what might be a more appropriate gift. (read below my opinion on opinions).
If you don't want to take sincerely given advice on the suitability and practicality of 'hill tribe silver' as jewellery why the fuck ask about it in the first place? You have obviously made up your own mind in advance so why all the questions and rebuffs to people trying to help and advise you? No-one is dictating what your friend should do but more trying to ensure that you do not buy unsuitable and impracticable gifts for her.
BTW the mention of beads above is the first as far as I can see in this thread - your original question was about 'silver' - if you want beads you can get them in most major cities and tourist shopping areas.

... Do you find that the people who wear such things have ghastly taste? Or is just the jewlery that is ghastly? ... Do all all thai people have such ghastly tastes by your standards? ...who the fuck cares what some guy thinks ... I don't fucking think so ... GF should stand for go fuck yourself ...

Actually it is just the jewellery I find ghastly - I have seen virtually identical items, in terms of both design and quality, in markets as far apart as Kathmandu and Marrakech, being sold to gullible tourists as local "ethnic" products. I don't think they are representative of taste, either of Thais (whom I have never seen wearing them, nor can I even imagine a Thai wearing them) nor of those tourists who buy them who are simply after a souvenir.

If your friend Karen, who according to your description sounds as unpleasant and stupid as you, wants you to waste money buying "hill-tribe jewlery" so she can bin the silver, mounts, etc and be left with nothing but a few beads which she or you could have bought for a tiny fraction of the price and you are happy to do so, then you are well suited to each other.

TrongpaiExpat, (Why are you baiting Gonefishing?)

- a very good question.

I was, for the last time as far as Pissyboy is concerned, simply trying to help as Snowkat was. Why we ended up being on the receiving end of a tirade of abuse ("go fuck yourself", etc) I don't know. I asked where he was going so that, if it included Pattaya and the surrounding area, and I knew more exactly what he was after, I could have told him of suitable places such as the Karen village and a few shops I know of in Pattaya which specialize in "hill-tribe style" jewellery and similar items - from the up-market lapis-lazuli much loved by the Queen's sister, to shops specializing in beads, quartz, and semi-precious stones, to the tourist tat in the market for those looking for something "ethnic", etc. Evidently he does not want or need my help, so I will save it for those who do.

[kittyboy]

My friend specifically wants hill tribe silver. She makes jewlery and wants some beads etc... so she can make something for herself, from something I gave her. So the point is to get her something SHE wants and not something someone else thinks would be better for her. So you are correct the quality of the material is not the point. The point is doing something for someone and not trying to correct them so that they are making a more appropriate choice that conforms to my opinion or your opinion abut what might be a more appropriate gift. (read below my opinion on opinions).
If you don't want to take sincerely given advice on the suitability and practicality of 'hill tribe silver' as jewellery why the fuck ask about it in the first place? You have obviously made up your own mind in advance so why all the questions and rebuffs to people trying to help and advise you? No-one is dictating what your friend should do but more trying to ensure that you do not buy unsuitable and impracticable gifts for her.
BTW the mention of beads above is the first as far as I can see in this thread - your original question was about 'silver' - if you want beads you can get them in most major cities and tourist shopping areas.

Why the fuck don't you go back and read the original post :) I did not ask about the suitability and practicality of 'hill tribe silver'. You offered up unsolicited advice which I found to be pointless and useless. So why the fuck do you offer up advice that was not wanted or asked for? I think telling someone that the gift they are proposing to give to a friend is unsuitable presumes that the person has some superior knowledge that they feel compelled to offer up... So why the fuck offer it up?

[jinks]

It it not the season of Good Will ???????

[kittyboy]

... Do you find that the people who wear such things have ghastly taste? Or is just the jewlery that is ghastly? ... Do all all thai people have such ghastly tastes by your standards? ...who the fuck cares what some guy thinks ... I don't fucking think so ... GF should stand for go fuck yourself ...

Actually it is just the jewellery I find ghastly - I have seen virtually identical items, in terms of both design and quality, in markets as far apart as Kathmandu and Marrakech, being sold to gullible tourists as local "ethnic" products. I don't think they are representative of taste, either of Thais (whom I have never seen wearing them, nor can I even imagine a Thai wearing them) nor of those tourists who buy them who are simply after a souvenir.

If your friend Karen, who according to your description sounds as unpleasant and stupid as you, wants you to waste money buying "hill-tribe jewlery" so she can bin the silver, mounts, etc and be left with nothing but a few beads which she or you could have bought for a tiny fraction of the price and you are happy to do so, then you are well suited to each other.

TrongpaiExpat, (Why are you baiting Gonefishing?)

- a very good question.

I was, for the last time as far as Pissyboy is concerned, simply trying to help as Snowkat was. Why we ended up being on the receiving end of a tirade of abuse ("go fuck yourself", etc) I don't know. I asked where he was going so that, if it included Pattaya and the surrounding area, and I knew more exactly what he was after, I could have told him of suitable places such as the Karen village and a few shops I know of in Pattaya which specialize in "hill-tribe style" jewellery and similar items - from the up-market lapis-lazuli much loved by the Queen's sister, to shops specializing in beads, quartz, and semi-precious stones, to the tourist tat in the market for those looking for something "ethnic", etc. Evidently he does not want or need my help, so I will save it for those who do.

Well Go fuckyourself - Let see - you claim to be able to review articles pertaining to gay and lesbian issues, you claim to be able to interpret baysian statistcs, claim to be able to diagnose health problems over the internet, and now want to be the fashion guru of thailand. Maybe you can start you own colum ala Mr. Blackwell and you can offer up dishy comments on fashion. Let me give you some advice.. don't diss the king or they will deport you.

Go fuckyourself - You were not trying to be helpful - you were trying to be self-important. If you wanted to be helpful you would have answered the original question in the post. Where does one find hill tribe jewlery, beads, etc?

[kittyboy]

I will be in Thailand for 4 weeks


I will be in Pattaya and BKK. I am not going up to Chang-Mai or Chang-Rai

Oh, I misunderstood. I have to keep remembering that for most of you Thailand=Pattaya. You will get a better price if you go up north unless you go to some tourist rip off joint.

Why are you baiting Gonefishing? He does not have enough self control to just ignore you as I do him.

Hey - thanks for the note. I have made a number of trip to thailand over the years and travelled quite a bit on those trips. This trip is more to get out the miserable midwestern winter. You are right though I should get out of pattaya but once I am there a certain inertia set in and the next thing I know it is time to fly back :0 Sort of pathetic really but that is the reality.

As for gone fishing... I am bored at school and need a diversion.. It is sort of facinating to watch his self-importance balloon out over several postings.

Good, yet another ignorant and moronic Yank to add to my ignore list!

[kittyboy]

Good, yet another ignorant and moronic Yank to add to my ignore list!

Please do - then I will not get unasked for, unwanted, pointless, but self-important advice from an ignorant --- uh... what is your nationality so I can insult you?

Oh you still did not answer the question I posed. Why the fuck did you give pointless worthless advice on something that was not asked about? Now that would be interesting to me.

If you wanted to be helpful you would have answered the original question in the post. Where does one find hill tribe jewlery, beads, etc?

That was my intention, as I made very clear, once I knew if your itinerary included Pattaya. I have no personal interest in "hill tribe jewlery, beads, etc", but having spent a very enjoyable afternoon on a guided tour of places specializing in such items with an expert I do have some knowledge, which I would happily have passed on, at least before you thanked me with "go fuck yourself" and similar comments.

I have made none of the claims you refer to; I simply post my opinions on those issues where I have some knowledge and interest, and that certainly does not include fashion. If your posts were limited by the same criteria, you would never post here.

I have to admit, however, that you have managed to prove me wrong: you are undoubtedly far more obnoxious, unpleasant and obtuse than I thought possible, and that is quite an achievement.

[joe552]

Season of good will, Jinks? On SGT? You surely know better than that!

[kittyboy]

If you wanted to be helpful you would have answered the original question in the post. Where does one find hill tribe jewlery, beads, etc?

That was my intention, as I made very clear, once I knew if your itinerary included Pattaya. I have no personal interest in "hill tribe jewlery, beads, etc", but having spent a very enjoyable afternoon on a guided tour of places specializing in such items with an expert I do have some knowledge, which I would happily have passed on, at least before you thanked me with "go fuck yourself" and similar comments.

I have made none of the claims you refer to; I simply post my opinions on those issues where I have some knowledge and interest, and that certainly does not include fashion. If your posts were limited by the same criteria, you would never post here.

I have to admit, however, that you have managed to prove me wrong: you are undoubtedly far more obnoxious, unpleasant and obtuse than I thought possible, and that is quite an achievement.

Gee GF - thanks for the compliment - obnoxious, unpleasant and obtuse - those are kind words coming from you.

And sorry if my play on your initials GF (go fuckyourself) were so hurtful. Just having a bit of fun with your login ID - I thought it was all in good fun -
And yes it would have been nice if you addressed my question... but you did not. Go back to your original post....
Ah... GF at least now you have admitted that your posting are just your personal opinion of which you have some knowledge... not much knowledge apparently just some... well... Read my opinion on opinions...they are like assholes, everyone has one and they all stink! Even yours gf though you seem to be in love with them... let me tell you they stink.

And finally, do you really think I give a big fat rats ass about your guided tour through some stupid fucking bead factory? No I do not. But I do find it interesting that once again you are self-important and self-referrential in your comments.

My friend Karen has been beading for several years. She does not need your second hand expert advice on what she wants. She wants some hill tribe silver. You may not approve of her choice and think they are ghastly etc.. they are not a suitable gift and that you with your superior knowledge you could offer up more suitable alternatives. Don't -