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ThaiGems and Shipwreck Beads

Okay, the Bali Silver question didn't hurt at all, so I have a couple of other questions ...

I learned a lot from the discussion about Fire Mountain Gems, and have decided to be selective about what I order from there. To be honest, I want to stay on their mailing list, because I get a lot of inspiration from what I see in their catalogs. But that's that, and this is something else ...

Do you have experience and "views" about either ThaiGems or Shipwreck Beads?

ThaiGems has lots of gemstones that I don't seem to see anywhere else, and I'm curious about their quality. It does strike me as odd, however, that on their supplies -- thread, for example -- no brand name is listed. I am particular about my brands, but I assume I could use the "live chat" customer service feature and ask as I'm shopping. I'd love to hear if anyone has any experience with them.

I don't have a Shipwreck catalog yet, but I'm about to preorder the

2003 Fall catalog. I love paper catalogs -- the convenience of thumbing through them at the doctor's office, for example. But no one I know shops with them, so I don't know what the quality is like, or if there are issues similar to the FMG ones. Again, I'd love to have other people's input.

Thanks!

Jewitch

Reply to
Jewitch
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Reply to
Carol in SLC

I haven't bought from either of these folks, but I hear good things about Shipwreck. Personally, I *always* prefer to buy gemstone beads in person, where I can actually look at what I'm getting -- but not everyone has that option. I live in Houston, which gets the big Intergem show 4 times a year and also has several local wholesale gem dealers that I can visit if I need a specific something in between the big shows. Findings, sterling castings, and supplies I don't hesitate to buy online; they're pretty much the same anywhere. [1]

[1] Although I found ONE batch of sterling earwires that was absolutely perfect for hanging sterling charms from -- I could easily twist the loop to face forward instead of sideways -- and CANNOT seem to find any more of them anywhere, even from the same vendor!

Celine

Reply to
Lee S. Billings

On Thu, 31 Jul 2003 6:02:46 -0400, Kandice Seeber wrote (in message ):

I bought once from Thai Gems and was not satisfied. The prices on the items wasn't bad, but the shipping was exhorbitant, and it certainly wasn't the two day shipping they made it out to be. When I finally got the stuff, I was sorely disappointed: the quality of their lower priced stuff is really low. It was most obvious to me in the drilling of the holes: off center and some beads had two or three partial holes where the person tried to drill then started again elsewhere on the bead.

Shipwreck, OTOH, I like. Not really high end stuff, but good things and plenty of choice. Definitely not the place to go for silver, but if you want pewter charms they have a million of 'em. Very nice selection of Czech seed beads at good prices, and quite a few nice pressed glass beads as well. The west coast folks will disagree, but I have never received an order from them in less than two weeks. (I'm in Boston, they're in Washington state)

Kathy N-V

Reply to
Kathy N-V

Carol,

That was my thought too, but even though I didn't order the catalog, they sent me one anyway after I ordered from the webstie! Drool!

Reply to
Beadbimbo

Suburbia.

What about you?

(have been trying to find someone to bead with once in a while... sometimes I've been feeling really unmotivated on my own now that my cousin abruptly decided she isn't interested any more :) )

marisa2

[ please just let me post already! ]
Reply to
Marisa E Exter

ThaiGems has a *massive* negative feedback record on eBay. If you search Google for this group, Thaigems and Ganoksin, you'll find where gemologists bought from ThaiGems and then evaluated the stones to find they were not nearly as described.

I've bought online from them, the only problem I've had is that when you order online, you don't find out until the next day whether what you ordered is actually in stock or not. You could certainly order by phone, I just like online.

Reply to
Marilee J. Layman

It didn't hurt???

We must be off our game.

I used to shop at Shipwreck because I lived by it... wish I could give yo some specifics besides I LOVED IT, but I was very young and that's about all I remember.

Reply to
Kalera Stratton

quality is always, consistently, excellent.<

Come visit me, Becki! I have enough drool rags for both of us, and enough kleenex that we can sob over the prices together.

-- KarenK Desert Dreamer Designs

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Reply to
Karen_AZ

I confess, I'd been lurking ... consider it "training."

Reply to
Jewitch

When I initiated the thead, I wasn't thinking of anything in particular. I'd just spent quite a bit of time looking at all the unusual stones at ThaiGem and that led me to wonder what people thought of them. I'm lucky to live in Southern California; there are a couple of LBS that are excellent (I'm just a few blocks from AZ Gems) and tehn several that are "within the area." But at the massive shops like Shipwreck, there is always something I don't see anywhere else.

Jewitch

Reply to
Jewitch

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