I recently went to Lambert Industries on Soi 17/Silom Road. This is a place which is recommended in the Luxx guide and in Lonely Planet.
The business has changed hands. I decided against buying anything as I just felt not comfortable with the service. Especially, as my questions with regard to color enhancement and origin of stones were mostly ignored. As I know from my German dealer, it is unethical not to mention any treatment of the stone when the question is asked.
I would be interested if anybody paid a visit to Lambert recently and what impression you had.
The new owner (Eric) is not a gemmologist by trade. The other person (Richard) was rather unwilling to answer questions.
Gem StonesIMHO you ahould be careful when buying gemstones. It is best ti pay a bit more and get a certified stone
The certificate will tell you alot about the stone.
There are a couple of labs around in Bangkok
Gem StonesPrincesssharon - tksfor yr reply. You recommended Lambert not long ago if I remember correctly. Yewt it appears that you don%26#39;t know Lambert gems.
I%26#39;m well aware of the danger to end up with a fake. fortunately, I have some knowledge of gems yet some properties require a lab. By the way, it is unethical of any gem dealer not to point out if the stone has been treated in whatever way. this is especially the case when the customer specifically asks about enhancement etc.
I know a number of people who bought from lambert before change of ownership. Lambert has been known for their honesty until now.
Lambert was very reliable. What happend is that it has changed ownership.
The problem is that in Thailand,many dealers consider heat treatment as natural
Most stones are treated and the owner doesn%26#39;t seem to educate the public.
It is best to buy a certified stone.
As for Lambert, i don%26#39;t think i have recommended them to anyone.
I do recommend shops at Gems Tower and Jewelry Trade Center
and i do ask for the stones to be certified.
what stones are you looking for? Maybe i can help
I%26#39;m looking for pink Spinel from Burma and bi-color tourmaline. I got 2 dealers on my list which I plan to visit next week. One is in Sita Bldg. on Mahesak, the other in JTC. I%26#39;m not yet fixed on size but it shld be around 2 ct. for the Spinel.
Thanks for yr offer perhaps we can do business.
Hi All:
Interesting feedback. I was originally pointed to lambert by the US Embassy when I was a wayward traveler and thought I had bought stones which were fake. Lambert reveiwed my purchases and explained how to buy and what to look for and ultimately educated me on the art of jewelry buying. They did this for no charge and I believe still do so today.
Since then, I have bought at Lambert industries for years and continue to do so. The ownership has changed hands but all original people who have been there for years are still there. Including the old owner, who has a desk and continues to provide assistance. Eric was the first one to announce that he was not a gemologist when I last met him(nor was the old owner who was an attorney) and has made many positive changes to the business. The place looks great, has an amazing stock and uses only natural light to choose the stones. A rarity in bangkok.
Lambert is one of the only businesses that still offers a full refund even in a year or two if you don%26#39;t like your stones. How many businesses in Bangkok offer that?? On two occasions I have returned gifts and never had a problem. Lambert Educates about color enhancement and in all my dealings in over 10 years has always been upfront, honest and informative. Richard, who is mentioned, I believe actually teaches about gems at AIGS (Bangkok gem school) and has an excellent and honest reputation. There are also now 3 other gemologists that I am aware of who can provide a variety of assistance as well ranging from design to stone facts.
Sad that you did not have a positive experience, but I would give them another chance. As a big shopper myself, I would not judge a place on only one visit. Especially one such as this.
As you can tell, I am a long time customer and Lambert has been a haven in the busy pace of Bangkok and always one of the few names to trust. I still do. They continue to provide excellent gems at good honest value and appear to be poised to grow.
I must say that I was very surprised to read about your experience at Lambert. I have had a very different experience than you, one more similar to the last post. I have bought from them a few times (rings, pearls, a pendant and a custom made bracelet) and have been extremely impressed with the quality, level of service and I consider it a place I trust when shopping for jewlery in BKK.
In my experiences, I have found the people at Lambert to be very up front and they seemed pleased to educate me about color enhancement of stones as well as other things. They guarentee their stones and offer a full refund without any time limit, which I have never heard of at other places in BKK, KUL and throughout asia. The staff answered all of my questions and spent a great deal of time with me, even though my purchases were not incredibly expensive. One woman that I dealt with Elzbeth(?) who I believe is from Europe originally, was particularly informative and helpful as was Eric, the new owner.
I know that the Luxx guide has very high standards and I have always been impressed with thier recommendations. Sounds like you unfortunately had one disappointing experience, but I personally think this is the place to shop while in BKK and would give them another chance. Did you contact them about your experience?
To get a guarentee, offer for a refund, and receive open honest information about stones is a true find in asia. It also makes me personally comfortable to deal with people who are used to doing business in Europe and the US and are used to the high expectations and standards of customers. I personally will keep going back there when I go to BKK.
I don%26#39;t know when you last visited Lambert. I%26#39;ve been there several times recently. It wasn%26#39;t just me who had a negative impression. My friend shared my opinion. I certainly wasn%26#39;t offered any advice and only evasive answers to my questions regarding enhancement. Never mind, there are other reliable dealers in BKK who also offer a money back and return guarantee. If Lambert was the only reliable source then there would be endless queues. For some reason foreign professional buyers don%26#39;t seem to buy from Lambert.
The Swiss lady is not a gemologist but a jewellery designer.
Certificates which come with the gem mean little in BKK. You have to get your own from GIA or AIGS.
For those who think that there are only enhanced stones out there, there are still non enhanced ones as well. It matters to me not to buy treated stones.
I don%26#39;t know when you last visited Lambert. I%26#39;ve been there several times recently. It wasn%26#39;t just me who had a negative impression. My friend shared my opinion. I certainly wasn%26#39;t offered any advice and only evasive answers to my questions regarding enhancement. It was very obvious that Lambert doesn%26#39;t seem to be keen on buyers who have too many questions, but on the guy who buys quickly.
Never mind, there are other reliable dealers in BKK who also offer a money back and return guarantee. If Lambert was the only reliable source then there would be endless queues. For some reason foreign professional buyers don%26#39;t seem to buy from Lambert.
The Swiss lady is not a gemologist but a jewellery designer.
Certificates which come with the gem mean little in BKK. You have to get your own from GIA or AIGS.
For those who think that there are only enhanced stones out there, there are still non enhanced ones as well. It matters to me not to buy treated stones.
Jemima,
You seem like you are out to get people to avoid Lambert. Do you have some personal connection to another place or did you have some other horrible experience that you did not mention in your first post? I guess we have had pretty different experiences and I will leave it at that.
As I mentioned before, I have visited there many times and know many other people who have been extremely pleased with the quality and professionalism of Lambert. I have often dealt with Elsbeth, who is wonderful. She IS a gemologist, and told me that she has been for the past 6 years. She is also a director in the company. Did you ask her and she told you something different?
I don%26#39;t get the same impression as you, that Lambert is ';for the quick buyer'; I have never felt rushed and many of my purchases involved design and stones that they did not have in stock and I had to come back. I have also been told that a big part of their business is wholesale and people who buy quantity, but I really can only speak about my own experiences.
As I mentioned previously, the last time I was there we spoke about the whole treated stone issue and they were very upfront and offered to show me stones that had not been treated at all.
Anyway, I will leave this post as my last. I don%26#39;t usually write so much about one place, but I was just surprised since my experience has been so different. I am sure others who will buy in BKK will check out a number of places including Lambert and can decide for themselves.
Jemima,
You seem like you are out to get people to avoid Lambert. Do you have some personal connection to another place or did you have some other horrible experience that you did not mention in your first post? I guess we have had pretty different experiences and I will leave it at that.
As I mentioned before, I have visited there many times and know many other people who have been extremely pleased with the quality and professionalism of Lambert. I have often dealt with Elsbeth, who is wonderful. She IS a gemologist, and told me that she has been for the past 6 years. She is also a director in the company. Did you ask her and she told you something different?
I don%26#39;t get the same impression as you, that Lambert is ';for the quick buyer'; I have never felt rushed and many of my purchases involved design and stones that they did not have in stock and I had to come back. I have also been told that a big part of their business is wholesale and people who buy quantity, but I really can only speak about my own experiences.
As I mentioned previously, the last time I was there we spoke about the whole treated stone issue and they were very upfront and offered to show me stones that had not been treated at all.
Anyway, I will leave this post as my last. I don%26#39;t usually write so much about one place, but I was just surprised since my experience has been so different. I am sure others who will buy in BKK will check out a number of places including Lambert and can decide for themselves.
