Posts: 1
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 03-25-2005 01:43 AM            

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I want to develop a small business shipping from Bangkok. I know very little about silver, but I know it's very cheap here, both jewellery and art items further north in Thailand.

I was curious if it may be worth investing time with Thai silver. What reputation does Thai silver have in the European market?

Simon

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Registered: Jun 2004

posted 03-25-2005 06:36 AM            

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Simon, generally Thai silver along with other countries in the far east make silver that does not have the same level of sophistication and finish as US/European silver. Having said that individual makers especially in Thailand make some very attractive and well made work. I am speaking of western influenced design not local/traditional work, which can be very interesting and well made but not necessarily to Western taste. The work I saw recently from one factory in Bangkok was simple but well made, flat ware, teapots, boxes,etc. Not quite top level, but the price did make it very attractive.

Be careful to get marked sterling silver (unless it is obviously old/traditional), hope this helps and good luck.

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posted 03-25-2005 10:57 AM            

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To add to Agleopar's good advice, Thai silver is normally marked 925 rather than sterling these days.

The reason that silver items from Thailand can be relatively inexpensive is not because the silver itself is any less expensive - the price of precious metals is set by world markets and is going to be the pretty much the same anywhere for the raw metal. The reason for the lower cost is from the low wages paid to workers there plus the lack of marketing and advertising. The down-side of low wages, though, can be generally relatively crude manufacture which is fine for tourist items and low-cost outlets, but would not be very competitive or profitable on the international market. On the other hand, if you were somehow able to start a factory that could actually produce silver objects of the same or better quality as the big name U.S. and European silver makers, you could be successful. There is much more to quality, though, than simply making a mould of a nice Tiffany teapot and spending a few hours making a reproduction that does not have the feel, look, grace and refinement of the original.

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