London Chapter: The Highlights and Pitfalls of Gemstone Tourism

Tired of being stuck at home? Pack your bags and come with us on a whistle-stop tour around the world.

After two years of travel and writing, Kim Rix (aka the Gemstone Detective) has built up quite an expertise on how tourists encounter the gem trade.

Kim Rix, the Gemstone Detective, is a gemmologist, champion of consumer rights and the author of the Gemstone Detective series of travel guides to buying gemstones and jewellery abroad. Kim studied at GIA in London to earn her Graduate Gemologist diploma. After meeting Vincent Pardieu, a field gemmologist in 2017, Kim ventured into the field with Vincent, on an expedition to the gem mines in Chanthaburi, Thailand.Since then, Kim has travelled extensively worldwide, researching the gem trade in a number of countries and gathering local knowledge to help consumers make informed choices when purchasing gemstones and jewellery.