Author Kim Rix takes gem enthusiasts on a colorful voyage around the world to help them buy wisely when they travel.
In the Gemstone Detective series, gemologist and photographer Kim Rix gives hot tips and “buyer beware” advice to travelers shopping for gems around the world.
“It was a bad buying decision on holiday that planted the Gemstone Detective seed in my mind,” Rix says.
“I was in Egypt when I bought a so-called ‘natural’ Burmese ruby that turned out to be glass. Embarrassed by my mistake after all those hours of self-directed learning about gemstones, I enrolled on the GIA [Gemological Institute of America] course.”
Driven by her admiration for the small businesses of the gem trade, and a desire to help buyers protect themselves, Rix decided to use her experience to write the Gemstone Detective series.
“Every country has its share of bad apples, and tourist destinations are particularly prone to attracting scammers,” Rix says.
She meticulously researches each book, traveling to each destination and viewing everything through the eyes of a gemologist and a tourist.
Though the Gemstone Detective collection is aimed at tourists and hobbyists, some people in the trade have found the books helpful, such as small-scale jewelry designers and those starting out in the industry.
Jewel-filled journeys
So far, the books have covered Sri Lanka, India, Australia, Thailand and the USA. Rix’s next book, due in 2021, focuses on Myanmar, formerly Burma, renowned for its rubies and sapphires.
The volume, Buying Gemstones and Jewellery in Myanmar, will be aimed at serious gem enthusiasts looking for insightful tips. For decades, Myanmar was under the control of a military government that was slow to develop the gem and jewelry industry, and tourism.
During the pandemic, Rix has remained closer to home and is now toiling at her laptop, wrapping up her book about gem-buying in Great Britain, also set to be published in 2021. Her research for this book, as well as her plans to host gem-buying trips in Southeast Asia, have been disrupted by Covid-19. She will resume her travels as soon as it is safe to do so.
“Sadly, due to Covid-19, many destinations in Southeast Asia have closed their door to tourism,” she says. “This has meant that Gemstone Detective tours have been canceled until such time as travel restrictions are lifted.”
Main image: The Pagoda on Sagaing Hill, Mandalay. Photo: Kim Rix.
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