Aquamarine ring picked up in Bangkok

Did you know that Bangkok is famous for gem shopping? Apparently Thailand is a well known place for stone cutting, mainly rubies and sapphires. I got this aquamarine ring that is not clear but super big and funky. The shop I visited run by a New Yorker and another Swiss lady and many others, really clarifies the type of stone and why that price. They will give you lots of time to think about your purchase and will even adjust the size of the jewelery before you actually buy it. Try it when you have time!

Garden of Eden, a super cute jewelry shop across the Mekong that you cannot reach without the bamboo bridge during rainy season

By chance, I came across this super cute jewelry shop that is run by a couple who learned jewelry making in Thailand and opened a shop in Luang Prabang a year ago.  The chunky necklace and rings were my favorite, but really, you will find your favorite piece.

To get here, you have to cross the Mekong River by boat as there is no bamboo bridge during the rainy season. It was the most dangerous affair crossing the Mekong when it was pitch black outside and of course there is no safety mechanism if you fall into the water. Anyway, I am alive and this place is most worth the visit.

Garden of Eden

Across the Bamboo Bridge next to Dyen Sabai restaurant, Luang Prabang, Laos

+856 20 2822 9059

Jewelry garage sale?

Someday I may want to have a garage sale of my jewelry but I am not ready yet! I've taken these today as I organized my weekend/vacation jewelry by theme in my drawer.

These are freshwater pearls I collected mostly in China as well as from Mikimoto, and gifted from dear friends.

Glass and stone pendants, perfect for the beach.

 I've posted these before as my favorite, along with the long pearl necklace.

From India. It's made of paper and thus is super light.

The left one is handmade from Java Indonesia.

My handmade ones.

The one in the middle is from a tiny antique shop in Devon UK. Can't believe I still have it.

My island collection, mostly from Hawaii and Bali.

Oversized glass necklace

Back in HK, I dug this out of my stuff brought back from the U.S. It's a lovely (but heavy) necklace that is exotically from Banana Republic. I need to get out of wearing the long pearl necklace everyday, so maybe this will be it...?

My Favorite Jewelry

I realized that I am wearing the same jewelery everyday, or rotating these every few days...


The pearls are of various qualities from Mikimoto to Chinese market and Indonesian farmed ones that I tend to unnecessarily hard-bargain the price down from a whole $9 to $8. The stones are from non-exotic Banana Republic.

By the way obviously, this posting is for the purpose of testing out Bokeh or the blurry background effect with my camera. I wonder if anyone regularly uses this word, as even I only learned how to say this originally from Japan, English word today.