How to Buy Gems in Jaipur, India

Jaipur, the capital of the Indian state of Rajasthan, is a well-known center for jewelry makers to buy semi-precious gems in bulk. Following this step-by-step guide will help you get a bargain when buying in Jaipur.

Instructions

1. Get to Jaipur. This will typically involve flying to New Dehli, and then either making a connection to Jaipur, or then taking the train from Dehli to Jaipur.

2. Stay with the backpackers. Jaipur is a favorite place for either individual craftsmen, or the owners of small, handmade jewelry shops to go shopping for wholesale, semi-precious gems. These people are on self-financed business trips, so do not expect to find many of them in upscale hotels. Instead, go down to the market, stay in a budget guest house and socialize. Should you choose not to stay in a backpacker's guest house, at least go get a few meals or mugs of chai in the places they eat. You will save yourself an enormous amount of time and leg work if you can collect a handful of recommendations on buying gems in Jaipur and perhaps even an introduction to a reliable dealer.

3. Do not take recommendations from auto-rickshaw drivers, your guest house's staff, or touts on the streets. This will always lead you to a gem dealer looking to scam you. You always want to be the person who initiates any business proposal.

4. Get started shopping for gems in Jaipur. There are gem dealers scattered in most of the back streets around the city center. Even without recommendations to go on, finding dealers will not be hard in any commercial district, especially near where the backpackers and main markets are. Just stretch your legs and you will find several to choose from.

5. Shop and haggle. Be sure to visit several dealers to compare the quality of the wares and the prices. Avoid committing to anything,and do not start haggling until you have picked a dealer you like and want to try to do business with. Haggling with everyone just leads them along. When you are ready to do business, decide how much you want to pay for the gems, and shoot at getting that price. Argue with a good humor and if you can't get what you want, be ready to walk away and do business with the next dealer. Shopping for gems in Jaipur should be a lot like trying to buy a new car in the U.S. If you pay the list price, you are getting ripped off.

6. Always pay in cash. This avoids the risk of having your credit card number stolen. Always insist on examining the actual gems before paying, to prevent a bait-and-switch scam. Never believe anyone who asks you to smuggle gem stones back to your country in a "get rich quick" scheme, as these are always scams.

Resources

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