I wanted to let Thai pendant buyers know something about the way things work in Thailand for buying amulets. When you first buy a pendant you are probably wondering if the case that holds the pendant is 14k, 18k, 22k or plated 14k, 18k, 22k gold.
Here are some tips about buying gold plated cases in Thailand
1. 18K and 22K gold are too soft to make a strong Thai pendant case so you will likely not see them. Gold is like lead – very soft and picks up scratches and dings easily. That isn’t what you want in your jewelry.
2. Thai temples outside Bangkok do not, or more clearly, I haven’t seen them make in 6 years – any solid gold cases for amulets. I don’t know why that is – perhaps to Thais they don’t expect their pendants to be of solid gold because they usually are not. The temples, to save money and production costs – use gold plated pendant cases instead.
3. The 14K gold cases, and occasionally you will find an 18K gold case – are made by jewelers, not monks and not ordered by a temple outside Bangkok.
4. All of the Thai pendants we sell here at Thai Amulet Sales have gold plating – which lasts for a long time with care and is quite economical compared to 14K gold cases.
5. A 14K Gold case and a 14K gold plated pendant case are much different in price. If you bought a 14K pure gold case you would likely pay over 100-150 minimum for the amulet. With gold plated Thai pendant cases, we can offer them much more reasonably.
Note: We still have one of the gold dragons pictured above! If you want it, let us know now.
Click one of the below Buddhist figures to learn more and find amulets:
The Buddha – Happy Buddha – Jinaraj Buddha – Somdej Buddha