Firelight Chats Ep049 | Sunrise Ruby Refulgence w/Dr. Gemstone Drew

In this episode of Firelight Chats, Dr. Drew mined his way to the Spacelab to chat with Kane & Mocha by the fireside about the life & business surrounding gemstones. Drew shares incredible stories about running away at the age of 17 to study gemology in Mumbai, pivoting to Sri Lanka just as the civil war was coming to an end, making his way to Chanthaburi - a Thai city known as the City of Gems, getting robbed, learning Muay Thai & Karate to protect himself, the red curry & hidden factories of Chiang Mai, seasonal mines in Kanchanaburi, crossing borders, the business of bribery, avoiding Cambodian land mines, the mysteries of Myanmar, Russian connections, Colombian emeralds, and the enduring allure of Kashmir.

Dr. Drew also shares stories about a business trip to HK with a South African Chinese guy that led to a new business venture in Africa, his partner getting kidnapped in Zambia, losing 2 tons of rough uncut emeralds, almost getting killed by an extremist group in the Copper Belt, and finally getting a chance to visit the Diamond District in NYC. The two also delve deeper into the gemology business, politics and political instability, the special characteristics of colored gems, advice about how to buy and invest in precious stones, the importance of certification and finding a reputable dealer, and Drew's all-time favorite stone. Finally, Drew explains why he plans to continue living and working out of Taiwan for the foreseeable future.

Dr. Gemstone Drew is an international gem dealer originally from New Delhi. He has lived in Mumbai, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Taiwan, and has traveled around the world otherwise in search of precious stone refulgence & enlightenment.