Thailand
Bangkok
Since 2001, Piat has sorted, calibrated and cut its gemstones in Bangkok, close to the markets and mines of Asia.
Eric Piat settled in Bangkok in 1987. In 2001, Emmanuel Piat opened a sorting office there with him: Piat (Thailand) Co., Ltd. was born in what is regarded as the world capital of gem cutting and trading.
In 2008, the Thai lapidary workshop opened to cut calibrated stones. It also completes the Maison’s own collection, focused on centre stones.
Close to the production sites, the workshop keeps the Maison informed in real time of mines opening or closing, of new stones becoming available, of market trends and supply.
- 1987Eric Piat settles in Bangkok.
- 2001The sorting office opens: Piat (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
- 2008The lapidary workshop for calibrated stones opens.
- 2024The carpet of 26,000 gems, all cut to the same size in Bangkok, is presented in Tucson.
From parcel to series
01
Sourcing
Rough is bought as close as possible to where it is mined. Knowing its origin guarantees traceability and keeps control over how the stones are treated.
02
Sorting
Gemstones are sorted and graded according to the designers’ specifications, to make the setter’s work easier.
03
Calibrating and cutting
Gem cutters produce series of identical dimensions: sawing, outlining, faceting and polishing, losing as little weight as possible.
A calibrated series
Calibrated stones are cut in series of identical dimensions, ready to be set side by side. Choose a gem, a shape and a size: the indicative weight comes from the Maison’s nomenclatures.
Indicative weight
– carats
| Dimensions (mm) | Weight (ct) |
|---|
26,000 gems
Twenty-six thousand gems, one single size
In 2024, the Piat family gathered in Tucson, at the University of Arizona Alfie Norville Gem and Mineral Museum, for Daniel Piat’s presentation of the gemstone carpet he made for a secret order.
He supplied all the stones with the help of his son Eric Piat, who cut them all to the same size in his Bangkok workshop: more than 26,000 sapphires, rubies, emeralds and diamonds, and twelve months of work.
At the centre of the mines
Bangkok is a few hours from the great deposits of Asia and on the way to those of Africa. The map is centred on the workshop: each country sits at its true bearing and distance.
- 1Thailand200 kmSapphire, ruby, rhodolite garnet
- 2Myanmar1,100 kmRuby, sapphire, spinel, peridot
- 3Sri Lanka2,350 kmSapphire, spinel, garnets, topaz
- 4India2,500 kmSapphire, almandine and rhodolite garnets
- 5China3,300 kmPeridot
- 6Pakistan3,600 kmPeridot, spinel, topaz
- 7Australia6,650 kmSapphire, spessartine garnet
- 8Kenya7,100 kmTsavorite garnet, ruby
- 9Madagascar7,250 kmSapphire, ruby, emerald, garnets, topaz
- 10Tanzania7,250 kmTanzanite, spinel, ruby, rhodolite garnet
- 11Mozambique7,400 kmRuby, tourmaline, aquamarine
- 12Geneva9,250 kmPiat office
- 13Paris9,450 kmPiat office
- 14Brazil16,050 kmAquamarine, topaz, tourmaline, garnets
- 15Colombia17,800 kmEmerald
Responsible sourcing
Piat (Thailand) Co., Ltd. is a certified member of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC). Its code of practice, published in English and Thai, commits the company to respecting human rights, refusing all forms of bribery, money laundering and conflict financing, and checking its supply chain.
