February Club Night - Travel Talk - Gemstones

This is a regular Club Night, on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. It is informal get together for members to drop in and meet fellow travellers. You may have been to a one or more exotic travel trips or simply curious to find out about this group.

At each club night, we invite a speaker to give a 45-60 mins Travel Talk. The speaker is usually someone who is an avid traveller and has done something unique and different or offers travel-related services which may be of interest to the group. The intention is to educate people about different travel experiences available and motivate people to travel more

The February Travel talk will be a precious talk. It will be all about Gemstones.

The Speaker is Kim Rix, she is a Gemstone Detective, a gemmologist, c and the author of the Gemstone Detective series of travel guides to buying gemstones and jewellery abroad. Kim studied at the GIA in London, where she met renowned Field Gemologist Vincent Pardieu. After qualifying in 2017, Kim took her first trip into the field with Vincent, on an expedition to the gem mines in Chanthaburi, Thailand.

Since then, Kim has travelled extensively worldwide, researching the gem trade in a number of countries and gathering local knowledge to help consumers make informed choices when purchasing gemstones and jewellery.

As well as writing the Gemstone Detective series, Kim leads gem tours for hobbyists, collectors and those new to the trade. The sell-out inaugural tour to Mogok, Valley of the Rubies, takes place in February 2020, with more tours to follow.

The meet-up will be in a private room, above the Iron Duke Pub (Named after the Duke of Wellington) , 11 Avery Row W1K 4AN. It is off oxford street.

Meetup-start time is 6:00 pm
Talk starts at 7:00pm.

There is no charge for this event.

Gemstone adventures in Myanmar

There aren’t many unspoilt travel destinations that offer a tourist both an authentic and exciting experience, but Myanmar is certainly one of them, Kim has discovered.

In the course of writing the seventh book in the Gemstone Detective travel guide series, Kim travelled to Myanmar twice in 2019 to undertake research. Unable to stay away, she is about to return as leader of a gem tour to Mogok, Valley of the Rubies.

Besides giving her audience a flavour of the gem trade in Myanmar, Kim will show that there is so much more to Myanmar than its deserved reputation for fine gemstones.

Foodies will find that the incredible local cuisine will their mouths watering for more. Fans of architecture will find much to admire in Myanmar’s dazzling Buddhist temples. Those who love the great outdoors will be spoilt for choice with some great trekking routes, spectacular scenery and pretty waterfalls in the rainforest around Mogok.

Kim passionately believes that Myanmar is the travel experience of a lifetime. “It was so hard to put the camera down.” she says, “The only time it left my hands was when they served Laphet – a local salad of fermented tea leaves, shredded cabbage, deep-fried beans, nuts, peas and tomatoes, all flavoured with chilli and garlic. You won’t have tasted anything like it before! ”

For more information visit: https://www.gemstonedetective.com/
Instagram: Gemstone_Detective
Twitter: @kimrix
Facebook: GemstoneDetective