The next Bangkok Gem Night takes place on Monday, February 23, offering members of the gem and jewelry trade an informal evening of networking — and a chance to support a local Bangkok charity doing long-term, on-the-ground work in one of the city’s most underserved communities.
Held at Revolucion Cocktail Silom, just steps from the Jewelry Trade Center, Bangkok Gem Night brings together people from across the trade in a relaxed setting designed for conversation rather than presentations or pitches.
What Is Bangkok Gem Night — and Why It Started
Bangkok Gem Night was created to fill a simple gap. While Bangkok is home to numerous gem and jewelry associations, it has historically lacked a regular, informal gathering where people from different corners of the trade could meet without agendas, memberships, or formal programming.
Inspired by open networking events such as Gemology Worldwide gatherings in Tucson, the organizers wanted something similar in Bangkok — but made regular, accessible, and inclusive. To get things started, they brought together GIA Alumni Thailand and the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA), intentionally casting a wide net from the outset.
Attendance is not limited to any single group. In practice, Bangkok Gem Night draws GIA and AIGS alumni, ICA members, independent traders, cutters, dealers, and visiting international buyers — particularly during fair season.
The format is simple: once a month, people meet at Revolucion Cocktail Silom to talk gems, jewelry, and business over gem-inspired cocktails or mocktails. The emphasis is on conversation, introductions, and making connections that don’t always happen during the workday.
Adding Meaning: How the Fundraiser Works
After the first few events, the organizers agreed that Bangkok Gem Night should be more than just another industry gathering. The question became how to give something back to the city that hosts so much of the global gem trade.
That decision led them to HDF Mercy Centre, a long-established Bangkok charity working in the Klong Toey area.
Fundraising at Bangkok Gem Night is deliberately low-pressure and transparent. Support for the Mercy Centre is collected in three ways:
- Voluntary donations made during the event
- Small charity auctions held on site, with 100% of proceeds donated
- Individual or corporate pledges, some anonymous, others public, with options that allow for tax-deductible contributions where applicable
Bangkok Gem Night retains none of the donated funds. The event is run entirely through volunteer time and occasional out-of-pocket contributions from the organizers for basic materials. There are no membership fees, and no plans to introduce them.
In the past few months, Bangkok Gem Night has raised close to THB300,000!
I’ll have a Chalcedony Ice Tea, please!
Where the Money Goes: The Mercy Centre in Klong Toey
The HDF Mercy Centre, operated by the Human Development Foundation, was founded in the 1970s by Father Joe Maier, an American Catholic priest, together with Sister Maria, a Thai nun. Their goal was straightforward: help children living in Bangkok’s Klong Toey slum gain access to education and basic necessities.
Today, the Mercy Centre supports approximately 1,000 children through 17 small, community-based kindergartens located directly within Klong Toey. About 100 of those children are orphans who live full-time in two Mercy Homes run by the organization.
Rather than centralizing services, the Mercy Centre operates multiple small locations close to where families live. While this approach is more complex to manage, it reduces travel burdens on parents and keeps support embedded in the communities it serves.
Education remains the core mission, but the Centre also provides shelter for orphans and assistance to individuals and families affected by HIV. Its work has been formally recognized by the Thai government, and members of the Royal Family have honored the organization on multiple occasions for its humanitarian impact.
More information about the Mercy Centre is available at https://mercycentre.org.
Special Thanks to Simon from AsiaLounges (@asialounges )
and Billie from Lotus Gemology (@LotusGemology)
for letting us know what is happening in their neighborhood!
What’s happening in your neighborhood? Let us know!
February 23 — An Open Invitation
As we have mentioned, Bangkok Gem Night returns on Monday, February 23 at Revolucion Cocktail Silom. There is no membership requirement, no formal program, and no obligation beyond showing up.
For those working in gems or jewelry and spending time in Bangkok, it offers a chance to meet people from across the industry — and to support a local organization making a measurable difference in the city’s most vulnerable communities.
Stay in touch on Instagram – @BangkokGemNight
If you’re in town, put it on your calendar!
