Gem dealers settled in Milan, though one dealer also tells of a Bombay Jew, on his way to Israel for vacation, whose ship docked for repair in Naples. A good way to find communities of Mashhad Jews and their Bukharan and Afghani cousins is to mark the global hubs of the gem trade. Levy estimates there are now 200-300 Mashhadi families in Israel, about the same number in Milan and at least 300 families in New York. Of course, it didn't take gems to bring Persian speaking Jews to Israel, but when they came many brought the gem business with them. While in Israel diamonds are still a much bigger business than all other stones, dealers say the country has an important niche in the gemstone industry.
Insiders say the best gemstones, like the best diamonds, are brought to Israel for polishing.
These are brought from Zambia. Israel has made technological breakthroughs, mechanized the industry. Many of the Persian speaking dealers from around the world come to Israel often for pleasure as well as business, and take the opportunity to keep up with and make new trading contacts. Bangkok is the world capital of the gem trade, so it's natural to find a small Jewish community flourishing among the city's gold-inspired Buddhist temples, modern skyscrapers and endless deafening traffic jams. Thailand's mines, as well as stones smuggled across the borders from Burma and Cambodia, are said to have made it the source of over half the world's ruby, sapphire, jade and topaz gems.