Houayxay: Gem Cutting Workshop with Transfer & Souvenir｜Laos

Begin your experience with a convenient hotel pickup in Houayxay City and head to our workshop, where you'll meet professional craftsmen from Bokeo Gems Lao.

Bokeo — literally meaning "gem mine" in Lao — has been a source of natural sapphires since the 19th century. Its most famous mine, Ban Houay Xai, has been worked since the late 1800s, producing the region's signature blue, green, yellow, and black sapphires that today draw collectors and jewelers from around the world.
The Natural Sapphire Company

You'll learn the basics of gemstone grading and cutting, then get hands-on and polish your own black sapphire under the close guidance of an expert craftsman. Because each session is limited to just two participants, you'll get direct, one-on-one instruction rather than sharing attention with a large group.

At the end of the workshop, take home your finished gemstone — worth approximately $30 — as a one-of-a-kind souvenir, cut entirely by your own hands from the very ground that gave Bokeo its name.

Round-trip hotel transfers within Houayxay City are included, so all you need to bring is your curiosity.