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A Comparison of RareEarth versus AfricaGems

strawrose

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
May 24, 2014
Messages
1,086
In May of 2014, my fiance proposed to me with a very pretty ring. He requested an 8 mm Chatham sapphire in an asscher cut setting from RareEarth on Etsy. From what I saw on the website, it took 4 weeks to get it processed and shipped.

**photo removed per DCMA request**

(This is available on their website if you want to see more details.)

About 6 months later, I took the FAR section of the CPA Exam (YIKES) and in my haste, I ran out the door with the ring and put some lotion on. At one point, my purse fell in the parking lot and I scrambled to put everything inside. You may guess what happened next.

After the exam, I realized it was gone. I searched the parking lot and my house. It was no where to be found. Through tears and a confession, I went without a ring for a while. My finger felt so empty.

I went to Africagems.com to look for another Chatham ring. Luckily, they also sold Stuller settings. This time, I chose a round 7.5 mm sapphire with a cathedral setting in a similar style. In my confusion with the shopping cart, I ordered 3.50 instead of 4.25. Marc responded quickly and took note of the new size. He said it would take 7 working days to get the ring made, and it would be shipped after that.

The ring was ready. Through some confusion, the shipping emails showed both "UPS" and "USPS." It did not show up in the USPS website until the next day... when it arrived! That was unexpectedly fast.



I love my new ring and enjoy how the round cut looks. It may be a little darker than the original because Chatham has 4 different stones to choose from. Also, the cut may make it look different.

The original ring was beautiful, but I was a little concerned about how the stone was off centered. Perhaps the stone was not made for the setting? I never got a chance to reset it.

RareEarth Pros:
-High quality lab sapphire
-sturdy settings
-fiance said Melanie was very responsive to his emails

Cons:
-4 weeks to make due to volume
-off centered stone
-Have to pay for shipping

AfricaGems Pros:
-quick responses from Marc
-high quality lab sapphires (and some PSers love his natural gemstones)
-sturdy settings
-the construction looks neat and professional
-free shipping and quick turnaround

Cons:
-confusing invoices in email (maybe a graphic designer could help?)

I want to thank both of them for their work. I hope this review helps you decide on what vendor to choose.

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