Tanzanite

[pregcurious]

Has anyone bought tanzanite from Africagems.com? What was your experience like? They seem to have a decent selection.

Are there other vendors I should consider who carry a lot of high quality tanzanite? I live in the US. I am looking for loose stones, but would be open to finished pieces.

For example, if I lived in the UK, I think I would look into the The Jewelry Channel, which I believe is related to STS, one of the direct buyers of tanzanite. However, I don't think they are an option for me, and I'm not sure about the quality of their finished pieces.

 

[T L]

Tanzanite is sold everywhere. I think I would just be careful not to overpay (color and quality varies quite a bit), and I would find a reputable vendor with accurate pictures, and a rock solid return policy. I think JTV in the United States has lots of online sales, and they have an excellent return policy. I bought a spinel from them years ago, and it was nothing like the photos, but they refunded immediately, no questions asked.

I never bought from Africagems. Multicolour.com has them too, but he can charge a restocking fee if you use a credit card.

 

[prs]

You may have noticed that Africa Gems stocks and sells calibrated diamonds, rubies, sapphires, etc in many different shapes and sizes. Their pricing for these stones is about double that of other wholesale vendors. My conclusion is that they have a thriving wholesale business, but all the prices given on Africa Gems site are full brick and mortar retail. No doubt their trade pricing is much lower, and no doubt there are other online vendors who don't charge full retail.

 

[pregcurious]

Tanzanite is sold everywhere. I think I would just be careful not to overpay (color and quality varies quite a bit), and I would find a reputable vendor with accurate pictures, and a rock solid return policy. I think JTV in the United States has lots of online sales, and they have an excellent return policy. I bought a spinel from them years ago, and it was nothing like the photos, but they refunded immediately, no questions asked.

I never bought from Africagems. Multicolour.com has them too, but he can charge a restocking fee if you use a credit card.

Thanks, TL. It's good seeing you again on here. I haven't been around for a while. My youngest is almost 3, so I am getting back in the game.

 

[pregcurious]

You may have noticed that Africa Gems stocks and sells calibrated diamonds, rubies, sapphires, etc in many different shapes and sizes. Their pricing for these stones is about double that of other wholesale vendors. My conclusion is that they have a thriving wholesale business, but all the prices given on Africa Gems site are full brick and mortar retail. No doubt their trade pricing is much lower, and no doubt there are other online vendors who don't charge full retail.

Thanks, prs, that's very helpful. I've never bought from them before.