First Time Buying From Tan

[tara3056]

Hi all. I purchased a spinel from Tan (buy-it-now) on July 27th. It hasn't shown up yet. I'm not worried in the least, just impatient The tracking looks like it left Thailand on 8-1 and nothing's been updated since. For other people currently buying from Tan, about how long is it taking to get your packages?

I also have to say that I emailed him twice with a question and he never answered me. That's disappointing but from what I've read here, he had a stroke awhile ago, so perhaps he's still not at 100% and back to running his business.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Usually I get my items fairly quickly from Tan (10 to 14 days for items that are said to take up to 30 days to ship) and he replies within 24 hours to any questions I have - this was after his stroke. However the last time I dealt with him I asked for an address for a return and he replied but without the address. I returned it to the last address I had for him and it was not a problem. Hope your package arrives soon and please post pics!

 

[tara3056]

UPDATE:

OMG!!!!!!!!!

Wouldn't you know it? I ended up getting my package today. I opened it this evening, unfortunately after sundown. I absolutely cannot wait to see this baby in the sunlight because it is STUNNING already.

So any lack of communication from Tan (which wasn't even bad) is so forgiven! I don't even know him, but I could hug him! This is my favorite colored stone purchase thus far! (Granted, this may not say a whole lot, as I just got hooked on colored stones a few months ago, but still, I've made quite a few purchases lately and none of them have made my heart sing *quite* like this one.)

I will try to take pics tomorrow in the daylight. I believe it is technically a Mahenge spinel (being from Mahenge, Tanzania), even though Tan called it orangey-pink. I see virtually no orange in it at all unless I put it under our high-efficiency bulbs, then I see it. It doesn't bother me; I actually think it's very pretty when it's that color too. So is it a top-color Mahenge? No. But I love it anyway. It's also less sleepy than apparent in his photos. I tested it under my blacklight and this baby GLOWED, so I know it will likely be even more beautiful in sunlight.

So happy!

 

[txgreeneyes]

Isn't that always how it works? You get it the day that you email/post about it.

Can't wait to see the pics! What are your plans for it?

 

[Enerchi]

That's great Tara! I agree with txgreeneyes - it always happens that once you openly complain about something... it just happens to show up!

( Hey Universe!!! I am still waiting for my $13million lotto win... )

 

[tara3056]

( Hey Universe!!! I am still waiting for my $13million lotto win... )

Me too!

I don't have any plans to set it right away. I really wish I could, but I think setting it will have to be a Christmas gift. I've purchased too much lately, but oh has it been fun! Eventually I'd like to get it set in a halo ring of some kind.

 

[chrono]

This thread is useless without pictures.

 

[tara3056]

LOL, Chrono... I know, I know.

Here's the link to the auction with Tan's video. It looks more like the video than his pics, but the stone is redder IRL.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/330755166420?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_2717wt_957

IRL, it is not nearly so sleepy as it appears in Tan's pictures. Here's a couple pics I snapped just now, but my camera is really terrible (my DH has a nice DSLR that can do much better, but I'm hopeless with his gigantic camera).

Overall I'm very happy for the price I paid. It's not top Mahenge color, but I love the size and it's a very, very pretty stone for $450.



And here's a pic of when it looks its most "orangey" (it usually doesn't show as much as it does in this pic)

 

[tara3056]

I also won a pear-shaped spinel that may be closer to the classic Mahenge color. While this one was described as orangey-pink, the other one is just a pink-red. It won't be here for another 3 weeks probably, but after seeing this one, I'm very excited.

I put this spinel next to the 2 pink tourmalines I recently purchased, 1 from Barry and 1 from Bob Kast. Until I got this spinel, I was in LOVE with them. Especially the Bob Kast, which was billed as being very close to rubellite because it holds its hot pink color and doesn't go muddy, but at the same time, its still definitely pink and not red, so I personally wouldn't call it a rubellite. Regardless, though, they were beautiful stones until this spinel showed up. I'd been planning on setting one of them into a special pendant for my Mom, the first "real" piece of jewelry I've ever planned on giving her. Now I feel kind of like it'll be a letdown if she ever compares her pendant to this spinel. Guess that pear one might end up having her name on it...

 

[distracts]

Ooooh, very pretty stone!!

And re: Tan's shipping - for me it takes between two weeks and a month.

 

[chrono]

Very bright! I am envious of your beautiful smooth hands with those long skinny fingers. Ahh....to be young again.

For me, shipment from Thailand takes about a month via snail mail.

 

[OTL]

shipping to me is around 2 weeks from Tan
I have bought several times from him, nothing longer than that

But I totally understand your worry earlier. I usually buy several together to combine shipping, but Tan needs to be bugged a lot from me (multiple messages during several days after transaction end)to combine shipping for me. Which means I couldn't pay before he do that...I want to see the stones as soon as possible Yet I always end up working on my patience...