youknowyoureobsessed
Rough_Rock
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2006
- Messages
- 12
Hello all,
Calling those of you who are experts on Tanzanite: I need help ASAP!!!!! I have a problem and would really appreciate opinions.
Around the end of December I purchased a loose gem 13.42 carat cushion cut Tanzanite from a seller in Florida. We have never met (I''m in CA) but she seemed very knowledgeable /professional and I thought that she was trustworthy.
As soon as the Fedex box arrived, I opened it with her on the phone. After the first few minutes of examining the gem, I immediately noticed a small triangular nick on the face of the stone, near the window. I could see it with my naked eye, without even having to get my loupe out. I told her about it and she was surprised, saying that she had not seen a nick on it and that she examines all her merchandise very carefully. I later called my husband over and aked him: "Can you see a nick on this stone?" After looking at it from an average distance for a few seconds, he pointed it right out. So, my point is that it can be seen, and it may show up later on after the stone is set. The nick is fairly small, but when the light hits it, it is noticeable and it''s not in a place where it could be covered by the setting later.
Here is my dilemma: she offered the stone to me at $225 per carat, which is definitely a good price for the size and cut and color. I would say that the color is not the "very deisrable" blue w/ purple color, but leans more toward the purple spectrum. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the fabled "block D" color (I almost hate sayng that since the term is so widely abused in the gemstone world), I give it a 6 - 7. The stone is pretty, nicely cut and nice sparkle, other than this noticeable flaw. I agreed to purchase it, but told her that I would like to return it to her for her professional evaluation as to whether or not the flaw would affect the resale value, and also so that she could see about having it repolished. When we first talked about this stone, she said she would make me a good deal, so I was going to buy it to either keep for myself, or to have set in a pendant that I design and sell to a client later. She asserts that even with the flaw I should be able to sell it for $400-$500 per carat minimum. I am not so sure, given it''s less desirable color, plus the flaw, and seeing market prices from reputable ebay sellers for better color are running around $500-$600 per carat.
I returned it to her on 12/21. Here we are in early Feb and she still has the stone and my $3K. She has only communicated with me ONCE since Jan 1 - and that was to return one of my many phone calls / email. We completed another transaction on a Tanzanite that I bought to re-sell to a client of mine in late December, and it''s like ever since I paid her all monies owed, she is taking her leisurely time. On a side note: that transaction went okay, except that she gave me first right of refusal on the stone (a 7.23 cushion cut with BEAUTIFUL color), then went back on her word AFTER I had already showed it to my client and gotten a verbal commitment to buy, because she was also showing it to her client, and her client wanted it as well. After we went around and around, she finally agreed to send the stone to me so I could complete the sale, but changed the original price she quoted me from $650 per carat to $700!!!!! GRRRRR. But, I digress.
Back to the problem: I paid her pomptly (same day) for this flawed Tanzanite. I returned it promptly (within 48 hrs, Fedex insured). She has had it since 12/23. Allowing some extra time for the holidays to blow over, it still has taken WAY TOO LONG for her to get this wrapped up. Last I heard from her was 1/16 (she returned MY call). I finally got so concerned that I sent her a letter that she signed for on 1/30 and did not respond to. I waited another week (more than ample time to hear from her) and on Saturday, I finally called my bank and initiated a refund, as well as filed a PayPal complaint, because we completed the transaction thru PP. Total time since I returned the stone has been 7 weeks!!!!! Of course, I heard from her the NEXT day via email (and the nerve, she chastised me for not calling her instead of filing the complaint). Um, okay: YOU have MY $$ AND my gem, and I have heard from you exactly ONCE since December 30, and you are MAD at ME???? Sorry - a little venting.
She wants to Fedex the stone back to me unpolished (b/c now she is "mad" and just wants to give me my stone back). Here''s what I need to know: in any of your knowledgeable and experienced opinions, would a nick on the front of a Tanzanite of that size devalue the stone?? If so, how much? I would not want to keep the stone if I cannot sell it for more than I paid due to this flaw - and I would expect to sell it for a nice profit, not a measly one. Of course, I would have to either find someone who can repolish it (which affects the weight), or disclose it to future clients.
I need to decide TODAY if I am going to allow her to ship the Tanzanite back to me w/ the flaw and thus cancel my refund with the bank or if I am going to hit "send" on the email that I already typed telling her to just forget the whole thing. As far as I know, she is planning to ship tomorrow.
I am attaching 3 pics - 1 from the mine, 2 that she took.
Thanks in advance for whatever help/ opinions you can give me - wish I would have thought of asking the Pricescope community earlier!
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