Tanzanite?

[Sparkles26]

I wonder if any of you could help? I have never bought from gems (only JM) but have seen what looks like a stunning AAA Tanzanite ring.

As I say, the photo looks lovely but I was hoping somebody here who has purchased AAA Tanzanite from Gems before could tell me whether it truly is as lovely in 'person' so to speak. TIA


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[Nikki]

Hi Sparkles,
I ummed and ahh'd for years about wether or not to get a decent bit of tanzanite. I finally decided to bit the bullet but did a fair bit of research first. There's a really good informative site, (The Gemological Institute of USA I think, or similar name, google Tanzanite & it should come up). They said that the stone is indeed rising sharply in value BUT only for decent coloured stones usually 3carats or more. They also said that the grading is very subjective & said that many shopping channels sell AAA or even AAAA tanzanite that actually transpires, on professional appraisal to be closer to AA or even just A grade. I think Gems are reputable so if you see one you love & want to buy it my advice would be to get it, just get it independently appraised asap within the mbg period. You can send it back by special delivery so it is insured & tracked if it isn't what you expected. OK worse comes to the worst, you've lost £8-9 in postage but that's a lot better than paying over the odds & wasting £100's.

I ended up buying mine from a shop on Ebay in the US. They had 30 years experience. Paid £800 including import tax & it was valued for replacement at £3000, possibly more for retail sale. I believe the shop was called Mikaleans or similar. Remember to really have a gander at the colour, solid, strong blue & blue/violet are the best apparently. Good luck! x

Oh yes, be warned it's not the toughest, about the same as amethyst, so be careful with it. Everyday wear fine but don't do the cleaning or gardening in it or subject it to impact. Also they say just use soap & water & a cloth, no sonic cleaners or harsh chemicals. Hope that helps.

 

[Sparkles26]

Thank very much. That's very helpful. I have found the EBay store and oh my gosh they have some lovely things


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[Nikki]

They do :nod:. I liked them as they even stated the accent diamond size and full clarity & colour grading. When I got my ring appraised they verified that their full description was accurate. What put me off some of the tanzanite rings on the channels is that they never seem to give the details of the diamond accents & shabby, cloudy diamonds would ruin the whole appearance for me so I didn't risk buying from them.

I did find out too that even if you buy from abroad, if you need to send it back, (Mikaleans had a mbg when I bought mine), you can claim the import tax back. Verify by calling customs if you decide to buy from abroad to double check. Just take a really close look at the pictures if buying from the internet for the colour of the tanzanite. (significant green & brown or clear patches can lessen the value of the stone apparently) x.

 

[Sparkles26]

Ah right I'll have a good look before I buy as I have no idea really about gemstones.


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[Nikki]

Ah right I'll have a good look before I buy as I have no idea really about gemstones.


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A bit of googling can realy help if you want to find out more :wink:

 

[Sacha]

I wonder if any of you could help? I have never bought from gems (only JM) but have seen what looks like a stunning AAA Tanzanite ring.

As I say, the photo looks lovely but I was hoping somebody here who has purchased AAA Tanzanite from Gems before could tell me whether it truly is as lovely in 'person' so to speak. TIA


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Hi Sparkles, it is a minefield buying Tanzanite as what they describe on the telly can be way off the truth. My only fairly recent purchase of Tanzy from GTV under the helm of the Bennets was a ring classed as AA+ and it turned out to be anything but. Paler than the palest Aquamarine it was! Their photos on the web page are also sometimes short of realistic, borne from comparisons made checking out the website whilst a piece is on live auction. But having said that you could be lucky and get a good 'un.

Also watch out for gold weight, that has been stripped back as gold prices have risen. The problem being that if it needs re- sizing, local jewellers can be very reluctant if the band is narrow and any alteration will weaken it considerably. Not trying to put you off at all, but forewarned is forearmed. Also check out TJC, they did have some nice Tanzies, but again the pitfalls are as mentioned above.

If you've seen this piece on Gems website, it will be priced much higher than on a live auction. So a tactic is to ring up CS and ask them what it's lowest / latest auction price was and see if they will let you have it for that. Good luck. :hi:

 

[Sparkles26]

Hi Sparkles, it is a minefield buying Tanzanite as what they describe on the telly can be way off the truth. My only fairly recent purchase of Tanzy from GTV under the helm of the Bennets was a ring classed as AA+ and it turned out to be anything but. Paler than the palest Aquamarine it was! Their photos on the web page are also sometimes short of realistic, borne from comparisons made checking out the website whilst a piece is on live auction. But having said that you could be lucky and get a good 'un.

Also watch out for gold weight, that has been stripped back as gold prices have risen. The problem being that if it needs re- sizing, local jewellers can be very reluctant if the band is narrow and any alteration will weaken it considerably. Not trying to put you off at all, but forewarned is forearmed. Also check out TJC, they did have some nice Tanzies, but again the pitfalls are as mentioned above.

If you've seen this piece on Gems website, it will be priced much higher than on a live auction. So a tactic is to ring up CS and ask them what it's lowest / latest auction price was and see if they will let you have it for that. Good luck. :hi:

Oooh that's a good plan! I like your thinking lol


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