Pushing Tanzanite

[vermonter16]

http://search.ebay.com/tanzanite_Jewelry-Watches_W0QQfromZC3QQsacategoryZ281QQsosortorderZ1QQsosortpropertyZ1

 

Derf:

 

I'm shocked that you don't have a web site for tanzanite. Ebay is usually the best place to find out what something is really worth. It looks like most tanzanite goes pretty cheap.

 

Auugghh...I just checked out Ebay for Tanzanite....the stones are terrible - no wonder they are so cheap. Look at their color....their is hardly any. You get what you pay for and if you want a cheap, washed out piece of tanzanite...go for it! Ebay it all the way!

[iluvdoxies]

thanks for the thread derf---my dad was in the Navy and got me that ring from a Russian- I think it was on the black market or something----he gave the Russian a carton of Lucky Strikes for it!

It's 3 carats and beautiful!!!! People ask me about it all the time--it's very study, just as hard as a diamond-

I've had it appraised and it's worth quite a lot----

But I have always loved it cause it was from my dad for my 18th birthday and I loved how it changes color.

[beaming90]

They have been selling Tanzanite for years on QVC and Home Shopping. But it was always too expensive. I got a good ring in Kansas City at a local shopping center for less then 75.00 and my friend got a great one on ebay for about the same price and hers has many more stones and is a darker color. Now that I have heard this I can't wait to go jewelry shopping on our trip!!

[ppeckham]

I purchased a tanzanite bracelet in 2001 in Grand Cayman and have wondered whether I got a good deal or not. Just two weeks ago I saw the same bracelet at more than double what I paid.

 

Not too bad of an investment. And I receive more compliments. Since then I've purchased three more pieces. Even purchased a loose stone and had it made into a ring for my 40th b-day.

[gizfish]

If you know someone with a December brithday, tanzanite is a great gift as it is that month's "new" birthstone.

[derf5585]

If you know someone with a December brithday, tanzanite is a great gift as it is that month's "new" birthstone.

 

December — Turquoise, Blue Topaz and Zircon.

from

http://www.marketpix.com/websites/websiteFX/images/photos/merc/buyers_guide_birthstone/bg_birthstone.html#jan

[PINEVIEW01]

SNOWEY, is that the name of your Cockatoo?

[SNOWEY]

Melody: Yes. She is a good bird! I also have 2 others, Baby & Joker.

[PINEVIEW01]

Melody: Yes. She is a good bird! I also have 2 others, Baby & Joker.

I have a male named Cody. I have four other parrots.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Fred,

Barb should love it. I got my wife a tanzanite bracelet in St.Maarten at Kays. Looked in St. Thomas but could find the deal I was looking for there.

 

Bill

[jewopaho]

I spent some time in the jewelry business, and have two dear friends who still are. One is an artisan who creates custom, high-end pieces (many in five figures), with nary a casting in sight; the other owns a lovely shop in St. Thomas, with a seasonal operation in Alaska. While neither have met, they have identical opinions as to tanzanite. Since great minds think alike, I must agree with them.

 

Essentially, it's an over-hyped (and obscenely overpriced) semi-precious gemstone. The market is artificially manipulated by the one source of the product (a monopoly, if you will); and to their credit, they have done a magnificent job of creating a demand. When the excitement flattens, Chicken Little appears, shouting, "The vein is drying up! The vein is drying up!!" Prices then escalate ... until the next time. Cruise line shopping gurus (who are well compensated by the owners of the "recommended" stores) are hustling this stuff, emphasizing that, since there aren't a bunch of mines, the rarity factor will continue to drive prices up, so, "You'd better buy it now, if only for investment purposes" (as was recently told to a group by our port lecturer aboard the Caribbean Princess). My response was, with dozens of jewelers carrying hundreds of pieces each (including a chain of Tanzanite International stores), how rare can it be? She actually disregarded the question, stating that, "Each of us has their own opinion."

 

As for color, some folks actally like a more violet, lighter-colored stone. Darker shades are more expensive, simply because the suppliers will it as such.

 

By contrast, a gem such as iolite (similar to tanzanite, but a bit bluer - closer to a sapphire, yet more translucent) is consistently available at well under $100/ct., largely because it's mined in several locations (primarily India, Sri Lanka and Brazil) - supply and demand, artificial as it may be in this instance. Jewelers don't push (or even carry) it because they make far more money off the tanzanite craze (people don't come in asking for iolite). My custom jeweler doesn't use tanzanite at all, and my VI friend has to carry it (although he will express his opinion if asked).

 

All this being said, however, if you like what you bought, and are happy with what you paid, enjoy!

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

I spent some time in the jewelry business, and have two dear friends who still are. One is an artisan who creates custom, high-end pieces (many in five figures), with nary a casting in sight; the other owns a lovely shop in St. Thomas, with a seasonal operation in Alaska. While neither have met, they have identical opinions as to tanzanite. Since great minds think alike, I must agree with them.

 

Essentially, it's an over-hyped (and obscenely overpriced) semi-precious gemstone. The market is artificially manipulated by the one source of the product (a monopoly, if you will); and to their credit, they have done a magnificent job of creating a demand. When the excitement flattens, Chicken Little appears, shouting, "The vein is drying up! The vein is drying up!!" Prices then escalate ... until the next time. Cruise line shopping gurus (who are well compensated by the owners of the "recommended" stores) are hustling this stuff, emphasizing that, since there aren't a bunch of mines, the rarity factor will continue to drive prices up, so, "You'd better buy it now, if only for investment purposes" (as was recently told to a group by our port lecturer aboard the Caribbean Princess). My response was, with dozens of jewelers carrying hundreds of pieces each (including a chain of Tanzanite International stores), how rare can it be? She actually disregarded the question, stating that, "Each of us has their own opinion."

 

As for color, some folks actally like a more violet, lighter-colored stone. Darker shades are more expensive, simply because the suppliers will it as such.

 

By contrast, a gem such as iolite (similar to tanzanite, but a bit bluer - closer to a sapphire, yet more translucent) is consistently available at well under $100/ct., largely because it's mined in several locations (primarily India, Sri Lanka and Brazil) - supply and demand, artificial as it may be in this instance. Jewelers don't push (or even carry) it because they make far more money off the tanzanite craze (people don't come in asking for iolite). My custom jeweler doesn't use tanzanite at all, and my VI friend has to carry it (although he will express his opinion if asked).

 

All this being said, however, if you like what you bought, and are happy with what you paid, enjoy!

 

... as many of us suspected - thanks for an "inside" perspective!

 

Tom

[derf5585]

The market is artificially manipulated by the one source of the product (a monopoly, if you will); and to their credit, they have done a magnificent job of creating a demand.

 

Can't the same thing be said about diamonds?

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Can't the same thing be said about diamonds?

sure, as it can be said about MANY things ( OIL ) ...

 

basically, if the MAIN place that I hear about something ( or something is pitched hard to me) is on a CRUISE ship - my SKEPTICAL radar goes into action. I do not go on vacation to BUY things other than a good time. :D

 

Tom

[jewopaho]

Derf - true, the diamond industry is controlled by the DeBeers cartel; but we're talking about a precious stone, with an infinite number of permutations (the result of the "four c's"). There's no need to create an artificial market for them, and the quality is indexed by organizations such as the GIA (Gemological Institute of America). I equate tanzanite with those semi-precious stones sold on cruise ships for $10/ct. Dress up any of them in a classy gold setting, and they look like they're worth thousands.

 

Tom - you're correct about the primary source of information being cruise ship shopping guides. You'll notice that merchants in the Caribbean will ask you what ship you're on, so that they may direct the kickbacks to the proper individuals. Tanzanite is showing up more and more here in the States (further refuting the claim that the mine has a limited supply of raw material left), primarily the result of the "feeding frenzy" seen in St. Thomas over the past ten years or so. Hey; why shouldn't mainland jewelers cash in!

 

I purchased some loose iolite through my friend in the VI, and had my buddy here fashion some incredibly gorgeous earrings, a slide, and a ring for a dear friend of mine. If it were tanzanite, I couldn't even have afforded the stones.

 

I'm sure you can find something lovely for Cheryl without being taken in by the tanzanite hype. Nice talkin' to ya ....

 

Al

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Al, Cheryl says "Thanks!"

 

OK... I guess I am on a mission... LOL

 

Tom

[kjunea]

If you know someone with a December brithday, tanzanite is a great gift as it is that month's "new" birthstone.

 

I just got an email from Columbian Emeralds International touting this very subject! They also are having a "50% off" sale, in case anyone is interested!

 

(personally, I can't afford it)

[basketsiam]

Choices in jewelry are highly personal so there will be lots of opinions on the topic. I purchased my first piece of tanzanite here in the states (in a family-owned jewelry store) in January of 1999......no cruise ship hype involved at all. I knew nothing about the stone except for its name (which the jeweler had to inform me of!!!!), and I bought my ring simply because I fell in love with it. I received an appraisal with the ring, and I have to admit that I paid nowhere near the appraised value. I continue to receive many complements on the ring, so the enjoyment has been well worth it. I still love tanzanite. I've never bought it as an "investment." I buy it because it's gorgeous!!! :D

[jewopaho]

Absolutely! Jewelry is much like artwork; you buy it to enjoy. My beef is that tanzanite is represented by cruise line shopping guides as something other than what it really is - and the artificially inflated prices benefit everyone but the folks who foot the bill. I'm glad that you and others dreive so much pleasure from your ring.

 

Appraisals may well be left for another thread; but suffice it to say that there are several types (wholesale, retail, insurance replacement, etc.). Receiving an appraisal for, say, three times what you paid does not equate to your purchasing the piece for a third of its value, as many believe is the case. Buit we'll just let it go for now. Take another look at your ring and enjoy!

 

Al

[mafig]

I like the look of Tanzanite combined with the inlaid opal. However, I'm leary of tanzanite because of its softness and also the hype (mines are close to empty, etc., same story for last five years). When I was in St. Thomas I did ask the jewelry stores if they carried iolite, and none of them said they did. Anyone know of a jewelry store in St. Thomas that does carry iolite.:confused:

[derf5585]

Appraisals may well be left for another thread; but suffice it to say that there are several types

 

Types of Appraisals

from

http://www.mygemologist.com/appraisals.html

 

a valuation of property by the estimate of an authorized person

from

http://www.gemprotect.com/FAQ.htm

[jewopaho]

mafig - you might want to e-mail Mark, owner of Celebrity Jewelers (he's right in Havensight) at

 

celebrity@islands.vi

 

He may be able to help. If you have a cruise scheduled, he might have some stones for you to see. There's also a toll-free number (1-888-774-8844). Tell him that Al (the guy from Florida who's probably bought enough stuff from him to put his children through college) referred you (and no, I don't get a kickback, unlike those "shopping experts" aboard the ships).

 

I understand that iolite is readily available in Cozumel, so perhaps you might want to switch itineraries!

 

I'm also amazed that so many people buy into the tanzanite hype. One would think that those who cruise regularly would have caught on by now; but you'd be surprised how many folks regard the shopping guide's word as gospel.

 

I hope this helps you.

 

Al

[mafig]

Thanks, Al. I would never have thought to look for iolite in Coz. I'll keep that in mind. Would you recommend Celebrity Jewelers for diamonds. DH is going to buy me something in January on our cruise and I'm looking for jewelry store recommendations. I know people will say to buy at home, but it's not going to be that expensive, and a wise woman once told me many years ago, if your husband wants to buy you something, never say no.;)

[derf5585]

if your husband wants to buy you something, never say no.;)

 

That didn't work when I bought Derfette a vacuum cleaner for our aniversary.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Fred,

You are a romantic one aren't you! :D

You're lucky she didn't hit you over the head with it.

 

Bill