Have purchased jewellery from a shop called Elegance in St Thomas several times and have always recd great prices and service. I wld recommend this store to anyone. Have had appraisals done later at home and found I got exceptional deals. It's where I bought yrs ago (on their recommendation to buy bigger and buy before it goes up) my 3+ carat tanzanite ring that is now worth (what I can actually receive for it) about double what I paid (in US $ that is a lot for me) and that doesn't include the 18K setting or the diamonds either which were incld in the original price. The shop is small and on a sidestreet about 200 yards from the main street. They will set anything while u wait but do recommend buying loose stones also (I'm a Canuck so doesn't matter 'cause we pay duty - lucky us so we can support our wasteful politicians - on everything). They enjoy bargaining even though prices are displayed. Was told this is simply to 'get the ball rollin' so to speak. If u aren't comfortable bargaining u will still find the prices reasonable. Ask onboard your ship or anywhere for that matter and they will give u directions. Happy jewellery huntin'!
For those that asked....here is the Tanzanite/Terror link. This has been in the news for 2 years. There are hundreds of articles that surface in a Google search.
we bought a 1.80 tanzanite stone for my ring that i already had. has 1.0 diamonds. it's not a deep color but a good grade. stop into caribbean gems in st maarten.
For those of you going to Alasak they have great prices. If in ketchikan go to tanzanite international. My aunt got some great deals there.
Good Luck!
Jenna
We got a beautiful & unusual styled bracelet, white gold & tanzanite stone s on board ship. It came with a certificate of Authenticity. Most ships also have sales of the tfine jewelry the last few nites--
Bought a Tanzanite and diamond ring last year from "Princess Jewelers" in St. Thomas. I wore it a few times and noticed the corner of the stone was chipped so I was afraid to wear it. When I took a cruise in December I brought the ring with me and took a chance going back to "Princess Jewelers" even though I couldn't find the receipt. No questions asked, they replaced the whole ring with a better stone. I did buy another tanzanite ring for my daughter and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this store. They are very reputable and seem to be honest.
While there I was looking at the Black Diamonds but didn't know enough about them. Anyone familiar with Black Diamonds?
Be very careful when wearing your new ring, because Tanzanite is a very soft stone, and it will chip easily. I bought 6.5 ct. Tanz. surrounded with 1 ct. of diamonds. Eventually will have it made into a pendant!
I also have purchased an 8ct tz and diamond bracelet, then later 2.0 ct earrings from Princess in St. Thomas. I always have purchases apprased when I return and they are always more than I paid for them by a lot. They are very nice and reputible. We have made several other purchases from them. They also have stores in Alaska and Aspen.
If you are unsure always shop where you can get an extra guarantee from the ship and your credit card....always charge those types of purchases for the extra protection.
My mom has a huge gemstone jewelry collection (some rare no longer mined stones as well) including a gem quality tanz that she got from her personal jeweler. Its is so dark people often mistake it for a sapphire. Its goregeous. So yes, the darker the stone the better when it comes to tanzs. Our jeweler told us never to buy gems in ports as most often theyre crap (sorry) and overpriced. He said small stones that arent expensive are fine, but for the really nice ones, find someone back home who can get them wholesale. Our guy goes to gem conventions all over the country and comes back with really nice stuff and often less than what youd pay in ports. Also, if we see something in port we like, we put in an order with him and he tracks a good one down for us, then creates incredible settings for it. Gems have hardness ratings, diamonds being the hardest at 10. Stones like emeralds and opals are very low, meaning they can crack and break quite easily. These are stones you dont want in a ring that can get knocked. He also told us that opals are a bad buy in ports. Seems the miners are pulling them out of the mines and not allowing them to cure for the alloted time. The sellers buff them up and sell them so fast, that within a matter of time, the opals literally fall apart. If youre thinking of buying in port, please research the stones before going so you get an idea of what theyre about, the best setting for them (ring vs pendant), cost per carat, etc. Then shop around before buying. Also, they have big loose gem sales on board ships-these are fine for small stones, but not the big ones.
Personally I havent found that they are much cheaper than in the States. I priced some tanz earrings in a couple of ports but couldnt decide if I really liked them. Got back and the stores in my mall were a little cheaper than them for the same thing. If you buy something, and you have a problem it is much easier to go to your local jeweler.
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Re: Tanzanite - To Buy or NOT to Buy?
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