So...you've been looking to purchase a quality tanzanite on

the internet and you need some help determining what

characteristics you should be looking for in a quality

tanzanite. This article is intended as a resource to help

guide you through a successful tanzanite purchase by

avoiding many of the common pitfalls that some consumers

become entangled. These pitfalls can often leave a sour

taste in your mouth and make you a little head- shy about

purchasing tanzanite online.

I am aware that several of our happy tanzanite clients have

had bad previous tanzanite purchasing experiences, and some,

in my opinion, were downright awful. The common themes in

their communications include:

*Didn't really "know" the seller as good as I should

have before purchasing my tanzanite...

*Color in hand was significantly different than the

tanzanite image shown online...

*Didn't read the "fine print" regarding my tanzanite

purchase...

*Wanted to return the tanzanite and the seller

charged a hefty re-stocking fee...

*Didn't understand the importance of clarity,tone,

hue and saturation before making my tanzanite

purchase...

And the list goes on and on... If you have notbeen through

an experience like this, either you're a really web-savvy

consumer or you have just been plain lucky. Many tanzanite

consumers have thrown a lot of their hard-earned dollars

into tanzanites that are of significantly less value than

the money they have spent. This is unfortunate for them and

quite disappointing to the "good guys" within the tanzanite

industry.

How many times have you wanted to know that you are making

the correct assessment of a potential tanzanite that you

intend to purchase online? I have been asked this question

frequently and I am amazed that a large percentage of

consumers simply do not do the necessary homework before

making a buying decision. Certainly not due to the lack of

credible resources that are available to the consumer, many

people simply let the "want" of an immediate purchase get

ahead of their good judgment.

Let's start with a generic list of things to consider in the

process of making a tanzanite purchase. The "generic list"

includes such items as the "5 W's," namely, Who, What,

Where, Why, When. If your inquiry covers several or even all

of these questions, you have made a good start in obtaining

the necessary information you need in making a wise

purchasing decision on your next tanzanite.

The Tanzanite "Who" and "Where"

Who you are considering doing business with and where they

are located can tell you much about a tanzanite retailer. Is

the tanzanite retailer headquartered domestically or are

they a foreign company with an online presence? This fact is

generally known/disclosed at the time you make payment, but

not always. The whole foreign vs. domestic issue is another

discussion altogether, but you need to decide in your own

mind what you're most comfortable with. Some foreign

companies use a domestic mail drop to ship their tanzanites.

On the surface, they appear to be a domestic company, which

would willingly submit to FTC rules and regulations, many of

which protect you as the consumer, but some foreign

companies couldn't care less about these guidelines. So, it

never hurts to ask the question. This will help you to avoid

the smoke-and-mirrors game that many foreign sellers

implement in their marketing strategy. I know of one

company, in particular, marketing gemstones that has many

concurrent reincarnations, as I like to call them, on the

internet at the same time. They have many websites, all with

different looks, and sell essentially from the same

inventory. While this type of masked marketing is not in and

of itself "bad" nor "dishonest," it sure makes it difficult

to get the answer to these first couple of questions and

creates confusion for many tanzanite buyers. Who am I

considering doing business with and where are they located?

You might want to cat around on google a bit to find

available information and maybe even get some references.

Testimonials and referrals represent a major portion of our

business and we willingly share our customer

references/experiences on our site to make our reputation

"real" for would-be clients. Good stuff! So, understanding

who you are about to do business with and where they are

located provides you with a foundation of knowledge from

which to proceed in the process of obtaining your first/next

tanzanite.

The Tanzanite "What"

The What question may be answered by simply taking a look at

the overall quality range of tanzanites the retailer is

offering on their site. Does the tanzanite retailer carry

low-grade tanzanites, high-grade, or a broad range of

quality? This should speak volumes to you. There are many

retailers that simply carry the lower grades of tanzanite

for a cheap price and show out the best of these grades as

top-quality stones. When you view the pictures of these

stones, you may think you are looking at "AAA" color,

relative to other tanzanites listed, when in fact you may

still looking at run-of-the-mill tanzanites that may be

slotted a bit higher in the color range than the others. And

yes, there are a LOT of these types of stones available for

around $300/ct by a growing number of vendors. The

statements regarding the quality of this material are often

exaggerated and the pictures on these stones may not even be

close to representing the actual item. Caveat Emptor, which

is a Latin phrase meaning: "Buyer Beware!" Good advice for

us all. Other considerations related to What include a

thorough understanding of the retailer's "fine print."

The Tanzanite "Why"

The Why question is really self- explanatory.... because you

want to own a quality tanzanite. Right? In addition, you

probably want to try to understand why the company, whose

tanzanite you are viewing, is in the tanzanite business.

What I mean by this is...other than the obvious reason, to

sell a product for a profit, do they appear to have a good

business interest in tanzanite or does the seller just offer

it as another line of gemstones on their site. Your

interests would be best served by shopping with a retailer

that has a good stake and large general emphasis in

tanzanite. This will provide you with your best chance at

viewing a nice collection of gems from which to choose and

competitive pricing. Additionally, I recommend that you

purchase from sellers that are more than happy to work with

you on a custom order. If they are hesitant to do this, it

may mean that they are getting their tanzanite from other

retailers (vs. a tanzanite sightholder or supplier) and

don't want to mess with an order like yours because they

simply can't turn around a custom order quickly. It is then

possible for you to find yourself purchasing a stone which

is only close to what you really desire. Why settle for

something "close" when you are getting ready to drop a chunk

of hard-earned change on a tanzanite?

The Tanzanite "When"

And finally, the When question deals with such inquiries as:

When will my tanzanite order ship and by what method

(carrier)? Are there any extra fees when shipping gemstones?

When do you restock your tanzanite inventory? When is the

best time of year to purchase a quality tanzanite? You get

the idea. By asking these types of questions, you get to

know your tanzanite retailer better and can pave the way for

a long-term, successful relationship with your tanzanite

dealer.

In summary, it is important that you have a good

understanding of the company from which you wish to make a

gemstone purchase AND their quality and price are in keeping

with your overall expectations. In our company's experience,

we have found it amazing how much repeat business we have

done with our valued clients over the years by simply

providing answers to these basic questions.

Hopefully, you will make many wise tanzanite purchases in

the days, months and years to come. Tanzanite is a truly

incredible gemstone, but you owe it to yourself to get the

facts FIRST before adding a gorgeous tanzanite to your

collection. I encourage you to put this "purchasing model"

in place to avoid the common pitfalls and disappointments of

making incorrect buying decisions on your next tanzanite

purchase.