Being a gemstone hub in East Africa, Nairobi has numerous jewelers and gem shops that sell various gemstones but deal in tanzanite in particular. This article explores the many pitfalls of buying tanzanite in Nairobi and offers advice on what to look for.
Fraudulent practices are prevalent in the Nairobi market
An article in the Nation Newspaper recently highlighted the unregulated nature of the gemstone and jewelery industry in Nairobi and East Africa in general. Fraudulent practices are widespread and many players sell inferior products to unwitting buyers who belong to the best qualities. With no Trade Descriptions Act in Kenya, buying tanzanite, tsavorite and gemstone jewelry is very much a case of caveat emptor (buyer beware). To avoid being a victim, take into consideration the following points:
What to look for:
Sales Talk vs. Fact: First of all, it is important to have an idea of what to expect from reputable gemstone dealers. There are so many “dealers” in Nairobi whose sole purpose is to sell gemstones at outrageous prices while pretending to be experts or even “mine owners”. Most of such claims are totally unfounded and downright false. Mining in East Africa is done very informally by artisanal miners in some very remote areas. The distribution channel generally follows the usual trend of miners selling to established cutters and traders exporting to foreign markets or selling to local jewelers. Jewelers buy from a variety of sources, including such dealers, with middlemen being the most common. If a jeweler claims to own the mine and by implication the supply, do not be fooled by this, it is sheer exaggeration and a complete misrepresentation. A reputable seller will be very knowledgeable about the gemology of the gems he sells and will be able to answer his questions in a consistent and detailed manner. They must have some gemological qualifications to establish themselves as experts in the field rather than purely merchants.
Gemology is an intricate field and there are plenty of synthetic, imitation and fake gemstones to risk buying from a seller who is not a gemologist. Gone are the days of being able to sell stones with little knowledge of them and hoping not to get caught with a synthetic or imitation. Tanzanite, for example, can be coated to enhance its color. It has a synthetic counterpart called Tanzanic that looks exactly the same. How can he be sure he is buying a genuine gemstone when the seller himself has no gemological knowledge and no testing facilities?
the gemstones themselves: My other ezine article, “Tanzanite Buying Tips” goes much deeper into what to look for in tanzanite in tsavorite to differentiate between fine stones and lower grades, so I won’t go into too much detail here as it is beyond reach. of this article. However, in general, a layman can tell the difference between fine and low-grade stones simply by using common sense: the more vivid and deeply saturated the color, the finer the stone. The more impeccable the clarity, the finer the stone, and often overlooked: the finer the cut, the brighter the stone, the finer the quality. Most of the stores I surveyed were selling mid to low grade products as top grade. This is totally unscrupulous. I would suggest reading my Tanzanite Buying Tips Ezine article to get a good overview of what to look for. Also look at the bottom of this article for a link to my site where we list several very helpful educational tools that show you what to look for in fine tanzanite. It is very easy to pay well above the odds for a mediocre Tanzanite in Nairobi while being led to believe that you are buying the best quality.
AAA, AA, 4A, 5A: If you have been shopping in any of the jewelers in Nairobi you will have come across these terms. I was shocked at the number of stores feeding misinformation using these “grades”. The first thing to understand is that none of these terms are actual gemological grades. AA and AAA were terms used by miners in the early days of mining to denote the top 2 grades of tanzanite: triple A is an extremely saturated color and is less than 1% of all tanzanite, double A is a lighter shade . It made me angry to find many shops in Nairobi misrepresenting very mediocre stuff as triple A, but it made me even more angry to hear sales talk like “but we also have 4A and 5A, very special and only from our mines, nowhere else”, at which point which produce some double A stones at ridiculous prices. 4A and 5A are just made up hype – they have never been used by the industry and are simply terms coined by traders to promote their stocks.
You should look for vendors who issue proper gemological certificates with a proper scientific rating, such as the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) rating system. It’s all very well to use terms like AAA, but these are simply subjective terms and should be backed up with an appropriate rating using a recognized rating system.
the store itself: Don’t be fooled by the location: Many of the stores I surveyed are located in upscale malls where they use their prime retail location to sell high volumes of mediocre products to unsuspecting shoppers. This in itself is fine, but when they present products as top quality when they are not, and charge an outrageous price, then it simply becomes a form of fraud. I strongly object to this and by extension the reputation it gives our industry. When you enter the store, look for a setting that looks professional: is the store an extension of a curio shop with a merchant selling a wide variety of gem-studded curios? Does the staff know about gemstones? Is there a gemologist who can answer your questions? You obviously want to find a store that carries these things and don’t be persuaded to spend thousands of dollars on an impulse – do some research first.
Prices: The most outrageous factor I got from my survey was the prices, especially for tanzanite. Some stores were selling mid-grade stones (which they represented as “4A” or “5A”) for more than $1,000 per carat. This is outrageous for the local market (in the US market this would be more normal). At the time of this writing, even the finest investment grade pieces (and I didn’t find any stores selling this grade even though their sales promise the earth) shouldn’t cost more than $780 per carat. This is for excellent cut, impeccable clarity, and the finest color found in the top 1% of tanzanites. Don’t be fooled into spending crazy money. Do some research first.
Overall, the survey revealed a very high level of fraud and fraudulent practices among tanzanite and gemstone sellers in the Nairobi area. With no government body to regulate it, it truly is a case of caveat emptor (buyer beware) when purchasing tanzanite. Do your research, go to various shops and make comparisons and find professional and knowledgeable gemologists who can answer your questions fully before you buy.