Spectacular Stones

Our prices are the same as you were buying from us in person in Arusha, only with better shipping and payment logistics. Worldwide shipping via Royal Mail (USPS in the US, and registered mail worldwide) and FedEx International Priority Express.

Arusha prices, wherever you are.

Clear, unenhanced photos. See the stone as we see it.

Gemologist Checked. Quality Assured. Easy to Buy.

Member of the National Association of Jewellers

Spectacular Stones

47 items in this collection

$1,540.00

Sapphire, 2.21ct, Umba Valley, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated

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Sapphire, 2.21ct, Umba Valley, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated

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$1,850.00

Yellow Sapphire, fancy freefrom tablet cut, 4.50ct, Umba Valley, Tanzania, Yellow Sapphire, Untreated Unheated

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Yellow Sapphire, fancy freefrom tablet cut, 4.50ct, Umba Valley, Tanzania, Yellow Sapphire, Untreated Unheated

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$800.00

Sapphire, 0.49ct, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated

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Sapphire, 0.49ct, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated

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$1,500.00

Sapphire, Fancy Freeform Cut, Turn It Around And It’s A Tablet Cut, Use Either Side, 3.17ct, Umba Valley, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated

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Sapphire, Fancy Freeform Cut, Turn It Around And It’s A Tablet Cut, Use Either Side, 3.17ct, Umba Valley, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated

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$4,200.00

Sapphire, fancy cut double sided, make into a centrepiece for a pendant, 24.03ct, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated

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Sapphire, fancy cut double sided, make into a centrepiece for a pendant, 24.03ct, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated

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$5,900.00

Ruby, 1.91ct, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated

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Ruby, 1.91ct, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated

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$995.00

Ruby, 0.76ct, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated

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Ruby, 0.76ct, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated

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$4,500.00

Mahenge Spinel, 2.90ct, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated, 9.9 x 8.1 x 5.4mm needles coming in, see pics

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2.90ct Mahenge Spinel, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated. Seems to colour shift. Slight needles. See pics

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$6,000.00

Mandarin Spessartite Garnet, 9.09ct, Untreated Unheated. 12.8 x 11.2 x 6.8mm

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Mandarin Spessartite Garnet, 9.09ct, Untreated Unheated. 12.8 x 11.2 x 6.8mm

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$260.00

Diopside Crystal, 6.54ct, Merelani Hills, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated, vvs-if

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Diopside Crystal, 6.54ct, Merelani Hills, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated, vvs-if

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$1,400.00

Diopside Crystal, neon lime green, 12.71ct, Merelani Hills, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated, vvs-if

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Vanadium Diopside, neon lime green, 12.71ct, Merelani Hills, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated, vvs-if

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$290.00

Diopside, 9.40ct, Merelani Hills, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated, slight issue on the outside skin on one end, going 1mm in parallel to the outside crystal face, will come off on faceting, rest is vvs-if

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Diopside, 9.40ct, Merelani Hills, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated, slight issue on the outside skin on one end, going 1mm in parallel to the outside crystal face, will come off on faceting,...

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You've viewed 12 of 47 products

Direct access to East African gemstones. The sourcing work already done.

Buying gemstones from East Africa should not mean travelling to mining areas, finding reliable suppliers, sorting through mine-run material or arranging shipment out of Africa yourself.

We have already done that work for you.

We are fourth-generation gem dealers, serving buyers online since 2002. Through decades of direct relationships with small-scale miners, we find and select individual stones, assess their quality and potential, and bring them to you through our UK-based business.

You choose from selected material rather than sift through unselected miners’ lots. You can ask experienced gem dealers about the stone before buying. And your order is dispatched from the UK, without you having to organise its export from East Africa.

Whether you want one stone for a personal project or a regular supply for your business, you can buy at our website’s listed prices. You don’t need to travel to the mines, purchase a whole miner’s parcel or qualify for a trade account.

We find and select the material, so you don’t have to

Finding a seller is not the same as finding material worth buying. Miners’ lots can contain a wide range of qualities, and selecting suitable stones takes time, access and experience.

We examine material at source and select individual pieces for colour, clarity, brightness, character and suitability. For facet rough, we also consider shape, inclusions and the finished stone the material may produce.

That means you can spend your time choosing material for your project or collection, rather than searching through large quantities of mine-run material and trying to identify the promising pieces yourself.

Our selection includes facet rough, cut gemstones and selected rare and fine crystals. Each is offered for its own qualities, not simply because it happened to be part of a miner’s lot.

Our miner relationships give you access without the journey

Simply travelling to Tanzania or Kenya does not mean suitable gemstones will be waiting for you, or that miners will arrive with stones to sell. A visitor can spend an entire sourcing trip looking without finding suitable material. Being at the source is not the same as having access to it.

We are on the ground every day, not just visiting on occasional buying trips. Through relationships built over decades, miners bring stones directly to us. We assess what arrives and buy suitable material on the spot. That access comes from continuous presence, established trust and being ready to buy when the opportunity arises.

Reliable access at source is built over years. We buy primarily from small-scale artisanal miners whom we have known personally for decades, through relationships based on fair dealing, mutual respect and repeat business.

We speak local languages fluently, understand the realities of working on the ground and maintain direct contact with the people producing the material. In some cases, these relationships also include practical guidance and support for mining activities.

Many of these operations are family-run or involve people from the surrounding village. Working with them means dealing with the people whose livelihoods depend on the material, not treating sourcing as an anonymous transaction.

Our longstanding buying relationships often give us an early opportunity to see newly mined stones, sometimes within hours of recovery. Miners bring material to us alongside the material we seek out.

You benefit from that access through our selection, without having to travel, establish those relationships yourself or navigate unfamiliar mining and buying networks.

We help you understand what you are buying

A photograph alone cannot explain everything about a gemstone. You need useful information about its characteristics and limitations to decide whether it is right for you.

We include weight, origin, treatment information and relevant characteristics in our listings. Inclusions and other limitations are part of the description, not details to hide.

Assessing facet rough requires particular experience. We consider its clarity, colour, shape and cutting potential, rather than judging only its surface appearance. Our assessments of cutting potential are informed opinions, not guarantees of a particular finished result.

For cut stones, we pay close attention to cutting quality and polish. Our listings distinguish native-cut material from precision-cut stones so you can assess each piece on its own merits.

If you need more information about clarity, treatment, sourcing, suitability or any available independent report, ask us before purchasing. You can discuss the actual material with us rather than make the decision alone.

Direct buying makes our listed prices accessible to everyone

We began by supplying the wholesale trade. Today, our website is open to jewellers, designers, gemstone dealers, retailers, hobbyists, collectors and first-time buyers alike.

We buy directly from miners and select material ourselves, reducing the number of buying and selling stages between the source and our customers. Our aim is to pass that value on while paying fair prices and maintaining lasting sourcing relationships.

You do not need a wholesale business or a trade account to access our website’s listed prices. The individual stone or lot you see is available to you, whether you are buying for yourself or for your business.

We believe in long-term customers and repeat business, not simply getting the highest possible price for a single sale.

We handle the sourcing and dispatch from the UK

Buying at source can also mean dealing with the practical challenge of getting material out of the region. With us, you do not have to organise that part of the process yourself.

We handle our sourcing and selection in East Africa and dispatch customer orders from the United Kingdom. You choose your material through our website rather than coordinate its journey from the mining area.

Royal Mail and FedEx shipping options are available. Check the applicable services and charges at checkout, and refer to our shipping policy for delivery information.

For international deliveries, any destination-country import requirements, duties or taxes are separate from the sourcing work described here.

Need something specific? We can ask at source.

You are not limited to asking whether a suitable stone happens to be listed today. If you need a particular gemstone or category of material, we can speak directly with our mining contacts and explore what is available.

Tell us the gemstone, size, quantity, quality, intended use and budget you have in mind. Availability depends on what is being mined and offered at the time, and we will discuss the possibilities with you.

Our selection changes as material arrives. Subscribe to our email updates for new additions, or contact us to discuss a particular requirement or ongoing supply relationship.

Whether you are choosing your first gemstone, cutting rough, designing jewellery or building a collection, our purpose is the same: to connect you with suitable East African material and make buying it more straightforward.

Decades at source. Individual selection. Clear information. UK dispatch.
That is the experience we bring to buying gemstones.