We Offer REAL VALUE For Money As We Price Our Stones As If You Were Physically Buying From Us In Person, In Tanzania! All our items are 100% authentic, correctly graded, and hand-selected, we are your personal mine direct source, offering you material at the best prices possible. We solve the problems associated with buying badly graded stones from unverified individuals over social media by offering a guaranteed source where stones are exactly as described, graded by professional graders and cutters!

Ethically sourced, traceable gemstones, we have our own buying office in Tanzania and buy directly from miners at source.

We sell from the UK through this website. We are members of the NAJ (the National Association Of Jewellers) in the UK.

Whatever you need, hear about, or see from the East African region, we can get. Affordable premium gemstones. Full disclosure of all treatments. Guaranteed safe checkout. Fast worldwide shipping.
Selected, natural, genuine gemstones. All treatments fully disclosed in line with CIBJO and NAJ guidelines.
We sell at the same prices as you would buy at source. Secure transactions.
All gemologist selected. Build your gem collection with our natural gemstones. Stones are exactly as photographed here in normal room light. Videos and photos are in taken in normal room light and will really dazzle in daylight. We have been photographing gemstones for the last 3 decades with over a few million gem photographs under our belt, so we know what proper representation is.

Why Buy From Us

Gems Of East Africa is the online gemstone business of Gemstone Masters Limited. We are a UK-based business, with sales, payment, shipping and customer support handled from London, and our own buying office in Arusha, Tanzania.

Who we are

We are a family-connected East African gemstone business with four generations of experience in the gemstone trade. We have been selling gemstones online since 2002 and work with customers around the world, including collectors, gem enthusiasts, jewellery designers, lapidaries, faceters, gem houses, dealers and professional resellers.

Our aim is simple: to make it easier and safer for customers to buy East African gemstones directly, without needing to travel to source or wait for goods to arrive through several layers of dealers.

Mine-direct, ethical sourcing

We buy directly from miners and small-scale artisanal mining communities in East Africa, including through our buying office in Tanzania. We build long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with the miners and suppliers we work with, creating a fairer win-win relationship at source.

Buying first-hand helps us understand where material comes from and allows us to select stones ourselves. It also helps us keep our overheads low and pass value on to customers.

Natural stones and honest disclosure

Our stones are natural, genuine gemstones unless a listing clearly says otherwise. Treatments are disclosed wherever known. Untreated and unheated stones are identified as such, and we do not present treated material as untreated.

Every stone is selected with care and described as accurately as possible. Our inventory includes faceting rough, crystals, cabochons and finished gemstones from the East African region. Stones are hand-selected, gemologist-selected where appropriate, correctly graded for their stated purpose and photographed to represent the item honestly.

Our photographs are intended to be unenhanced representations of the stones. Colours can vary slightly between screens and lighting conditions, and we encourage customers to contact us with questions or request further information before buying.

Value for collectors, jewellers and the trade

We price our stones with dealers, designers, collectors and resellers in mind. We aim to offer the same kind of value we would offer to a reseller or dealer buying at source, while also making individual stones and small lots available to the general public.

We supply customers who are building a personal collection, sourcing for jewellery, buying faceting rough, looking for investment-quality material, or purchasing for resale. Bulk and regular-supply pricing may be available for suitable orders. If you are buying in quantity, please contact us before ordering so we can discuss your requirements.

Our stock changes constantly and selected stones can sell quickly. New material is added as it is sourced and selected.

Buying from the UK with worldwide shipping

Although our buying office is in Arusha, Tanzania, sales, payment and shipping are handled from the United Kingdom. This gives customers a UK-based point of contact and makes international ordering and delivery straightforward.

• Worldwide shipping is available.
• Parcels are sent securely with tracking and normally require a delivery signature.
• Customers can select a no-signature option at checkout where available, if they will not be present to receive the parcel.
• Priority courier shipping can be arranged for customers who need a faster service.
• Major cards and PayPal are accepted through secure checkout.
• Our standard 14-day return policy applies, subject to the published terms.

Why customers choose us

• Mine-direct sourcing through our own buying office in Tanzania.
• Four generations of gemstone-trade experience.
• Natural and genuine material with treatment information disclosed.
• Careful hand selection and honest product photography.
• UK-based sales, payment and shipping.
• Secure, tracked worldwide delivery.
• Value for collectors, jewellery designers, faceters, dealers and resellers.
• Personal help before and after purchase.

Our professional connections

Gems Of East Africa is associated with Gemstone Masters Limited and is a member of the National Association of Jewellers in the UK. You can contact us if you would like to discuss sourcing, a particular stone, treatment information, shipping, a collection, or regular trade supply.

Questions, sourcing and bulk buying

If you have questions about a stone or need material for a jewellery, faceting, collecting or resale project, please get in touch. We are happy to discuss individual stones, small lots, bulk buying and regular supply.

Email info@gemsofeastafrica.com
WhatsApp or call: +44 20 8144 4017

Buying office: Arusha, Tanzania
Sales, payment, shipping and website: London, UK.

Our promise

We want customers to know what they are buying, where it comes from, how it has been treated, and how it will reach them. If anything is unclear, ask us before purchasing. We would rather help you choose the right stone than leave you uncertain.

1.07ct Umba Sapphire Cabochon. Tanzania, Untreated Unheated.