NEGOTIATE WITH US

NEGOTIATE

Interested in a stone? Let’s discuss your offer.

Our listed prices reflect direct buying at source, careful selection and fair dealing with miners. If you are interested in a particular stone, lot or selection of items on our website, you are welcome to make an offer. We will tell you honestly what is possible.

You do not need a trade account or a large business to speak with us. Whether you are buying your first stone, choosing rough for cutting or selecting material for your customers, we welcome the conversation.

Why we are open to a conversation

We buy directly from small-scale artisanal miners in East Africa through relationships built over decades. As new material arrives, our selection changes, and we want to keep stones moving into the hands of people who will cut, collect, design with or resell them.

That gives us a reason to discuss individual purchases and combinations of items. It does not mean every stone has room for a discount. We consider each offer against the material, its quality, the quantity involved and the price we have paid at source.

Our aim is a fair agreement that works for both sides while respecting the value of the stones and the sourcing relationships behind them.

The sourcing work is already done for you

Buying suitable gemstones involves more than finding a seller. It takes access to material, experience in selection and grading, and a practical way to bring the stones from the source to you.

We are fourth-generation gem dealers and have been selling online since 2002. We speak local languages, work directly with miners and often see newly mined material early. Many of the operations we work with are family-run or involve people from the surrounding community, and our relationships are built on respect, fair dealing and repeat business.

We select pieces individually for colour, clarity, character and suitability, assessing cutting potential where we offer facet rough. For finished gemstones, we pay close attention to cutting quality and polish. Assessments of rough’s cutting potential are informed opinions, not guarantees of a particular finished result.

You choose from selected material instead of sorting through mine-run lots, ask us about the stones before buying and receive an order dispatched from the UK, without arranging its export from East Africa yourself.

Natural gemstones. Full treatment disclosure.

We specialise in natural gemstones with full treatment disclosure. Natural does not automatically mean untreated: treatment information and relevant characteristics are part of understanding a stone and comparing its value.

An offer should be based on the actual material, not its name or weight alone. If you need more information about clarity, treatment, cutting, sourcing or suitability, ask us before making your decision.

How to make an offer

Email or WhatsApp us with the links to the stones or lots you are interested in, the quantities you require and the price you would like to offer. For several items, make clear whether your offer is for each item or for the group.

Alternatively, add the items to your cart and send us a screenshot showing the items, quantities and listed prices, together with your proposed offer. Adding items to your cart does not reserve them.

If your budget is fixed, tell us what you want to achieve. If we cannot agree a price on your chosen item, we may be able to suggest suitable alternatives.

Please include your delivery country so we can discuss the applicable shipping arrangements separately from the stone price.

Please agree your offer before checkout

Offers must be submitted and agreed before you complete checkout. We do not apply a newly negotiated discount retrospectively to an order you have already placed.

An offer is an invitation to discuss a purchase, not an automatic discount. We will confirm whether we can accept it or suggest an alternative. Please wait for confirmation of the agreed items, price and purchase arrangements before placing an order at a negotiated price.

If we agree your offer, we will send you an invoice with the agreed items and price, including the agreed discount, and confirm the available payment methods.

Sending an enquiry or making an offer does not reserve a stone. Please ask us about availability when we discuss your purchase.

Looking for bulk quantities or regular supply?

For larger parcels, sourcing requirements or an ongoing supply relationship, visit our Bulk Buying and Regular Supply page. It explains how we work with volume buyers and what information to send so we can explore suitable material through our contacts at source.

For details of our separate price-match promise, please see Our Prices.

Contact Ali

Email: info@gemsofeastafrica.com
WhatsApp: Message us on +44 20 8144 4017
Telephone: +44 20 8144 4017

We believe in fair deals and relationships that last. Tell us which material interests you, and let’s discuss what can work.

Thank you,
Ali
Gems of East Africa

Stunning

Very beautiful Ruby stunning exceeded my expectations.
Superb color and lively just great thank you.

Winza Ruby, 0.49ct, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated, Native Cut

Nice

Nice

Umba Garnet, 6.84ct, Umba, Tanzania. Untreated Unheated. VVS, slight silk and slightly flat

Fin sten minimalt med infällningar

Fin sten minimalt med infällningar.
Ganska liten men det är ju bara 2.5 carat.
Men kvalitén gör att det mesta blir kvar effter slipning.

Tanzanite Crystal, 2.37ct, Tanzania, Gently Heated

As always

As always. They do an excellent job of making sure you know what you are getting, and I’ve never bought anything from them that didn’t look better in person

Winza Sapphire Crystal, 10.73ct, Winza, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated, you can cab it, leave as is or set it in jewellery, see backlit pics

As described and an excellent selection of high quality facet grade materials

Fluorite, Tanzania, Per Stone, faceting and cabbing grade rough

Amazing stones!

Ali and the team are amazing, they helped me find the right stones, were very quick and the experience was great! 10/10 would recommend!

Winza Sapphire, 3.52ct, Winza, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated, cracks on the outside that will need to be removed before faceting, rest vs- vvs, see the brighter backlit pics, I have indicated crack positions

Vivid peice.

Tourmaline, 7.92ct, Morogoro, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated, vvs-if

This is a beautiful peice that will take some planning

Congo Tourmaline, 27.92ct, Untreated Unheated, si, cut with inclusions or cab

Very excited to cut this stone.

Green Brown Zircon, 12.07ct, Tunduru, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated, vvs-if with the characteristic haze in them found in green zircons from that location

Another cute peice.

Umba Sapphire, 1.87, Umba, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated, slightly included

Cute little peice.

Umba Sapphire, 1.56, Umba, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated, slightly included

Im excited and still planing how to cut this peice.

$Umba Yellow Sapphire, 13.76ct, Umba, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated, flat stone, there is a fracture at the end, I’ve marked it in one picture, rest is slightly included$

I look forward to getting a faceted stone and a cab from this beauty

Congo Tourmaline, 8.88ct, Untreated Unheated, dividing crack, see pics I have market the crack, with crack out larger piece is vvs-if

I got two decent facetable sections out of this stone as well as a peice to cab

$Umba Sapphire, 20.99ct, Umba, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated, cab grade rough or Cobb to remove gemmy but slightly included pieces, fractures inside, see the backlit photos showing the fractures$

This stone has so much potential i will cut a suit out of it

Umba Garnet, 55.15ct, Umba Valley, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated, silky, with faceting portions inside, some work required to slice it up, or use as cabbing rough

A fun stone for my personal collection

Tourmaline crystal, 3.52ct, Mozambique, Untreated Unheated, vvs-if

Im very excited to cut this peice.

Tourmaline, 6.08ct, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated, vvs-if

Absolutely beautiful lot

Dragon Garnet, 48.00gm / 240ct Lot, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated, mixed clarity lot from moderately included to internally flawless, 2ct average, see the video for uv effect

Colour Changing Magnesio Axinite Crystal, 12.46ct, Merelani, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated

Another peice that im excited for as i am learning to cut colored gems.

$Umba Sapphire, 6.81ct, Umba, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated, fractures throughout the stone, cut as cab or facet with inclusions but there are quite a number$

Found a nice gemmy portion inside nothing groundbreqking but it is great practice processing difficult rough

Umba Sapphire, 31.86ct, Umba, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated, low grade with a gemmy portion, you will have to grind though to get to it, portion is slightly to moderately included, see backlit photos

Such a beautiful stone. This company is amazing

Congo Tourmaline Crystal, 7.92ct, Untreated Unheated, vvs-if, c axis closed

The product is absolutely beautiful. Gems of east africa comes through every time i order.

Congo Tourmaline Crystal, 15.49ct, Untreated Unheated, vvs-if, c axis closed

Cool little browns and gold like strings and pretty little piece

Cool little browns and gold like strings and pretty little piece..

Confetti Sunstone Cabochon, 1.94ct, Tanzania, Untreated Unheated, flat backed

Purple haze

Beautiful shape and cut nice, deep purple.

Rwanda Amethyst, 4.12ct, Untreated Unheated, slightly included

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

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.