Where to shop for Tanzanite on western??

[BeanoC]

DW found a couple of rings she loved last year in St. Maarten and also St. Thomas. Yep, you guessed it - she didn't buy any of them!

She promises not to make the same mistake this year, however we are on the western cruise this year and have no idea where the jewlery deals are.
We have been to Cayman and Cozumel before, but weren't in the market for jewelry at the time. Now - it's an all-out quest for tanzanite!

Any suggestions?


Thanks...


'Beano'

 

[AnnMorin]

I may be wrong (and hope I am as we are doing western next) but I thought when we were in St. Maarten last year that they were known as the island to get the tanzinte deals. I don't know if the western has those kind of prices.

 

[CarolAnnC]

I bought a tanzanite ring myself last year in St Maarten. I had heard the prices were incredible, which they were. My ring is valued at about twice of what I paid for it.

I, too, heard St Maarten was the place for tanzanite. Partially because it is becoming an even rarer stone, and the duty free makes it more attractive.

 

[stormkrow]

Originally posted by CarolAnnK
My ring is valued at about half of what I paid for it.

Is that what you meant to say - that you paid twice as much for your ring as it was actually worth? Thus, you were ripped off at St. Maarten?

Or did you mean that the ring is worth twice as much as you paid for it?

 

[prymsu]

i know tanzinite is plentiful in cozumel, but can't remember if i saw any in GC. As far as the price, I have always heard that St. Marteen was the place with the best deals for it.

 

[Celebrategoldens]

When we did the Western Itenirary with Carnival, I saw a lot of Tanzanite in Cozumel. I don't think I would try to buy something in Grand Caymen, it was REAL expensive there. We also went to Ocho Ricos and that is where we bought jewelry. I think that you can probably find the same prices here in the U.S. somewhere, but then you wouldn't have gotten it as a mememto of your cruise. I keep looking at the tanzanite, but haven't shelled out the bucks yet! Maybe this year when I get to St. Marteen.......

 

[MrsScooby]

What about tanzanite in Nassau? That is where I'm going in July. What is a good price for a tanzanite ring? I thought I saw a $45 cruise special on a shopping guide. I would love to buy one, but I'd rather not spend a lot of time comparison shopping.
Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[Poohbr618]

I actually found much better deals on tanzanite in the states then down in St Maarten....

 

[tiggere]

You can get a "deal" in the states, Grand Cayman, St. Marteen, or even Nassau for that matter. But the quality varies widely. Do your homework so you'll know what you're looking at. There IS cheap tanzanite in addition to good prices on good tanzanite. And buy from one of the stores that the dcl will back up. That way you can get it appraised when you get home and they will guarantee its quality against what you paid for it. They'll tell you what stores they "recommend" before you get to that port.

 

[Denine]

I just purchased a Tanzanite pendant in Cozumel in April. I got it at Goodmark jewelers. I had a coupon for my birthday fro the ship and they gave me a good price. It is a clear, dark purple stone.
I also purchased a pair of Tanzanite earrings in St. Maarten last October. I prefer St. Maarten, but I was happy with Cozumel.
Just remember that Tanzanite is a softer stone than a diamond. It will not take the abuse. So if your wife has a job where she does a lot with her hands, like banging them, maybe a pendant or earrings would be a better choice. The stone will crack from the center, so you might not notice the damage.

 

[Psiklops]

We (Ok, <b>I</b>) purchased a couple of rings for DW in Cozumel - one of them happened to be blue tanzanite. It's VERY plentiful down there.

We purchased the rings at Diamonds International. They might have been a bit more expensive than the other shops, but we figured that since they had U.S. offices (Key West and New York), we could get the rings serviced if need be.

We're not sure if we got a good deal or not as we haven't had them appraised yet.

Here's the link to the Shopping in Paradise: Cozumel handout that Disney gives out on the Western:

http://psiklops.brinkster.net/Trips/ShowDoc.aspx?TripDateID=1&DocumentID=13

Also, keep in mind that because of NAFTA, customs charges over your allowance from Mexico is only 1%, while Grand Cayman and Castaway Cay (Bahamas) is 3% (nothing for Key West since its in the U.S.)

A word of caution about tanzanite, though: as Denine said, it is a VERY soft stone. One of DW's coworkers had one that easily got a crack and wasn't repairable because the stone was so soft, so you wouldn't want to wear it every day.

Hope this helps...

- Jim

 

[Denine]

Jim: I bought 2 pairs of earrings from DI in St. Maarten. A pair of diamond studs and a pair of tanzanites. I had the diamonds appraised and they came within about $50 of what DI said they were worth. I was ecstatic. I would have been happy if they were appraised at what we paid for them. So I figured the tanzanite are probably worth around what they said.

 

[rytayntigger2]

while on a carnival cruise DW bought a Tanz ring in Ocho Rios for 2400 that was appraised at a local shop for 5000...two weeks ago I bought DW a tanz and opal slide (pendant-like) on ebay from a shop in Philly for 340 that was appraised locally for 1500... both great deals, but I agree with the post from celebrategoldens, that u can find great prices on Tanz here in the states, but every time you wear the item u have the special memories associated with the cruise…not to mention the joy in DW’s voice every time I hear her tell someone “DH bought it for me during our cruise to Jamaica”……priceless

 

[Lisabell]

I bought a Tanzanite ring from Tanzanite International (a division of Diamond International) in Key West on the Inaugural Western Cruise. The store is very close the the dock and the "Big Red Building"

I received great service and I love my ring! I haven't had it appraised yet, but what sold the deal for me was that the salesman told me that:

~ I could exchange it at their locations in Grand Cayman or Cozumel if I found something I liked better

~ I wouldn't have to pay tax or duty since I purchased it in the U.S.

Also, DI has an "upgrade" policy so if I wanted to get a bigger, better piece of jewelry down the road, I could trade up. There is a minimum price for the upgraded jewelry, though.

I hope that helps!

Lisabell