I wish I had discovered this forum earlier.. I've been shopping with SLC for about a year and a half (I think. I've lost track of time), and this seems like a good place to share thoughts and feedback.
Earlier this year, I bought a AAAA Tanzanite ring, even though the color looks more like AAA. It's a pretty ring and I was able to use a 20% off discount, which really helped. I wasn't able to get it appraised right away because all of the jewelry stores here were closed, and it took a while for the county to allow certain places to re-open. I was finally able to get it appraised at a reputable jeweler, and was bummed to get the results. When I first arrived to set up the appraisal, they put it under a microscope while I was there (as kind of a pre-assessment thing). The lady had me look at a discovery they found - the culet was slightly chipped. My stomach sank a little bit. The lady was very kind and said it happens, but that it shouldn't affect the appraisal. The ring itself is a simple round, not too flashy or large, but still a supposedly AAAA tanzanite in platinum, with a few diamonds. Needless to say the appraisal was a bit lower than I would have liked, but I'm really more bummed and upset that the tanzanite was chipped to begin with. Trust me, it's nothing I did to it... Since it was the culet that was chipped, it was protected by the metal. I'm not hard on my jewelry, and if I ever do work with my hands I never wear my tanzanite. I rarely even wore this ring before I got it appraised! Now when I look at it, I just see a damaged valuable gemstone.
Because of the circumstances and how long it took for me to get it looked at, I can't return it.
