FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
1. Registration
- Benefits of a registration
If you register, our website can save your personal preferences and you will be able to:- Establish a list of favorites for later reference or to compare items.
- Establish a personalized Online Mailbox to communicate with us.
- Make offers and to receive news of our promotions if requested.
If you are not registered, you are limited to the Search, Highlights and New Arrivals functions in the Top Menu.
- Establish a list of favorites for later reference or to compare items.
- Short Registration Procedure
Our registration procedure only requires username, password and e-mail. Additional details are filled out at the time of an initial purchase.
If you forget your account password, you can click on the appropriate link in the login page and receive your password at the e-mail address you used during registration
2. Navigation
- Recommended Browser
Our website was specifically designed for the display and sale of gemstones and has been optimized for Microsoft Internet Explorer. If you use Mozilla Firefox or other browsers with updates, there will be no serious problems but you may find that some buttons do not work.
If this occurs, we would be pleased to hear from you so that we can make modifications.
3. Search Form
- The search form
The search engine will usually remember your last entry and enable you to refine your search. The "Reset" button clears all fields.
- Search Category
Our regular posting includes traditional categories of gems, sizes, and types of cuts. Depending on what is produced in our mines and by our suppliers, we may be able to offer pairs, exceptional specimens, collectors' stones, promotions, etc.
- Search Variety
We use a drop menu in order to save customers' time and to avoid problems generated by alternate names (tanzanite/zoisite) and spellings (topaz/topaze). This menu lists gemstone varieties that are or have been available in
- Search Limits
Visitors to our site can specify a range of Price, Weight or Size. It is possible to fix the maximum or the minimum value or both. Be coherent when fixing more than one specification. You will not obtain a result if you search for: Ruby MIN. 3 carats, oval, Price max $100
- Search Color
The drop menu lists the colors of the rainbow. If you are looking for varietal terms such as “Hot Pink” or “Padparadcha”, you should try typing them in the “Keywords” field.
- Search Shape
For shapes and cutting/faceting styles, we use a predefined list.- Terms used for a given shape can vary. In consequence we have combined "Shape" and "Faceting Style" into unique descriptions.
Ex : Long Octagon+step cut = Emerald cut. - The first word in the description of the shape is generally the most important.
Ex:
Ex: Square Princess (as opposed to Square Step Cut).
- Terms used for a given shape can vary. In consequence we have combined "Shape" and "Faceting Style" into unique descriptions.
4. Actions Menu
- The action menu
Use this option to group gemstones of interest by adding them to your Favorites. It is then easy to select them all and apply the desired action. Action buttons affect selected items only.
Use of the "Action Menu" requires registration and login.
- Add to Favorites
The Top Horizontal Menu has a folder called "My Favorites". This temporary storage facility may be used for comparing stones, sending specifications to a friend or jeweler, asking questions, making offers, forming pairs, etc.
- Make an offer
Registered members who are considering the purchase of several stones at a time are welcome to make counter-offers which we will consider in the light of what the mines are producing during any given week.Being able to discuss the price of a gemstone can be an exciting part of the buying process, rarely enjoyed by gem lovers whose homes are situated far from the mines.
1. The best way to use the "Make-an-Offer" function is to add the desired gemstones to your favorites.
2. Then select them all and click the button "Make an offer".
3. In the next screen you can propose a price.
4. - a)
- b) Or we will reject your proposition and give our best price, which you can only accept or reject (which is the last possible step in the bargaining process).
If we reject your offer, it may well be that we are unsure of our ability to renew our stock at the price you propose. Gemstones are rare, and aside from very small stones, there is usually some doubt whether a stone, once sold, can be replaced.
5. My Profile
- Message board and e-mails
We prefer to use online messages with our customers rather than regular e-mails. This allows us to followup their needs more efficiently, to retrieve the history of our communications and to see their past preferences. Customized services are easier to provide in this manner and it is a means of avoiding spam.If you wish to contact us regarding the gemstones on this website, please register first and go to "My Profile".
For other matters, please use the "contact us" section, let us know who you are, and the reason for your message. We can usually get back to you immediately or within a day or two.
Mailbox
To use the online message board:
- Select a general topic using the drop-down menu
- Enter the subject of your message, specifying Product Number or the Order Code if appropriate.On the right-hand half of the screen you will see our replies, as well as your own messages to which we have not yet responded.
You can also browse each section of your mailbox by topic.
- Shipping & Billing forms
Please fill in this form as soon as possible after your registration
Among other things, this form indicates the country in which you live. This information may enable us to let you know if special gem-import regulations apply, as is the case in France, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and elsewhere.
Shipping & Billing Procedures
- Account Information
This page allows you to change your password and/or your e-mail address.
- Your Orders
Here you can follow up your orders, modify them during a limited time, and see when they are sent.Once shipped, you will find your tracking number here and will be able to follow your package along its travels right to your door.
6. Shopping cart and Payments
- Shopping cart and Payments
You will find hereafter the step by step shopping and payment procedures1- First, log onto our website with your username and password, at the top of the following page www.swalagemtraders.com
2- Type in the reference of the gem you are interested by in the "keywords" section at the bottom of the page and then press the "Search" button. The gem will appear. 3- Type
You can also just browse our stock until you find at gem you would like to purchase. You don't necessarily need a reference number in order to purchase a gem.
3- Tick the box next to the gem and then press on "Add to cart". You will be redirected to the shopping cart page.
4- You will now have two options (bottom of the page): either proceed with the shipping information or add other gems to your cart.
5- Enter your shipping details and advance to payment methods.
6- Choose your payment method and follow the online instructions.
If your purchase is underneath $1,000 (inclusive of everything): you can use any of the three options. Options 1 and 2 are the quickest.
If your purchase is above $1,000: do NOT use option 2. We recommend that you either use option 3 (Bank transfer) or open up a Paypal account (to use option 1). Opening a Paypal account is easy. It will enable you to use option 1 or 2 for purchases above $1,000. Paypal may take a couple of days however to "verify" your credit limits.
7. Frequently asked questions
- Questions and Answers
• Voucher Code
Swala Gem Traders has a voucher system that allows established customers to obtain reduced prices on specific gems. The availability of these vouchers will be notified by mail.
• I am not sure about a gem
Do not hesitate to contact us if you are unsure about a gem or if you need more information.
• Are all your gemstones online?
No. We have more gems in stock and are also able to custome cut certain gems for you. Since we are located at the source, we are often able to purchase single rough stones that will cut into particular sizes and shapes.
• If I order a custom cut gem, am I sure to get it?
Usually you will, but you may have to wait. Rough gemstones come out of the earth. They are not mass produced. Among the beauties and joys of this field are its unpredictability. If you are trying to replace a lost stone or to make a pair, we may be able to satisfy your request immediately. But if you are looking for something rare, do not expect to obtain it right away. There are some gems which nobody can guarantee.
• Are all your gems natural?
All our gems are 100% natural. None are synthetic or laboratory-made.
• Are any of your gems treated?
Our gems are natural or heated. Tanzanites are almost all heated, as has been standard practice for several decades. Heating enhances their color by driving out certain secondary shades. If you want an unheated tanzanite, a rather exotic item these days, we can supply it. The product page for each gemstone specifies if is has been heated.
• Are your buyers gemologists?
Mark and Eric Saul are both certified gemologists. We have been buying rough gemstones in Kenya and Tanzania since 1987. Mark studied at the GIA (http://www.gia.edu) in New York and Eric at the ING in Paris. Eric is the ICA (http://www.gemstone.org) Ambassador to Tanzania.
• Return policy
If, for any reason, you wish to return your purchase, you have 10 days in which to notify us from the date you received your parcel. Please get in touch with us before shipping and we will let you know the best way for you to return your purchase.
We offer a full refund or exchange on goods returned in their initial state, less shipping, insurance, and other applicable charges.
If you receive goods in a damaged condition, please inform the carrier company immediately. Do not refuse the delivery, even if you have decided you no longer want the gem.
• Protection of your personal information
Your personal information (such as your delivery address, e-mail address, etc.) will be maintained confidential and will never be given to any third party.
At your request, we will delete any information you have given us.
• Credit card information
Payment is via Paypal. In consequence, we do not have access to your credit card information.
• Pictures
With some stones, it is impossible to capture the true color and appearance without computer modifications. For such stones, we may modify pictures in an effort to obtain a result as close as possible to the actual gem. This is a standard practice from which buyer and seller both benefit. In no case do we attempt to artificially improve the appearance of our stones.
• Computers monitors
Computer monitors do not all display the same colors or contrasts, even with factory settings.
• Natural light varies in different parts of the world
Our pictures are taken under fluorescent lighting. What you see may slightly differ under your own lighting conditions, usually because some daylight or other illumination is also reaching the stone.
• Treatments
A huge percentage of tanzanites on the world market - probably over 99.5% - have been heated and this includes our own stock. If a cut gemstone has been heated, this will be indicated. We do not sell gems enhanced by any method other than heating.Aside from tanzanite, none of the stones we presently stock have been heat treated, though in the past certain aquamarines produced in the region of Mount Kenya have required heating in order to convert a greenish secondary color to blue, a practice that has been standard in Brazil and elsewhere for many decades.
• Gem availability
Our gems are not all online. If you have a specific request, please let us know. We may have the stone you want, or we might be able to custom cut it for you.
