Are the alexandrites from the Narsipatnam mine in India legit?
GIA “Gem Localities of the 1990s” p. 313 lists that locality for chrysoberyl.
There are scammers from everywhere, but India in particular is a haven for cheap goods that are misrepresented. If you are buying supposedly natural alexandrite, be absolutely sure you are dealing with someone reputable and getting a IGA or similarly reliable cert and a return privilege. Just a piece of paper from a business whose name you don’t recognize does not cut it. As always, if it seems too good to be true, it definitely is!
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thanks
thank you for the information
I purchased an Alexandrite from a dealer in India stating that it was from Narsipatnam and it came with a certificate. As it turned out, the certificate was a good fake and the stone was a real nice piece of glass. I just now received my money back last week. My money has been tied up for some time through a second hand company. I’m just lucky that I was able to get anything back.
I’ve learned to be wary of where I buy from these days.
All the very best,
Otter
Thank you. I was thinking about buying from Shoplc in Austin. They too certify that it was from mine in India. I have purchased from them before but I will have items appraised before I buy more.