Love the site. Huge selection. Have been using it for gem stones for several years. They have pictures and sometimes videos of the actual stone you are getting and a lot of information on the types of stones. The check out is a little different than most online purchases, but have never had any problems or issues. You just end up checking out through Paypal or another bank site.
I really am pleased with Gem Select! I have found that most jewelry stores sell lab created stones and I prefer earth stones. Then I have the pleasure of designing my own jewelry to suit me personally! I highly recommend this site1
I was looking for a gemstone called Sphene/Titanite and found it on GemSelect. They had many gems to choose from and had good prices. I received my order a little later than expected but given that it's coming from overseas I wasn't too worried. The 2 gems I received are beautiful. I have to say that I have no gem knowledge- I am a novice and I ordered the Sphene for healing purposes, so I am hoping they are real. I have no way of confirming if that is true. But they are beautiful!
I believe this market could grow very large in the wake of cryptocurrencies as gold and silver become less popular. I believe birthstones will begin to increase in popularity for jewelry and meaningful trinkets. I think this website should consider another metric that gauges how "raw" the mineral/gem/stone/etc. is-- how processed it has been. Some people may want to get the raw material from a specific location, know its history, and contract someone to refine it into a personal keepsake.
