Questions & Answers

In Africa, the tree is a meeting place.

Meeting around or under trees is central to African traditional custom, literature and lore. African kings, elders, children, and tribes would meet under trees (commonly Boaobab trees) to discuss important topics, tell stories and spend time together. Not only are trees a natural source of nourishment, like oxygen and fruit; and protection, like shelter from the rain and shade from the sun; in some African cultures it is believed that trees’ spirits give guidance and serenity to all those accepting of their peace.

The Gem Tree is a coming together of people for the purpose of brilliant diamonds, jewelry, and of course, the greatest thing of all – love.

The Gem Tree difference is the intimate experience we offer every one of our valued customers. You are invited to deal directly with our team of highly qualified, friendly jewellers and sales people. We are here to personally guide you, helping you customise your perfect jewellery item or find your perfect stone. At The Gem Tree customisation isn’t about designing your ring by yourself on a website, but rather, it’s about the experience of dealing directly with Master Jewellers who assist and guide you with all the quality time you need. It is important to remember that you aren’t coming into a retail store with crowds of other people when you visit us at The Gem Tree. You’ll be walking into a restricted Jeweller for a one-on-one, highly exclusive experience. And what’s more, our prices are more competitive than normal Business-To-Customer Jewellery outlets.

So, once you’ve been in touch with us we’ll call you to arrange a face-to-face meeting, at your convenience, either via Skype or at our offices. During this meeting we discuss what you’d like based on your budget and preferences. Remember, our expert jewellers are here to guide you and inform you on your best options. If you already know exactly what it is you’d like, we can easily liaise over the phone or via email. The key is – we’re here to get you the diamond or jewellery you desire, at the best value for money, in the easiest and most convenient way for you.

You can contact us directly by phone on +27 82 872 6999, or email at Sales@thegemtree.co.za or you can visit our Contact Us page on our website, submit your details via the form, and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours.

Yes, please contact us here, or on email at Appointments@thegemtree.co.za, or via telephone on +27 82 872 6999. We will call you within 24 hours to make an appointment to meet you at the The Gem Tree.

The Gem Tree offices are open from 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday, by specific appointment over the weekend, and are closed on public holidays. The team reserves the right to close the offices at their discretion. An appointment is required to visit our offices, as they are not open to the public for security reasons. Should you wish to make an appointment please contact us on our Contact page, via email at Appointments@thegemtree.co.za or call us on +27 82 872 6999. We’d love to hear from you!

The Gem Tree head office is situated in Johannesburg at 27 Ridge Road, Parktown, 2193 (first floor). We’d love you to pop in! Please just give us a heads up by emailing us here Appointments@thegemtree.co.za beforehand.

Your The Gem Tree jewellery will arrive in our signature The Gem Tree branded packaging, sealed within a tamperproof package, delivered by our The Gem Tree premium courier service.

A The Gem Tree Certificate of Authenticity accompanies all jewellery purchases. The certificate guarantees the authenticity of your The Gem Tree product – the finest quality materials were used and the utmost care was taken to ensure the brilliance of your The Gem Tree product.

All The Gem Tree diamonds are ethically sourced, GIA certified, and laser inscribed.

The Gem Tree Jewellers is a certified member of the Jewellery Council of South Africa. All of The Gem Tree diamonds are GIA certified, laser inscribed and ethically sourced – this is our customer promise.

Every diamond purchased at The Gem Tree is accompanied with its respective GIA Certificate of Authenticity and Grading. Sadly, not all suppliers and sellers of diamonds adhere to these reputable standards, and irresponsibly continue to source diamonds illegally or unethically. It is very important to know that your diamonds are sourced ethically (e.g. not in conflict areas where people were used as slaves to extract your diamonds). The Gem Tree prides itself on its high standards – every single The Gem Tree diamond is GIA certified, and we’re proud of it!

The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) is the leading diamond grading laboratory in the world and the laboratory responsible for creating the global standard against which all diamonds and gemstones are graded and priced. The GIA prides itself on grading diamonds in favour of the consumer and not the producer or retailer of diamonds. This means that you can rest assured that your GIA certified diamond has been independently graded to the highest possible standard. In addition, each GIA certified diamond is laser inscribed with its unique certification number and these certificates are available directly to consumers over the Internet at
www.gia.edu.

Yes, of course, that’s part of what we do at The Gem Tree – sell loose diamonds and gemstones. If you’d like to buy loose diamonds without a setting proceed to The Gem Tree Diamonds page and choose from our select range of diamonds. Once you have selected your preferred diamond, instead of clicking Choose Setting on the right-hand side, choose Add to Cart.

Alternatively, if there is something specific you are looking for, please submit your request on the Contact page, email us at Sales@thegemtree.co.za or call us at +27 82 872 6999 and we’ll happily oblige.

Yes, we are happy to engrave any The Gem Tree jewellery with an inscription of your choice, where the jewellery allows for it. A minimal charge for the engraving will be quoted for.

Certainly. Besides, absolute discretion and customer privacy is extremely important to us. If you would like to setup a discrete meeting with one of our Sales Representatives or Jewellers, please email us at Appointments@thegemtree.co.za or call us on +27 82 872 6999.

Of course – we’ll happily talk you through diamond essentials and educate you around making your best purchase decision when meeting with you in person. Ask as many questions as you’d like – no question is a dumb question!

The Gem Tree offers you the service of having your The Gem Tree jewellery professionally cleaned at any time, free of charge, and polished or refurbed at a minimal service charge. We only ask that you please contact us to make an appointment before bringing your item in to be cleaned.

The Gem Tree invites you to bring your diamond jewellery into The Gem Tree, at any time, for a professional valuation by our Master Jewellers. Again, we just ask that you please contact us before bringing your item in for a valuation.

If you are unhappy with your choice of diamond or jewellery purchased at The Gem Tree, and are out of the 15-day return window, you can apply to The Gem Tree Buy Back Programme where The Gem Tree will consider purchasing your diamond or jewellery back at market related prices. Please contact us on Sales@thegemtree.co.za if you wish to sell your the Gem Tree diamond or jewellery.

The Gem Tree is also always available (within reason) should you wish to discuss potential future diamond or gemstone investments with anyone of our professional and highly qualified Sales Representatives or Jewellers. We are delighted to be apart of your journey at whichever stage you may be. We hope The Gem Tree will serve your best interests now and in the future. Just give us a call and we’ll chat.

We would love to hear from you! Please email us at Careers@thegemtree.co.za or call us on +27 82 872 6999. We may not be hiring at the moment but we would love to hear from you and think of you should something arise.

Courier delivers your goods, and The Gem Tree insures all deliveries from the point they leave The Gem Tree offices until you receive them. We’re dealing with very precious cargo!

Delivery charges depend on your location (within South Africa and Internationally), but an easy price calculator is included at the point of checkout and will show you your delivery charge.

Alternatively you’re welcome to arrange to collect your goods from one of our offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town. For more information on the location of our offices please go to the Contact page, here.

If you would like to cancel or change your order please call us on +27 82 872 6999 and we will do our best to accommodate any order changes to the extent that is possible prior to shipping confirmation. Please be cognizant that some order changes will result in shipping delays. We are unable to accommodate changes or cancellations on orders that have already shipped. If your order has already shipped please contact us to arrange a return and credit refund once you have received shipment.

The Gem Tree accepts SA Rands, US Dollars, UK Pounds or EU Euros. Please be sure to ask a Sales Representative should you wish to pay for your The Gem Tree diamonds or jewellery in any other currency calculated at universal exchange rates.

Absolutely! If you’d like our professional guidance around choosing your best diamond or jewellery based on your budget, our expert council is readily available to help. Please call us on +27 82 872 6999 or set up an appointment at Appointments@thegemtree.co.za.

Exchanges or returns are accepted within 15 days in perfect condition and including all original documentation and certificates. Full credit refunds are given to products that are returned to The Gem Tree within the 15-day return window.

Please note that The Gem Tree is not responsible for the goods after the point of your receipt, and therefore, The Gem Tree cannot be held liable for any loss or damage that may occur during shipment / transportation upon the goods’ return to The Gem Tree.

The only exception to the above is if the goods are faulty due to manufacturing defects in craftsmanship. In this case, The Gem Tree accepts full responsibility for the cost of shipment back to The Gem Tree as well as the repair on your goods. Our customer Lifetime Warranty is explained here.

If you are unhappy with your choice of diamond or jewellery purchased at The Gem Tree, and are out of the 15-day return window, you can apply to The Gem Tree Buy Back Programme where The Gem Tree will consider purchasing your diamond or jewellery back at market related prices. Please contact us on Sales@thegemtree.co.za if you wish to sell your the Gem Tree diamond or jewellery.

An exchange works the same way as a return at The Gem Tree. To expedite an exchange for a different product, we recommend returning the original item (within 15 days of receipt from shipment) for a full credit refund and placing a new order.

Exchanges or returns are accepted within 15 days from shipment / transportation from our offices. If the product is returned to The Gem Tree in perfect condition, with its accompanying documentation, you will receive a full credit refund.

Engraved The Gem Tree jewellery items, besides rings, may not be returned. All engraved rings may be returned for a full credit refund, apart for the cost of the engraving, which is nonrefundable.

Diamond and gemstone eternity rings with a specific number of gemstones per finger size; milgrain or ornate bands; some silver rings; or rings with alternative metals like Tungsten cannot be resized and therefore please be careful to order the correct ring size at time of purchase. For assistance in determining your correct ring size please call us on +27 82 872 6999. Soon we’ll have a nifty ring sizing tool on our website to help you determine your ring size for yourself. Coming soon!

All your goods purchased from The Gem Tree are under a Lifetime Warranty to protect against manufacturer defects in craftsmanship. The warranty does not cover normal wear and tear, damages incurred due to trauma, negligence, loss, theft, or lack of regular maintenance.

Please be sure to check your product immediately upon delivery to you. Should there be a problem with your goods please do not receive them but rather send them straight back to The Gem Tree with the courier. Also, very importantly, please be in contact with us right away should this happen (+27 82 872 6999 or Sales@thegemtree.co.za).

Please visit The Gem Tree Repairs and Resetting page to find out more about fixing your warranted The Gem Tree goods.

Be our guest. Just make an appointment by emailing us at Appointments@thegemtree.co.za and we will schedule a time to see you and give you a professional valuation on your jewellery, by our Master Jewellers, free of charge. To find out more about this service go to our Valuations page on the website.

The Gem Tree offers a complimentary repairs service to all items purchased at The Gem Tree within the Lifetime Warranty (i.e. items have not been damaged by normal wear and tear, trauma, negligence, loss, theft, or lack of regular maintenance). If your The Gem Tree product displays some fault due to manufacturing error or another anomaly (although uncommon, unfortunately these things do happen), The Gem Tree will repair your product at no additional charge, shipping included.

Please also check your product immediately upon delivery to you. Should there be a problem with your goods please do not receive them but rather send them straight back to The Gem Tree with the courier. Also, very importantly, please be in contact with us right away should this happen on +27 82 872 6999 or at Sales@thegemtree.co.za. If your jewellery has a manufacturing defect we will see to it that it is repaired as quickly as possible, at no additional cost to you.

If your reasons for repair fall outside of the Warranty, that’s no problem either – The Gem Tree offers a complete professional Repairs service with our experienced goldsmiths at competitive rates. Please just contact us for a quotation.

If you would like your The Gem Tree jewellery reset we will gladly discuss your preferences and budget and talk you through your options.

For more information on Repairs and Resetting please follow the link on the website, here, or contact us to make an appointment at Appointments@thegemtree.co.za.

If you have jewellery, diamonds or gemstones that are not from The Gem Tree originally, but that you’d like set or reset, please contact us with your request and we’ll definitely see what we can do for you. Please visit the Contact page, email us at Appointments@thegemtree.co.za, or call us on +27 82 872 6999.

If you would like your The Gem Tree ring resized within one or two ring sizes, either larger or smaller, we can do this for you free of charge. Please visit the Contact page, email us at Appointments@thegemtree.co.za, or call us on +27 82 872 6999.

Natural diamonds were formed many thousands of years ago as the Earth was cooling from its volcanic cosmic beginnings as a molten planet. Intense pressure and heat at a depth of about 150 kilometers below the Earth’s surface created the diamonds we extract today: Carbon atoms that bond to three other carbons in a 2D pattern create graphite. Heat and pressure modify the atomic structure of graphite, forcing the carbons to have four bonds instead of three. The result is a much stronger 3D pattern, or, diamond.

Cool fact: Natural diamonds can also be formed by the heat and pressure of an asteroid impacting the surface of the earth.

Artificially made diamonds are grown in a laboratory from “diamond seeds”, which are extremely fine shavings cut from natural diamonds. A growth chamber provides superheated plasma and intense pressure for 28 days, at which point the “diamond seeds” grow into diamond cubes.

Of the 4C’s, Cut is the most important in determining the brilliance and light performance of a diamond. At The Gem Tree we focus on creating the perfect cut within the dimensions of every unique stone. Every stone is cut perfectly (defined by the relationship between the table, crown, pavilion and girdle) to ensure that all diamond facets are fully aligned to perfectly optimize light reflection.

The standard colour scale for white or ‘colourless’ diamonds is D to Z, ranging from completely colourless to heavily tinted with yellow or brown. Diamonds can either fall off this scale because they’re tinted with a shade other than yellow, or because the yellow colour inside the diamond is so strong that the diamond is no longer classified as a tinted white or colourless diamond, but rather a fancy yellow diamond. In this way, all diamonds that fall off the scale after Z are known as fancy diamonds.

Natural fancy coloured diamonds come in an array of colours, not only vivid yellow, and they are fancy because they are very rare. The different colours natural fancy diamonds include are blue, green, olive, yellow, brown, orange, red, pink, purple, black and grey. Each coloured diamond has a different level of rareness – and of course price is always a good indicator of rarity! It is said that there is only one coloured diamond for every ten thousand colourless diamonds.

It’s always very important to deal with reputable dealers when buying coloured diamonds as natural fancy coloured diamonds are much more expensive and valuable than laboratory treated coloured diamonds (which usually look much more saturated in colour and more like gemstones).

The difference in white gold and platinum rests primarily in composition and price because the two are almost identical to the naked eye. Essentially, white gold is rhodium plated yellow gold, and although a lot less durable than the rare and more expensive metal, platinum, white gold can more easily be restored through rhodium plating when damaged by wear and tear.

It is advisable to always store your jewellery in its original The Gem Tree packaging or a soft pouch.

Avoid keeping all your jewellery mixed together as this could cause damage.

When dressing, jewellery should always be put on last or taken off first.

We advise regular product checks and routine cleaning. You can bring your The Gem Tree jewellery into one of our offices or workshops for complimentary cleaning at any stage. However a quick and easy, trusted alternative would be to gently wash your diamonds or jewellery in lukewarm water with dishwashing liquid. When doing so, please ensure that the sink is secure or place your precious jewellery in a bowl that cannot be knocked over. You may wish to lightly brush your jewellery with a soft toothbrush. Afterwards, dry your jewellery with a cotton or linen towel. The hot water and dishwashing liquid method works wonders to remove dirt and grease and restore your jewellery’s ultimate radiance and shine.

It is highly recommended that you insure your The Gem Tree jewellery with an independent insurer, or make arrangement with your renters’ or homeowners’ insurance company.

The Four C’s – carat, clarity, cut and colour determine the value of a single diamond. The rating assigned to each characteristic determines the diamond’s overall value. Diamonds are valuable because the global supply of diamonds is limited. However, because there is so much variability in the four C’s across individual diamonds, or because there is no set unit price for diamonds that is recognized in worldwide markets, the value of diamonds is not very predictable or stable (unlike gold). It is therefore in one’s best interests to buy diamonds that are higher up on the Four C’s grading scale or are very rare because they are large or fancy coloured.