Fine East African Gemstones, Collector Quality Tanzanite, Tsavorite, Tourmaline Gemstones

We deal in thousands of carats of East African Gemstones every month. We select out the very finest of these for our Private Collection. Only the very best get selected and we pride ourselves on specialising in the very top grades of Tanzanite, Tsavorite and other wonderful gems from this magical part of the world. We are in the enviable position of being located right at the source of one of the world's top gem-producing areas and we buy our rough direct from the mines. We cut in-house with our master cutters and have been supplying the world's discerning jewelry and gemstone markets for over 30 years. We invite you to enjoy our

	Click here to see our Tanzanite Collection	Tanzanite is one of the world's rarest gemstones. Beautiful and unique. We specialise in the very top grade - the top 1%. The investment grade.Tanzanite's unique position in the gem kingdom, with only one source in the world, means that once it is mined out, those who own top grade stones will be in an enviable position - Tanzanite will be the quitessential heirloom of our generation. In the next generation the only way to possess it will be to inherit it.

	Click here to see our Tsavorite Collection	Tsavorite is another of the world’s rarest gems with only one source yet discovered - here in East Africa. Gemologically it is superior to Emerald on all counts, being harder, brighter and a more pure green. We specialise in the top grade; deep, bright vivid greens, high clarities. Tsavorite is an especially ancient gemstone. The mighty snow capped Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, was itself only in its infancy when Tsavorite was already old. What could be more romantic than a superb, flashing green gemstone that was in existence long before the dinosaurs trod the earth?

	Click here to see our Fancy Tanzanite Collection	One of the best kept secrets of the Tanzanite trade is the incredibly rare occurence of fancy color Tanzanites that are occasionally discovered. Some people have heard of green Tanzanite but the wonders of oranges, yellows and the very rare pinks are not known to most people. Their very rarity and the fact that they are so seldom found have made them the preserve of collectors and Tanzanite enthusiasts who are well informed. We are proud to be able to offer a mouthwatering selection of these previously unobtainable, exceptionally rare gemstones.

	Click here to see our Aquamarine Collection	Lapigems Gem Company has had a great deal of experience with Aquamarine, particularly in the mid 1980's when we owned and operated our Aquamarine mine in the Meru district of Kenya producing some of the world's best and most acclaimed Aquamarine. It is one of our favourite gems and we offer some gorgeous pieces from Mozambique, Kenya and Tanzania.

	Click here to see our Rhodolite Collection	Rhodolite Garnet is the foremost garnet in the red garnet series. Not to be confused with the ubiquitous Pyrope dark red garnet usually associated with much estate jewelry, this gorgeous purple, pink red garnet is a beautiful gemstone. Found in a number of deposits throughout the world, the renowned Umba River Valley in Tanzania is the acclaimed source of the world’s best Rhodolite. We specialise in the wonderful top "spirit" color from Umba.

	Click here to see our Malaia Garnet Collection	Malaia Garnet is a gemstone not many people have heard of...to their detriment. It has remained the preserve of collectors for the 2 decades since it was discovered, mainly due to its extreme rarity. A cross between Spessartite garnet and Pyrope, this stunning gemtone exhibits a mesmerising range of colors from a burnt orange through to the much covetd pink orange of the rarest pieces. Tanzania is the only known source for this lovely gemstone and we are proud to be able to offer some of the very best quality available.

	Click here to see our Fancy Sapphire Collection	Mined in East Africa since the 1950's, fancy sapphire comes in a vivid array of colors; there are in fact 67 different colors of fancy sapphire. The Umba river valley, in Tanzania, produces most of these colors including lovely canary yellow sapphire and African Padparadscha, a pastel orangy pink, which is highly prized and very rare. Lapigems Gem Company began as a mining concern in 1974 mining sapphire and fancy sapphire in the northern frontier district of Kenya, Hence, we have had a close relationship with this wonderful gem for many years. We specialize in yellow sapphires.

	Click here to see our Tourmaline Collection	Tourmalines are found in many places in the world with Brazil, Sri Lanka and of course, Africa being the top producers. Although there are plenty of gemstone deposits which contain tourmalines, good qualities and fine colors are not often discovered among them. For this reason, the price spectrum of the tourmaline is almost as broad as that of its color. African Tourmalines from Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique and The Congo are much sought-after in the finer qualities and we specialize in these.

	Click here to see this collection	Being based at the source of one of the world's powerhouses of rare gem production, we often see unique, unusual and rare gemstones that we are eager to present to the outside world. We present a selection of these wonderful and scarce pieces carefully and lovingly sorted from numerous rough parcels. Each piece is chosen for its uniqueness and rarity.