I think my tsav is lost or stolen! :-(

[AmeliaG]

I don't know what happened. Gemrite shipped out the tsav on Friday via USPS Priority Mail with an expected delivery of today and sent me a tracking link. Well the USPS tracking site says my tsav was delivered today and even provided a delivery signature ( I HICDJ) but I've been at home all day and nobody's come by to deliver a package and nothing was left in my mailbox. I don't even know who I HICDJ is. The super in my building won't sign for tenants' packages.

To top it all off, the tracking site offers no phone number or email to follow up if packages aren't received. The only thing I can think to do is to call Gemrite and hope they can track it on their end. Doubtful though - Priority Mail is one of the cheaper shipping options.

I'm really down about this. I was so looking forward to show you all pics of my tsav today and I'm out almost 400 bucks. I don't have that kind of money.

I hope this gets resolved but honestly I can't see how. If someone signed for delivery, then the Post Office has absolved itself of responsibility and it looks like I'm SOL. I can't believe they wouldn't at least tried to come to my apartment or ring the buzzer first though.

 

[Enerchi]

OH NO!!! That totally sucks ---- BIG TIME!! I don't know what to suggest, but I hope it turns up. So frustrating. Whenever I've shipped something small, I use the most insane large boxes - shoe boxes or a wine shipment box and yes, it's total overkill, but its not like anyone can slip that in their backpack at the end of their shift....

I'm sorry Amelia - I really hope your tsav finds you again. Fingers crossed

 

[ruby59]

If I am understanding correctly, you live in an apartment building. Could it have been delivered to someone else in your building? Have you tried knocking on some doors to see it it was misdirected? Anyone living there whose last name kind of matches up with that signature?

 

[txgreeneyes]

Ask the post office for a copy of the signature. You can probably file a lost package report with them. The US Post Office takes lost/stolen mail very seriously.

 

[AmeliaG]

Thanks ladies. I sent an email to Gemrite; I'll have to follow up with the post office tomorrow. They were closed by the time I got the delivery confirmation.

Enerchi, thx, I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

ruby59, no there is no one in my building who matches up with those initials. No one in my building ever heard of a person with 6 initials anyway. Its a weird signature.

txgreeneyes, I have an electronic copy of the scanned form and you know what? There is no signature and there is no address in the area where my address should be. Hmmm, something to bring to the attention of my local Post Office when I go see them tomorrow. If the scanned signature doesn't show a signature does that nullify the delivery receipt?

Another curious thing I noticed from the tracking site. It says my package was confirmed, signed, and delivered only three minutes after it left the sorting facility. I know where the USPS sorting facility in my neighborhood is and there is no way that a package can get from there to my apartment building in three minutes. But it can get to the local Post Office in 3 minutes, the buildings are right next to each other. One of my neighbors said the initials looked like a delivery room signature. We wondering if it was signed for at our local post office and will be delivered tomorrow. It doesn't make sense though. Why would the Post Office send a delivery confirmation to the receiving Post Office's delivery room? From a customer's point of view that doesn't quite cut it.

Oh well, there's nothing I can do about it tonight and I have a doctor's appointment first thing tomorrow morning so this will have to wait! Arrggh! I wish I could go to the post office first thing in the morning.

 

[JewelFreak]

Amelia, that's just heartbreaking! It does sound, though, like maybe the PO messed up & you're right, it will be delivered tomorrow. Without a signature -- and the scanned thingy makes it possible there wasn't one -- there's no proof it ever was delivered. Was it insured? Maybe there's still hope....hang onto some till you talk to the p.o. or best best, it shows up.

Dust on the breeze to you!

--- Laurie

 

[jerichoheart]

Just wanted to share an experience I had with the P.O. once. I had a really expensive Coach purse that someone was sending me, and the tracking number showed that it had been delivered -- scanned and everything, but there was no package. I was in a panic! Two days later, the package was delivered. For some reason, the mail carrier had scanned the package as "delivered" before they had even tried to deliver it. No clue why! I contacted a friend of mine whose Dad worked for the P.O., and she said it was a common practice. To save time, sometimes they'll scan the package as delivered, before it has officially been delivered. So, hopefully that will be the case for you, too!

 

[Enerchi]

Just wanted to share an experience I had with the P.O. once. I had a really expensive Coach purse that someone was sending me, and the tracking number showed that it had been delivered -- scanned and everything, but there was no package. I was in a panic! Two days later, the package was delivered. For some reason, the mail carrier had scanned the package as "delivered" before they had even tried to deliver it. No clue why! I contacted a friend of mine whose Dad worked for the P.O., and she said it was a common practice. To save time, sometimes they'll scan the package as delivered, before it has officially been delivered. So, hopefully that will be the case for you, too!

Really?? That seems odd -why 'pre-sign'??? If that's the case, then I'm keeping positive thoughts that Amelia's treasure arrives tomorrow! CAn't wait to see this new stone!

 

[AmeliaG]

Just wanted to share an experience I had with the P.O. once. I had a really expensive Coach purse that someone was sending me, and the tracking number showed that it had been delivered -- scanned and everything, but there was no package. I was in a panic! Two days later, the package was delivered. For some reason, the mail carrier had scanned the package as "delivered" before they had even tried to deliver it. No clue why! I contacted a friend of mine whose Dad worked for the P.O., and she said it was a common practice. To save time, sometimes they'll scan the package as delivered, before it has officially been delivered. So, hopefully that will be the case for you, too!

Thanks jerichoheart, I really think that's what it is. Honestly if I hadn't been given the tracking info, I wouldn't have been worried. Priority Mail can take 2-3 days and over the weekend its usually 3-4. Its just when I got the delivery confirmation that I panicked.

So I'll keep my fingers crossed for tomorrow and hopefully have some pictures to show you all!

 

[distracts]

Just wanted to share an experience I had with the P.O. once. I had a really expensive Coach purse that someone was sending me, and the tracking number showed that it had been delivered -- scanned and everything, but there was no package. I was in a panic! Two days later, the package was delivered. For some reason, the mail carrier had scanned the package as "delivered" before they had even tried to deliver it. No clue why! I contacted a friend of mine whose Dad worked for the P.O., and she said it was a common practice. To save time, sometimes they'll scan the package as delivered, before it has officially been delivered. So, hopefully that will be the case for you, too!

Thanks jerichoheart, I really think that's what it is. Honestly if I hadn't been given the tracking info, I wouldn't have been worried. Priority Mail can take 2-3 days and over the weekend its usually 3-4. Its just when I got the delivery confirmation that I panicked.

So I'll keep my fingers crossed for tomorrow and hopefully have some pictures to show you all![/quote

Yeah, I hope that's what it is for you! I have the same thing going on with a signature required package that was supposedly delivered today. Another package from the same sender that wasn't signature required WAS actually delivered, so I think they marked it delivered but then since I wasn't there to give my signature put it back in the truck. LAME.

 

[chrono]

I'm hoping all it means is that it's left the sorting office and is confirmed to have arrived at your local post office. Keeping my fingers crossed that it'll come out for delivery tomorrow.

 

[beau-wy]

I am very optimistic for you - have experienced this dozens of times, most recently earlier this month when I sent a parcel for recutting to Dan. It had been scanned delivered, and was sitting on a shelf at the P.O.

 

[Starzin]

Amelia I truly hope this is a PO stuff up and that you receive your packge tomorrow.

Lots of dust heading your way!

 

[Arkteia]

I had many situations when because of a tiny typo on the address, the package would be traveling all around our city till it finally would find us. Perhaps the same thing is happening with your tsavorite. Best of luck, and most positive wishes!

 

[AmeliaG]

Well ladies, I've got it! Now just trying to figure out how to take pictures. I only have the camera on my iPad which is not very good and the weather is terribly overcast today.

 

[minousbijoux]

That's a relief!

 

[chrono]

No relief for me here until I see pics.

 

[AmeliaG]

OK but the photos are bad. Sigh, I need to get a real camera.

One side of the stone looks dark compared to the other. I can't figure out what causes the darkness - the lighting or an obstruction in the stone, or the lousy camera.

In my next post, I'll post the other photos with light from different angles. Perhaps one of you colored stone mavens can tell me what's going on.

 

[AmeliaG]

Here are the other outside pics. I turned my hand around to get photos of lighting from all angles. You see there is a consistent darkness on the right side.

I have a couple more but the attachment limit per post is four.

 

[FrekeChild]

It's half and half extinction.

On the iPad, try holding the iPad farther away from the stone. It's trying to focus on things that are farther away - in a couple of your shots it looks like it's focusing on the ground instead of the stone.

What do you think of the color?

 

[AmeliaG]

This may be overkill but its my first stone purchase.

I wish I had a better camera! These last series of pics were taken outside. I just turned around in increments to get the sunlight coming from all different angles. Its a pretty lousy day, weather-wise.

So what's your verdict on the stone? Can you give one with the lousy pics? I actually like the tsav's color but I'm a bit concerned with the darkness on the right. It looks like a lot of the stone is going dark at any one time.

 

[AmeliaG]

It's half and half extinction.

On the iPad, try holding the iPad farther away from the stone. It's trying to focus on things that are farther away - in a couple of your shots it looks like it's focusing on the ground instead of the stone.

What do you think of the color?

Hi FrekeChild, thanks for chiming in, we must have crossposted. I can't get the iPad farther away with the handshots but will try a couple with the tsav in the box. As I wrote in the crosspost, I like the color, but am concerned with the half extinction.

 

[Enerchi]

I'm so glad you actually GOT the stone! What a relief. So now we know... if you see its signed for, that could just be that its arrived at the post office... who knew?

Love the colour. Not so sure about the 1/2 and 1/2 extinction. Are you ok with that?? Not sure if setting resolves it - I think its just a function of the cut.

 

[T L]

This may be overkill but its my first stone purchase.

I wish I had a better camera! These last series of pics were taken outside. I just turned around in increments to get the sunlight coming from all different angles. Its a pretty lousy day, weather-wise.

So what's your verdict on the stone? Can you give one with the lousy pics? I actually like the tsav's color but I'm a bit concerned with the darkness on the right. It looks like a lot of the stone is going dark at any one time.

Before giving an opinion, do you think the photos are accurate for color? Green is often difficult to photograph properly.

If you don't like half/half extinction, then there's not much you can do about it. This is a common phenomenon in elongated cuts like ovals and pears and certain kinds of rectangular cuts.

 

[FrekeChild]

It's very common with elongated cuts.

 

[chrono]

I am afraid it is the dreaded half and half extinction. I've had decent success using the iPhone to photography gemstones. Once you've found a decent angle, hold still for a while to allow it to auto focus. If not, tap the stone on the phone screen to let the phone know you want its focus to be on the stone and not elsewhere.

With regards to the 1/2 and 1/2, I've been told once that it depends also on the type of culet used (pointed versus keel style) on an elongated type stone. There are also certain oval designs such as the supernova which never shows this 1/2 and 1/2. I am particular about extinction so I avoid stones showing this characteristic.

 

[AmeliaG]

This may be overkill but its my first stone purchase.

I wish I had a better camera! These last series of pics were taken outside. I just turned around in increments to get the sunlight coming from all different angles. Its a pretty lousy day, weather-wise.

So what's your verdict on the stone? Can you give one with the lousy pics? I actually like the tsav's color but I'm a bit concerned with the darkness on the right. It looks like a lot of the stone is going dark at any one time.

Before giving an opinion, do you think the photos are accurate for color? Green is often difficult to photograph properly.

If you don't like half/half extinction, then there's not much you can do about it. This is a common phenomenon in elongated cuts like ovals and pears and certain kinds of rectangular cuts.

Yes, TL, I think the photos give a good indication of the color. Of course, IRL I can see a greater value distinction among the facets in the light. With my naked eye, I see 3-4 distinct values in the light whereas in the photos the lighter facet values are condensed to 1 or 2.

Honestly, it looks like too much of the stone is in shadow with the half extinction. The light side also has a few shadow facets and with the other half totally in shadow, that means that most of the stone is in shadow most of the time. It's not a very large stone to begin with.

 

[AmeliaG]

So, ladies, it looks like half and half extinction is an occupational hazard with ovals. Bummer. I love the color but its hard to pay for the color when you can't see it in half of the stone.

 

[Starzin]

So pleased you got it but it is a pity that it appears to have the extinction because it is a pretty colour. Will you keep it?

 

[AmeliaG]

I think I'm going to return it. In most lighting, more than half the stone is dark - that's too much. But it's a good learning experience. I didn't know about half extinction in elongated stones and nothing beats actually seeing the stone in person to educate your eye.

Plus I'm just excited to have actually seen a real tsav in person! This isn't my big project; I'm looking for a 2 ct Asscher sapphire but that will take awhile. I hope Asschers aren't as prone to half extinction but being square cuts they shouldn't be.