Treasures from the void swallowed again.

[corundum_conundrum]

Bummer.

Five months ago I purchased a largish chrome tourmaline at a steal of a price from a NYC vendor not well known on this board. Touting a wee price tag, he offered me a blurry photo which he claimed was a crude approximation of the real thing. With a full return policy, what did I have to lose?

He was right. The stone was beautiful. While nowhere near perfect even for the species, it transcended the mundane yellowy-green tourmaline. Its tiny window and wavy girdle did little to hide that its color was as savory as a tastey tsavorite. How wonderful to receive so satisfying a thing unexpectedly!

I allowed it to show me its bashful red side under the chelsea filter. Then I grew impulsive. Avaricious, you might say. I forced it to the front of a small queue I had for setting stones, and shipped it hastily to a Thai vendor who I already planned to have set a different stone. I brought it to the USPS who assured me it would arrive in no time.

Then....nothing. Lost never to reach its destination. No one saw it happen. The Nihil which had so effortlessly delivered it to me, swallowed it just as easily.

Has anyone else lost nice stones in the mail? Have you brought it out of a gem box just to see it fall on the floor and crack? I am hoping some commiserating will make me feel better...

 

[gemandjewelrylover]

I'm so sorry for you. How long has it been missing? I've had packages that I thought were lost turn up again, so I hope that's what happens. Sending you good vibes.

 

[kenny]

Oh, that painting!

Sorry you lost your stone.

Was it insured, at least?

 

[FrekeChild]

How long has it been? I had a package go missing with an irreplaceable stone, and I think it was out of my hands for 60 days? Ugh. And that was via registered within the states.

 

[corundum_conundrum]

Thanks for the sympathy guys! I really shouldn't sulk too much--it was not a stone of great value nor was it some heirloom. I just liked it and how I came by it seemed so serendipitous. .

I do hope it finds its way back to me (or at least to someone who might know what it is). Its been 4 months....

It was insured, so we'll see if I get my money back. Unfortunately, the true toll comes in the form that replacing it will cost much more than what I paid for it, so even if I were to be reimbursed, it would not buy me something similar. I feel very foolish about the whole thing now and would never ship anything valuable abroad via USPS/State shipping.

Anyone have any similar sob story about a stone lost/destroyed in the mail? Glad you got yours back FC! fewf.

 

[chrono]

I'm so sorry, CC. You DID freak me out with the initial painting though. I've only lost 1 stone through the USPS system but since it was sent by the vendor, he took care of the claiming process and refunded my money. Unfortunately, I'd rather the stone over my money back. This was within the US. I experienced one other "near miss" from Thailand. The stone showed up 2 months later. This is the biggest reason why I cannot work with vendors outside the US. I'm considering dropping off my stones at the setters personally too instead of shipping them cross country. Some gems are simply irreplaceable these days even if one has the funds.

 

[JewelFreak]

Have you asked the jeweler to search his facility? I returned a stone to Tan once, & when I didn't hear anything for about a month, I asked him if it had arrived. No sign of it, he said. Next day he emailed that it had been sitting in another building all that time & nobody logged it in.

I hope it turns up, bummer & a half!

 

[T L]

I lost a stone sent back to a dealer for a refund once. It was a precision cut Afghan tourmaline, and it never got to him. Fortunately, I insured it and got my money back. It was awful though because the lapidary felt like he lost one of his babies.

Insurance is worth it IMO. I wouldn't send a package USPS without it.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

Several months ago I returned a pkg with two gemstones from Chicago to Philly. I did not insure it or have it tracked and it disappeared. I have sent many pkgs without insuring or tracking and they have always arrived at their destination. Lately i have been reading that more pkgs are lost, particularly when not tracked. I'm a cynic, and believe people steal them. My pgk was worth 85.00 with 2 tourmalines in it.

I will at the very least track the pkg in the future.


Annette

 

[velouriaL]

I'm so sorry this happened. It's so sad when things disappear. I have lost two things in my life-- a gold bangle bracelet from my grandmother and a 1940s Swiss watch-- that I still mourn for. These were my fault, not the mail's, but they just disappeared into thin air! The USPS once DID once lose a $25k inheritance check being sent to me... fortunately it could be cancelled! Again, so sorry to hear about your tourmaline.

 

[pregcurious]

I'm considering dropping off my stones at the setters personally too instead of shipping them cross country. Some gems are simply irreplaceable these days even if one has the funds.

+1.

 

[MMtwo]

Not a gemstone, but once I bought a computer from a well known vendor. I had a box arrive with nothing but a pamphlet. The box looked factory sealed, but way to small to ship a computer. the weight outside of the box was several pounds, although the box I received was basically empty. I called the vendor and they sent another computer out to me (so thankful they believed me). Apparently it was an internal theft at either UPS or the vendor's shipping department. Another time I received an empty mailer with a hole in the bottom and no sterling spoons as shipped.

I just mailed a diamond this am...insured for the full amount.

 

[ilovegemstones]

Sorry for your loss! I have had two boxes of handmade fairy dolls that were being sent to me lost in the mail and I think they were stolen. I always use tracking now. I hope your gems turn up though!

 

[mochiko42]

Oh no!! I hope that your tourmaline eventually shows up. That's really too bad, because even the insurance compensation can't really replace a unique stone.

Here's my own USPS horror story (fortunately with a happy ending this time): [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/anyone-know-anything-about-linton-gemline-inc.176435/page-2']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/anyone-know-anything-about-linton-gemline-inc.176435/page-2[/URL]

I'm outside of the US so I try NOT to deal with US vendors who use USPS, or use USPS Express Int'l (or preferably UPS / Fed Ex). I've ended up frequenting several vendors who are based in Thailand because it only takes 3 days to ship to me in Hong Kong and both Thai and HK post seem overall more reliable than the mystery that is USPS. (No polar vortex here to contend with, either! )