I have heard of some awful things about some of the jewelry stores in Cozumel. People saying that they buy a stone and have them set it but when they pick up the stone they don't look at it and when they got home it was not the same quality and it was broken. Has anyone had a problem buying stones or jewelry in Cozumel or any of the ports in Western Caribbean?

Nope.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

My question is: who are you hearing this from?  My guess would be jewelers here in the states.  My wife had to take some of her pieces in to be cleaned [the tanzanite and caribbean topaz pieces] and the inevitable conversation started: "these are beautiful, where'd you get them, we can try to match prices if you're looking to expand your collection..." and when they heard we got it in Cozumel [tanzanites came from Diamonds International, topaz from Rachat], they were surprised and offended that they were real and that they could not, in fact, come anywhere close to matching prices, and spent the rest of the time running down what had just been described as "beautiful".  One of the excuses used is that tanzanite from the Caribbean are really amethysts.

Last year I got my mother a mother's ring on St Tom; she had to have it resized.  Four and a half total carats split nearly evenly between peridot, amethyst and sapphire.  It was a "beautiful" $1500 ring [more than 3x what I paid for it] until he learned where it came from, and then he was surprised that the stones were real.

Just be careful where you shop and you should expect good quality merchandise!

I bought a tanzanite ring at Tanzanite International with maquis shaped stones.  After losing three different stones, I took it to my local jeweler in Austin and had it set into a pendant.  He said the prongs were very lightweight and I would always have problems with it.  My husband bought me a beautiful tanzanite ring on the Ecstasy last September.  I was told by the shop manager I could either have it sized by them through the mail at no charge or at our local jeweler, they would pay the cost.. That was not the case, I had no choice but to send it to them.  I didn't want to give up my ring for 7-8 weeks so I sucked up the price of my jeweler sizing it. 

As with all shopping, it is buyer beware. I did buy a diamond ring and a diamond pendant from Diamonds International (same company as Tanzanite International) while in Costa Maya. I drove a pretty hard bargain, had a lot of fun doing it, but I know I saved a load over what they would cost in a mall and got much better quality stones. They sized my ring while I waited.

Even if I had paid the original price as marked, it would have been better quality stones than your average store carrys and a little better price.

With the current exchange rate on the dollar, the deals may not be as good. Just shop some of your local jewelers before going. Compare price and quality, then show interest, but do not say OK until the manager has to be called in.

Then get back to the ship and waste!!!

A good place to do some jewelry homework:

http://www.gemhut.com/

yes. I bought a ring last time I was down in Cozumel. It was said to be 18 carat gold with a tanzanite stone in the center surrounded by white saphires. Well, the ring broke even before I got it home so I went to get it fixed and was told that they couldn't because it was just a sterling silver-gold plate on it. Now trying to get ahold of the store where I purchased it from is almost impossible. The thing that gets me is that they even gave me a certificate of authenticity when I bought it.

Unless your purpose is to broad-brush all of Cozumel for the sake of one misrepresented transaction, you're doing no one any favors here.

What store did you get it from?  Or, possibly, where was the '67 Buick parked when you bought it from the guy's trunk?

what I was saying is that you have to really watch what what you are walking out of the store with. This store was a big jewelry store, not the back of some guys car, and what I was purchasing is not the same as what I walked out of the store with. We were in a hurry, so I didn't have time to examine it before I left the store, and this is where the problem lies. Always double check as to what you have in your posession before leaving the establishment.

What store?

Be very very very careful, and know your stones.  Centro Joyero Mahaual sells fake tanzanite, diamonds and gold, for the price of the real stuff.   They look like Diamond International, in fact are very close to them, but they are not.  Don't expect your credit card to be able to help you, because "it's hard to win these things when it's international"   So I have some very expensive costume jewelry.  April 08

I bet the store was Centro Joyero Mahaual.  Not that you could tell from the outside. It looked like Diamond International.  They are clever.

Was this actually in Mahajual? or was it in the cruise pvaillion?

How could you write somthing like that when that person is only trying to warn the american people before they go to mexico, to watch out what they spend there money on !! I certainly did not shop out of some guys trunk . It was a store and not just any store it was CENTRO JOYERO MAHAUAL! It looked the same as diamond international and boy is this company a joke. They do whats called a bait and switch they show you the real stuff then insist on sizing or boxing it up for you then they change the stones and put it in fake gold and or silver. In my case there ended up being 2 stamps 925 and 14k on every piece of jewelry I purchased. PLEASE EVERYONE STAY AWAY FROM THESE JEWELRY STORES!!! I do plan on contacting 20/20 on abc news as well as the travel chanel and possibly even Oprah winfrey show. So this will stop happening to americans this is not just a wrong doing but a CRIME !!!!!! If anyone has any information please write me !!!!!!!!!

Debbie do u have any information on this store they did the same to us and we are working hard to resolve the issue??????