Most jewelers keep an inventory of options. Why doesn’t Alx&Co.?

A common refrain from our clients is that they appreciate out educational and stress-free the Alx&Co. experience is, and our gemstone sourcing model reflects this ethos. We never want our clients to feel pressured into a gem that isn’t right for their project just because we have it in stock, so we keep a neutral sourcing model for every project. A benefit of our model is that we are flexible to work with many different loyal vendors who each specialize in slightly different gemstones and sourcing methods. We consider our role as jewelers to be one of education and connection: we learn what you are looking for in your gemstone, walk you through your sourcing options, and let you select the path and budget that works best for you.

Which sourcing methods do you endorse?

Honestly, we see benefits to nearly any path you take, as long as it feels right to you. We respect our conventional diamond vendors who have a wealth of experience and knowledge about the diamond industry and see we value in natural and lab created diamonds in different ways. We love working with our Canadian vendors for alternative-colored diamonds and we especially love the idea of recycled diamonds and antique diamonds, since the ecological impact of using recycled stones is nearly eliminated. Sapphires can come from a wide variety of locales, and depending on exactly what you want your sapphire to look like we can advise you on which sourcing options will be available to you.

Are there differences in how the sourcing will work depending on which origin model you pick?

Yes, there will be differences. Conventional diamond sourcing, whether you are looking for natural or lab created diamonds, can usually be completed within a week of your initial consultation. Most conventional-colored sapphires can also be sourced within this amount of time. Certain recycled and antique cut diamonds will take a little longer, as come vendors are international and customs can create delays. All of these options can be viewed in person on review, though, and usually ample variety is available.

Certain mine-to-market vendors will have more limited capacity in sending gems on demand and certain cuts and certain colors will be more difficult, but we try to make everything work as best as possible. Typically, if you want total transparency and a true mine-to-market type transaction, diamonds will not be an option for your piece. You’ll want to consider sapphires, garnet, or other colored gemstones for your stone and you will need to be open to unconventional cuts and colors for your gemstones. These vendors also have less flexibility to send gemstones on review since many of these gems reside in their mine co-ops until they are purchased, while our other vendors can easily send options on memo. Videos and pictures might need to be the guides in these cases, so clients will need to be open to that process.

Availability shifts nearly daily and we are constantly adapting to new broker options. We are happy to walk you through which route fits your own goals best, and we will explain which sourcing options will be available to you for your particular gemstone search. In the end, the sourcing method that feels the most right to you, is the most right for us.

What if you can’t find the perfect gem for me?

Every once in a while, we realize we aren’t the best fit for your search. We do require a Design Deposit before beginning a custom gemstone search and typically this is non-refundable if we have researched and ordered in gemstones for your review and you don’t end up selecting one of ours. If we realize that we can’t fulfil your search based on the parameters you provided to us, i.e., we are unable to meet your budget expectations or color specificity, then we will refund your deposit. If you simply don’t like any of the stones we have sourced or you changed your mind, then we will keep the deposit to pay for shipping fees incurred for your consultation. Hopefully we’ll be able to work on your design!