AFTER accusations that coloured glass stones were being sold to unsuspecting tourists as 'gemstones' the stone-sellers unanimously vowed that they would "never sell cut and polished stones" there again.
Following an article in Inside Erongo on February 2 exposing the 'scam' at the Ûiba-Ã"as gem-market at the Spitzkoppe turn-off along the B2, gemstone sellers say they were 'unaware' the stones were fake, and police have launched an investigation.
The problem, according to Seth Pordeviltz, Chairman of the Ûiba-Ã"as Gem-market, is that even the stone-sellers along the route were unaware of the fact that the cut and polished stones they were selling were actually coloured-glass.
He said that from now on, if people wanted to purchase cut and polished stones, they would have to go through the Ûiba-Ã"as cooperative where only certified stones would be presented.
"The vendors here have been instructed not to sell cut stones anymore because there is no guarantee that what they have bought or bartered for in exchange for rough stones mined in Erongo are authentic," he told The Namibian.
About 15 stone-sellers at the Ûiba-Ã"as Gem-market said their business, which has been going for nearly two decades, was nearly ruined because of the report in The Namibian.
"People don't trust us anymore," one vendor said. "We work hard getting these stones and crystals and have to stand here in the sun hoping for someone to buy something. We are not dishonest."
Asked about a couple of glass-set rings and coloured glass 'stones' purchased at their stalls about two months ago, which shortly afterwards, due to discolouration, proved to be worthless coloured-glass, another vendor said that it was not them "trying to rob the tourists", but that they themselves had been hoodwinked. According to them, once in a while "gem-dealers" would arrive, wanting to swap rough stones for cut stones.
"This is just an extra product for us and a lot of tourists want cut and polished stones so we make the trade. We're guaranteed that the cut and polished stones are the real thing, so we swap," according to one vendor with nods from others. "Not so," a source who knows the business informed the newspaper.
After a trip to Usakos, The Namibian was directed to a China Shop and after requesting to see the cut and polished stones of various sizes and colours and the stone-set jewellery, the exact same stones and jewellery were presented as those stones found to be made of glass.
The glass items like individual 'stones', rings and necklaces, are marketed fervently as semi-precious gemstones, such as Beryl, Tourmaline, Topaz would go for prices exceeding N$100 at the gem-market, while the same items sold at the China Shop would be N$50 or less. Asked where the shop owner got his stones and jewellery from, he said "China". Asked if the stones were made of glass, he said "no - no glass; real stones".
"Some of the stone-sellers are not as ignorant as they pretend to be. They make a huge profit selling glass to unsuspecting tourists," the source said. "Did you not notice the China shop owner's tray was basically empty from all the stones sold? Who do you think they were sold to? Tourists? The China man does not know. He's just selling his product made in China." The newspaper went to a prestigious jeweller in Swakopmund to present the fake stones bought about two months ago to make sure they were in fact glass. The jeweller took one look and confirmed they were glass.
"The fire is not in the stone. The colour is too perfect. The cut is too perfect. And when you hold it, it's cold, like glass; not warm like a real gem. This is fake. Poor tourists," she said. "A person who does not know stones will not know the difference."
A police source informed the newspaper that an investigation was launched into the matter of dealings in glass gems and said that it was not just isolated to Ûiba-Ã"as, or individual stones or jewellery pieces.
"We are looking at this issue across Namibia, and there are even corrupt dealers selling collectors pieces behind the façade of local polished stones for amounts amounting to tens of thousands," the source said.
More readers have approached The Namibian after the article stating that the same fate had befallen them. In good faith they had purchased 'gems' to help small-miners and ended up with fake stones.
