Africa Gems

What Africa Gems does

AfricaGems is a privately held, direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer of loose gemstones, diamonds, and finished jewelry, founded in 1984 and headquartered in Mill Valley, California. The company operates a single BigCommerce storefront (africagems.com) with multi-currency support (USD, CAD, AUD, GBP, EUR) and ships globally via FedEx and GlobalPost, serving individual consumers, jewelry designers, and gemstone collectors worldwide.

The product portfolio spans core categories: natural colored gemstones (precious — alexandrite, sapphire, ruby, emerald — and semi-precious — amethyst, tourmaline, tanzanite, garnet, spinel, opal, and others) offered as faceted or cabochon calibrated stones and matched pairs; lab-created and imitation stones from authorized partnerships with Chatham Created Gems and Charles Colvard (moissanite); diamonds including lab-grown melee, CanadaMark hearts-and-arrows, and precision-cut stones; and finished jewelry (rings, pendants, earrings). Mountings and findings extend the assortment into the jewelry-making supply category, while GIA and Gubelin certifications provide third-party authenticity verification on higher-value specimens.

The business runs on a per-product unit-pricing model with no subscription or membership tiers; pricing varies from sub-$20 calibrated amethyst to six-figure alexandrite specimens. Free shipping kicks in above $100 (US) or $1,500 (international), and a 30-day full-refund policy underwrites the trust-driven category. Marketing relies on Instagram organic content, an email newsletter, an educational gemstone blog, and Shopper Approved reviews (2,492 reviews at 4.8/5). The company is independently owned with no institutional investment, no disclosed management team, and no public financials.

Name

Africa Gems

Legal name

AfricaGems

Website

https://africagems.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AfricaGems is a privately held, Mill Valley-based e-commerce retailer founded in 1984 that sells loose natural and lab-created gemstones, diamonds, and finished jewelry to individual consumers, jewelry designers, and collectors worldwide through its BigCommerce storefront.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Gemstone and Jewelry Retail

NAICS

Jewelry Retailers (45831), Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers (458)

SIC

Retail-Jewelry Stores (5944), Wholesale-Jewelry, Watches, Precious Stones & Metals (5094)

akta.pro primary industry

Colored Gemstone Jewelry (CRAKAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Synthetic/Lab-Grown Diamonds & Gemstones (Manufacturing & Trading) (CRAKAJAM), Diamond Jewelry (CRAKAAAA), Fine Jewelry Wholesale & Trading (CRAKAAAL)

Keywords

• Loose gemstone sales
• Colored gemstones retail
• Lab-created gemstones
• Gemstone jewelry e-commerce
• Diamond melee sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Mill Valley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Loose Gemstone Sales: One-time transaction sales of loose gemstones including Alexandrite, Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, and various semi-precious stones. Revenue generated from individual stone purchases at varying price points from budget-friendly to collector-grade specimens.
2. Gemstone Jewelry Sales: Sale of finished jewelry including rings, pendants, and earrings featuring genuine and lab-created gemstones. Products include mountings and settings for custom jewelry projects.
3. Diamond Sales: Sales of both natural and lab-grown diamonds including melee, CanadaMark hearts and arrow diamonds, and precision cut diamonds.
4. Lab-Created Gemstones: Sale of Chatham lab-created gemstones (alexandrite, sapphire, ruby, emerald) and moissanite from Charles Colvard as alternative to natural stones.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

AfricaGems is an online retailer that sells loose natural gemstones, lab-created gemstones, diamonds, and finished gemstone jewelry (rings, pendants, earrings) through its own e-commerce website. The company sources hand-selected stones from suppliers and resells them directly to consumers, jewelry designers, and collectors worldwide, offering calibrated stones, matched pairs, mountings, and findings for custom jewelry projects.

Product overview

AfricaGems is an e-commerce jewelry and gemstones retailer operating on the BigCommerce platform since 1984. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of products organized into core categories: Genuine Gems (loose natural gemstones including precious stones like Alexandrite, Blue Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, and semi-precious stones like Amethyst, Tourmaline, and Tanzanite, available as faceted or cabochon calibrated stones and pearls); Lab Gems (Chatham created stones, Moissanite, and imitation stones); Diamonds (lab-grown and genuine melee and larger stones); and finished jewelry (Rings, Pendants, Earrings) featuring these gems. The business also offers Mountings (ring, pendant, and earring settings in various styles) and Findings as accessories for jewelry making. The New Additions section showcases recently acquired inventory across all product lines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Genuine Gems Loose natural gemstones mined from the earth, including precious gems (Alexandrite, Blue Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Pink Sapphire, Padparadscha Sapphire, Fancy Color Sapphires) and semi-precious gems (Amethyst, Aquamarine, Citrine, Garnets, Morganite, Opal, Peridot, Spinel, Tanzanite, Tourmaline varieties, Topaz, Zircon). Available as faceted calibrated gems, cabochon calibrated gems, genuine pearls (Akoya, Cultured, Freshwater White, Tahitian Black, White Mabe), and birthstones. Intended for individual consumers, jewelry designers, and gemstone collectors.
• Lab Gems Lab-created and simulated gemstones including Chatham created stones (Alexandrite, Blue Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Champagne Sapphire, Paraiba Blue Spinel, Paraiba Chrysoberyl, Pink Sapphire, Padparadscha Sapphire), Moissanite from Charles Colvard and Value Grade (including Colored Moissanite), and imitation stones (Amethyst, Diamond, Alexandrite, Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Opal, Citrine, Peridot, Tourmaline, Zircon, Cubic Zirconia, Tanzanite).
• Diamonds Diamonds including Lab Grown Diamond Melee, Genuine Diamond Round Melee, CanadaMark Hearts and Arrow Diamonds, Precision Cut Diamond Melee, Cognac and Champagne Round Diamonds, Enhanced Colored Melee and Large Diamonds, Natural Colored Larger Diamonds, and Lab Diamond Letters A to Z in GH VS Quality.
• Gemstone Rings Pre-set gemstone rings featuring genuine and lab-created gems including Alexandrite, Aquamarine, Garnet, Morganite, Opal, Ruby, Amethyst, Sapphire, Emerald, Citrine, Diamonds (genuine and lab-created), Moissanite, Pearl, Peridot, Tanzanite, Tourmaline, Topaz, Spinel, Zircon, Turquoise, Moonstone, Black Onyx, and Quartz in various settings.
• Gemstone Pendants Pre-set gemstone pendants featuring Alexandrite, Aquamarine, Morganite, Opal, Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire, Amethyst, Topaz, Garnet, Peridot, Moissanite, Diamonds (genuine and lab-created), Chatham lab-created gems (Alexandrite, Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald), Pearl, Quartz, Tourmaline, Spinel, Tanzanite, Zircon, Citrine, Black Onyx, and multi-gemstone combinations.
• Gemstone Earrings Pre-set gemstone earrings featuring Alexandrite, Aquamarine, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, Morganite, Peridot, Opal, Lab-created Chatham gems (Alexandrite, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby), Amethyst, Diamonds (genuine and lab-created), Garnet, Moissanite, Topaz, Spinel, Quartz, Tanzanite, Zircon, Tourmaline, Black Onyx, Citrine, Pearl, and multi-colored combinations.
• Mountings and Findings Jewelry settings and mountings including Ring Mountings (2|3|7 Stone, Accented, Bezel, Family, Solitaire, Halo, Cabochon, Vintage/Rope/Fleur de Lis), Pendant Mountings (Accented, Religious, Halo Style, Solitaire, 4 Prong, Bar, Cluster/Vintage, Family), and Earring Mountings (Hoop, Pearl, Religious, Stud, Vintage, Halo, Geometric/Bezel, Cluster, Accented, Cabochon, Bar, Fun Accessory), plus jewelry findings organized by shape and preset configurations for jewelry making and repair.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GIA (Gemological Institute of America)coreTechnology or IntegrationGIA provides gemological certification for high-value gemstones sold by AfricaGems. Many products feature GIA certificates verifying authenticity, color, clarity, carat weight, and treatments. GIA certification provides third-party verification of gemstone quality and value.
• Gubelin Gem LabcoreTechnology or IntegrationGubelin provides premium gemological certification for collector-grade gemstones including alexandrite and fine sapphires. Their certificates accompany high-value specimens and provide authoritative quality verification from one of the world's most respected gem labs.
• Chatham Created GemsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAfricaGems is an authorized reseller of Chatham lab-created gemstones including alexandrite, sapphire, ruby, emerald, and champagne sapphire. Chatham is a leading manufacturer of laboratory-grown gemstones.
• Charles Colvard (Moissanite)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAfricaGems sells Charles Colvard moissanite, the original and premier brand of lab-created moissanite gemstones. Charles Colvard provides quality assurance and warranty for their moissanite products.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Leibish: Online colored gemstone specialist (sapphires, rubies, emeralalds, fancy-color diamonds) targeting collectors and investors. Highly comparable assortment depth in collector-grade colored stones and certified inventory.
• The Natural Sapphire Company: Online specialist in natural sapphires and colored gemstones with custom jewelry services. Closely comparable niche focus on colored gemstones, direct-to-consumer e-commerce, and designer/B2B customer segment.
• Angara: Online gemstone jewelry retailer offering loose stones, customizable rings, pendants, and earrings. Comparable DTC e-commerce model, custom jewelry offering, and broad colored-gemstone assortment.
• Brilliant Earth: Online direct-to-consumer jewelry retailer focused on diamonds and colored gemstones with strong emphasis on ethical sourcing and certifications. Highly comparable e-commerce model, customer base, and product categories (engagement rings, loose stones, GIA-certified inventory).
• Blue Nile: Large online diamond and fine jewelry retailer (acquired by Signet Jewelers) selling loose stones, engagement rings, and finished jewelry. Directly comparable DTC e-commerce motion, certified gemstone offering, and global shipping model.
• James Allen: Major online diamond and engagement-ring retailer (Signet Jewelers) operating on a similar pure-play e-commerce model with certified stones and custom jewelry. Comparable in target customer (engagement-ring and fine jewelry buyers) and GIA-graded loose-stone inventory.
• Gemvara: Online customizable fine jewelry retailer offering gemstone rings, pendants, and earrings. Directly comparable in custom-jewelry DTC model and colored gemstone jewelry assortment.

Others

• Chatham Created Gems: Leading laboratory-grown gemstone producer (alexandrite, sapphire, ruby, emerald) and AfricaGems supplier. Comparable as a supplier partner and as a brand competing in the lab-grown colored gemstone category.

Broad incumbents

• JTV (Jewelry Television): TV-and-web jewelry retailer with deep colored gemstone and loose-stone assortment aimed at hobbyists and collectors. Comparable in audience (collectors and value-conscious gemstone buyers) and product mix, but operates as a much larger incumbent across broadcast and digital.

Emerging players

• Charles & Colvard: Original manufacturer and retailer of moissanite, also an AfricaGems supplier. Comparable as a colored-gemstone and lab-grown stone brand, though positioned upstream as a manufacturer with its own DTC channel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/africagems
• Xx.com/AfricaGems1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Africa Gems