How we evaluate
We order the items with our own money, on Amazon, as a normal customer. For each one we write three things: what the listing claims, in the seller's own terms; what the stone or metal actually is, from gemology rather than the listing; and what we found on delivery, limited to what we could check with a loupe, callipers, a scale and a diamond tester. Items that have not arrived carry the listing and the gemology and say "notes to follow". We are not gemologists and we do not certify stones.
What we do not do
- We do not repeat a seller's grade as a fact. D colour on a moissanite listing is written as "the seller states D colour".
- We do not print prices, star ratings or review counts. Price bands are qualitative and links go to the live listing.
- We do not invent wear impressions. If a note is missing, we have not checked it yet.
- We do not give investment advice. Lab stones are for wearing.
About the pictures
The styled product images on this site are AI renderings made from each listing's own photographs, so the piece looks like the piece but the scene is staged. They are illustrations, not photographs of our units. Our own photographs of the actual items, taken on the desk, are added to each item as we take them and are labelled as ours.
Who writes this
The Gem Tray is a small independent site written under the pen name Neural, with AI assistance for drafting and research; every product fact is checked against the listing and, where possible, the item in hand.