Good value items

Kit10 said:

Just listening to Ellis at the moment with a pair of 1/2 carat diamond earrings. Between the emphasis on ‘large size’ (4mm) and the constant reference to the plunge in the price of ‘Lab Grown Diamonds’ she has neglected to tell us valued customers the colour and the grade. I had to go online to check that they were H-I and I3. About as transparent as their diamonds.

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You're not saying that uber trustworthy, game of trust, "let's show everyone how to buy, Christiano" Ellis Ward would be economical with the truth are you?

TheManWithNoName said:

Bezel set too by the looks of things - so that tiny stone will look even tinier when a further 15% of it is lost from having to wrap the edge of the metal over the stone.

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If you wait until Jeff’s show you can triple your “investment”

Marietta said:

Diamonds, a quarter carat in total? Diamonds would be very small.

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Jeff just lowered these for me so i’ll take a chance! Will let you know!

Ant7t said:

That is tantamount to racism. Doesn't matter about the indigenous population with history in the 1000s, not just 100s. We can do what we want. All that history. Stating the obvious, history takes millennia to make and can be gone in moments. I know that's a tangent, but, makes my blood boil, and NOT just because of the lost history, but the lack of respect for traditions of those who have had longer on the land to make that history. Besides that. Look at all that knowledge gone in a blink.

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Australia is really unique and vast. Most of us are migrants, living along the coast, and have yet to visit some of our major cultural landmarks to understand who we are as a 40,000-60,000 year old nation. Off topic but the critters here are super cute, if you ignore the venomous snakes and huge spiders.

Jojo1 said:

Australia is really unique and vast. Most of us are migrants, living along the coast, and have yet to visit some of our major cultural landmarks to understand who we are as a 40,000-60,000 year old nation. Off topic but the critters here are super cute, if you ignore the venomous snakes and huge spiders.

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My aunt and her family and my mother's cousins and theirs, to name the ones I know live in the Melbourne region. Never been, but my mother has. Her sister took her to Hanging Rock and Balarat (or however it's spelt).

Ant7t said:

My aunt and her family and my mother's cousins and theirs, to name the ones I know live in the Melbourne region. Never been, but my mother has. Her sister took her to Hanging Rock and Balarat (or however it's spelt).

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Haha double L, so close. It’s a gold mining town. I went to uni and lived there for 5 years. I’m in Melb, too- born here. It’s getting rough, kids are turning to crime rather than something more productive. I still like it more than Sydney, but not more than Tasmania.

Jojo1 said:

Haha double L, so close. It’s a gold mining town. I went to uni and lived there for 5 years. I’m in Melb, too- born here. It’s getting rough, kids are turning to crime rather than something more productive. I still like it more than Sydney, but not more than Tasmania.

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I couldn't remember if it was double L or double R, or both And couldn't be bothered to look it up And without giving it away now, but my aunt used to live in Fern Tree Gully, but has long since moved So, I'm not really giving anything away.

Ant7t said:

I couldn't remember if it was double L or double R, or both And couldn't be bothered to look it up And without giving it away now, but my aunt used to live in Fern Tree Gully, but has long since moved So, I'm not really giving anything away.

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Haha! It’s nice up there in the mountains! True to the name.

Not sure if anyone saw Angeline selling “solid gold” over silver and doimond heart shaped earrings and pendant yesterday? She spoke about Elsa Peretti for 30 minutes as the inspiration and how these dupes represent her artistry. I wonder if Elsa’s estate or T&Co lawyers would be happy with that?

This ring. Look how pretty it is. Metal weight: 9.08 g (so it's hallmarked by The Birmingham Assay Office). Nice, carved eagles. Huge, clean, saturated, brilliant-cut Zambian amethyst (16.00 x 12.00 mm, 8.0668 cts). I purchased this item in auction. Can you guess how much I paid for it? Only 43.96 euros (about 37 pounds). I'm very satisfied.

TheManWithNoName said:

It baffles me as to why Silver is classed as a precious metal. It scratches easily and tarnishes quickly too if left exposed to air. I'd rather have Stainless Steel to be honest.

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Is stainless steel really malleable? Are people able to create intricate patterns with this alloy? I've never seen sophisticated items (superior designs) made of stainless steel. Creative artists/artisans use silver or gold to implement their ideas. On the other hand, stainless steel jewellery is always basic, never truly original nor complicated.

Rose de France said:

Is stainless steel really malleable? Are people able to create intricate patterns with this alloy? I've never seen sophisticated items (superior designs) made of stainless steel. Creative artists/artisans use silver or gold to implement their ideas. On the other hand, stainless steel jewellery is always basic, never truly original nor complicated.

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QVC sell quite a lot of their Diamonique (Cubic Zirconia) in stainless steel. It is really quite chunky and not such intricate designs. The chain and bracelets always remind me of old fashioned toilet chains or dog chains. It is cheap and seems to sell,

Not for me though, I’ll stick to silver

Jojo1 said:

Not sure if anyone saw Angeline selling “solid gold” over silver and doimond heart shaped earrings and pendant yesterday? She spoke about Elsa Peretti for 30 minutes as the inspiration and how these dupes represent her artistry. I wonder if Elsa’s estate or T&Co lawyers would be happy with that?

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A gold bar (not the chocolate for the UK watchers) is solid gold. How can it be solid gold over silver? Should be stated as silver coated in real gold, or some such. And it's stating more than the obvious, all these comparisons to x and y designers, aren't necessarily equating Gems items with them in quality, it's just basically 'filler'. They have comparatively (compared to designers) cheap stuff they want to make 'better' than in actually is so rather than having say, 10 items in the hour and selling those 10, they have one or two items 'hoping' to sell them on another brand's product. I think that makes sense.

Battiola73 said:

QVC sell quite a lot of their Diamonique (Cubic Zirconia) in stainless steel. It is really quite chunky and not such intricate designs. The chain and bracelets always remind me of old fashioned toilet chains or dog chains. It is cheap and seems to sell,

Not for me though, I’ll stick to silver

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Being a bit dense, but I didn't know Diamonique was just CZ? I know it's man made, but now it sounds cheap. I have some too, in silver. And now I have in my mind jewellery made out of glass and dinner knives

Ant7t said:

Being a bit dense, but I didn't know Diamonique was just CZ? I know it's man made, but now it sounds cheap. I have some too, in silver. And now I have in my mind jewellery made out of glass and dinner knives

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The only reason I found out was it’s imprinted CZ next to the hallmark. I think I heard it mentioned on QVC that all CZ is not equal. Not that it made the slightest difference to me. I still wear Diamonique that I bought 25 years ago and it looks as good as new.

Oh can you imagine QVC selling stainless steel cutlery encrusted with Diamonique

Rose de France said:

Is stainless steel really malleable? Are people able to create intricate patterns with this alloy? I've never seen sophisticated items (superior designs) made of stainless steel. Creative artists/artisans use silver or gold to implement their ideas. On the other hand, stainless steel jewellery is always basic, never truly original nor complicated.

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Yes, because mass-produced jewellery will have settings that are made from moulds - so they'd heat the metal up to liquid form, pour it into a mould, and let it set - the way way as they would with Silver.

Stainless Steel is considered an industrial metal rather than a precious metal - and is therefore perceived as 'cheap' - so designers won't bother creating complex designs with a material that has a stigma of being 'cheap' or 'industrial metal'. This is down to consumer mindset rather than material suitability.

If consumers became more open minded, and considered the perks of Stainless Steel over Silver, then there's no reason why it couldn't take off as a jewellery material - particularly in jewellery where the gemstones are synthetic. If the 'gemstones' are man-made, then the metal that holds them may as well be as well. Why bother wasting precious metals with fake gemstones? It seems pointless.

Stainless Steel has many perks over Sterling Silver. It is stronger and more durable, it is more resistant to scratches and scuffs, it doesn't tarnish or corrode, it is hypoallergenic (many people are allergic to Silver), it produces a stronger lustre - and it is cheaper than Silver.

In my opinion, it would make sense for Gemporia to offer certain jewellery in Stainless Steel settings - particularly 'plated' or 'gold tone' jewellery. Sterling Silver seems pointless when they're going to put a crappy thin plating of tacky yellow looking plating over the top.

It could also be used for the 'under £10' type shows to keep costs down, or used when the stones are heavily treated and pointless in a 'precious' metal - so, basically, chuck all the Reconstituted, Dyed, Filled, and a lot of the Irradiated junk in Sterling Silver instead of wasting a 'precious' metal.

Keep the precious metals for the better quality stones.

TheManWithNoName said:

None of Lehrer's stuff is worth the money - he's a legend in his own mind.

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What about the Wobito brothers? Are they true legends?

Rose de France said:

What about the Wobito brothers? Are they true legends?

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They're not as well known as Lehrer - but in fairness to them, they don't hype themselves up either.

The way Lehrer talks about himself you'd think he invented gem carving.

Does this look like corn to you?

Jojo1 said:

Does this look like corn to you?

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Radioactive corn!!!