Gem Guide

Only recently occurred to me that I haven't seen the 'Gem Guide' touted on screen as THE bible of the industry. I cast my mind back and the latest copy of the magazine seemed to be regularly on air to show the quoted trade price vs the Gemporia/Gems Television price. I wonder what has changed that it is no longer quoted

GrahamBristol said:

Only recently occurred to me that I haven't seen the 'Gem Guide' touted on screen as THE bible of the industry. I cast my mind back and the latest copy of the magazine seemed to be regularly on air to show the quoted trade price vs the Gemporia/Gems Television price. I wonder what has changed that it is no longer quoted

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I haven't been as avid a watcher as the way backs, but they were always on about that and the quality of theirs to the listed in the magazine. Also puts me in mind of their gemology magazine. That died a death too.

GrahamBristol said:

Only recently occurred to me that I haven't seen the 'Gem Guide' touted on screen as THE bible of the industry. I cast my mind back and the latest copy of the magazine seemed to be regularly on air to show the quoted trade price vs the Gemporia/Gems Television price. I wonder what has changed that it is no longer quoted

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It was Jake Thompson that was always pushing that book. He seemed to have a copy tucked under his arm whenever he was on-air.

He's rarely on screen now though since he became MD - so I suspect that why's we've not seen the book either.

Ant7t said:

Also puts me in mind of their gemology magazine. That died a death too.

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They still do it - but you have to pay for it now. The 'free' one stopped last year around the same time as all of the redundancies when they had money problems.

Not sure why anyone would want to pay £3.99 for a book full of adverts that are pushing product launches, and 'industry news' that the presenters and so-called 'gem experts' BS their way through on-screen anyway.

TheManWithNoName said:

It was Jake Thompson that was always pushing that book. He seemed to have a copy tucked under his arm whenever he was on-air.

He's rarely on screen now though since he became MD - so I suspect that why's we've not seen the book either.


They still do it - but you have to pay for it now. The 'free' one stopped last year around the same time as all of the redundancies when they had money problems.

Not sure why anyone would want to pay £3.99 for a book full of adverts that are pushing product launches, and 'industry news' that the presenters and so-called 'gem experts' BS their way through on-screen anyway.

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I thought the magazine was crap even when you got a copy free with a purchase, years back. The last thing I wanted to read about was two whole pages each month about a different presenter, their lives, their gushing tributes about working for Gems and how it was THE jewellery channel par excellence (usually before they disappeared and you next saw them on TJC), how they were bringing out their own range of products (of course), and the chicken curry they'd just bought from Waitrose (OK, maybe not the chicken curry). The mag. was just about OK at the beginning, but in my view it deteriorated quickly. I had to laugh when I saw that more recently they expected you to PAY for the magazine: I thought someone was having a larf.

TheManWithNoName said:

They still do it - but you have to pay for it now. The 'free' one stopped last year around the same time as all of the redundancies when they had money problems.

Not sure why anyone would want to pay £3.99 for a book full of adverts that are pushing product launches, and 'industry news' that the presenters and so-called 'gem experts' BS their way through on-screen anyway.

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I haven't seen it for ages. I know they stopped the free version, unless you're a new customer, but haven't even seen the paid for one. Not that I've looked lately.

I saw the guide make 'to me' a fleeting appearance in Ellis's programme. Mentioning they are including a price guide for lab grown now. I say fleeting, coz I only caught the last five mins, but it may have been more prevalent than that

Ant7t said:

I haven't seen it for ages. I know they stopped the free version, unless you're a new customer, but haven't even seen the paid for one. Not that I've looked lately.

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It's exactly the same. The "free" one also had a price on it.

They've just stopped giving it out for free now.

The Gem Guide has made an appearance - complete with Jake Thompson.

Jake talking out of his a**e as usual. He's flogging Ruby rings - and he's ready prices from the Gem Guide.

His finger moves across to the 'fine' section - and he waffles on about how much he should be flogging the rings for.

However, he conveniently misses the opening line above the pricing chart that says: "Unenhanced - originating from Burma".

The ones he's flogging are heat treated.

Comparing oranges to apples yet again.