Dave the jadeite man
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Brighthunter
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Almost the same isn't it? The thread on the eBay one is green, that's about the only difference
LittleOrange
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I know this is about Jade, but I bought a piece of Sakura Agate from Gemporia last year off one of Dave's presentations - sent it back because obviously the piece I received was 50 Shades of Meh.
For the same price I bought 4 pieces from Etsy all of which genuinely look like they have blossom caught in them and are really beautiful pieces of Agate.
For the same price I bought 4 pieces from Etsy all of which genuinely look like they have blossom caught in them and are really beautiful pieces of Agate.
Imogene9500
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Thanks for sharing. I really hope the Gemporia customers who have trusted Dave are getting value for their money, but this is another red flag and reason to challenge the messages that Dave is feeding viewers. The frequency of his appearances makes it almost like propaganda, keep repeating the message and customers will believe it? Yesterday evening Dave was due to do Idar Morganite at 8 which I tuned in for. He was still rambling on about Jade for over 30 mins into that hour. Dave is not here to do us a favour, but to make money. The question is how overpriced his items really are.
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It don't like thinking about It! It's so very wrong on every level! Is he hoodwinking customers with Steve's blessing??
user 17461
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Steve said he'd change stuff he didn't like or agree with, yet here we are weeks after his return and Dave's still lecturing viewers and begging them to buy his jade.
So Steve must be more than OK with it.
TheManWithNoName
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I get the impression that Steve isn't bothered any more. He had companies before Gemporia - and he's had companies since. I think he gets bored and then moves on to his next venture.
Back when Steve was passionate about Gemporia, there were a lot of things that he was against:
1. Steve distanced himself from the 'Chakra' nonsense. He said it was unproven and therefore presenters wouldn't make claims about that side of things on air. Now ever since his own sister started Gem Auras, Jainey has been pushing it quite hard on the channel with all sorts of ludicrous claims. Lynn has now started pushing it too since she became a qualified Chakra Healing Practitioner (I'm not quite sure how people can get a qualification in something that has never been proven, and, in my opinion, is a load of old nonsense).
2. Steve always insisted they never sold "Brass or Glass" - yet just yesterday, Hattie was flogging a Destello Peridot brooch that was made from Brass and then coated with, presumably, gold tone - along with other brass pendants jewellery she's had in the Destello range too.
3. Steve always insisted they would never sell synthetic gemstones - yet Jake was pushing De Beers synthetic diamonds on Jewellery Maker around a year or so again.
4. Steve said that synthetic stones cost "pennies to make" - yet the synthetic diamonds were selling for hundreds of pounds on Jewellery Maker and, as per usual, hyped up by Jake with the usual "I can't believe we're going down to this price............". Really, that's odd because before Gemporia were flogging them, Synthetics were "pennies to make".
5. Things weren't exactly completely transparent under Steve's watch before. I can recall one show in particular was selling loose gemstones and box sets - and several of the items sold for more in the "auction price" than their full price on the Gem Collector website (bearing in mind that they would have sold lower still on the Gem Collector channel). We were told that they couldn't get any more Sleeping Beauty Turquoise because the mine had closed - yet they managed to buy more. They once claimed that they couldn't get Ametrine rough because there had been an export ban put on it - therefore prices would have to go up in future. However, they've had Ametrine since and its sold for the same price, if not less actually. Then the Csarite mine was supposedly closed overnight without warning - yet nothing could be found about that mind closure if you looked on Google. Other retailers, such as Gem Select, were still sourcing and obtaining Csarite too. It may have closed - but I've seen no evidence to back it up as of yet.
6. We were told they only source ethically mined stones - yet they buy stones that originate from Burma and Mozambique, and one of their suppliers is Gemfields / Fabergé (Mozambique Rubies and Zambian Emeralds) - yet if you follow Yianni Melas on Social Media, you will see him regularly exposing Gemfields / Fabergé for their unethical mining - to the point where Yianni actually calls them 'Bloodfields'. If Yianni is correct (and I have no reason to doubt him because he backs up his claims with strong evidence), they are BARBARIC!
7. Gemporia had a warning from the ASA for making claims of "We're giving it away" during auctions because, obviously, they were selling - not giving anything away.
8. Certificates of Authenticity have been incorrect. The Padparadscha Sapphires that were originally sold as 'Not Enhanced', were in fact Heat Treated. I've bought stones that were stated as 'Not Enhanced' on the certificates of authenticity - but then I found out they were treated (A 'not enhanced' Amblygonite turned out to be irradiated, a Blue Zircon that was described as 'Not Enhanced' was actually heat treated).
9. Wrong treatment symbols used. I've lost count how many times I've told Jewellery Maker that the (D) treatment is for 'Dyeing', NOT Diffusion. Diffusion treatment is a (U) symbol. I've lost count of how many times I've told them the (I) symbol means 'Waxing' NOT irradiation treatment. Irradiation treatment is (IR) or, more recently, (IH). I've lost count of how many times they put (C) or 'Coating' as the treatment on stones like Bumble Bee Jasper or Andamooka Opal. They are waxed, not coated! Their argument is that they are coated in wax - so it counts as coated. No, it doesn't. The 'Waxing' treatment literally means it is coated in wax! The 'Coating' treatment is the metallic foil like appearance that they put on the underside of Topaz to create stones such as Mystic Topaz, etc. It may not be intentional - but its incompetence - especially when they're told repeatedly yet still fail to make the corrections.
10. The changing of gemstone names. This has been going on for years - and still does. Oregon Sunstone has been sold under at least 5 different names - 'Serenite', 'Oregon Sunstone', 'Lehrite', 'Plush Diamond Sunstone' and 'Plush Diamond' (which in my opinion is VERY misleading). I'm almost certain there's another name they've used too - but I can't recall it at the moment. Nilamani - it's Blue Kyanite! 'New Jade' - it's not Jade - it's Serpentine! Andesine - the biggest scandal in the gem world! It is Yellow Labradorite that has been diffused to give it a different colour (to be fair to Gemporia, this is an industry wide scandal - and not down to Gemporia).
11. Sailing close to the wind. Legal - but perhaps immoral. Selling very dark green Tourmaline as Indicolite. Indicolite is deep blue - not green. Selling very deep pink sapphires as Rubies. Rubies are red / crimson - not dark pink. Not Purple. Red!
12. Then there's the claims. "You'll never see this price again"....... until tomorrow. "This is the finest parcel we've ever had of this material" - coincidentally, the last parcel you had was the best you'd ever had too - and no doubt the next parcel will be better still! "We're giving it away" - no you're not, you're charging £50 for it!. "We don't take payment until your order is ready for dispatch" (Lynn LOVES saying this). Wrong! Payments are nearly always taken on a Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday night. If I buy something on Friday, and log into my internet banking on Sunday night, it's usually showing as 'pending'. If I buy something on Sunday, and log into my internet banking that same night, it's usually showing as 'pending'. Not only that, but there have been occasions when they've taken the money - but then gone to pick the order, found that it is not in stock, and then they've had to refund me. If they don't take payment until the order is picked, then they wouldn't have needed to refund me - because they would have realised it was out of stock BEFORE they charged me.
Things have certainly changed for the worse since Steve Bennett handed ownership over to employees - and he certainly knows how to run a business (along with his 'team') - but things were NEVER 100% honest, open and transparent. They were never completely 'ethical' either. They may have sourced them ethically from their supplier - I have no reason to doubt that - but the stones were not always mined ethically. Yianni has proven that time and time again on his social media pages.
Everytime I check "watch live" on the website there is at least one piece of - in my opinion - massively over-priced jade in that hour. Also, now a worrying growth in Nanhong agate. But every hour I have seen seems to have at least one, usually more, jade item. It's getting bloody silly now. I honestly think they are doomed. Even if they manage to make the money they need to get out of the poo, by then they will have disenfranchised viewers and wrecked their reputation. It's a real shame but I, personally, feel they are now a bit of a laughing stock and coming across as con merchants with their pricing. Gutted.
LittleOrange
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Dave and Cherry claiming this is the end of it.... With at least another hour of jade coming up #dullsville
Seriously it is around payday for most people - Gems should be nailing a wide range of designs and pricepoints
Seriously it is around payday for most people - Gems should be nailing a wide range of designs and pricepoints
The thing for me with all the endless Jade, is that I don't turn over to the Channel very much now, as I know what will be on it. I don't want any Jade. So I cannot be the only person who thinks, what is the flipping point, it will be Jade, and Dave droning on and on and on. Oh God, please make it stop.
Steve must read this forum, or someone from Gems high up surely must. Why on earth do they not take on board what customers are saying?
Steve must read this forum, or someone from Gems high up surely must. Why on earth do they not take on board what customers are saying?
Imogene9500
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Just switched on after a day out and it is Dave and Lynn with Jadeite large medalion type pendants with 'Dragon' carvings. Personally cannot make out this from the carvings, look just like a very unattractive blob. Switching off.. TOTALLY fed up with Jade. Far too much being presented to be rare or have any value. Any 'discerning connoisseurs' as Jess would describe would not touch all of this with a barge pole!! Much prefer candles and even Destello to all of this boring nonsense. Way beyond tolerance now 
LittleOrange
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I noticed one name popping up as a purchaser on all of the items I watched this morning (about 5).
Always complaining
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Wow!! I don't know what to say.
Yup, pretty much what I have found. Very similar Type A Burmese Jade products are available out their for often 90-95 per cent less than Gems are charging for very similar, if not identical, designs. What that staff member posted in another thread, that Gems were relying on selling Jade at massively inflated prices to get them out of their financial woes seems to be exactly the case - and a little research shows that.
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That is a well known brainwashing technic they use in cults
I didn't see the thread from the employee! I do wish I had. What I can't get my head around is if people are being truly ripped off as it's suggested why are they allowed to get away with it? Why are people still buying at these ridiculous prices? How do the presenters not feel sick at what they are doing? I feel sick watching them, their false amazement and gushing when they know people are paying well over the odds and they are aiding them. I know it's their job but to me it shows what kind of people they are!!!!! Steve is not going to do anything but reap the benefits for all his God bless facade.
