Meeshoo
Registered Shopper
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2010
- Messages
- 946
If so, then please read on ................. This post has nothing to do with Shoppingtelly.com and does not represent the views of anybody connected with Shoppingtelly.com.
This post is based on facts alone. It relates to actions connected to Gavin Lindsall - who is currently one of the buyers of gems at Rocks and Co and author of their guide to gemstones that includes treatment information. Somebody you should be able to trust?
1. FACT: In 2006, customers on shoppingtelly.com expressed concern that the "Padparadscha Sapphires" being sold by GemsTV were not real "Padparadschas" but were beryllium ("BE") diffused sapphires, coloured to give the look of a Padparadscha Sapphire. It is important to note that untreated (aside from heat) Padparadscha Sapphires are among the most expensive sapphires that can be bought due to rarity - BE diffused sapphires have very little value, are commonly sold and can be found everywhere, including Ebay.
2. FACT: In 2006/2007 Gavin Lindsell who was then one of the chief buyers of gemstones for GemsTV posted on this forum in response to the concerns raised. In a very, very, long post he reassured customers that the "Padparadscha Sapphires" were indeed natural untreated Padparadschas and that GemsTV had bought these over a number of years from private collections etc. His post was categoric that these items were the real deal. Many of the gemstone fanatics on this forum were unconvinced but short of sending the gemstones to Switzerland for analysis the decision was to take him at his word.
3. FACT: Shortly thereafter, new items were available to buy on the web but this time they were labelled "Padparadscha coloured sapphires". For quite some time, the older items showing as "Padparadscha Sapphires" were being sold alongside "Padparadscha coloured sapphires" which had been confirmed as BE diffused. At no point were the older items re-labelled. The inference was that GemsTV were selling natural Padparadschas sourced from private collections alongside the newer BE diffused items.
4. FACT: Fast forward to 2009/2010. GemsTV are being asked to clarify what, if any, treatments have been applied to certain items. All items bought as "Padparadscha Sapphires" have been confirmed as being BE diffused.
5. FACT: GemsTV are able to confirm the treatments of these Sapphires many years later by contacting the original suppliers of the gemstones. Therefore it is a reasonable assumption that Gavin Lindsell would have (or could have) been in possession of exactly the same information in 2006/2007. Therefore it is also a reasonable assumption that (a) he was aware of the treatment but misled customers or (b) was unaware of the facts but chose to give unsubstantiated information to customers or (c) chose not to investigate who or what had been bought. Considering one of his main responsbilities was to source and purchase gemstones I find it astonishing that he would not have the full facts.
6. FACT: Rocks and Co are now selling "Padparadscha Sapphires". Gavin Lindsell is one of their employees - presumably acting as a buyer of gemstones. He is also author of their free book and has written their gem enhancement information. Rocks and Co presenters have said on air that these are natural Padparadschas. Presenters are not gemmologists, they are given information by buyers and relay this to the public.
My advice to you is that if you have purchased a Rocks and Co Padparadscha Sapphire and believe it to be genuine unheated and untreated you should send it to Switzerland for assessment of BE diffusion.
It is a FACT that customers have bought gemstones with information supplied by Gavin Lindsell have been misled and misold to.
A Company should be judged by its ethics and the people who represent the Company. As a consumer, you have no access to information that the Company has, so you should be able to approach it's representatives and be given an honest and truthful answer. You should never be lied to and Gavin Lindsell has done just that.
This post is based on facts alone. It relates to actions connected to Gavin Lindsall - who is currently one of the buyers of gems at Rocks and Co and author of their guide to gemstones that includes treatment information. Somebody you should be able to trust?
1. FACT: In 2006, customers on shoppingtelly.com expressed concern that the "Padparadscha Sapphires" being sold by GemsTV were not real "Padparadschas" but were beryllium ("BE") diffused sapphires, coloured to give the look of a Padparadscha Sapphire. It is important to note that untreated (aside from heat) Padparadscha Sapphires are among the most expensive sapphires that can be bought due to rarity - BE diffused sapphires have very little value, are commonly sold and can be found everywhere, including Ebay.
2. FACT: In 2006/2007 Gavin Lindsell who was then one of the chief buyers of gemstones for GemsTV posted on this forum in response to the concerns raised. In a very, very, long post he reassured customers that the "Padparadscha Sapphires" were indeed natural untreated Padparadschas and that GemsTV had bought these over a number of years from private collections etc. His post was categoric that these items were the real deal. Many of the gemstone fanatics on this forum were unconvinced but short of sending the gemstones to Switzerland for analysis the decision was to take him at his word.
3. FACT: Shortly thereafter, new items were available to buy on the web but this time they were labelled "Padparadscha coloured sapphires". For quite some time, the older items showing as "Padparadscha Sapphires" were being sold alongside "Padparadscha coloured sapphires" which had been confirmed as BE diffused. At no point were the older items re-labelled. The inference was that GemsTV were selling natural Padparadschas sourced from private collections alongside the newer BE diffused items.
4. FACT: Fast forward to 2009/2010. GemsTV are being asked to clarify what, if any, treatments have been applied to certain items. All items bought as "Padparadscha Sapphires" have been confirmed as being BE diffused.
5. FACT: GemsTV are able to confirm the treatments of these Sapphires many years later by contacting the original suppliers of the gemstones. Therefore it is a reasonable assumption that Gavin Lindsell would have (or could have) been in possession of exactly the same information in 2006/2007. Therefore it is also a reasonable assumption that (a) he was aware of the treatment but misled customers or (b) was unaware of the facts but chose to give unsubstantiated information to customers or (c) chose not to investigate who or what had been bought. Considering one of his main responsbilities was to source and purchase gemstones I find it astonishing that he would not have the full facts.
6. FACT: Rocks and Co are now selling "Padparadscha Sapphires". Gavin Lindsell is one of their employees - presumably acting as a buyer of gemstones. He is also author of their free book and has written their gem enhancement information. Rocks and Co presenters have said on air that these are natural Padparadschas. Presenters are not gemmologists, they are given information by buyers and relay this to the public.
My advice to you is that if you have purchased a Rocks and Co Padparadscha Sapphire and believe it to be genuine unheated and untreated you should send it to Switzerland for assessment of BE diffusion.
It is a FACT that customers have bought gemstones with information supplied by Gavin Lindsell have been misled and misold to.
A Company should be judged by its ethics and the people who represent the Company. As a consumer, you have no access to information that the Company has, so you should be able to approach it's representatives and be given an honest and truthful answer. You should never be lied to and Gavin Lindsell has done just that.
