Gem Collector Prices

[TheManWithNoName]

I can't believe how much their prices have rocketed over the last 18 months or so.

Average quality Sunstone. £20+ on tonight's show with carat weights of 2 carats. £8.56 on GemSelect for a comparable stone.

Various Jaspers - between £20 to £30.

Yesterday, K2 Jaspers - Around £25 for 18 carats.

All of these stones can be bought elsewhere for around £10 each for comparable carat weights.

Now I remember why I stopped buying from Gem Collector!

 

[AndyW]

Well, I'm glad you've raised this. I nearly did yesterday but thought I was being silly. Thank goodness.

Absolutely outright bonkers. Real "WTF" segments on the shows recently. Hours of basic minerals, cut in the most mass-produced, machine-assisted shapes, for gob-smackingly piss-taking prices.

"The world's largest gem store" (whatever that means - biggest warehouse floor space?!) selling common or garden varieties of minerals you can buy on Temu FFS and take the risk, if the example on sale is pretty enough to buy, that it's compressed, dyed or treated in some way. And, and, and - 100% guarantee that the one you get (in a quantity auction) will not be anywhere near as pretty to look at as the studio sample. An oval jasper at ca 20mm in length (carat weight is utterly meaningless with these types of rock) at £29.99 + £3.95 P&P?!!!! Really, come on GC!!!

Image attached of some variety of stone carving I bought for myself before Christmas on eBay. Probably 1980s tourist ware, Zimbabwean signed piece (just saying, not bigging it up because it is). Same price.

Sorry, rant over. The men in white coats have been called to take me away!

 

[Deasmum]

Thank you for raising this. I have stopped buying from GC because most of the stones they have been selling for more than 20 pounds can be bought sometimes for 5 quid on eBay and Etsy. The prices have been shocking on GC of late.

 

[SnowMoon]

I can't believe how much their prices have rocketed over the last 18 months or so.

Average quality Sunstone. £20+ on tonight's show with carat weights of 2 carats. £8.56 on GemSelect for a comparable stone.

Various Jaspers - between £20 to £30.

Yesterday, K2 Jaspers - Around £25 for 18 carats.

All of these stones can be bought elsewhere for around £10 each for comparable carat weights.

Now I remember why I stopped buying from Gem Collector!

Well, someone has to pay off their bank loan and pay for Colin's mistakes and it won't be them - not if they have anything to do with it.

 

[historymystery]

Well, I'm glad you've raised this. I nearly did yesterday but thought I was being silly. Thank goodness.

Absolutely outright bonkers. Real "WTF" segments on the shows recently. Hours of basic minerals, cut in the most mass-produced, machine-assisted shapes, for gob-smackingly piss-taking prices.

"The world's largest gem store" (whatever that means - biggest warehouse floor space?!) selling common or garden varieties of minerals you can buy on Temu FFS and take the risk, if the example on sale is pretty enough to buy, that it's compressed, dyed or treated in some way. And, and, and - 100% guarantee that the one you get (in a quantity auction) will not be anywhere near as pretty to look at as the studio sample. An oval jasper at ca 20mm in length (carat weight is utterly meaningless with these types of rock) at £29.99 + £3.95 P&P?!!!! Really, come on GC!!!

Image attached of some variety of stone carving I bought for myself before Christmas on eBay. Probably 1980s tourist ware, Zimbabwean signed piece (just saying, not bigging it up because it is). Same price.

Sorry, rant over. The men in white coats have been called to take me away!

I used to buy the occasional stone or two, but haven't bought from Gem Collector for over three years. Their prices were getting too high for one thing (now they're just crazy expensive), and secondly I couldn't be bothered to listen to Alex McKay's endless, non-funny stories. However knowledgeable he was, he was also excruciatingly boring IMO. Now he's gone, but the prices are still bonkers.

 

[AndyW]

I used to buy the occasional stone or two, but haven't bought from Gem Collector for over three years. Their prices were getting too high for one thing (now they're just crazy expensive), and secondly I couldn't be bothered to listen to Alex McKay's endless, non-funny stories. However knowledgeable he was, he was also excruciatingly boring IMO. Now he's gone, but the prices are still bonkers.

And definitely noticeable price increases for the same material sold by Alex.

Seem to be missing the fact - I think - that the customer base is probably different to the Gems TV, JM and Hobby Maker audiences. Sure, there'll be customers of Gems TV who fancy a loose version of a stone they have in a ring to have set - or set themselves - in a pendant, for example. But a more gemstone-focussed collector might tolerate a filled Malagasy ruby in a piece of fun bling to wear on a night out but would never seriously consider a loose version as a "treasured heirloom" to add to their collection, surely?

 

[AndyW]

Average quality Sunstone. £20+ on tonight's show with carat weights of 2 carats. £8.56 on GemSelect for a comparable stone.

This on Gemporia for £15.56.

Not my thing but 8x8mm, 3.3g silver and small zircons. Add in P&P and it's the same price. Claw set, standard "plonk in" design. Dislike the stone? Remove & replace. 🤷‍♂️

 

[TheManWithNoName]

This on Gemporia for £15.56.

Not my thing but 8x8mm, 3.3g silver and small zircons. Add in P&P and it's the same price. Claw set, standard "plonk in" design. Dislike the stone? Remove & replace. 🤷‍♂️
View attachment 27553

It baffles me how they can justify selling some stones on GC for more than they sell the same stones in jewellery on Gemporia.

I remember people used to raise this with Alex at times, and he'd say something like "The prices depend on when we bought the stones, etc. The ones set in jewellery may be from a parcel we bought X number of years ago........".

Which is nonsense because the recent jewellery using Gems that were supposedly out of the 'Bennett Vault' (BS) were sold at TODAYS prices - not at the prices they were bought years ago.

As for the worlds largest gemstone nonsense - yes, that probably was the case around 10 years ago when they had a HUGE variety of various gems and rare minerals to choose from. I would say that Gem Select have, BY FAR, a much wider range of stones in stock - and bigger stock levels too.

These days, there is hardly any choice on Gem Collector, and when things sell out, they don't replenish the stock. They don't even have beginner / entry-level, cheap, common stones in stock these days - such as Tigers Eye, Rose Quartz, Lemon Quartz, Smokey Quartz, etc.

They're only replacing the 'stones that everyone knows' and where there's big profit margins to be made - Rubies, Sapphires, etc.

I can see why Alex left. He's an intelligent chap. I think he could see what was perhaps coming with Gemporia - or he also realised that Gem Collector peaked around 6 years ago and is now on the decline - and rapidly.

 

[TheManWithNoName]

secondly I couldn't be bothered to listen to Alex McKay's endless, non-funny stories.

I liked Alex - but he had 'reached his sell by date' I think. As you say, repetitive stories (many of which were far fetched and, imo, over-exaggerated to make a good story). The same old jokes for years. And I never quite got the whole music quiz on a gemstone channel thing either.

That being said, he was still better than Emily - and as much as I like Jim, he doesn't have the same spark on Gem Collector that he had on Gems TV.

The best presenters that GC had were Nick, Katie Ho and Lara De-Leuw.

Jeff would be PERFECT for Gem Collector.

 

[TheManWithNoName]

They're flogging this right now.

This was obviously cut as an oval to begin with but it must have broken - so rather than scrapping it, or cutting it into a smaller 'proper' shape, they're flogging it like this as a 'special cut'.

Even cutting it flat would have been better than this ridiculus angle. At least cutting it flat would have given it an 'arch-like' appearance.

 

[historymystery]

And definitely noticeable price increases for the same material sold by Alex.

Seem to be missing the fact - I think - that the customer base is probably different to the Gems TV, JM and Hobby Maker audiences. Sure, there'll be customers of Gems TV who fancy a loose version of a stone they have in a ring to have set - or set themselves - in a pendant, for example. But a more gemstone-focussed collector might tolerate a filled Malagasy ruby in a piece of fun bling to wear on a night out but would never seriously consider a loose version as a "treasured heirloom" to add to their collection, surely?

This is it exactly. Gem Collector folk ARE very knowledgeable about their stones - we've seen that on here - and the prices. So why do Gemporia persist in trying to pull the wool over their eyes by the presenter going delirious over the "low"? price of a stone that any true collector knows is, in truth, a vastly inflated price? I can only assume they're mainly aiming the spiel at those who are fairly new to collecting - I would think most of the old guard of collectors have moved away and are buying their stones elsewhere by now, at a far more favourable price.

 

[TheManWithNoName]

This is it exactly. Gem Collector folk ARE very knowledgeable about their stones - we've seen that on here - and the prices. So why do Gemporia persist in trying to pull the wool over their eyes by the presenter going delirious over the "low"? price of a stone that any true collector knows is, in truth, a vastly inflated price? I can only assume they're mainly aiming the spiel at those who are fairly new to collecting - I would think most of the old guard of collectors have moved away and are buying their stones elsewhere by now, at a far more favourable price.

This is why Jim doesn't really work on Gem Collector in my opinion. He's gone over in 'Gems TV Mode'. I'd say 75% of the Gem Collector buyers are VERY knowledgeable - some probably more so than the presenters.

Trying to convince people the prices are great and the quality is great on filled Rubies and reconstituted Turquoise just isn't going to cut it on there.

I think Gemporia as a whole are more focused on short term profit and gain rather than keeping long term custom these days - which fits in with you mentioning that "aiming the spiel at those who are fairly new to collecting".

In my opinion, that sends out a VERY bad signal. Its gives the impression that they're desperate for money now - and don't particularly care about 5 years time (perhaps because they know they won't be around then).

Once upon a time, the prices were far more reasonable on Gem Collector (and Gemporia as a whole) - and I think they were content with smaller profit margins, but making more longer term with repeat customers.

As you say, at this rate, if they haven't gone already, the 'old guard' will move on to buy from elsewhere. I buy from GemSelect most of the time now because their prices are generally lower, the quality is better, and you actually get the stone you see in the photo - so you know EXACTLY what you're getting. The Certificate of Authenticity actually shows your actual stone too. Nothing infuriates me more than Jim or Emily showing you a nice blue Aquamarine or Pink Kunzite, only for one to drop through your letter box that barely has any colour and has to be returned at our cost.

 

[AndyW]

They're flogging this right now.

This was obviously cut as an oval to begin with but it must have broken - so rather than scrapping it, or cutting it into a smaller 'proper' shape, they're flogging it like this as a 'special cut'.

Even cutting it flat would have been better than this ridiculus angle. At least cutting it flat would have given it an 'arch-like' appearance.

I was dismayed to see one of the hours with these as the top ten selection. Someone on here mentioned that Rod Jinks was working with Chalmers Gems now...

Tree Agate:

£7.50 for two, P&P starts at £2.40, capped at £6.40. Random selection of shape - openly declared. (Comparison took about a minute, total time, to make.)

 

[AndyW]

Nothing infuriates me more than Jim or Emily showing you a nice blue Aquamarine or Pink Kunzite, only for one to drop through your letter box that barely has any colour and has to be returned at our cost.

It's the biggest thing that makes me rage too. Whilst I'm not implying deliberate sharp practices by TGGC (shorthand to cover all channels) and they cover themselves with clauses in their T&Cs, you can be left feeling a sense of being "had" by a 1970s "bait & switch".

Years ago, I bought a set of pieces of unheated, bicolour Tanzanite from Gems TV for a present. Pricey but stunning pale violet, green and blues. They went straight back and I have never bought another - even on GC. Although this was way before the Cavills joined TGGC, Toby has used the term "tanza-white" on air a few times. Sums it up perfectly. Even JM has a Yianni Cherry Blossom Morganite customer review of 1 star, berating the poor colour when compared to the stock images.

I have bought from GC since the days of the GC Cupboard studio but not nearly as much. Very few pieces and only single quantity items (which I've seen on screen "live") or opaque items that couldn't be variable to any material degree or be badly cut or chipped.

 

[TheManWithNoName]

I was dismayed to see one of the hours with these as the top ten selection. Someone on here mentioned that Rod Jinks was working with Chalmers Gems now...

Tree Agate:
View attachment 27560
£7.50 for two, P&P starts at £2.40, capped at £6.40. Random selection of shape - openly declared. (Comparison took about a minute, total time, to make.)

Yep, very reasonable price. Even JM used to do packs of 3 to 7 cabochons for around £8 years ago. Probably the same ones they're flogging now for £20 each on GC. It wouldn't surprise me if they've taken old stock and broken down the packs to sell singly.

Ironically, Chalmers Gems' Gemologist and co-owner (Marie) was the Gemologist and buyer for JM before she was made redundant when the Bennett's bought the channel back. I believe they moved her on to make way for the return of one of the other Bennett's (Paula?).

I suspect that's backfired on them spectacularly because JM went downhill years ago - but Chalmers Gems is very much on the rise.

 

[TheManWithNoName]

So, they've just been selling a load of Unakites. All around the £25 mark for around 80 carats.

I've just had a look at those I own. I bought an 87 carat Unakite from a gem fair last year for £5. I also bought a pack of 4 from Jewellery Maker totalling 78 carats, for £7.95 a few years ago.

They really are taking the p**s now.

 

[Rose de France]

So, they've just been selling a load of Unakites. All around the £25 mark for around 80 carats.

I've just had a look at those I own. I bought an 87 carat Unakite from a gem fair last year for £5. I also bought a pack of 4 from Jewellery Maker totalling 78 carats, for £7.95 a few years ago.

They really are taking the p**s now.

I've got a tumbled piece of unakite from a Polish gift shop. Standard size, good to hold in your hand. I bought it a few years ago, before the pandemic. The cost was about 6 PLN (1.17 GBP).

 

[Rose de France]

Tree Agate:
View attachment 27560

This is moss agate, not tree agate.

tree agate = dark green pattern + white, opaque background

moss agate = coloured (often green) pattern + translucent (usually colourless) background

Tree agate is less atractive than moss agate.

 

[AndyW]

This is moss agate, not tree agate.

I agree 👍😃. I was just being true to their product description (image attached).

 

[AndyW]

So, they've just been selling a load of Unakites. All around the £25 mark for around 80 carats.

I've just had a look at those I own. I bought an 87 carat Unakite from a gem fair last year for £5. I also bought a pack of 4 from Jewellery Maker totalling 78 carats, for £7.95 a few years ago.

They really are taking the p**s now.

They are. Last night also that American fire opal kangaroo again, offered at £280. They were selling these one-off pieces (horse, bear, crocodile etc) at about £100 - £130 less a year ago, I'm sure - I bought one of them.