Gem Collector Prices

[Ant7t]

I see the Bennett vault is being opened on Sunday. With the man himself there. I don't doubt that if Jess were doing the show, they wouldn't be going through that infamous door, but through the roof.

 

[AndyW]

Yep. Zambian emeralds isn't it? Some at 50cts? Waaay out of my price range/interest.

Why GC? Not good enough for Arthur Ivy?

 

[Ant7t]

Yep. Zambian emeralds isn't it? Some at 50cts? Waaay out of my price range/interest.

Why GC? Not good enough for Arthur Ivy?

Maybe they broke up a piece coz it was not selling. OR, they've given up Arthur Ivy coz they weren't selling and they have spare stones.

 

[TheManWithNoName]

Yep. Zambian emeralds isn't it?

I'm surprised they're not calling it Emerald Jade........

 

[OrangeLady]

I have a theory that generally the stones on GC are the "runts" of a parcel.
Poor cut
Visible inclusion
Odd size
Odd-one-out colour
Surplus

They have exceptions. Petroke kunzite. Aquamarines. I missed the rubies before Christmas. It'll be interesting to see what these Bennett vault emeralds look like.
I've been underwhelmed by the themed hours lately, most noticeably the colour change garnet hour with Toby last weekend.

 

[TheManWithNoName]

I have a theory that generally the stones on GC are the "runts" of a parcel.
Poor cut
Visible inclusion
Odd size
Odd-one-out colour
Surplus

They have exceptions. Petroke kunzite. Aquamarines. I missed the rubies before Christmas. It'll be interesting to see what these Bennett vault emeralds look like.
I've been underwhelmed by the themed hours lately, most noticeably the colour change garnet hour with Toby last weekend.

As well as treated stones (despite being available in 'untreated' form), inferior coloured stones, or stones with very little patterns (on opaque cabochons that you'd usually expect to see patterns on - such as some of their Agates and Jaspers).

But yes, they're 'commercial grade' stones - the ones that they used to claim that they don't sell.

Jake Thompson always used to go to the 'fine' section when price comparing stones from his beloved Gem Guide book, but their stones are anything but 'fine'.

Their stones are fine if they're priced accordingly - a wishy-washy Morganite is to be expected in a £15 ring, or a windowed Tanzanite could be expected in a £20 ring - but you don't expected to see £200+ gold rings with windowed Paraiba Tourmalines and fish-eyed Tanzanites (especially when the gold bands are like cheese wire too).

 

[OrangeLady]

I've no idea what a fish eye is in a cut gemstone, but I've got a silly mental picture of someone in the vault randomly sticking googly eyes on

 

[OrangeLady]

But yes, the number of dyed, diffused, assembled/ compressed and filled stones is depressing.

I remember the days of the 50ct club on the website, with a range of sizes and cuts and shapes in each gemstone.

I also remember when they used the tweezers much more, to give a good look all around the stones on offer. Alex was particularly good at showing front and back, pointing out well cut stones and how to spot them.

I wonder if the current trend of putting stones quickly on the wheel with a black background is an attempt to hide the inferior stones?

 

[TheManWithNoName]

I've no idea what a fish eye is in a cut gemstone, but I've got a silly mental picture of someone in the vault randomly sticking googly eyes on

It would probably look better

Basically, when a gemstone is cut too shallow, the internal reflections of the girdle can be be seen inside the table facet. This creates an image of a grey ring that is distracting and unpleasant to look at. It is called a 'fish eye' because it resembles the appearance of a fish's eye.

I've seen some terrible 'fish-eyed' Tanzanite's on Gem Collector.

Here's an example.

 

[TheManWithNoName]

I wonder if the current trend of putting stones quickly on the wheel with a black background is an attempt to hide the inferior stones?

Possibly, plus Emily acts like Gem Collector is the 'Emily show' - with the camera on her more than the stones.

Alex also used to do this a lot.

 

[OrangeLady]

Basically, when a gemstone is cut too shallow, the internal reflections of the girdle can be be seen inside the table facet. This creates an image of a grey ring that is distracting and unpleasant to look at. It is called a 'fish eye' because it resembles the appearance of a fish's eye.

Here's an example.

View attachment 28474

Thanks for explaining and finding an example. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge freely across the forums.

I've been a bit of a magpie for years, love shiny rocks (as well as unusual beach pebbles, I started young!).
It seems I have much to learn about facetted stones. Learning quite a bit here

 

[Marietta]

I have a theory that generally the stones on GC are the "runts" of a parcel.
Poor cut
Visible inclusion
Odd size
Odd-one-out colour
Surplus

They have exceptions. Petroke kunzite. Aquamarines. I missed the rubies before Christmas. It'll be interesting to see what these Bennett vault emeralds look like.
I've been underwhelmed by the themed hours lately, most noticeably the colour change garnet hour with Toby last weekend.

Well, at least Toby 'served his time' in the gemstone business, unlike the great pretenders, Troth and Thompson.

 

[TheManWithNoName]

Well, at least Toby 'served his time' in the gemstone business, unlike the great pretenders, Troth and Thompson.

I actually don't mind Toby. He's the least shystery of the three amigos but at least he doesn't take over and have to be the centre of attention, unlike the other two.

As you say, he also comes from a gemstone background too - whereas the other two are opportunists.

 

[Ant7t]

As well as treated stones (despite being available in 'untreated' form), inferior coloured stones, or stones with very little patterns (on opaque cabochons that you'd usually expect to see patterns on - such as some of their Agates and Jaspers).

I've had that. Both loose and in jewellery. Fell in love with the stone, bought it and been disappointed that it wasn't 'as shown'. Yes, all vary, but if you buy a stone for its patternation, you expect some pattern, at the least.

 

[Ant7t]

I wonder if the current trend of putting stones quickly on the wheel with a black background is an attempt to hide the inferior stones?

Yes, I'm repeating myself, coz I can't remember where I posted it, but I have seen at least two stones (obviously noticeable on screen) that were not described as refurb, with dinks in them.

 

[AndyW]

I've had that. Both loose and in jewellery. Fell in love with the stone, bought it and been disappointed that it wasn't 'as shown'. Yes, all vary, but if you buy a stone for its patternation, you expect some pattern, at the least.

Yep. Me too. It's informed my decisions about what to buy or if it matters. Bi-Colour Tanzawhite was my Damascene moment ten years (or so) ago. Fell in love with it on screen but totally floored by the difference in the product I received. Can't say "bait & switch" because the T&Cs cover "natural variations" but that's how I felt.

Yes, I'm repeating myself, coz I can't remember where I posted it, but I have seen at least two stones (obviously noticeable on screen) that were not described as refurb, with dinks in them.

Me too - one this week, I think. I'm sure I have a memory of Alex withdrawing a stone on air because he spotted an unnatural imperfection. Now it seems more careless.

 

[Ant7t]

Yep. Me too. It's informed my decisions about what to buy or if it matters. Bi-Colour Tanzawhite was my Damascene moment ten years (or so) ago. Fell in love with it on screen but totally floored by the difference in the product I received. Can't say "bait & switch" because the T&Cs cover "natural variations" but that's how I felt.

If you think about, 'variations' a given. But if you choose, as a seller, to buy stones known for their pattern, wouldn't you try to get all types with as much patterning as pos?

 

[AndyW]

I've been underwhelmed by the themed hours lately, most noticeably the colour change garnet hour with Toby last weekend.

Me too. And those orange garnets. And the Sphene.

Poor old Jim. Showed one of those garnets the other night (ugly brown, included thing - you can get beautiful examples elsewhere, at a price mind), switched off the lights and did a DT with the torch. It stayed mainly brown, went slightly red and lit up with the colour of the torch light.

Not my idea of a colour change gemstone. Reminds me of a line from a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta: "She may very well pass for 43 in the dusk with the light behind her."

 

[OrangeLady]

I love garnets, being a January baby and a magpie I've been buying garnet jewellery since I was 13.
Imagine my joy 20 years later discovering tsavorite on Gems TV! Beautiful deep bright green in 18K white gold.
Shortly after I bought a colour change garnet ring which was that pale brown colour, visibly included, and was disappointed it only colour shifted to a pinkish warm brown. But it's a stone I couldn't have found elsewhere at the time, so I kept it.
Then finding spesartite, pyrope, Mali, demantoid, uvarovite, malaya. My best ever piece was from GC more than 10 years ago. Arusha blue colour change, nicely cut round brilliant. Again not a full colour change, but a distinct shift from deep blue to violet-blue with red flashes. I love it. Also a blue colour change ring with 5 stones.

I was very excited for the colour change hour with Toby. I was very underwhelmed by those brown, heavily included stones with barely and colour shift, let alone colour change. And the seemingly ridiculous prices.

I do hope GC can return to providing affordable stones, across a range of grades and carat weights.

They've had some amethysts on this week for £4.99 for 1-2cts. And bi colour tanzanites under 1ct for £19.99. "Pay day treat" prices. I do like to splurge on stones when I see a piece I like, and month to month I'm happy to tune in and pick up affordable stones.

I've rambled on a bit, apologies!

I guess if I have a point to make, it's that I want to see a better overall quality of the stones, with more realistic prices.
I don't know what their business model is these days, or their target audience. But having hours every week where the stones are £100s or £1000s, who's buying them? How deep are the viewers pockets?

 

[TheManWithNoName]

I guess if I have a point to make, it's that I want to see a better overall quality of the stones, with more realistic prices.
I don't know what their business model is these days, or their target audience. But having hours every week where the stones are £100s or £1000s, who's buying them? How deep are the viewers pockets?

I can't see Gemporia ever returning to the days of old. It's almost a different company these days - both 'visually' and 'behind the scenes'.

Steve Bennett doesn't appear to be interested any more. He only appears on TV for health-related stuff, and within days of him saying he was going back to run the Company last year, within a matter of days, Jake Bennett had been given the role of Managing Director. We were told Sarah Bennett would go back to designing - but there have been no Sarah Bennett range designs, and the jewellery still appears to be the same gold tone tat as before. There's also a vast amount of stuff coming from China too.

The old finance director has gone, new directors are in, they've got a huge multi-million pound loan to pay back, they are, or were, struggling financially and lots of staff throughout the Company were made redundant. Good presenters have left. Good producers have left. The Company is now employee owned and therefore has to make more money to pay all of them their cut, rather than just paying dividends to the Bennetts as per the days of their ownership.

Troth has taken over. Kimbie has taken over. Visage has taken over. Primal Living has taken over. Cavill & Co has taken over. It is no longer a jewellery channel - it is a 'jack of all trades, master of none channel' with a huge increase in prices for a noticeable decline in quality.

Gemporia of old has died and had its funeral.

As I've predicted before, long term, I don't see Gemporia surviving in its current format. It either needs new ownership, or it needs Jake, Steve and the rest of the directors to radically overhaul the format of the channel - with hopefully Dave Troth's boring lectures first on the chopping block. I can't see that happening though.

In my opinion, it'll either go bust at some point - or get bought out.