Gemporia raising its game but no customers?

[GrahamBristol]

There has been a couple of 'events' that I have seen over this weekend of Jaipur Emporium. The first was some 'new seam' Ethiopian Opals with halos of rubellite, aquamarine and emeralds. All offered as suites. These were to be on and gone, small qualities featuring the 'best ever' examples of the opal. (Perhaps some cards didn't go through) Tonight at midnight they are back presenting the collection. So not 'on and gone' as stated during that show.
Then this evening 'old' Burmese ruby which has been recut and halos of seed peals. Nothing against the designs and certainly has its place but it is just not selling. I do not mean that they have ring sizes left but pendants, ear rings and rings left available on the just missed page.
Both shows stressed the lack of numbers of designs and pieces of each design but they are not finding homes with their customer base. Actually during the show no design totally sold out f the ruby. Prices range from £229 to £399 in the ruby so not unrealistic but two hours of prime time shopping and stock left in the vault. Not a profitable way of running a channel. Sunglasses coming up - that's the way to shift product!

 

[HelS]

Gemporia aren't keeping up with the times in regard to jewellery trends. Dated looking designs, with highly included stones set in barely there gold, silver or gold plated ('midas' seriously?!). The days of cheap bling on every finger are gone. I just took a look at their diamonds. Every one I looked at required me to go to a further drop down menu to find the clarity and they were pretty much all I 1-2. No wonder the clarity (or rather lack of it) never gets a mention.
Simple, Scandinavian design, clear, as near to colourless as you can afford diamonds, high quality sapphires, set in good weights of gold are what I see being worn all around me.
Gemporia could have brought in some decent young designers, ditched the cheap/ treated/ never heard of it because no one wants in the first place, stones and revitalised their business. Instead they have dumbed down their jewellery offerings so far that no one is buying them and they're having to diversify into any tat they can get their hands on to try and stay afloat. No one is fooled by their rush to make their presenters 'experts' in an attempt to elevate the tat, or indeed earnest middle aged men insisting that we'd be fools if we didn't buy the tat.
It's Emperor's new clothes stuff. No one will tell Steve Bennett that his 1990's business model needs a radical overhaul.

 

[donna255]

I remember back in the day before Steve owned the channel. I used to buy, and they did simple modern designs, which is what I really like. Rub over by pass designs, Swiss set and channel set. Just the main stone, no extra old-fashioned extra frills as I call them of pearls, zircons etc.

I did actually flick over during the Burmese ruby show and of course they did the Tiffany sell these rubies for thousands. Yes, but not the gem, gold weights that Gemporia are trying to sell. Oh, and individual designs.

 

[Gee4]

There has been a couple of 'events' that I have seen over this weekend of Jaipur Emporium. The first was some 'new seam' Ethiopian Opals with halos of rubellite, aquamarine and emeralds. All offered as suites. These were to be on and gone, small qualities featuring the 'best ever' examples of the opal. (Perhaps some cards didn't go through) Tonight at midnight they are back presenting the collection. So not 'on and gone' as stated during that show.
Then this evening 'old' Burmese ruby which has been recut and halos of seed peals. Nothing against the designs and certainly has its place but it is just not selling. I do not mean that they have ring sizes left but pendants, ear rings and rings left available on the just missed page.
Both shows stressed the lack of numbers of designs and pieces of each design but they are not finding homes with their customer base. Actually during the show no design totally sold out f the ruby. Prices range from £229 to £399 in the ruby so not unrealistic but two hours of prime time shopping and stock left in the vault. Not a profitable way of running a channel. Sunglasses coming up - that's the way to shift product

Hi I don't watch beyond 7pm, mainly because of who is on. But I did see Miss Look at My Gorgeous Hair with the sunglasses. The pearl on the side looked like a spot on her face. No idea what price they went for but of course she had to get all of them. Does she even know what she sounds like, her and Ellis are the same, get all colours, buy for everyone!

 

[Patsy]

At the moment buying anything but food and trying to pay gas and electrical will be more important than buying jewellery for a lot of their customers.

 

[SnowMoon]

I've just terminated my account with them. I was declined a credit (price pledge) on an item because I bought it on the web, not via an auction. It was for about £130 difference. I can (reluctantly) accept that their "price pledge" does not work on sale shows. But I fail to see why I should be unable to claim a credit on my account when someone who buys in an auction can. I've been with them years. I'm a good customer. I just feel that they are treating me like a mug and think I am stupid. It's a credit on the account not cash back. They did not even offer half of the amount - just "no". Their loss!