Genuine gemstones???

[TopazTrish]

Hi to all on the forum, haven't posted for a while but have been reading comments about Gems TV. I too am getting a bit disenchanted with Gems Tv and what I think are a few spurious claims. Was watching one night last week when showcasing Amhara opal. I was rather interested and quite liked the colour and some of the designs and price ranges. After listening to the spiel for a while I was a bit doubtful of it's rarity and exclusivity compared to the prices quoted although it was all set in silver. Whilst I don't purchase or am ever swayed to buy based on their gushings, I was gutted when reading the origins of this gem in the small writing at the bottom of the screen which clearly stated Ethiopia, followed by (R). !!!
Gems own treatments list states this letter to be Reformed and or Reconstituted. WTF-- how can this mean it is rare, rare, rare and natural? I also noticed the same several weeks ago when selling one of the multi coloured turquoises. I suppose technically and legally as they display this on screen they are not doing anything wrong but morally it can't be right they claim this parcel a one off exclusive deal, never to be repeated when it is NOT natural or untreated. I have a jeweller friend whom I spoke to about this and she actually said that these pieces would probably only ever be worth what you would be prepared to pay for them and would not have any real intrinsic value in her opinion. Again I don't purchase for value, only buy what appeals to me but feel we are being duped somewhat!
Any thoughts anyone or am I being a bit cynical?

 

[Petespants]

I don't think you are being cynical.You are a person who ,like myself ,may have had negative experience(s) with this company or one of its sister channels. You might just be very astute and see through the c*** spouted on this channel.Amara opal sounds impressive until one realises it is indeed opal from a different area of Ethiopia. Why they are using reconstituted opal and describing it as rare sounds very dodgy to me.It certainly cannot be natural. I don't buy very often now as some of my purchases have been of poor quality and were misrepresented .The days of good solid pieces for reasonable but realistic prices,presented honestly have,in my opinion become a rare package.

 

[donna255]

I saw an ad for some rare rare gem coming at the weekend. Cafe something, which is agate.

Also quite a bit of Druzy popping up lately. I don't consider it rare rare rare.

 

[Turandot]

I don't think much that appears on the Jewellery channels can be described as rare,at least not in the sense of becoming more valuable which is what they are inferring .They go on about "collectors " all the time too.

You are at least questioning their spiel.

 

[missmarple]

Gems appear to have been doing alot lately of spouting on about rare gemstones including the egyptian turquoise which was reconstituted if you read the details also recently a customer either on the reviews or facebook cant remember which suggested they expand the treatment library as various codes were appearing of treatments which were not in the treatment page. I always use to have a quick check if they had given something a fancy name only takes a couple of minutes on gemselect or similar to find its a load of hogwash.Personally i think they are going for poorer quality stones which need all these treatments to make them look better whilst charging higher prices than they did before, i find it all disgraceful.

 

[AndyW]

Utterly agree - you're not being cynical. I haven't watched the TV version of the channel for ages now. They do flash up the treatment but it's "on and gone" so I ALWAYS check the web details first. Which treatments are acceptable is a personal thing (I avoid reconstituted (R), coated (C) and I'm nervous about IH and WL). I think your jeweller friend is right - buy it to wear on a night out or shopping or whatever but that's all it's worth. Forget about "legacy".

"Rare" has lost its meaning now for Gems and all selly telly. I've noticed that nearly all new Gems ranges are from the jaspers, agates and drusy minerals. Not impressive. The big trouble is that Gems shows the best in stock but you take a risk you'll get the dullest version. I got burnt with Pietersite recently (risked it because I had a pendant 3 years ago that was great). I love it but the Gems recent batch was utterly pointless. Don't get me started on the quality of their moonstone and labradorite.

I look elsewhere now and, because you can buy the actual one you're seeing listed, there's no residual feeling of being "done" by a bait-and-switch type transaction - no bollocks about natural variations (sorry).

So, unless you love it, it's in silver and a sane market price then great. Otherwise it's cheese wire gold, over-treated gems, a lack of anything really new or homewares(!).

 

[AndyW]

Gems appear to have been doing alot lately of spouting on about rare gemstones including the egyptian turquoise which was reconstituted if you read the details also recently a customer either on the reviews or facebook cant remember which suggested they expand the treatment library as various codes were appearing of treatments which were not in the treatment page. I always use to have a quick check if they had given something a fancy name only takes a couple of minutes on gemselect or similar to find its a load of hogwash.Personally i think they are going for poorer quality stones which need all these treatments to make them look better whilst charging higher prices than they did before, i find it all disgraceful.

Absolutely bang on Miss M. I check gemselect too! And I think it's bordering on disgraceful as well. And - although it has ALWAYS been about selling - didn't feel quite so much like snake oil salesmen before. Shame but thank goodness for their early focus on educating their customers - come to bite them on the behind methinks.

 

[Bristol]

This evening on Gemporia as a case in point Ethiopian Amhara Opal with the Steve story of this rare blue opal. The original sample had a great colour but the Gemporia customers will only buy opal with 'play of colour'. Some months down the line and Steve gets the call that its been found - blue opal with play of colour. And sure if you like the look of it its an attractive stone. Lets see the historic charts on the price of opals both Ethiopian and Australian and the value according to availability has been impressive if you are looking for a bargain. Of course the point has to be made that although the current parcel has been set in silver any future parcels have to be set in gold. So the story came in from the mine about the fabulous find yet look at the details and the treatment is shown as R. Drill down as to what Gemporia mean by R and:
"R = Reconstruction
Enhancement by use of heat, pressure, and/or solvents to fuse small pieces of a gem together into a larger whole. Often used in conjuction with a dye." (A direct copy and paste including the spelling error!)
Of course no mention of this was in the on screen presentation. I don't really know what it means having read it. How small is small for example?
This from a company that still promotes their 'Fake Nothing' campaign - really?!

 

[AndyW]

This evening on Gemporia as a case in point Ethiopian Amhara Opal with the Steve story of this rare blue opal...the treatment is shown as R. Drill down as to what Gemporia mean by R.... I don't really know what it means having read it. How small is small for example?
This from a company that still promotes their 'Fake Nothing' campaign - really?!

You're right Bristol. For my money, the Amhara Opal is not 'R'eal for me. I don't really like the colour and it looks more like Opalite.

Having researched a little for the various varieties of Turquoise that Gems sells, I see 'R'econstituted as the gem being ground to a powder or broken into tiny pieces and then mixed with something (plastic, resin or similar) so that it can be cut up and shaped.

Fine, it might be a common method but not for me.

 

[historymystery]

I haven't seen anything on Gems for ages that I would be even remotely interested in buying - admittedly, I now only flick over for a few minutes at a time (usually in the evening, to see what Adina is - or almost isn't - wearing!!). For me, the slippery slope started when, in conjunction with the Fake Nothing campaign, they actually encouraged viewers to smash up their costume jewellery, and ran an advert showing someone smashing up pieces. I e-mailed them to say I thought this was not a responsible thing to promote, as the fake stuff could have been donated to a charity shop & raise money for a good cause - why not promote that instead? As I pointed out, Gems promote themselves as having 'green' credentials and using money for good causes - but this ad. was at total variance with their credo! No reply, of course, but then I wouldn't have expected one. Someone didn't think it through and made a pr$t of the channel. I know I keep saying it, but I can't see them lasting much longer. New ranges are all cheap and cheerful quartz and agate, but promoted as though they were natural pink diamonds, which is ludicrous, most of it is dyed or otherwise enhanced and don't get me going on the reduced weights of silver and gold. There's no gemstone knowledge from the presenters because most of them don't seem to have any (unlike the presenters of old, such as Scott, who knew SO much - and all of it verifiable with what you read from other sources). And I notice they've quietly dropped the Gems Experience Days, when viewers could go to Redditch for a training course!! I wonder why???

This evening on Gemporia as a case in point Ethiopian Amhara Opal with the Steve story of this rare blue opal. The original sample had a great colour but the Gemporia customers will only buy opal with 'play of colour'. Some months down the line and Steve gets the call that its been found - blue opal with play of colour. And sure if you like the look of it its an attractive stone. Lets see the historic charts on the price of opals both Ethiopian and Australian and the value according to availability has been impressive if you are looking for a bargain. Of course the point has to be made that although the current parcel has been set in silver any future parcels have to be set in gold. So the story came in from the mine about the fabulous find yet look at the details and the treatment is shown as R. Drill down as to what Gemporia mean by R and:
"R = Reconstruction
Enhancement by use of heat, pressure, and/or solvents to fuse small pieces of a gem together into a larger whole. Often used in conjuction with a dye." (A direct copy and paste including the spelling error!)
Of course no mention of this was in the on screen presentation. I don't really know what it means having read it. How small is small for example?
This from a company that still promotes their 'Fake Nothing' campaign - really?!

 

[missmarple]

Okay, i dont profess to be an expert, the website i purchased my turquoise from gives a clear explanation of different treatments of turquoise, i purchased stabilised, as it is undyed and infused under pressure with clear apoxy resin which permanently hardens the stone. Reconstituted described as Lower grade turquoise, ground into powder,saturated with epoxy resin, dyed and compressed into blocks for cutting. The difference in price is this, One strand of 6mm round beads of stabilised, undyed 6 pounds and 29p. One strand of 6mm round beads Reconstituted One pound and 28p. Gems were all reconstituted and sold at about 20 pounds a necklace on average, bearing in mind he is buying in bulk thats a price hike, plus of course none of presenters mentioned it was reconsitituted. Ionly purchased mine from thebeadshop.uk.com because they sell both and a clear description is given for both. Mr.Bennett is all smoke and mirrors, its a bit like the emporers clothes,plus the explanations of what a gemstone is and the fact it is rare,rare,rare is mostly rubbish, he is imho a chancer who got lucky.

 

[missmarple]

Historymystery, i totally agree with your opinion on the fake nothing campaign, i never liked that campaign as i believe people have a right to spend their money on what they like according to their own budget,plus many people choose to wear cosmetic jewellery to work and keep their more expensive items for special occasions. I do believe that people should be informed of what they are buying, or should do their own research and not take anything on blind faith. Personally i think gems are sailing so close to the wind now that they should be reported to the ASA.

 

[Bristol]

Thursday 9 November 7pm hour
In summary - coated topaz, coated topaz, coated topaz, 15ct coated topaz, 'Santa Maria' coated topaz.
Fake nothing!!

 

[Petespants]

Thursday 9 November 7pm hour
In summary - coated topaz, coated topaz, coated topaz, 15ct coated topaz, 'Santa Maria' coated topaz.
Fake nothing!!

I cannot understand why they would need to coat a stone such as Topaz(or any stone for that matter) as it is beautiful as it is.Are they doing it to try to hide severe imperfections? Fake everything.