luxury tanzanite

[Brissles]

Over ten years ago I remember Dale saying there was less than 10 years worth of tanzanite to be extracted from the mine. yeah right, that's the best marketing ploy ever !

Tonight, I saw a Tanzanite ring priced at almost £1,700, and on the close up it showed to have a hollowed out 'inner'. Now, a ring of quality should be solid (I have many), so to pay this very high amount for a hollowed out inside, does not quite cut the mustard.

 

[donna255]

Going to mention Gems TV again, the second time in a post today.

They have been for years doing how rare rare rare it, and now the major mine they buy from has been fenced off by the government. So loads of very pale some looking like a clear stone which would have been thrown away years ago.

The only ring I ever got from QVC with a solid band and may I say I was shocked!!! An Apatite with two very tiny diamonds or chips really, very pretty ring 9ct gold and under £60 back then. But I was so used to the hollow band I could not believe it was solid!

 

[Brissles]

Yes Donna, clearly we didn't realise how lucky we were 'back then' to have paid the prices we did for the good jewellery, compared to what is charged today.

 

[Vienna]

If I wanted to buy a serious piece of jewellery ie. something costing £1k or above, then QVC would be the last place I`d buy it from. Poor quality diamonds, hollow shanks, mass produced, often misrepresented on air with close ups and artificial lighting making items look bigger/better than they actually are and many diamonds which are tiny and illusion set. Plus the ball ache of returning and waiting ages for your very expensive refund.
Every year we stay near a small town in Turkey and I visit a local jeweller, sit with him and choose my own stones from trays of them and examine the loose stones through a loupe as well as see the size and shape and colour, tell him the design and how I want them set etc, choose the metal I want them set into and negotiate a price, shake hands on the deal and return a few days later to see my one off items.
I have been to him 3 times and had some stunning items made for me and not even once have I paid the £1700 QVC are asking for just a so so Tanzanite ring.

 

[alter ego]

Back in the late nineties, I had a platinum diamonique ring for £100. It was solid and very heavy. I asked my local jeweller if it was worth it and he offered me more for it there and then. Even the silver is hollowed out and thin as fuse wire these days.

If I was buying something expensive I would NOT be going to the DHS or Q. I'd be heading to my local jeweller who has been around for years and will give you excellent advice for free, will clean your pieces whenever you drop in, provides quotes and will check condition for insurance. Oh, and NOT rip you off with the price in the first place! I'd also 99.99% not buy new as I love antique cuts and designs.

If I lose OH in town he knows he'll find me loitering outside the second-hand window in my favourite jeweller's :mysmilie_493::heart:

 

[Petespants]

Believe it not I got a ring from Bid TV.At 1.30 am about 15 years ago I arrived home from work and put the TV on .Up came an auction for 5 stone diamond 18ct gold ring.It went down to £199.99.I thought it would be not too good but tired and having a gamble I bid.It was beautiful.Solid gold with 5 huge very decent diamonds which are well set.I only wish I had bought more of them .My older daughter has it now .Why they had these I don't know.I agree about the jewellery being less quality gold in general.Some of the older pieces are much heavier and robust.Also the Tanzanite keeps popping up doesn't it?Charoite,malachite,Australian Opal,Alexandrite for example, are much more scarce in my opinion.

 

[Brissles]

Its when they start charging 3 figure sums for vermeil (base metal with a coating) that gets me going. Amongst my little 'gems' from years ago, is a 15ct swiss blue topaz ring set in 9ct white gold, price ? £68 and I've still got the print out to prove it. What would they charge today for that I wonder ?

 

[Julius]

Tanzanite is nice enough but a little overrated. Not overly keen on Lori and her American accent. Does anyone remember when they touted "blueberry quartz?" I also remember Russian diopside, apatite, citrine. Nowadays you have to go to TJC and buy one of Amit's "speshillll dilllls" that's likely a cheapo ring made in an Indian sweatshop.

 

[shopperholic]

QVC stamped inside a ring of any price, or size, and a jeweller wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole, those simple three initials are synonymous with diamond chips, hollowed out gold and poor craftsmanship. So I certainly hope no one buys an expensive piece of jewellery from QVC as an investment because unless it goes on eBay, you’re stuck with it saying that, even on eBay not many people want a shopping channels initials engraved on a ring.

That Laurie Wickmire (?) sold her credibility down the river when she took QVCs money and decided that money was better than honestly.

 

[Brissles]

That's right Shoppy, when I first 'discovered' QVC and not knowing how it worked, I ordered an aquamarine 9ct gold white ring. When it arrived it was too big (one of the dangers of not knowing one's ring size !) nevertheless I thought I would get my local jeweller to resize it. Once he looked inside the ring and saw QVC he wouldn't touch it, and told me to send it back because QVC produced them in thousands - to accommodate all the QVC channels around the world. Which, when you think about it makes sense. So as it was past the 30mbg I kept it and wore it on my middle finger. But it was a lesson learned.

As for that Lori woman, I was watching the Posh Pawnbrokers on the tele, and she appeared in shot going into the shop, and then being dealt with by an assistant in the jewellery section. She didn't speak on camera, so she might have been acting on behalf of someone else to flog some 'pieces', or she's fallen on hard times :mysmilie_17: and supplements herself on QVC ! but I bet she wasn't trying to sell QVC jewellery - they'd chase her out of the shop !

 

[shopperholic]

That's right Shoppy, when I first 'discovered' QVC and not knowing how it worked, I ordered an aquamarine 9ct gold white ring. When it arrived it was too big (one of the dangers of not knowing one's ring size !) nevertheless I thought I would get my local jeweller to resize it. Once he looked inside the ring and saw QVC he wouldn't touch it, and told me to send it back because QVC produced them in thousands - to accommodate all the QVC channels around the world. Which, when you think about it makes sense. So as it was past the 30mbg I kept it and wore it on my middle finger. But it was a lesson learned.

As for that Lori woman, I was watching the Posh Pawnbrokers on the tele, and she appeared in shot going into the shop, and then being dealt with by an assistant in the jewellery section. She didn't speak on camera, so she might have been acting on behalf of someone else to flog some 'pieces', or she's fallen on hard times :mysmilie_17: and supplements herself on QVC ! but I bet she wasn't trying to sell QVC jewellery - they'd chase her out of the shop !

:mysmilie_19:

I hope she wasn't taking her QVC freebies in, she wouldn't get her bus fare home, but she'd know that though, it's only QVC customers she's paid to deceive. Aw don't worry b, we all live and learn :mysmilie_3: