The good old days

[gemcherub]

Do you remember "break points", free ring re-sizing and my favorite "Rapid auctions" in the early days of rapid auction it was a sale and I'm sure it was cost price or if not very close. I saw 1ct of Iliana diamonds for £169 etc
An old member of staff actually told me they stopped rapids as people were complaining about the much higher price they had paid for the items.
My best buy in rapids was a 1ct Iliana diamond ring with 1.5cts of rubies in a stunning setting for £249.
Do you remember the great designs? I love my handbag pendant, its soooooooo heavy and the American flag in diamonds, rubies and sapphires on a gorgeous double chain.
I'll post so pics later but would love to see photos of your best and favorite buys (PPC don't post the round cut Emerald ring you beat me to in rapids or I'll cry lol).
Wish I'd bought and kept more in the good old days. I sent back the most wonderful Alexandrite because I wasn't sure abut the design! Still gutted now haven't seen colour change like it since! and the Ruby platinum ring I returned - boo hoo!
All the beautiful platinum pieces I ummed and arred about for to long hey ho!
Come on lets reminisce!

 

[gemcherub]

Rapid auction Iliana Ruby and diamond ring

<a href="http://s658.photobucket.com/albums/uu310/gemsdawn76/?action=view&current=525.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/uu310/gemsdawn76/525.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

My handbag

<a href="http://s658.photobucket.com/albums/uu310/gemsdawn76/?action=view&current=542.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/uu310/gemsdawn76/542.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s658.photobucket.com/albums/uu310/gemsdawn76/?action=view&current=543.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/uu310/gemsdawn76/543.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

And I forgot the bargin falling auction on the web. Iliana heavy Ruby and diamond ring £149

<a href="http://s658.photobucket.com/albums/uu310/gemsdawn76/?action=view&current=526.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/uu310/gemsdawn76/526.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[Frazzled]

As we're tormenting Sue with pink!

This is the ring that prompted Derek Gibbons to refer to me as Pink Pussycat, hence my username faux par when I joined the forum! - An Iliana sapphire 3ct one-off design. There were several people bidding and I've often wondered if Sue was one of them?

I love my precision set diamond band ring because I can wear it all the time, my favourite is a blue tourmaline and diamond ring.

Remember "Mrs Iliana" under £200? What fabulous stuff to be had back in the day, I just love that last ruby dome ring GC - would you like £150 for it?

It was great fun at the time but I don't lust after the old days, I can't afford to be tempted anymore and fortunately what's on offer at TJC now doesn't interest me either. I confine myself to the odd rising auction for fun these days.

 

[gemcherub]

As we're tormenting Sue with pink!

This is the ring that prompted Derek Gibbons to refer to me as Pink Pussycat, hence my username faux par when I joined the forum! - An Iliana sapphire 3ct one-off design. There were several people bidding and I've often wondered if Sue was one of them?

I love my precision set diamond band ring because I can wear it all the time, my favourite is a blue tourmaline and diamond ring.

Remember "Mrs Iliana" under £200? What fabulous stuff to be had back in the day, I just love that last ruby dome ring GC - would you like £150 for it?

It was great fun at the time but I don't lust after the old days, I can't afford to be tempted anymore and fortunately what's on offer at TJC now doesn't interest me either. I confine myself to the odd rising auction for fun these days.

Beautiful sapphire x Come on more pictures especially the blue tourmaline it sounds divine.
Yes Mrs Iliana shes long gone lol
I'll swap mine for yours lol x
What have I missed with Sue and pink?

 

[Diamond Diva]

Fabulous pieces Gemcherb and Frazzled those certainly were the days, sadly they're long gone !

Over the years I've bought some fantastic Iliana pieces set with diamonds, emeralds, rubellites, indicolites and Tanzanites from TJC that were great designs with good quality and (fairly) reasonable prices but I haven't bought anything significant for two years!

I discovered TJC at a time when their designs and prices coincided with when I could afford to indulge myself, so I did, but having recently retired its no longer really high on my list but I still would if they had anything that tempted me! Their Iliana's were always the higher end of G-H colour and SI1-2. bordering on VS quality, but these days they seem to be closer to H with SI2-3. I know that the recent economic situation has increased the wholesale prices of gold and diamonds which has obviously had an impact on their stock and designs but my five stone 2 ct diamond ring has a fabulous colour and sparkle but one recently shown seemed dull by comparison and was almost £800 more than I paid

 

[gemcherub]

Wow that sounds like a lovely haul, no photos? I always wish I had bought an Iliana Indicolite and Rubelite in white gold or platinum.
I think we should have a swap shop down it the drop he he as I said I would like an Indicolite, Rubelite, Purple sapphire and a Santa Maria Aquamarine in white gold or platinum. Anyone? lol
Actually someone on here had a stunner of an Incdicolite in white gold. Who was it?

 

[Nora]

Lovely jewellery Fraz and Gem!

 

[Pinkpussycat]

I'll post so pics later but would love to see photos of your best and favorite buys (PPC don't post the round cut Emerald ring you beat me to in rapids or I'll cry lol).

Would this be the one hon....:mysmilie_845: Sorry I couldn't resist as it's still one of my fave purchases from TJC and was a very reasonable price compared to some rings in my collection.

Ah yes those were the days alright. I don't still have all my haul as I've sold quite a few pieces that I didn't wear but back in the day I bought four very long w/g Iliana chains which were stunning, TJC only sold them for a very short period and they were never seen since. Two I sold on the bay but I still have two, one set with diamonds and the other with pink sapphires and even though they do not get any wear I will not part with them, I'll post some pics later.

 

[gemcherub]

How could you! :heartbroke: :devil:

 

[Pinkpussycat]

Do you remember the great designs? I love my handbag pendant, its soooooooo heavy and the American flag in diamonds, rubies and sapphires on a gorgeous double chain.

Yes their handbag pendants were fab. I ordered quite a few with coloured stones but only kept this Iliana one set with 1ct diamonds because of its unusual shape, but a few months ago I decided it was too young for me and as I had never worn it I sold it and now I regret letting it go. :doh:

 

[Diamond Diva]

Sorry but I'm no good with photo's (must look into how to post them from photobucket etc) You can see them by using the link http://www.thejewellerychannel.tv/popups/viewdetail.aspx?StockCode=748675 all you need to do is change the last six digits for each item

The Indcolite is 781268 it was 'a one off' although IRL it is more green than on the details

The emeralds are 702899 & 717506
Some of the diamonds are 524505, 592730 & 635142
The Tanzanite is 488396

They all look some much better IRL their pictures never do their jewellery justice, I hadn't realised how long ago I'd bought some of them I dread to think what they'd cost if bought today!

 

[Diamond Diva]

Beautiful pictures PPC your emerald is gorgeous

 

[gemcherub]

I love the Tanzy and the daisy diamond ring. The Colombian Emerald in white gold is also stunning.

 

[Diamond Diva]

I waited ages for the right Tanzanite I knew exactly what I wanted, it had to be a large oval over 3ct, a AAA stone and set in white gold. They had two for sale and in those days once they'd sold one the auction started and the price continued falling until they'd sold all of them, I bought the first one and hoped no one came in too soon for the other one, luckily they didn't so it kept dropping! It was also on one of the days when they took a further 10% off the final price, even then it was was my first big purchase and was expensive it's been valued at six times what I paid for it!

I'd forgotten about their truly falling auctions and how the prices just kept dropping, I remember a 9ct gold apatite necklace that I'd seen but couldn't justify spending £200 on one day they had an auction of 10 or so and it kept dropping and dropping, I bought one when it got down to £100 and couldn't believe it when it finally ended up at £49 (item 536812) - Those were the days !

 

[Pinkpussycat]

You have some beautiful rings there DD. I adore the daisy ring and I remember uhming and ahhing so many times about buying one but never did and I really wish I had now. Eeek this thread is giving me the urge to start buying again, I just wish TJC would show some more decent Ilianas and platinum pieces and I could well be tempted.

 

[Frazzled]

Actually someone on here had a stunner of an Incdicolite in white gold. Who was it?

It was me, I posted the TJC link a while back. I've taken a picture this time but it doesn't do it justice, the colour IRL is stunning. The indicolite is 2.75 carats.

 

[Pinkpussycat]

Wow!! That's gorgeous hon. :heart:

 

[gemcherub]

Thats the one. AMAZING!

 

[Diamond Diva]

You have some beautiful rings there DD. I adore the daisy ring and I remember uhming and ahhing so many times about buying one but never did and I really wish I had now. Eeek this thread is giving me the urge to start buying again, I just wish TJC would show some more decent Ilianas and platinum pieces and I could well be tempted.

Thanks I love the seven stone daisy too, they've sold several of versions of it most were .50ct .75ct 1ct and the odd 2ct but I'd not seen it as a 1.25ct before or since, it was one of those late night auctions and it went down to such a good price I ending up paying quite a lot less than they were selling the 1ct for so couldn't resist it! I wore it one evening and a friend said 'oh I see you're wearing QVC's finest' she thought it was Diamonique I was a little put out and told her it was real but one of my other friends said I should take it as a compliment as QVC's are modelled on flawless quality

 

[Diamond Diva]

It was me, I posted the TJC link a while back. I've taken a picture this time but it doesn't do it justice, the colour IRL is stunning. The indicolite is 2.75 carats.

That's gorgeous Frazzled, I know you've shown it to us before but it's a much better picture than the last one, your's appears to be more teal coloured than mine, mine has more green in it

As PPC said it such a shame they don't have more of these style and quality pieces as like her I could very easily be tempted, never mind my CC is safe for now !