Treatments - now clearer?

[TheManWithNoName]

They also use filled amazonites and tourmalines.

https://www.gemporia.com/en-gb/prod...-in-gold-tone-sterling-silver-3.10cts/fsgp59/

https://www.gemporia.com/en-gb/prod...ing-silver-huaigu-bracelet-atgw-33cts/wvgp36/

I've seen other filled gemstones as well.

Tourmaline? WOW! Is nothing safe? I've never noticed that before.

I've seen their filled Amazonite - but it stands out like a sore thumb. It's translucent, almost unnaturally fluorescent in colour, and generally just looks 'cheap' and poor quality.

 

[AndyW]

Again, my ignorance but you live and learn. This is in that article on FF too:

A bit shocking ("...damage...after relatively short contact periods...").

I noticed Emily spending a good five minutes last night explaining the permanence of some types of irradiation (Swiss blue topaz).

In the early days of Gems, they chose to partner with providers of coated stones where only the pavilion was coated, the idea being that it was more durable on everyday wear jewellery. Not sure that's true anymore (hasn't that chap they used to go to retired now?).

I knew about the Amazonite filling although, to be fair, they do sell untreated Amazonite too. Same with Lapis Lazuli - always worth checking the item details.

 

[TheManWithNoName]

I had never thought of that, but it's very true. Carat weight should include the true weight of the real gemstone material. Maybe along with the total stone weight too, so potential buyers can see just how much is filler, and make their decisions accordingly.

Exactly. At least that gives an idea of just how much of the stone is filled then. If the 'stone' weight is 1.9cts, but the 'carat weight' is 2.0cts, then that would show its only had a tiny bit of filling.

If the 'stone' weight is 0.3cts, but the 'carat weight' is 2.0cts, then that would suggest that you've basically bought a lump of resin with a ruby 'shell'.

If that happened in the food industry, people would go NUTS! Imagine buying a 100 gram box of biscuits - but finding out 95 grams is packaging weight. There would be OUTRAGE. Yet people are expected to pay hundreds for an item of jewellery without actually knowing the true weight of what they're actually paying for.

 

[SnowMoon]

Totally agree. Its debatable as to whether they should still be considered 'genuine gemstones' or not - but that's for the industry to decide.

What I do think is immoral is selling them by carat weight when that 'carat weight' is weighing the crap fillers inside them. It's not a true representation of the 'actual' weight of what you're getting in genuine gemstone.

It's against the law to sell 'organic' things such as Amber, Pearls and Abalone (and shells in general) by carat weight because they're not 'stones' - so that law should be extended to anything else that has been pumped full of 'non-stone' materials too.

That's weird. Jade Troth was showing pearls today and saying the GIA and others are now using carat weight rather than mm for pearls - including freshwater cultured.

 

[Rose de France]

Is nothing safe? I've never noticed that before.

Filled larimar in a locket pendant:

https://www.gemporia.com/en-gb/product/larimar-pendant-in-sterling-silver-7.50cts-(f)/tggp76/

If I remember correctly, there was one instance of selling filled garnets. But it was cheap, low-end jewellery.

 

[TheManWithNoName]

I noticed Emily spending a good five minutes last night explaining the permanence of some types of irradiation (Swiss blue topaz).

Did she tell you the 'industry' way though or the 'Gemporia' way?

Gemporia like to refer to 'heat treatment' as just a 'little bit of heat' - even though these things are heated to almost melting point. There is no such thing as 'a little bit of heat' and it boils my blood whenever they say it. They make it sound like Troth has held it next to a candle for 3 minutes out the back.

They used to say that irradiation in Kunzite used to 'stabilise' the colour too (Kunzite fades in daylight). More nonsense. Irradiation only ever does one thing to gemstones - it completely changes the colour of it. If a P:ink Kunzite has been irradiated, then it hasn't been done to stabilise the colour - it's been done because the stone started off as colourless.

 

[Ostrichkeeper]

Can’t believe that Troff is dragging out an auction for a single bloody pearl and making out that he would put it into a safe due to it’s being SO valuable. It’s £129 for one Chinese cultured pearl in 1.5 grams of silver/ gold over.

 

[TheManWithNoName]

That's weird. Jade Troth was showing pearls today and saying the GIA and others are now using carat weight rather than mm for pearls - including freshwater cultured.

More Troth BS. If Troth told me that the Sky was blue, I'd have to go outside to check.

Even IF the GIA started to do that, they couldn't apply it in the UK because it's not allowed. It is done for that reason - so that the public can differentiate between what is a 'stone' and what is 'organic'.

Organic 'stones' HAVE to be sold by size rather than carat weight in the UK.

 

[TheManWithNoName]

Can’t believe that Troff is dragging out an auction for a single bloody pearl and making out that he would put it into a safe due to it’s being SO valuable. It’s £129 for one Chinese cultured pearl in 1.5 grams of silver/ gold over.

Rumours are that when Dave Troth wants a two week holiday, he just books a weekend and drags the rest of the time out.

 

[AndyW]

That's weird. Jade Troth was showing pearls today and saying the GIA and others are now using carat weight rather than mm for pearls - including freshwater cultured.

Gem Collector - now - selling sea shell in carats...

 

[AndyW]

Can’t believe that Troff is dragging out an auction for a single bloody pearl and making out that he would put it into a safe due to it’s being SO valuable. It’s £129 for one Chinese cultured pearl in 1.5 grams of silver/ gold over.

I know that I've just been hauled over the coals in another thread over this sort of comment but I really cannot be hoodwinked into believing for a second that equating a specialist way of farming mussels or oysters to generate a particular colour means it's rare, therefore heirloom investment grade. Poor old Charlie, as well. Colin Wagstaffe must have got into bed with the Chinese market in a big way.

 

[TheManWithNoName]

Gem Collector - now - selling sea shell in carats...
View attachment 27652

They've been in trouble for this before. I can't remember what it was, I think it may have been the Roman Glass - but they had to change the details from carat weight to size.

I suspect they've got around this because it's 'assembled'. The carat weight is the material it's attached to - not the actual shell.

I saw this yesterday and couldn't see how they justify the prices.

I found a full, real, Abalone shell for £24.99 here (no backing, no Quartz cap to cover it - it's a real shell):

Please Log In

www.mineralmagpie.co.uk

or a smaller one here for £19.99

404 - MarineArts.co.uk

I don't get why Gemporia think people would pay a similar price for a tiny, assembled, fragment of shell.

 

[AndyW]

I don't get why Gemporia think people would pay a similar price for a tiny, assembled, fragment of shell.

A bit dispiriting, frankly. Like the £20 - £30 a pop for small pieces of Jasper recently. Making GC closer to JM or HobbyMaker loses what GC used to be about.

 

[TheManWithNoName]

Can’t believe that Troff is dragging out an auction for a single bloody pearl and making out that he would put it into a safe due to it’s being SO valuable.

Imagine asking Troth to be your best man at a wedding. Imagine the speech?

It's Saturday afternoon. Bride, Groom, parents of the bride and groom, and best man sat at the long table at the front of the room. Dave, the best man, stands up to begin his speech.

A big screen saying "BREAKING NEWS" is wheeled in from an adjacent room..........

"Ladies and Gentlemen. I've known Gary for 12 years.................... STEVE, CAN WE GET A 30 SECOND CLOCK ON THE SCREEN"

"So, as I said, I've known Gary for 12 years.................. STEVE, CAN WE GET A 60 SECOND CLOCK ON THE SCREEN"

"So, where was i? Ah yes, I've known Gary for 12 years, he's a really great guy. I met him on a lads weekend out in Blackpool....... STEVE, CAN YOU SHOW EVERYONE THE VT OF ME AND GARY IN BLACKPOOL".

"So yeah, I met Gary in Blackpool. I've known him for 12 years............. "STEVE, CAN I HAVE ANOTHER 30 SECOND CLOCK PLEASE"

"About an hour after we met, I managed to source some fish and chips for us. Not just any fish and chips though. These were the finest, rarest, fish and chips, only available form Fleetwood Road. They cost us £6.50p............... STEVE, CAN YOU BRING UP THAT PRICE COMPARISON GRAPHIC PLEASE"

"So as you can see, if you had bought these fish and chips form Harry Ramsdens, you'd have paid £3870! And you don't even get the cone and a fork with that! We got the cone AND fork free............. STEVE, CAN YOU SHOW THE VT OF ME AND GARY HOLDING OUR CONE AND FORK"

Months later............

Everyone has gone home. The bride and groom have divorced. The dad has passed away from old age. The mum has grown a beard.......... Troth is still standing there, his suit starting to smell slightly musty, the left overs of the buffet has gone mouldy, the fish and chip demo sample have become fossilised.........

"So, as I say, they're a lovely couple, and from knowing Gary for 12 years, I know that he's a great guy and they'll be happy for years.................."

 

[TheManWithNoName]

A bit dispiriting, frankly. Like the £20 - £30 a pop for small pieces of Jasper recently. Making GC closer to JM or HobbyMaker loses what GC used to be about.

The ironic thing is, you used to be able to buy packs of these same Jaspers and Agates for around £8 on JM.

Now they're trying to charge 2x/3x that amount on GC for just ONE of the same stones! It's ludicrous!

Do they think that people forget this?

They were selling ONE oval shape Picture Jasper for £15 on GC the other day. I bought a pack of FIVE ovals for £7.99 from JM a few years ago.

 

[user 17461]

I know that I've just been hauled over the coals in another thread over this sort of comment but I really cannot be hoodwinked into believing for a second that equating a specialist way of farming mussels or oysters to generate a particular colour means it's rare, therefore heirloom investment grade. Poor old Charlie, as well. Colin Wagstaffe must have got into bed with the Chinese market in a big way.

That's a disgusting image. I'll never be able to get to sleep tonight

 

[TheManWithNoName]

Colin Wagstaffe

That's a disgusting image. I'll never be able to get to sleep tonight either!

 

[Marietta]

I know that I've just been hauled over the coals in another thread over this sort of comment but I really cannot be hoodwinked into believing for a second that equating a specialist way of farming mussels or oysters to generate a particular colour means it's rare, therefore heirloom investment grade. Poor old Charlie, as well. Colin Wagstaffe must have got into bed with the Chinese market in a big way.

Rather the Chinese than me!

 

[Marietta]

They also use filled amazonites and tourmalines.

https://www.gemporia.com/en-gb/prod...-in-gold-tone-sterling-silver-3.10cts/fsgp59/

https://www.gemporia.com/en-gb/prod...ing-silver-huaigu-bracelet-atgw-33cts/wvgp36/

I've seen other filled gemstones as well.

In fairness to Gemporia, at least they disclose treatments, not like a certain other channel who disclose absolutely nothing. Apparently, everything they sell is perfect!

 

[Rose de France]

In fairness to Gemporia, at least they disclose treatments, not like a certain other channel who disclose absolutely nothing. Apparently, everything they sell is perfect!

In Polish jewellery shops (online and offline) salespeople don't inform customers about gemstone treatments. If you're lucky, you can read or hear that the agate piece is dyed, but it's all you can expect. Sellers don't know what they get from their vendors. I believe that many of them are unaware of possible gemstone enhancements.