Sarah & Steve Bennett

Lets all have a go at kicking Sarah & Steve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Firstly I am a GEM collector--for some time,my partner is the Jewelry buyer.
ALL I ever seem to see on here are comment's knocking Gems,Steve & criticising the presenters!!

What Sarah & Steve have done is bring Gemstones to the masses--Most of which if not set in silver would simply never,ever be affordable. I am sure because of the new system in place they and most of you as customers are losing out.It makes much more sense to sell 100 items at £10 than 50 items at £15.
Steve has tried to give you all the best deal by simply making a little on each item,rather than a large amount on each-and now he has been restricted so has had to increase prices slightly because of comments made!!
I as a Gemstone collector can tell you they DO bring you unusual stones,and are also continuing to strive to do so--and their prices for quality stones are EXCELLENT-especially as you know you are getting the real gem listed.
The Knowledge of 99% of the presenters in IMMENSE,and On the one occasion we have sent an item back,it was dealt with really well!!
As for Nik's hair-have you ever thought he still has the pride to want to look good for Angeline!!
Price promise on Sale items-Sale is called a sale for a reason.The Bennett's are working their butt's off trying to keep a family business going & saving xx amount of jobs in the process-I brought a telly 3 weeks ago and it is £100 cheaper now-and oddly enough I cannot get my £100 back either!!

Keep up the good work Sarah & Steve from 2 longstanding customers -who unlike most people on this forum,appreciate the variety,rarity & extent you go to to bring us these little gems in precision gold/silver settings

Forgive me for being cynical but someone saying all that in their first post here ..... Hmmmmm.

You are right Steve and Sarah are very passionate and care about the product and customers but I think and I stress this is my opinion not fact, that when they opened Rocks, they had a totally different attitude to selling. Steve and the other presenters were open and honest all most brutally so, stating for example when the gem in the ring wasn't the top quality but they wanted to bring that gem to people who could only afford a lower price point so there did have to be a compromise. The presenters never shouted and didn't use their bodies to try and encourage the men to buy for their other half.

Fast forward to now, we have shouty presenters, who claim every single gem is the best they have ever ever seen of it, the women show as much cleavage as possible and they use every cliche in the book, from using the much hated heartbeat background track, to pretending the item they are selling shouldn't be in the current sale but as they shown it they had to do it 'so take advantage'.

Maybe you are right about Nick's hair, but I can't help but feel it is vanity as he is on the telly. I am sure he would look much better cut short.

PJ

HI PJ

I have no connection whatsoever with gems tv other than being a customer for the last 5 years!!
So you can be cynical but my point of view is from a private gemstone buyer-who has noticed how the prices have gone
up over the past couple of years!!!(I have a lot of paraiba that I brought a few years ago-but now it is far dearer than I can afford)
I am not claimimg all of the gemstones in the silver settings are AAA quality--otherwise they would have AAA prices to go with them.What I am stating is Joe Bloggs would not be able to afford them-what I am stating is they have brought so many gemstones and knowledge to their customers!!
I agree about some of the cleavage comments-that it is unnecessary-but did you ever notice this before the rule changes???

As for the screeching presenters-I think this is now 100% better than it used to be.

What I cannot understand some of the personal attacks on presenters--if you don't like someone why not just switch over.
I have not posted before as before I have just observed-but some of the topics-like Gems network unavailable and price promise not honoured seem
to be moaning for moaning sake-and I think life is a little too short.
Surely the amount of returning customers to Gems speaks volumes!!!!!!

JP

JP, I agree with you that I would not expect quad a gemstones in a cheap ring, but the presenters need to be honest and not claim it's the best gemstone accented by amazing diamonds when you can see it is a poor quality gem (fair enough due to low cost) and what only can be described as gravel not has amazing diamonds. I am not silly I know if you want nice gems you have to pay, I am not expecting them to do a 'Ratner' and call it crap but they could be more honest.

Give you another example, Steve B was claiming the AAA tanzanite had a better colour than a AAAA one. Pish posh what a load of rubbish. One of the key things when grading is the depth of colour.

I agree being rude about the presenters is wrong but I don't think my post or the OP fell into that catgory when talking about Nicks hair, www were just saying, come on mate take the plunge and loose the TinTin look. I even went onto say the reason we love him is his personality.

PJ

Hi PJ

Are you a gem collector at all??
I must admit I find the grading of Tanzanite very peculiar-sometimes you see items of Tanzanite on Gems with no grading that appear to be better quality than some AA graded items.
I have one piece of AAAA & in my opinion the colour is not as good as some of my AAA.
I think this is one whether you prefer a bright deep crisp blue or the deeper blue almost going towards purplish.
Gems do not do the grading of the gemstones-I believe this is done by Tanzanite one & the GIT
I agree the quality of diamonds in the past has been not brilliant in small pieces,but I think haven't gems now started to grade their diamonds?
As you correctly said best of the best are not going to be set in small silver rings..

JP

I am more of a watcher than purchaser but I do get the odd thing . Wouldn't lie to you and say collector though.


PJ

I have and do occasionally buy from Gemstv,and what I find the most off putting fact is not the presenters,there are good and bad,but the poor quality,flimsy settings,I understand that gold is very expensive and so has been cut to the quick but silver is still relatively cheap and the settings of the silver rings I have bought have also been somewhat disappointing.
So much so that when I see a gemstone I fancy I am unlikely to buy because I know what the finished product will probably be like.
However Gemstv is not alone in this practice as Rocks&co have dire gold weights and now the last silver ring from TJC I returned as it looked flimsy and cheap.
I for one would rather pay more for a pretty gemstone set in a more substantial setting.

MYBUFFY said:

Gems do not do the grading of the gemstones-I believe this is done by Tanzanite one & the GIT

JP

Click to expand...

There is only one universally accepted official grading system for Tanzanite and in fact all coloured gemstones, that is the GIA system, yet we see time after time A, AA, AAA and AAA+ a totally made up grading.

Graham said:

There is only one universally accepted official grading system for Tanzanite and in fact all coloured gemstones, that is the GIA system, yet we see time after time A, AA, AAA and AAA+ a totally made up grading.

Click to expand...

Hi all

I found this website a few weeks ago, see the link you have explanation for tanzanite grades

http://www.lapigems.com/tanzanite_buying_guide.asp

Folowing my post earlier today Steve sent me the following link http://www.anchorcert.co.uk/tanzanite.html , think this sets more questions than in answers like where did the AAAA+ come from that was offered in early June? Does that mean that all Tanzanite sold on GemsTV is sent to Anchor Cert? or is it done in house and does EVERYONE who sells Tanzanite use Anchor Cert? I asume not so in my opinion makes the whole thing about grading pointless.

Mybuffy - if you collect gems and seriously know what you're doing you wouldn't be using the incorrect terminology that you have.

You also wouldn't (albeit obliquely) be praising GemsTV's for grading their diamonds!

OR

Be saying that their prices for "quality" gemstones is "excellent". That, I'm afraid is NOT the case. There are some good deals but quality gemstones and excellent prices for them? No. Not at the moment or for the past year or two (unfortunately).

I have nothing good or bad to say about GemsTV, Steve/Sarah, the presenters etc. but I take issue with praising a company whose standards have slipped so badly that loyal long standing customers no longer shop with them.

Many of the posters here are genuine jewellery/gemstone collectors and understand good quality, excellent gemstone cutting, disclosure of treatments and correct pricing (not to mention jewellery designs, gold weights and overall customer service). The fact that many people on this forum say the same things about GemsTV means that the company as a whole (if the forum is representative of the general public - which is likely) is NOT hitting the mark - despite what you may believe.

MEESHOO

I was responding to PJ's comments regarding Tanzanite "grading"
I am a serious gem collector and as stated,My partner is the jewelry collector.
I said gems had recently started to grade their diamonds.We have a couple of rings that under my loupe look seriously good(AND NO I DO NOT WEAR GLASSES)!!!
I have certified stones by the GIA & GIT but if I buy a really nice stone I send it to Safeguard for certification & Valuation.

I do believe Gems do an excellent job.Not everyone in life can afford the best of the best but STILL gems try & make those stones available to them--yet the majority of posters here want to slag them off.
If you receive an item you have plenty of time to scrutinise it & send it back if you are not happy!!
I think Gems longevity speaks volumes,so quite frankly I think you have no right to question my gems knowlege(which I know is exceptional-and I can give you all the technical jargon if that's what impresses you in life) just because I am loyal to a company
that tries to cater for everyone!!!

JP

MYBUFFY said:

MEESHOO

I think Gems longevity speaks volumes,so quite frankly I think you have no right to question my gems knowlege(which I know is exceptional-and I can give you all the technical jargon if that's what impresses you in life) just because I am loyal to a company
that tries to cater for everyone!!!

JP

Click to expand...

MYBUFFY, I think you might have misunderstood how the forum works. It is a place to note your feelings and opinions and, of course, not everyone is going to agree with them. You have come onto the forum with a new thread that robustly defends Gemstv and the Bennetts in particular and, again, you have every right to do so and it is good that you have found a company that you can fully trust and that pleases you so much.
However, if you were to look back at threads about Gemstv from a number of years ago, you would have seen 99.9% of threads in praise of Gems - in those days critical posts were few and far between. Many things have changed at Gems, unfortunately not for the better and it is mainly the old and loyal customers who have lost faith and feel very let down by a company they felt genuine affection for in the past.
If you had been a long term member of the forum, you would know that Meeshoo's knowledge of gemstones is second to none - a true gem collector and expert - and she has every right on this forum to comment on your posts.
I am a long term Gems customer (going back to Snatchit! days) and I too look back with nostalgia to the early days. I find now that Gems has changed beyond all recognition and I come across constant frustrations, though I still buy from them when I see a piece I like.
You may not like my post, but my opinions carry as much weight as anybody's, as do yours, I think it was just the manner and tone of your first post that might have upset some people.

jacqualina said:

MYBUFFY, I think you might have misunderstood how the forum works. It is a place to note your feelings and opinions and, of course, not everyone is going to agree with them. You have come onto the forum with a new thread that robustly defends Gemstv and the Bennetts in particular and, again, you have every right to do so and it is good that you have found a company that you can fully trust and that pleases you so much.
However, if you were to look back at threads about Gemstv from a number of years ago, you would have seen 99.9% of threads in praise of Gems - in those days critical posts were few and far between. Many things have changed at Gems, unfortunately not for the better and it is mainly the old and loyal customers who have lost faith and feel very let down by a company they felt genuine affection for in the past.
If you had been a long term member of the forum, you would know that Meeshoo's knowledge of gemstones is second to none - a true gem collector and expert - and she has every right on this forum to comment on your posts.
I am a long term Gems customer (going back to Snatchit! days) and I too look back with nostalgia to the early days. I find now that Gems has changed beyond all recognition and I come across constant frustrations, though I still buy from them when I see a piece I like.
You may not like my post, but my opinions carry as much weight as anybody's, as do yours, I think it was just the manner and tone of your first post that might have upset some people.

Click to expand...

To add to this, look at my old posts. I was defending Gems and Steve and Sarah to everyone including the sites owner. How things have changed.

PJ

I Think the price of Gold/Silver have had a marked effect on the way they run the business.
Everyone was happy when items were cheaper,and the truth is they nor any other company could afford to do the same as they were 5 years ago!!
They are trying different ways to try and keep their heads above water.

I fully understand the concept of the forum-but did not appreciate Meeshoo inferring I had no Gemstone knowledge because of me putting things in laymans terms.

JP

what an interesting thread ............ picking up on a few points - and before start - I declare my hand as a previous supporter of rocks tv but sadly disillusioned one these days......... a moaner perhaps???

The number of returning customers - equalled perhaps by the number who now rarely spend and who would previously have shot me down in flames for criticising the company ....... I avoid making this a personal observation on the Bennetts

The Immense knowledge of the presenters - no! they are sales people and lets not confuse that. If they had immense knowledge they would not offer up some of the very random claims that they do.

The screeching presenters - yes, agree its so much better ...................I wonder why? - perhaps the level of feeling about it that was expressed on here - and acknowledged by SB? Ditton for the bosums on show

Network unavailable - unless I am missing something - was this not a perfectly reasonable question which led to channel representatives realising everyone was trying to view them and another forum to update potential customers on progress - not all of us have facbook, twitter etc. Seems to me this was a spreading of the word and most comments were actually leaning towards sympathy and encouragement not moaning.

With respect to your telly ...... fact is you didnt buy it from a company who offered a price pledge ....if you did - then you need a refund! Point made here was a legitimate question which channel representatives answered and if you read it carefully they did clarify ultimately that some sale items do qualify. Again I dont see this as moaning - if a company makes a promise which they do very loudly and proudly - then they must make sure it is clear and it is a customers right to challenge and ask for help if they feel the answer they have is incorrect.

Now Niks hair ....i started that thread - and the whole tone of it was tongue in cheek and affectionate, I agree with PJ - the day it was started - well, his hair was wild, rampant and everyone who saw it sniggered and said what the heck has happened to his hair!!!! As a person in the public eye - it is always possible that people will comment.

We all understand prices have gone up - but rare (rarer than tanzenite even) are comments aimed at price - most often they are service related - and these have to be of concern to the company.

I think a pop a Meeshoo is a badly aimed blow - I for one have alot of respect for her, her knowledge and her help - and I believe Mr B has also acknowledged he values her opinions

To dismiss the comments on here as simply moaning I think is missing the point............my opinion of course, like it or not
good Grief! how can I waffle so much!

GEMS tv

MYBUFFY said:

Lets all have a go at kicking Sarah & Steve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Firstly I am a GEM collector--for some time,my partner is the Jewelry buyer.
ALL I ever seem to see on here are comment's knocking Gems,Steve & criticising the presenters!!

What Sarah & Steve have done is bring Gemstones to the masses--Most of which if not set in silver would simply never,ever be affordable. I am sure because of the new system in place they and most of you as customers are losing out.It makes much more sense to sell 100 items at £10 than 50 items at £15.
Steve has tried to give you all the best deal by simply making a little on each item,rather than a large amount on each-and now he has been restricted so has had to increase prices slightly because of comments made!!
I as a Gemstone collector can tell you they DO bring you unusual stones,and are also continuing to strive to do so--and their prices for quality stones are EXCELLENT-especially as you know you are getting the real gem listed.
The Knowledge of 99% of the presenters in IMMENSE,and On the one occasion we have sent an item back,it was dealt with really well!!
As for Nik's hair-have you ever thought he still has the pride to want to look good for Angeline!!
Price promise on Sale items-Sale is called a sale for a reason.The Bennett's are working their butt's off trying to keep a family business going & saving xx amount of jobs in the process-I brought a telly 3 weeks ago and it is £100 cheaper now-and oddly enough I cannot get my £100 back either!!

Keep up the good work Sarah & Steve from 2 longstanding customers -who unlike most people on this forum,appreciate the variety,rarity & extent you go to to bring us these little gems in precision gold/silver settings

Click to expand...

I have purchased a lot of items from Gemstv some good some not so good, what you must remember is that Steve Bennett is a business man who is motivated by making money. He is not there for his health!! So whatever it takes do not be fooled yes purchase but be careful not to be taken in by the hype and the hard sell conducted by some presenters

Jasper1 said:

I have purchased a lot of items from Gemstv some good some not so good, what you must remember is that Steve Bennett is a business man who is motivated by making money. He is not there for his health!! So whatever it takes do not be fooled yes purchase but be careful not to be taken in by the hype and the hard sell conducted by some presenters

Click to expand...

Wise words indeed.

Are we are all just a bunch of Magpies that buy Gems because we love the sparkle and glitter?

Do we not all get emotional and greedy thinking we are getting something for nothing?

Nothing on GEMS TV is an absolute bargain , it is the going rate for the jewellery it is.

What I call "Argos" jewellery.

We buy it because it can be fun to wear , it stops many of us starring into an upmarket High Street jeweller's window and thinking 'How Much?' or dreaming 'I wish?' but in my honest humble opinion the quality can never compare. A classic case of you get what you pay for.
But to be fair Gems Tv has opened my eyes to different 'semi precious' gemstones , rather than than the standard Big Four you see in mostly in jewellers and when I am bored or a bit lonely I find myself automatically tuning into either Gems TV or Rocks Tv

Steve Bennet is a business man and good luck to him . What gets up my nose is the presenters including Steve And Sarah trying to tell us average minded folk that we are buying something rare , best quality , best piece they have ever seen or a rogue computer that has a mind of it's own . I find it all to patronising. Their customer service is fine, as is delivery , refunds etc . The jewellery styles have become boring and not to my taste . So in my opinion Steve Bennet, the astute business that he is , is weighing up the pros and cons of selling to a market place that thinks everything is just wonderful or perhaps to a smaller cynical bunch of us who can see the jewellery for what it is? The irony being that it was probably GEMS Tv that made us so knowledgeable and astute in the first place and probably we are now the biggest critics because we don't accept the sales pitch and hog wash that we hear from Gems TV.

All in my humble opinion of course.

PS Graham is right , Tanazinite grading , unless by a recognised by an independent company is a joke and not an official recognition of the standard of the Gemstone sold

From my point of view this is an unbiased opinion of GemsTV and comes from one who has spent more than I care to think with them but am not now such an avid buyer:-

1. GemsTV of old (5 years ago), brought some fabulous quality, wonderful gemstones to the wider audience/market that, as Wireless has said, wouldn't have been seen by anybody other than gemstone collectors previously.

2. The overall quality of gemstones isn't as good as it once was in my opinion.

3. The quality of the diamonds as accents is now attrocious - where it once was very good. Previously there weren't ant's gonads apart from the cheaper end pieces and diamonds had good clarity and colour. Now, it's the exception rather than the rule. GemsTV's new rating of diamonds is (in my opinion) ludicrous. The GIA grading of diamonds can be applied to all diamonds in all sizes (although I appreciate that the GIA have a starting point). To use a scale that isn't known and to veer away from an internationally recognised standard could be viewed as deceptive. It's confusing and unclear.

4. The AAAA rating of Tanzanite has always been a joke and doesn't exist! The rating of Tanzanite is incredibly subjective. Graham hit the nail on the head with this.

5. Gold weights of rings used to be decent. That's changed but may reflect the market overall and the need to keep costs down.

6. For years, customers have complained about screeching presenters, over-inflated claims of "rarity" and overall dubious comments. Nails and the clothes of presenters have always been a hot topic of debate. Not a lot has changed unfortunately but there are exceptions.

7. In the past (and I'm talking 5 years ago), GemsTV's price points couldn't be beaten when you compared quality of what you got, compared to what you could buy elsewhere. Again, probably reflective of the market, that's no longer the case. I have seen Emeralds sold at eye watering prices (without proper treatment disclosure) that could be bought for far less and better quality elsewhere. Many of the sapphire and rubies now seen are, to be frank, junk. Where GemsTV are undoubtedly at their best is with "other" gemstones that you would find difficult to source unless you knew where to look.

8. Customer service at GemsTV absolutely ruled for many years. You couldn't fault it. Even when there were problems, they were resolved and for the most part, customers came back for more. It waned seriously several years ago and has struggled to get back to where it once was. There are some pockets of excellent customer service staff at GemsTV and I know that the Bennetts are striving to get back to previous levels. Fingers crossed that turns around because it makes a big difference to the overall experience. In my past few dealings with GemsTV, I have been VERY happy with the CS and I've posted about it too.

9. Steve Bennett is a very astute business man. He founded GemsTV to begin with, left and bought it back. He is very knowledgeable and loves jewellery but he's a businessman first and foremost (and should be of course).

Overall, there are positives and negatives. Would I post a rant about how brilliant they are? No. Would I post a rant about how bad they are? No. They're in the middle ground at the moment but it's early days back in the care of the Bennetts. Competition in the jewellery world is fabulous because ultimately, it helps the consumer BUT listening to the consumer is what will help and not being so arrogant to believe that all is rosy in the garden!

So, Jasper, had you taken the time to canvas opinions instead of having a go at the posters on this forum, you may have found that a lot of people generally agree with some of your statements (not all) but coming on here all guns blazing telling people they're idiots and don't know what they're talking about and should worship at the altar of the Bennetts doesn't sit well.