New collector, how legit is gemporia?

[Autisticat]

So I’m really new to selly telly & Gemporia and just about to start getting into collecting. I came across it during an injury and boredom for weeks and was sucked in.
After making a purchase and then looking around the internet I mostly saw praise then I came across this forum. I’ve been trying to look into more information about Gemporia, how legit things they sell are and how they are as a company, since.
So how legit is Gemporia? I enjoy watching the show because at times it is just erm… well bizzare and kinda funny, I’m in my late 20’s and it’s better than reality tv.
But what is going on with the pearls thing? They keep saying they are so rare and at first I was drawn in to all the information but now, I’ve realised… there’s pearls being sold for days how rare can they be right now? Also this is just personal opinion but they are really ugly. But they make it sound like pearls are going to run out forever or be the next diamond or something.
Which makes me question my purchase which was an opal ring (albeit not of higher price as I wanted to test out the channel first) but since buying it I have seen some super ugly (I assume dyed) bright coloured opals. Like even right now there’s a woman selling some blue crap.
So how legit is it to buy from here? Would it be worth purchasing else where? I am new to selly telly and whilst it is entertaining to watch for the amdram I don’t want to go into starting a collection which is mostly trash.

 

[TheManWithNoName]

So, first of all, Gemporia ARE a legitimate company that has been trading for over 20 years. Once upon a time, they were really good - offering good value for money, decent quality jewellery, with some gemstones that many people had not heard of before. They were generally quite trustworthy (not totally - but trustworthy enough).

The key word in that paragraph is "were".

You can, on some occasions, still find a good quality buy at a good price - but those seem few and far between these days. You can also find some good gemstones - but you HAVE to pay a lot more attention to what your buying than the days of old. They sell a lot more treated stones these days - and it is ESSENTIAL to look at the 'treatments' part of the graphics. Gemporia presenter are VERY keen to tell you when a gemstone is 'untreated' - but they are very evasive when disclosing treatments.

So, this here comes the negative part about Gemporia.

Over the past couple of years, they have had financial issues. A little over a year ago, Gemporia were taking almost a month to refund customers. the CEO was shown the door, staff were made redundant, and some chose to leave of their own accord.

There has been a very noticeable decline in quality, with a LOT more jewellery and gemstones coming from China. The metal weights of jewellery has reduced, the quality of gemstones has reduced - yet there has been a VERY noticeable increase in prices and a VERY noticeable increase in dubious sales tactics too - with lots of misleading, resulting in a number of warnings from the advertising Standards Authority. There has also been an increasing use of 'made up' gemstone names with misleading information provided about them - such as 'Nilamani', which is Kyanite. Gemporia like to price compare this stone to Sapphire - and also give misleading sales spiel, with references to Sapphire too. 'Nilamani' is NOT Sapphire. Gemporia have also recently had a warning for selling 'Ruby Quartz' - however, it was simply dyed red Quartz. It had no association with Ruby whatsoever.

They're also obsessed with calling everything 'Jade' or 'Jadeite'. They've been flogging 'Quartzite Jade', 'Maw Sit-Sit Jade', 'Serpentine Jade' or 'Mountain Jade' - none of which are actually Jade. These are all currently being investigated by the ASA and NJA.

As well as all of that, all of the good, knowledgeable, informative presenters have gone over the years - and been replaced by shrieking, shouty, hard-sell 'presenters' (I use the term 'presenters' loosely - they're more like sales reps that have been thrust in front of a TV camera).

Some of their claims are ludicrous - and MUST be taken with a pinch of salt. Only today, Lindsey Carr was flogging an item that she claimed "would cost millions" if bought from elsewhere.

You also get a pathetic 6 month warranty when buying from Gemporia - whether your item cost £10 or £10,000. Why would a company that claims to sell 'heirloom pieces' that can be 'handed down for generations' only offer a six month warranty? Some might say its because they know it won't last for anywhere near the amount of time they suggest it will.

DO NOT buy for investment. If you buy something because it looks nice, and the price reflects that, then great! But if you're looking to buy to invest, or buying in the hope that you can sell it for more than you bought it for because the presenters said "this would sell for double the price anywhere else", don't buy! You'll be left extremely disappointed and left out of pocket.

Ensure that you buy using a credit card - because the signs suggest they still have financial difficulties. If they were to go bust tomorrow, buying by credit card ensures that you are protected. If a stone falls out of your jewellery in 9 months time, if you paid by credit card, you are protected. Debit cards don't offer the same protection as a credit card (although they do offer some protection).

Basically, trust your gut. Don't believe a word the presenters say. Check for treatments on screen or on the web, look at the metal weights and ensure you're getting value for money, and shop sensibly.

If in doubt, ask on here. If we think something is decent, we'll tell you so. If we think it's tat, we'll tell you so. If we think the presenters was full of s**t (they usually are), we'll tell you so.

 

[TheManWithNoName]

But what is going on with the pearls thing? They keep saying they are so rare and at first I was drawn in to all the information but now, I’ve realised… there’s pearls being sold for days how rare can they be right now?

They're full of s**t. Pearls are not rare. Pearls actually come from a living creature. How can something be rare if it comes from a creature that still breeds and isn't extinct? It's not like an actual gemstone that forms underground which, ultimately, ceases to exist once the mine becomes depleted.

In reality, very few gemstones are actually 'rare' (Pearls are not gemstones anyway - no matter how much the industry tries to tell us that they are - Pearls are organic but gemstones are not). Gemstones have been around for thousands of years - and they'll continue to be around for thousands of years way after we're all dead and buried.

Diamonds are so 'rare' that millions of people around the world have them in their wedding rings. MILLIONS!

A few years ago, Gemporia told us that there would be no more Csarite (a marketing name for colour change Diaspore) because the mine had closed. The mine then suddenly reopened, and the Csarite continued.

Gemporia told us a few years ago that there would be no more 'rare' Sleeping Beauty Turquoise because the mine had closed. They then magically got another parcel and its been on our screens regularly for the past 4 years or so.

Gemporia told us that there would be no more Ametrine because the Bolivian government had banned the export of the rough material. Guess what - yep, Ametrine is still coming through!

Twelve years ago, they were telling everyone to stock up on Tanzanite because it was becoming harder and harder to mine. It's now 2024, and they're still telling us to stock up on Tanzanite because it's becoming harder and harder to mine. The selly telly channels keep telling us the mine is close to running out - despite experts estimating that there is still 42 years worth of Tanzanite mining left before the mine becomes depleted.

If shopping channels are selling the same gemstones, day after day, year upon year, then they're not rare! If you know a gemstone by name, then chances are it isn't rare. Everyone knows Rubies. Everyone knows Sapphires. Everyone knows Diamonds? Why? Because they're everywhere.

Ask anyone if they've heard of Benitoite, Pezzotaitte, ,Painite, Bixbite, or Taaffeite. They'll probably look at you a bit puzzled. Because very few people have actually heard of them. Why? Because those are actually genuinely rare gemstones with tiny amounts coming out of the ground.

Diamonds, Sapphires, Emeralds, etc are mined, literally, in the TONNES every year. Rare stones cannot be mined by tonnes. The VERY rarest gemstones cannot even be found by the kilogram!

 

[AndyW]

But what is going on with the pearls thing? They keep saying they are so rare and at first I was drawn in to all the information but now, I’ve realised… there’s pearls being sold for days how rare can they be right now? Also this is just personal opinion but they are really ugly. But they make it sound like pearls are going to run out forever or be the next diamond or something.

Yep. If you really want an 18K golden pearl, shop around. Fakes & coated crap out there for sure but TJC ones are around in a similar pin-set design for considerably less. The amount of 18K gold makes it totally irrelevant and just a selling tool...IMHO...

 

[Ant7t]

Yep. If you really want an 18K golden pearl, shop around. Fakes & coated crap out there for sure but TJC ones are around in a similar pin-set design for considerably less. The amount of 18K gold makes it totally irrelevant and just a selling tool...IMHO...
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Talking of pearls. Did I hear correctly, Adina, I think it was, saying they are now going to be / are being sold by carat weight?

 

[Ant7t]

It's probably been said better, but I am far from gullible when it comes to 'blindly' buying off any tv channel. But, I have to say, I am getting to the point of buying only if I like it. Not because it's the best thing for the best price and only one in the world kinda thing. I remember being so pleased when I bought a pendant (tanzanite) and the cert. said 1 of 16. BUT, now, and not only since I've been here and reading / learning 'stuff' I am not so eager. So, my advice, the 'probably been said better' bit. Watch with one eye, and listen with one ear. IF you like it and can afford it, obviously buy it. BUT research either when watching, or during the grace period of 30 days. I have seen things on tv, and looked it up to see if it's all it's cracked up to be. And, when they say, as I am watching it at the moment, imagine if this Zircon was a diamond. It isn't. Don't buy because it looks like, buy because you like it. Yes. I've said that just now, and in other places, but still. And with that. Don't let comments here 100% put you off buying: I still buy, but with a more open mind.

 

[Autisticat]

Okay tune in this morning for the opals… what butchery is this…

 

[Autisticat]

Also the “some bunny who loves you candle” has a picture of a hare on the side as the decoration around it? So that makes no sense

 

[Ant7t]

Also the “some bunny who loves you candle” has a picture of a hare on the side as the decoration around it? So that makes no sense

Maybe they think it will be very popular. Hare today, gone tomorrow

 

[Battiola73]

Kieran’s syrup perhaps