China

[Deasmum]

Is it just me getting the wrong impression or Gemporia is sourcing most of what they are selling nowadays from China?

 

[VapidStoat]

Is it just me getting the wrong impression or Gemporia is sourcing most of what they are selling nowadays from China?

From what I can gather, pretty much.

They wouldn't be able to buy their Burmese jadeite from source: it appears to be coming from Chinese sellers.

Plus it was said during that specific sale Gemporia had to raise cash for new stuff, that Dave and Jake were currently in China.

Considering that many mine owners are selling their gems exclusively to high end jewellery houses now, and the way Gemporia goes doolally over the Tucson trade fair, I would think that Gemporia's sourcing most of its stock from middlemen now (ie. sellers flogging inventory they no longer want/can sell in their home markets through lack of interest).

 

[Deasmum]

Considering that many mine owners are selling their gems exclusively to high end jewellery houses now, and the way Gemporia goes doolally over the Tucson trade fair, I would think that Gemporia's sourcing most of its stock from middlemen now (ie. sellers flogging inventory they no longer want/can sell in their home markets through lack of interest).

So you don't believe that rhetoric of "cutting out the middlemen" anymore?

 

[VapidStoat]

So you don't believe that rhetoric of "cutting out the middlemen" anymore?

If Gemporia were doing that, why don't they have a thousand videos of it? They weren't shy about showing Dave at a Chinese trade fair looking at jade.

I wouldn't trust Gemporia to tell me what day it is. Not without double checking on my phone, anyway

 

[Kit10]

Back in the day, they did cut out the middle man, but now it’s just a phrase they trot out to make everyone think they are getting a bargain. The original vision was great. They introduced so many of us to gemstones that we’d never heard of or seen on the High Street. The most of us would recognise diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and rubies, mostly in engagement rings, and Gems did a great job in offering us affordable jewellery. The Charity work was admirable, but they are so far removed from that original vision today. Everything is rare, mined out, limited. Every piece is endlessly compared to high end pieces worth thousands that we will never own, never mind impressing our friends with tales of one source gems and closed mines. And don’t get me started on the cringeworthy practice of shining a light through a piece of Jade. Can you imagine doing that down your Local?

 

[VapidStoat]

Back in the day, they did cut out the middle man, but now it’s just a phrase they trot out to make everyone think they are getting a bargain. The original vision was great. They introduced so many of us to gemstones that we’d never heard of or seen on the High Street. The most of us would recognise diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and rubies, mostly in engagement rings, and Gems did a great job in offering us affordable jewellery. The Charity work was admirable, but they are so far removed from that original vision today. Everything is rare, mined out, limited. Every piece is endlessly compared to high end pieces worth thousands that we will never own, never mind impressing our friends with tales of one source gems and closed mines. And don’t get me started on the cringeworthy practice of shining a light through a piece of Jade. Can you imagine doing that down your Local?

Not to mention the fact that each and every presenter, never mind the alleged "gem experts", is supposedly highly trained and accredited with the GIA.

But what helpful information do we ever get from them? The talk of rarity maybe, quotes from articles about the gem they're flogging in general terms, amazed declarations of colour and clarity etc.

But unless the gem is natural, we either get obfuscation (big shocked wows about colour, but no mention of coatings, dyeing or other treatments), or just subjective claims that the gem is of heirloom quality (whatever THAT is, since anything passed down from generation to generation is an heirloom), and worthless comparisons to very, very expensive examples of the material on offer.

Gemporia claims to educate viewers. And yes, many will now know where gem mines are/were situated. But they don't really do much about giving viewers enough information to make a truly informed decision about buying jewellery. Which should put people off trusting the company with anything. But people will still go back and spend their cash with them regardless.

Maybe because they cannot accept the idea that Gemporia isn't the same company that sold them really nice pieces of jewellery years ago. That may be true, since there have been many people arrive on this forum to argue passionately against that very idea. Who can say?

 

[AndyW]

VapidStoat is right. The shock to the system for many, including me I confess - although nearly fully recovered, is exactly that "...Gemporia isn't the same company that sold them really nice pieces of jewellery years ago.". And, even sadder to say, that seems to apply to both Gems TV and Gem Collector now.

In truth, anyone or any organisation that wants your money in exchange for something that they're hawking, describing that thing in terms other than what it is or using unnecessary descriptions, should be assumed to be taking you for a ride - probably.

For example:

- Carrots, East Anglia, 1kg - £0.69 (Aldi)
- Orange Spears of Heaven, washed in asses milk, stored in down handplucked from penguin chicks. Just For You. 1kg - £5.32 (Waitrose)

 

[VapidStoat]

VapidStoat is right. The shock to the system for many, including me I confess - although nearly fully recovered, is exactly that "...Gemporia isn't the same company that sold them really nice pieces of jewellery years ago.". And, even sadder to say, that seems to apply to both Gems TV and Gem Collector now.

In truth, anyone or any organisation that wants your money in exchange for something that they're hawking, describing that thing in terms other than what it is or using unnecessary descriptions, should be assumed to be taking you for a ride - probably.

For example:

- Carrots, East Anglia, 1kg - £0.69 (Aldi)
- Orange Spears of Heaven, washed in asses milk, stored in down handplucked from penguin chicks. Just For You. 1kg - £5.32 (Waitrose)

How many carats in 1kg?

Sorry: couldn't resist

 

[recoveringgemaholic]

Not to mention the fact that each and every presenter, never mind the alleged "gem experts", is supposedly highly trained and accredited with the GIA.

But what helpful information do we ever get from them? The talk of rarity maybe, quotes from articles about the gem they're flogging in general terms, amazed declarations of colour and clarity etc.

But unless the gem is natural, we either get obfuscation (big shocked wows about colour, but no mention of coatings, dyeing or other treatments), or just subjective claims that the gem is of heirloom quality (whatever THAT is, since anything passed down from generation to generation is an heirloom), and worthless comparisons to very, very expensive examples of the material on offer.

Gemporia claims to educate viewers. And yes, many will now know where gem mines are/were situated. But they don't really do much about giving viewers enough information to make a truly informed decision about buying jewellery. Which should put people off trusting the company with anything. But people will still go back and spend their cash with them regardless.

Maybe because they cannot accept the idea that Gemporia isn't the same company that sold them really nice pieces of jewellery years ago. That may be true, since there have been many people arrive on this forum to argue passionately against that very idea. Who can say?

I think it’s a sort of cognitive dissonance. I didn’t want to believe that I had been an utter fool for accepting their sales pitch and it’s hard to admit you are wrong. But now I can see that it’s always been about the bottom line and I feel angry that they lured me in with their talk of being a family and heirloom pieces. I take full responsibility for buying but I wasn’t in a great place and regret a huge number of my purchases. Selling them on for anything has been nigh on impossible.

 

[VapidStoat]

I think it’s a sort of cognitive dissonance. I didn’t want to believe that I had been an utter fool for accepting their sales pitch and it’s hard to admit you are wrong. But now I can see that it’s always been about the bottom line and I feel angry that they lured me in with their talk of being a family and heirloom pieces. I take full responsibility for buying but I wasn’t in a great place and regret a huge number of my purchases. Selling them on for anything has been nigh on impossible.

I don't agree that you are responsible. Gemporia deliberately takes advantage of the vulnerable, as well as people who know as much about jewellery buying as I do about brain surgery.

You only have to look at some of Gemporia's videos of some of the viewers. Some are really lonely, and it's very easy to prey on people who are feeling alone and desperately sad, and who are dying to feel part of something.

I have bought loads of stupid stuff over the years thanks to feeling down and depressed. Especially off eBay .

 

[TheManWithNoName]

Is it just me getting the wrong impression or Gemporia is sourcing most of what they are selling nowadays from China?

Including Jadeite - which is bizarre considering Troth keeps telling us that the Chinese can't get enough Jadeite.

This would indicate either one of two things:

1. They're telling us porkies when they claim that the Chinese can't get enough of the stuff.

or

2. The quality of this 'exceptional grade' Jadeite is so poor that the Chinese don't even want it.

 

[VapidStoat]

Including Jadeite - which is bizarre considering Troth keeps telling us that the Chinese can't get enough Jadeite.

This would indicate either one of two things:

1. They're telling us porkies when they claim that the Chinese can't get enough of the stuff.

or

2. The quality of this 'exceptional grade' Jadeite is so poor that the Chinese don't even want it.

Considering that Dave apparently got his jade via two Chinese sellers, I would strongly suspect the second reason

The Chinese have a deep cultural respect for jade, so it makes sense that they're going to want to buy the best possible jadeite. So if these Chinese sellers couldn't offload all that they sold to Dave on the Chinese market first, then it really cannot be as great as Gemporia has been trying to make out.

Which has been obvious all along: Dave and co. say they have "imperial green" jadeite, but what appears on screen is a murky snotty dishwater colour.

They state that they have a rare black jadeite, then show pieces that are more dark green than black.

They say they have blue or purple jade: at best it's a wishy-washy light grey colour that doesn't get any more blue or purple no matter how often they state that this is what they're selling.

And laughingly, it gets even more obvious that what they have isn't that impressive by comparing their items with real and impressive examples of very, very expensive or truly museum quality jadeite that have breathtaking colour and translucency.

Finally, Gemporia has been adamant that their type A jadeite is beyond rare, yet how much of the stuff have they brought to air over the last 9-12 months? How many "last of" shows have viewers been inundated with? And it's still not over, as the sodding stuff has made "surprise" appearances in their birthday priority access shows. Which begs the question: how much more "highly rare" jadeite will Gemporia try to dump on the poor viewers as an alleged birthday treat next month?

 

[rubia]

Considering that Dave apparently got his jade via two Chinese sellers, I would strongly suspect the second reason

The Chinese have a deep cultural respect for jade, so it makes sense that they're going to want to buy the best possible jadeite. So if these Chinese sellers couldn't offload all that they sold to Dave on the Chinese market first, then it really cannot be as great as Gemporia has been trying to make out.

Which has been obvious all along: Dave and co. say they have "imperial green" jadeite, but what appears on screen is a murky snotty dishwater colour.

They state that they have a rare black jadeite, then show pieces that are more dark green than black.

They say they have blue or purple jade: at best it's a wishy-washy light grey colour that doesn't get any more blue or purple no matter how often they state that this is what they're selling.

And laughingly, it gets even more obvious that what they have isn't that impressive by comparing their items with real and impressive examples of very, very expensive or truly museum quality jadeite that have breathtaking colour and translucency.

Finally, Gemporia has been adamant that their type A jadeite is beyond rare, yet how much of the stuff have they brought to air over the last 9-12 months? How many "last of" shows have viewers been inundated with? And it's still not over, as the sodding stuff has made "surprise" appearances in their birthday priority access shows. Which begs the question: how much more "highly rare" jadeite will Gemporia try to dump on the poor viewers as an alleged birthday treat next month?

All this Jade I'm losing the will to live.

 

[VapidStoat]

The pearl market was allegedly devastated after COVID, so the demand has skyrocketed.

Yet Gemporia has had a fair amount of pearl jewellery on recently. Like the everpresent jadeite. So why are they bringing it to air rather than flog it to buyers prepared to pay a premium for high grade material?

I can think of one reason. And it's the total opposite of what they tell their viewers