Experts in the diamond world and beyond.

[ohnonotshoppingagain]

I was just wondering if anyone else who regularly tunes in to the Diamonique hours, has wondered why all of a sudden this year and towards the end of last year, we have these hours now with an expert sitting next to the presenter?

Q never used to do this except on special presentations, but I just find it a bit odd now that with every show featuring diamonique, one of the experts is always there.

Are QVC trying harder than ever to justify this 'gem' and its properties, perhaps is it not selling as well as it once did. Certainly, in my own case I have one diamonique ring, and don't want any more, simply because over the years there has been a terrific hike in the cost of these rings, back in the 90s and early 2000s they were priced as costume jewellery, but with some rings being over £70 well I'm sorry I just won't pay that for a 'look'. We are not talking family heirlooms at the end of the day, and I happen to think it is over hyped, as are other things on QVC.

Just wondered what others opinions are?

 

[maymorganlondon]

Not quite every hour, to be fair - Ali Keenan's Thursday night show is just her and a model.

 

[Brissles]

I was just wondering if anyone else who regularly tunes in to the Diamonique hours, has wondered why all of a sudden this year and towards the end of last year, we have these hours now with an expert sitting next to the presenter?

Q never used to do this except on special presentations, but I just find it a bit odd now that with every show featuring diamonique, one of the experts is always there.

Are QVC trying harder than ever to justify this 'gem' and its properties, perhaps is it not selling as well as it once did. Certainly, in my own case I have one diamonique ring, and don't want any more, simply because over the years there has been a terrific hike in the cost of these rings, back in the 90s and early 2000s they were priced as costume jewellery, but with some rings being over £70 well I'm sorry I just won't pay that for a 'look'. We are not talking family heirlooms at the end of the day, and I happen to think it is over hyped, as are other things on QVC.

Just wondered what others opinions are?

Yes I have to agree, there are more shows than not with the help of an 'expert', which is "ambassador" overload in my opinion. Everywhere you look there is a bl.....ding 'ambassador' for everything ! but to have one on a show selling what amounts to glass costume jewellery is laughable. Diamonique / cubic zirconia is what it is and no amount of flowery language is going to make it any better. I noticed the 'expert' the other day was coming out with a lot of technical jargon about real gems and where they are found etc etc, and my immediate thought was that she was saying it to make herself look plausible, when in fact anyone could have researched it from a book, so this hardly makes her an 'expert'.

 

[Vienna]

An expert in man made glass used to be called a glazier in my day !

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

It's not just DQ shows, it seems that Q think the more guests the better, gardening shows being the worst offender.
(Not forgetting the lunchtime loose woman concept shows)

Jewellery is my weakness and I have a fair few DQ pieces but agree that the range of price points doesn't really make sense, some really nice pieces are very reasonable whilst others are double the price but the base metal isn't any better nor is there more of it.

Still each to our own as I would never dream of paying over £20 for shower gel but it seems to fly off the shelves.

 

[ohnonotshoppingagain]

You're right of course, each to their own, and I certainly don't wish to pull down anyone who likes DQ, there have been some lovely pieces, but as we know, it is what it is, at the end of the day, and I just think it is very over priced. I am one of those people, who it seems is in the minority who does not like silver.

I do like yellow gold and platinum, both expensive now more so than a few years back, but I would still rather have that and pay for it, as I've always done in the past, I just can't fathom the DQ prices at all.

As for the lunchtime thing, I loathe it, and I don't watch it now, I did for the first few airings, but it does absolutely nothing for me, I hope Q scrap it.

I would love to know what has happened to the presenters who have left Q though.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

I quite like Alison OReilly but as I predicted some time ago she will/is suffering from over exposure.

Platinum, gold, silver, bronze, plastic and everything in between - i have them all - to me it is always the design over everything and as long as it isn't silly prices if I like it that's the decision made for me.

Unfortunately Q's present offering of gold and gems are not my taste so I now only buy silver or costume jewellery from them but I do have many pieces from years ago when they did unusual pieces.

Gold seems to be reserved for earrings only now (3 hour shows 90% earrings) and the setting of gem items are woeful IMO

 

[boffy]

so glad that i bought my14 carat eek and black hills gold back in the day when the prices were better.

 

[Loveinamist]

CZ in Beaverbrooks and Goldsmiths is very dear. Maybe not so overpriced by Q really.

 

[shopperholic]

Everything in Beaverbrooks and Goldsmiths is dear, but CZ in Argos and the DHS is cheap, it's the name you pay for shop wise in CZ case.

 

[boffy]

Everything in Beaverbrooks and Goldsmiths is dear, but CZ in Argos and the DHS is cheap, it's the name you pay for shop wise in CZ case.

maybe the settings are more solid. you would get a better quality setting in beaverborrks than say argos. the jewellery looks pin thin in argos. cz is not expensive in its own right

 

[Ellaaa]

Buying jewellery for me is an experience, even for CZ. I have a wonderful local independent jewellers, their prices are far from the cheapest, but they offer a service. It's a beautiful environment to be buying jewellery in, I can walk in and describe the sort of thing I'm after and they'll bring out a selection out for me to look at. Most importantly, the jeweller knows everything about where the item has come from and can often tell me the name of the person who made it, even if it's a relatively cheap CZ item. These people are the experts on the items they're selling, not a QVC presenter or "gem expert". Most of QVC's presentations are based around "OMG DOESN'T THIS LOOK AMAZING!!!!!!"

 

[Vienna]

I find Warren James CZ items are on a par with QVC and for much less money. I rarely buy CZ for myself but dip into it as Christmas or birthday gifts for close family. Some of the CZ stuff around today is lovely but most of my jewellery is years old, bought at a time when gold, diamonds, gems and good quality settings were commonplace and will last a lifetime. I`m now retired, at home most days and I rarely wear jewellery unless I`m heading out somewhere and in my last job we were discouraged from wearing jewellery because many of our clients wouldn`t have thought twice about threatening you for it and then doing a runner with it. Consequently most of my jewellery is hardly worn, as new and I can`t see the point in adding to it even though I am often tempted but rarely by QVC. I do get a lot of pleasure buying jewellery for other people though and with lots of females in the close family it`s always nice to seek out a lovely pair of earrings or a sparkly pendant etc for one of them.

 

[shopperholic]

maybe the settings are more solid. you would get a better quality setting in beaverborrks than say argos. the jewellery looks pin thin in argos. cz is not expensive in its own right[/QUOTE

Beaverbrooks used to do a range called Tru diamonds, it was silver coated in rhodium with little tiny CZ, and Argos done this range too (don't know if either still do). A few years ago my daughter in law was really into this range and was after a particular ring, I seen the same ring in Beaverbrooks for £199 and in Argos for £109 exactly the same setting and that, this is what I meant by it's the name if the shop you pay for because as much as I'd love to have given her the Beaverbrooks bag, I couldn't justify paying £90 for it.

 

[Tinkerbelle]

Buying jewellery for me is an experience, even for CZ. I have a wonderful local independent jewellers, their prices are far from the cheapest, but they offer a service. It's a beautiful environment to be buying jewellery in, I can walk in and describe the sort of thing I'm after and they'll bring out a selection out for me to look at. Most importantly, the jeweller knows everything about where the item has come from and can often tell me the name of the person who made it, even if it's a relatively cheap CZ item. These people are the experts on the items they're selling, not a QVC presenter or "gem expert". Most of QVC's presentations are based around "OMG DOESN'T THIS LOOK AMAZING!!!!!!"

Oh and me! I do buy jewellery from QVC and I'm really very happy with what I've bought but there is nothing to compare with going in to the shop and choosing something.

I always seem to be looking for the one thing they haven't got though! My love of rose gold limits my choice on the high street.

I buy with my heart and not my head. If I love it then I'll know and whilst I don't want to be ripped off (who does!) unless its a pretty generic piece I won't shop around.

I've actually had a few pieces made for me and I'm just about to choose the stone for another ring I've been searching for forever ... or what feels like forever. If you have a good relationship with a jeweller and want a specific piece they will look at options for you that don't mean a full on commission with the associated costs.

 

[Brissles]

I quite like Alison OReilly but as I predicted some time ago she will/is suffering from over exposure.

Platinum, gold, silver, bronze, plastic and everything in between - i have them all - to me it is always the design over everything and as long as it isn't silly prices if I like it that's the decision made for me.

Unfortunately Q's present offering of gold and gems are not my taste so I now only buy silver or costume jewellery from them but I do have many pieces from years ago when they did unusual pieces.

Gold seems to be reserved for earrings only now (3 hour shows 90% earrings) and the setting of gem items are woeful IMO

Yes this is very true; and as someone who doesn't have pierced ears then its all a waste of time for me. In the 'good old days' I bought (and still have) bracelets, neck chains and numerous gem rings in both white and yellow gold - in the days when 'expensive' meant a couple of hundred pounds ! I don't decry CZ completely, and a few years ago I bought the tennis style necklace with magnetic fastening which I see is now being offered for £199 - no way would I pay that for it when mine cost less than half that price.

I think jewellery in general on Q is pricey, and if I'm honest on the rare occasion I buy now its purely impulse, because I know damn well that I wouldn't even consider paying £34.99 for costume jewellery on a normal day's shop on the High Street !

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

I know we always say that jewellery was much cheaper in the good old days of Q but was it really cheapier than the prices on the High Street?

I think, for me anyway, it was that you just couldn't get the selection locally (and no on line then) so that price comparison wasn't easy to do and I was so enamoured with the unusual gems I just accepted that it must be good value.

 

[catwoman]

I much prefer Swarovski zirconia that TJC sell, good designs, platinum overlaid sterling silver, or 14ct gold overlay (sometimes rose gold too), and extremely affordable prices. I've had Diamonique pieces in the past, but I just won't pay today's prices for them.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

The Dyrberg/Kern Fashion Jewellery brand ambassador is very softly pleasant speaking, so don't expect her to last long amongst the hard sell Q personnel. Unfortunately as you would expect from any Scandinavian brand the prices are too high.

 

[shopperholic]

Who the flip are DYRBERG/KERN that warrants £123 for a costume jewellery ring? Never heard of them, QVC should have a word with themselves, the prices are going through the roof :wonder: