I am currently watching Toby Cavill's takeover show on Gemporia and I was wondering what you all think of him. I think he is much better than Jake and David, whose dramatic and grave expressions frankly annoy me. He ends up being more entertaining, in my opinion. However, for some reason, as a customer, I don't trust him that much, but I cannot put my finger on why....
Toby Cavill?
- Thread starter Deasmum
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No, not fussed. I don't think I like any of them
Kit10
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I can take him in small doses, and he can be very funny. Can’t say the same for Dave Troth or Jake Thompson, the shows are more of a TED Talk for half an hour and the jewellery squeezed in as an afterthought. I do remember Toby’s Mum, Debbie Cavil when she was on Rocks & Co with some amazing Kat Florence pieces.
VapidStoat
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He looks better now he's had the greasy hair cut and someone gave him a wipe down with a damp cloth.
I can't stand any of the gem buyers/"investors" ("not that we can give you gemstone investment advice!" - so what's the point of telling us that title, then? It's an insidious way of getting around the no investment advice rule on sales: if a "gemstone investor" promotes this gem on screen, then it MUST be worth something in the future, right?) or whatever they are. I wouldn't trust any of them to find a D grade diamond in a pile of broken glass
Totally agree, and he knows what he’s talking about!
michelle232
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No nor me, his constant repetition of “right” and moving forward and backwards makes me feel sickNo, not fussed. I don't think I like any of them
harveysa801
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Toby Cavill: Co-Founder
After being diagnosed with cancer, Toby looked for solutions to help him with his treatment. After discovering the power of CBD, he made it his mission to share his knowledge with the world.
After being diagnosed with cancer, Toby looked for solutions to help him with his treatment. After discovering the power of CBD, he made it his mission to share his knowledge with the world.
harveysa801
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historymystery
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I think the presenters like to drop these comments into the spiel to kid potential customers that the product they're flogging is an 'investment'. By association with a 'gem buyer/investor' then customers become investors too, so to speak. Of course we know this is cobblers, and I'd suggest that anyone who thinks they're going to make their fortune from buying jewellery only needs to take a look at a TV programme like 'Bargain Hunt', where at auction 18carat diamond rings regularly go for relatively shirt buttons compared to the cost of a Gemporia diamond ring (and bear in mind that most of these auctioned rings are made from reasonable gold weights). Unless you are either very fortunate and nab an absolute bargain, nobody is going to make their fortune from buying a piece from a selly telly channel. Of course, on one hand strongly implying that you're getting a bargain, whilst on the other hand saying that you can't give gemstone advice, seems totally contradictory to anyone whose had a recent reality check - but all they're interested in is reeling more people in.
Kit10
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I couldn’t agree more, Historymystery. Jake ‘Your Gemstone Investor’ or Jake ‘I can’t give you investment advice’. Which is it to be? Along with all the above, two things really annoy me. Telling people to buy multiple items ‘to sell them on’ - not happening- really not happening and insurance valuations. Of course they are much higher than what you paid, but you will never sell them for that valuation. The last time had some pieces valued I was asked ‘Is this for resale or to insure?’ I really have a genuine concern about their customers who think they are sitting on a fortune, or who think they are leaving a fortune to their families. If these stones are so rare and valuable. wouldn’t Gemporia be happy to buy them back?
I was watching a programme about very high end pawn brokers yesterday. Obviously they have their fingers on the pulse of what is desirable (in terms of luxury goods) and what isn't. One of them in particular specialises in jewellery and watches - diamond rings with a second hand value of £30,000 that kind of thing. They were snapping up diamonds, fabulous quality sapphires, watches and Hermes handbags for eye-watering amounts - often much more than the sellers expected.
My ears pricked up when a woman arrived in their gorgeous showroom with a tanzanite and diamond ring which she admitted had been bought from shopping telly. The jeweller very kindly and politely explained that tanzanite had had its day. This isn't verbatim but it's close: 'It was popular about 20 years ago but whilst diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds are all still popular and sold by the high end jewellers, they don't have much demand for it any more and it hasn't held it's value like the big four'. The seller had paid close to £5000 and the pawnbroker wouldn't even buy it, only offering to take it on consignment, expecting to sell it for a really low figure.
The constant suggestion by Gemporia's earnest trio of middle aged chaps that Tanzanite is fabulously desirable, teetering on the verge of becoming unavailable and is therefore an investment, is obviously nonsense. If you like it (which is the point of jewellery isn't it?) then that's great, buy it to enjoy - but trying to convince people that they are buying 'legacy' pieces and/or pieces which are going to soar in value is sly. The only investment jewellery is the highest quality, decent sized stones, one of the big four and boxed, with paperwork, from one of the big names, it's so shady to suggest otherwise.
My ears pricked up when a woman arrived in their gorgeous showroom with a tanzanite and diamond ring which she admitted had been bought from shopping telly. The jeweller very kindly and politely explained that tanzanite had had its day. This isn't verbatim but it's close: 'It was popular about 20 years ago but whilst diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds are all still popular and sold by the high end jewellers, they don't have much demand for it any more and it hasn't held it's value like the big four'. The seller had paid close to £5000 and the pawnbroker wouldn't even buy it, only offering to take it on consignment, expecting to sell it for a really low figure.
The constant suggestion by Gemporia's earnest trio of middle aged chaps that Tanzanite is fabulously desirable, teetering on the verge of becoming unavailable and is therefore an investment, is obviously nonsense. If you like it (which is the point of jewellery isn't it?) then that's great, buy it to enjoy - but trying to convince people that they are buying 'legacy' pieces and/or pieces which are going to soar in value is sly. The only investment jewellery is the highest quality, decent sized stones, one of the big four and boxed, with paperwork, from one of the big names, it's so shady to suggest otherwise.
Totally agree, HeIS. Today's showcase of mandarin garnet from Nigerian was an interesting case in point. Jake Thompson was giving his opinion on how to invest on gemstones, extolling the virtues of having a "diversified portfolio of coloured gemstones", with key "pillars" like mandarin garnet and mahenge spinel. But he is not giving financial advice, of course.... I must be a simpleton, because in my ignorance I thought that what he said resembled advice too much to be anything else ... There are a number of people selling Gemporia jewellery on eBay and, if you watch some of the items, you will see that they don't sell for a fortune, when they sell at all, but for about the price you would pay when buying from Gemporia. I really worry about the elderly, vulnerable or just gullible who think they are building a financial legacy for their children and grandchildren.
I just saw something that troubled mea and that shows that there are vulnerable people watching the show. Before the Mandarin Garnet show ended, someone sent a message asking the producers to speak with Jake, so that he stopped lowering the price, because the message's sender was happy to pay the higher price. Clearly, the sender believed that overdramatic proclamations that they are losing money and/ or getting into trouble because they are lowering the price. I just found the whole affair disturbing.
Absolutely spot on Deasmum. The rich and famous aren't collecting these stones which aren't sold by the respected jewellers - only available on shopping telly - for a reason - they're not sought after and not valuable. If they're investing in jewellery at all, it's flawless big 4 stuff from Bond Street - but the likes of my lovely, very elderly mother-in-law would easily be sucked in by Gemporia's assertions, thinking that she was passing on valuable stuff to her Granddaughters.
Gemporia often sells diamonds without any reference in the presentations to the 4C's. We are told which 'collection' it's from (who cares what made up name they have assigned it to?!) but not that it's so included it's worthless or that its grey! You have to dig deep on the website to discover that.
I don't have the slightest issue with the encouragement of 'collectors'. If some people want to feel part of a 'club' consisting of those who gather lots of different types of stones, good on'em. It's as valid a hobby as collecting anything else - but to keep up with the endless 'rare!' 'mine is closing' 'legacy jewellery' stuff making more vulnerable people feel that they are being canny with their cash is a dirty trick.
Did he stop?? Odd, let them do what they claim.
historymystery
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Sadly, I'm afraid I do think there are people out there who believe they are sitting on a legacy for their families that will increase in value. And I couldn't agree more that any insurance valuation needs to be taken with one huge dose of scepticism, because (a) an item is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it and (b) it is extremely unlikely (putting it mildly) that you would get anywhere near the insurance valuation, unless the item is exceptional/rare/was very underpriced when you bought. I would like to see much more stringent regulations in place on shopping channels - and some penalties with "teeth" for any contraventions of the regulations, not just a telling-off. Take them off the air for a period of time or fine them.
