Tucson Event?

[Deasmum]

Are you enjoying the Tucson event that is permeating the shows? Before it started,I thought it could be interesting because I used to love going to crystal and gems fairs when I was younger. However, it seems that the Tucson show is another way to fuel to scare sale tactics of "this stone is really rare and really coveted, so start buying our stock of it now".
What is your opinion?

 

[Gems girl]

Quite agree with you on all counts. The other day I heard Jess say to join the auction straight from the Tucson Gem Fair! Whatever they are selling now have no connection with Tuscon as they will have had these gems for a considerable amount of time, bought at considerably reduced prices and they are just using the price increases to try and justify what a bargain we are supposed to be getting now. I have a large collection of jewellery purchased from Gems tv over the last 16/17 years of which most I am happy with and the price I paid for them. I fell out of love with the channel and it's ethics approximately two years ago, when it became a employee owned company. The quality became inferior and sales tactics dodgy to say the least, more about fast sales and more money than providing a good service. As has been said on this forum before, the items in the vt in the background bear no resemblance to what is actually shown live on air or what are actually sent out; poor colour and quality and cockeyed set stones which are largely "windowed". I questioned them of metal content of some chains last year after seeing gold coated brass quoted in the descriptions and informed them they were breaking the trades description act selling brass instead of coated sterling silver which could have had severe repercussions for anyone with metal allergies apart from the manufacturing costs of said items. They continued to deny after several emails and I have since noted that the descriptions are now labelled as" weight of precious metals". As you do not get authenticity certificates for silver chains etc it is difficult to challenge after purchase. With all this in mind I no longer watch only very occasionally when there might be something showing I'm interested in but am repeatedly disappointed as they are often sold out before going on air due to preorders. I think this is a sales tactic of it's own to persuade people to go on wish list who then get the returns of original sales. Well I'm not playing that game and have mostly voted with my feet and don't tune in or purchase anymore; have saved myself a shed load of money and angst at having to return and wait an age for refunds. It took the biscuit (excuse the pun) when they advertised they are going to be selling brownies next, I certainly will not be purchasing. Rant over!

 

[Mommabear]

I was sick of them going on about it before they even left. Now they’re there, I’ve only seen two short clips of them in awe at how much the showcased rings are. Cue back to the studio with the same showcased gems that were shown but they’re selling them for peanuts.

 

[Ballerina]

The whole Tucson thing is a load of crap. I tuned in the other day and caught Angeline causing a frenzy about some stone (can't remember which), all designed to cause panic buying and FOMO. As Angeline is not a buyer I fail to see what relevance she has in being at the show at all. It is another faux pas for Gemporia's ecological claims, just adding to their already massive carbon footprint. I agree wth everything said by all of you. I too voted with my feet last year, having become disillusioned by the company over the last few years. Selling healthy living products was bad enough but selling brownies! The whole thing is laughable, whatever makes Mr Bennett a buck.

 

[Deasmum]

I agree with all your remarks. But things are getting stranger and stranger. Kate today spent the entire show repeating that Jake Thompson "live from Tucson" had hung up the phone/ call on her when she told him they would be selling Tsavorite garnet jewellery. She was quite happy about the fact that he had done so, as if it was a badge of honour, but a colleague hanging up on another colleague is nothing to be so proud about. It reflects badly on everyone. As a sales tactic, it is a cringe worthy one that does not present them in the best light. Most bizarre and a bit uncomfortable

 

[Mommabear]

Bit like the time Jake rushed onto camera interrupting Angeline with a sealed envelope he’d just had delivered, then rushed off again leaving the sealed envelope with her for an hour. She was saying how she’d love to steam it open with a kettle.

Yeah, like you don’t know what it says was probably all in a meeting to see what farcical thing they could come up with next.

I can’t remember what the outcome was now, other than a big letdown, like pricing or mine closures lol

 

[Kit10]

I agree with all your remarks. But things are getting stranger and stranger. Kate today spent the entire show repeating that Jake Thompson "live from Tucson" had hung up the phone/ call on her when she told him they would be selling Tsavorite garnet jewellery. She was quite happy about the fact that he had done so, as if it was a badge of honour, but a colleague hanging up on another colleague is nothing to be so proud about. It reflects badly on everyone. As a sales tactic, it is a cringe worthy one that does not present them in the best light. Most bizarre and a bit uncomfortable

The whole thing is cringeworthy. I can’t imagine how anyone is taken in with these gimmicks. I buy jewellery because I like it and it makes me happy, not because it may increase in value, or because it’s come from a mine that’s closed. And certainly not as a legacy or for my ‘portfolio’

 

[Deasmum]

Amen, Kit10!

 

[Deasmum]

Oh, I watched Gemporia for a few minutes while they were having their Tucson breaking news and they were selling emerald earrings with white zircon in 9k gold for 999.99 pounds. I can't believe people were buying such an overpriced piece of jewellery.

 

[Gems girl]

Been watching a little this afternoon (don't know why really) and Ellis was spouting on about spiga chains and how she has a collection of them in different lengths because she likes to wear them together. Well bully for her, she must have pots of money to waste. She went on about the gold weights being fantastic for the money but I was gob smacked when she said the average weight of a chain was 0.2g, my god they would be like a piece of sewing cotton! I wouldn't touch anything less than 2 whole grams and they aren't particularly strong. The emeralds that were on this afternoon must all be returns too as they all sold out earlier this year as I watched several shows. The prices do not seem to be consistent, only high and jumped from £999 down to £399 for minimal difference in carat weight. It makes no difference whatsoever what is happening to the prices in Tucson atm as these stones were purchased 2 years ago according to earlier shows! I think Gemporia are getting really desperate now and if they aren't careful they might just shoot themselves in the foot and lose all their faithful and regular customers and they need to retrain the presenters about telling porkies on air. I see tatty sell Hattie is on now, another one who I used to quite like but can't stand anymore, what with her designer crap and extortionate prices. No more a designer than I am. Gemporia is a sinking ship that will take all it's crew with it, not if just when.

 

[Deasmum]

It seems to be that they are... Let's say tailoring events at Tucson show to match the stock they have and want to sell, because as you said, Gems girl, they are selling during these breaking news stock they have purchased a long time ago.
Regarding porkies, my problem is with omissions. They have been raving about purple moonstone without saying on air that it is coated. All that lovely phenomena owes much to that coating. Yes, they have it on their website, but those who don't use the website might never know. I once bought a stone without having any idea it was diffused, that it, a substance is diffused into the upper layers of the stone to give it that colour. If the stone is recut, the original colour will appear. I can only blame myself for not checking, but I the time I didn't understand much about treatments.

 

[Kit10]

You are so right, Deasmum. They are quite specific in what they say, usually when it suits them. They never mention fissure filling or what it means to a stone. During the Panjshir Emerald show, they don't describe or mention ‘oiling’. When it suits ‘heat treating’ is widely acceptable in the industry, and when they have an untreated stone, it’s the Holy Grail. It’s all very well having a glossary on the website, but surely it would be more honest to mention the method at the beginning of the show, so people understand what they are buying. God knows, they have enough time! I watched the Rarity and Bloom show with Adina last night, and it was a good 25 minutes in before they showed a piece, and 35 minutes in before they put the price on screen. Obviously a sell out (switched over then) but strangely enough Lindsay Carr has a show this morning. People cancelling their orders after seeing the price possibly……..

 

[Deasmum]

I watched the rarity in bloom event with Lindsey this morning and I was horrified by the prices, given that the centre stone is 2.75mm X 2.75mm and it's set in silver. You will need better eyesight than mine to see that stone without a magnifying glass! So you are right, Kit10, I bet many people have cancelled after seeing the prices! Wow, extortionate they were!

 

[VapidStoat]

Even if you know that Gemporia has a page about gem treatments on their website, it's not going to answer all questions customers might have.

The website only explains a small number of potential treatments. One gem I saw in an item on screen a while back had a treatment code of Z listed in the graphics. That's a new one on me, so I went to the website to check it out. And there is nothing there for it. I asked on Gemporia's Facebook page, and never got a reply. Gemporia should be explaining on screen what treatments all gems they sell have had, and how stable they are.

I feel sorry for the poor souls who bought mystic topaz or blue moonstone who might lost the gems' colours just by being too heavy handed when cleaning them

 

[Brighthunter]

I've never seen a Z before, it could have been a typo, they spell things wrong all the time.

 

[donna255]

I would never touch mystic topaz, as I knew even back in the day it was coated. It was never mentioned on air even back then.

I think it was Wednesday? I was flicking around the channels and hit Gems, so of course clip from Tucson and talking about Santa Maria Aquamarine so rare etc etc etc. Then Adina did we have real SMA so up comes a ring in silver with mainly peridot with two side stones which are the real SMA oh and at £29.99. The best and rarest aquamarine is under £30 and in silver, I did laugh.

 

[Deasmum]

Oh they have been trying to sell those peridot/ aquamarine rings for ages. I saw them three or four times already. I guess they weren't a big success.

Regarding the mystery treatment letters, a few weeks ago I also saw some letters- I cannot recall what they were- which I didn't recognize and that Weren't listed in the treatment page. It remained a mystery to me but I would never buy something in those circumstances.

 

[Ballerina]

I also saw the Z treatment for a stone, sorry I can't remember which but as said it isn't listed on the Gemporia website, where they are "so transparent" regarding treatments. I have blindly bought all sorts over the years. One big regret I have is the turquoise they sell. It was 5 years ago or more and they had Russell Twyford over as the gem expert. I fell for the clap trap and bought a couple of pieces, one Cochise turquoise and one Eyptian turquoise. I sadly never checked treatments and was taken in by the quality, rarity etc of these "natural" stones. t didn't occur to me that they were treated as they kept saying natural. A couple of years later, I was sorting my cards out and trying to make some order as they were all thrown in a cardboard box. I happened to see the letter C on one and it was the Cochise. Out of curiosity, I hunted the Egyptian card out and that too was C, so I looked it up. I can't get to the treatments page on Gemporia at the moment, don't know what is up with that. Basically, it means that the turquoise is crushed and stuck back together, probably with some glue or resin. I ws really pi$$ed off, felt cheated. Technically, it is a natural stone but is is nothing like it's original form or composition. I should have checked this out when I got the items and am kucking myself that I didn't. It put me off anything treated

I have also bought natural pearls being sold with Charlie Barron but have some serious doubts about those too. They are natural (covers a multitude of sins) but, particularly on the larger sized pearls, they never disclose how much of it's size is down to the host bead whch the nacre forms around. I hadn't thought about that before but I just don't trust Gemporia. The pearls are cheap, considering what Charlie sells his own pearls to the toffs for and I am betting there is a reason why they are so cheap. If it looks to good to be true, it usually is.

 

[Deasmum]

I used to collect tumblestones when I was younger and I bought carnelians that were actually dyed agate, malachite that was actually made of resin and so on and so forth. It's so easy to get fooled! My favourite time was when I bought red jade. One day I washed the stone and rivers of red came out. None of this happened as a Gemporia customer. What I mean is that I learnt the hard way that the gemstone/ crystal business is really murky and may the buyer be aware!

 

[Deasmum]

As a consumer, I feel that I cannot really trust these businesses. They are there to make money and gemstones' "natural status" is sometimes stretched beyond belief!