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New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Octobe

sphenequeen

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

I'm going to tune in!
 

chrono

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

I wonder how much of it is hype (stretching of the truth) for the purpose of TV ratings and how much of it is true? Still, I will be watching it to see what they show.
 

T L

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

Well, there's so few television shows on gems, that I'm just giddy to watch it, even if there's hype.
 

gemmyblond

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

I actually saw the pilot of this show back in May/June and wondered if it was going to become a full series. It was fascinating! I was riveted to the TV...so cool, full of adventures in far-off places and lots of funky yet believable characters and situations. And it didn't seem to be too contrived or full of staged stuff (but what do I know?). I couldn't get enough of it and can't wait to see more!
If enough people watch it and are into it, perhaps we could even start a thread to discuss it and the gems and places they show? Just a thought. Can't wait.
 

T L

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

gemmyblond|1380255013|3528163 said:
I actually saw the pilot of this show back in May/June and wondered if it was going to become a full series. It was fascinating! I was riveted to the TV...so cool, full of adventures in far-off places and lots of funky yet believable characters and situations. And it didn't seem to be too contrived or full of staged stuff (but what do I know?). I couldn't get enough of it and can't wait to see more!
If enough people watch it and are into it, perhaps we could even start a thread to discuss it and the gems and places they show? Just a thought. Can't wait.

Where did you see the pilot??? Is there a link??

Thanks!
 

lelser

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

Gem Hunt is really fun. Bernie is a BC guy and knows his stuff.

Lisa
www.lisaelser.com
 

chrono

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

Ohhh.....good reviews from PSers which means I HAVE to check out the full video now. I was mostly concerned about it being too staged but it doesn't seem to be the case.
 

JewelFreak

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

Yes, good to hear from Lisa. I was hoping somebody who knows would chime in. I'm not gonna miss it now. (Though I could do without the edge-of-the-cliff tone in the narration.)

--- Laurie
 

lelser

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

You have to take the TV and film stuff with a whole salt shaker :) Enjoy the televised stuff but know that it's far more dramatized than what actually happens.

I was interviewed about a year ago for a reality TV possibility and what they mainly wanted to know was how often I was at physical risk from people, animals, terrain.... My actual life is exciting, but I work to minimize the chance of injury, arrest and robbery. TV/films want to play up the danger and will create it if it doesn't exist.

Guys like Vincent really DO put themselves at risk because they're exploring.
http://4csblog.gia.edu/2013/adventures-of-a-gia-field-gemologist

The rest of us are BUYING. We're focused on the whole "make a living" thing and that means more established regions. While I do like going off to mines and we have done some riskier field travel that's only a small part of the job I'm there to do. Some people travel to the mines for show - they'll take clients on a gem safari - but that's pretty orchestrated as well. I take clients to buy and then send them on safari :)

My actual life in the field looks more like this:

http://www.kenilworth.com/publications/jb/de/201308/files/88.html

Cheers,

Lisa
www.lisaelser.com
 

JewelFreak

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

Thanks for the peek at it, Lisa. What a sweetheart Vincent Pardieu is. I can see what draws him back repeatedly despite the (to me) horrendous difficulties. I'd be equally worried about being robbed & aced somewhere out there, but he may have built enough goodwill to help protect him, though that often isn't enough. Gorgeous gorgeous places, though, not to mention the gem rough.

Enjoyed your article very much, too. Your savvy must have saved a few folks from some early mistakes. It gives such a good picture of the whole experience, though -- the goods as well as the people. Having traveled a great deal in Asia & Europe for 14 yrs working for a scientific company, I agree totally with your professional approach both to the business & the human elements. It's the best & most pleasant way to get the job done well -- and looking back, though a lot of the commerical part was a blast, I treasure most the people I knew. (If I'd been dealing in gems instead of lab stuff, I'd definitely remember that part more vividly!)

--- Laurie
 

pregcurious

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

I can't wait to watch this and discuss it on here.
 

iLander

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

Hubby saw the commercial and told me about this the other day. He said "I'm surprised your forum isn't all over this."

I said "Give them a minute, they will be."

:D :D :D
 

T L

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

Did you all watch the full episode I posted a link to above? What did you think of it?
 

Edward Bristol

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

It is, of course, great to get some exposure on the local mining, but I wish they would show some really nice gems too.

The fact that they don't find any good gems to show, speaks volumes about how rare a good gem really is, and that you can't come with a film crew to find them.

Also, I know the smiles of the locals so well: Oh, those crazy foreigners!
 

minousbijoux

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

Huh! I could swear there is another thread on this same subject here, as we all recently critiqued their show on emeralds - or am I dreaming? :confused:
 

gemandjewelrylover

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

No, you're not dreaming, there is another thread.
 

Roger Dery

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minousbijoux|1385418993|3562787 said:
Huh! I could swear there is another thread on this same subject here, as we all recently critiqued their show on emeralds - or am I dreaming? :confused:
Minou, yes, there are two threads. Maybe the mods can merge?

Met with another long-time gem dealer from Chicago today (a former researcher with GIA in the 70's/80's) and he is very disappointed with how the show makes us out to be "shysters" (his term).

I believe everyone in the trade will be judged on their own merits, but after watching a couple of two-minute segments I can see how he (and others) may feel that way. He stated the guy on the show (Ron - the gem dealer) is just a bar owner in Toronto and isn't actually operating in the trade.
 

minousbijoux

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

There is also a good bit of disappointment going around about another show, Prospectors, by some of the participants I understand.

My criticism of Gemhunt was the "nail biting" [heavy sarcasm here] negotiations the gem buyers had to go through to land their emeralds. But other than the fact that at any minute they might have been gunned down by the drug cartels :roll: , they seemed legit and professional to me (except for the nutty main guy whose name I don't know).
 

JewelFreak

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

Roger Dery said:
He stated the guy on the show (Ron - the gem dealer) is just a bar owner in Toronto and isn't actually operating in the trade.

That about fits what he seems like, Roger. Out there for fun & profit -- mainly I guess I hate to believe a real gem guy would sell out so baldly, raving about crummy gems & all the >gasp!< danger.

I watched 2 shows & was so annoyed by the breathless narration, fake under-the-table deals (with cameras running), and death-any-moment dramatics, I've given up on it. Love seeing the mines & locals, but it's not worth the time. It's too bad -- could be an interesting & educational show, but I guess that's what "Reality" TV in America demands.

--- Laurie
 

VapidLapid

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

I thought it was just another mockumentary like the one about the guy "finding" the sunken hoard of lost emeralds, that he had actually seeded the site with to swindle would be "investors".
 

Edward Bristol

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

Well, it is as real as it gets if you show with a Tv team and pretend to buy.

The actual work parts which we people do, days of sorting through parcels and endless negotiations are hard to show on TV.

But at least they actually do go places.

Even if the guys dig the mine for show, it does get across that people have to claw the stuff from sweat and earth.

So far I miss any mention for treatments and any ecological issues, aside the fake gemstones.

It is far from reality but not unreal.
 

iLander

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

Hubby keeps asking me about the prices that they mention (he is a practical man :) ) and I tell him to just knock of the last zero. The amounts are so over inflated, it's ridiculous. I especially enjoyed the handful of moonstones that came to $2000. :shock: Next time I go to a bead/gem show, I'm going to scoop up those $2 a carat moonstones and sell them to those Gem Hunt guys. :naughty:

They also keep showing, for example, a sapphire: "the rough is $20,000! (how you figure?) After it's cut, it will be worth $100,000!" Makes me want to run out and buy a faceting machine, because it's apparently like printing money. :rolleyes:

And the TINY bits of rough they buy! Little bits of stuff. Are they cutting melee? :confused:

And if I hear one more time about that lady and her "gemstone handbags", I'm going to smack someone. :|
 

JewelFreak

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

The gemstone handbags drive me nuts too, iLander! Plus, that they never go just looking for rough to cut & sell -- always "a client," just one, and they make the whole trip for that one person's one stone. Can't go home without a gem, panic, like they won't be allowed past the border empty handed. :???:
 

chrono

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

I get more entertainment reading PSers' comments about the show than watching the show itself. Your comments aren't only spot on but so funny. :))
 

minousbijoux

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

That's it - I tried to watch last night's episode on travelling to Cambodia and Thailand in search of sapphires and zircon. Laurie, I am soooo with you! I caught myself snorting out loud and eventually had to turn it off because it was so laughable! Once again, they were there for one client only, and yet managed to snag stones and make 500% profit. I was stunned when they said the purported values, as they were so much higher than prices we pay. In fact, we could make a killing selling our stones to Ron and his crew of danger-loving, hard core negotiators. :bigsmile: They could feel like winners having lived through the lion's den of hardball negotiations here at PS; and we'd feel like winners for having sold our high quality stones for the astronomical prices they seem so willing to pay! Win-win!
 

T L

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

I noticed something really weird in the last episode on Ceylon sapphires. He brought his sapphire to a gemologist who was testing it, and the stone was an emerald octagon step cut. Then the stone he showed before and after the gemologist visit was an elongated cushion. While he was at the gemologist, he referred to the emerald cut as his, and he also referred to the cushion as his, but they were supposedly the same stone. :???:
 

JewelFreak

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Re: New series "Gem Hunt" to air on the Travel Channel in Oc

I doubt they're even real gems, TL. I wondered that in the Colombia one when the "mob boss" (tatatadaaaa, danger!) spread a lot of big green stones on the table -- they were so clean, you could see it even from a distance on tv. Glass, what do you bet? :roll:

TL said:
In fact, we could make a killing selling our stones to Ron and his crew of danger-loving, hard core negotiators. :bigsmile: They could feel like winners having lived through the lion's den of hardball negotiations here at PS; and we'd feel like winners for having sold our high quality stones for the astronomical prices they seem so willing to pay! Win-win!

Let's find out where they're filming next & plant ourselves under a palm tree. I have a few clunkers I'd reluctantly let them bargain me out of for $30K, so they can re-sell them for $300K.

--- Laurie
 
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