Gem Hunt is the best show ever! Thank you, TL!

[gemandjewelrylover]

Hi all,

I've watched a couple of episodes of Gem Hunt, and love it, love it, love it. It's great living vicariously through them. It looks like a very interesting/fun/stressful/dangerous/dream job being a gem hunter, going to all those exotic locales to find beautiful rough or cut stones. I know some PSers probably actually do that, but for the rest of us it's really exciting and educational to watch them on their "missions". I'm really really enjoying the show, and I'm very happy that to you posted about it, TL. Thank you!

 

[T L]

Hi all,

I've watched a couple of episodes of Gem Hunt, and love it, love it, love it. It's great living vicariously through them. It looks like a very interesting/fun/stressful/dangerous/dream job being a gem hunter, going to all those exotic locales to find beautiful rough or cut stones. I know some PSers probably actually do that, but for the rest of us it's really exciting and educational to watch them on their "missions". I'm really really enjoying the show, and I'm very happy that to you posted about it, TL. Thank you!

Don't thank me, (Smitcompton opened a thread on the show too). It has mixed reviews among us PS colored stone people, but I'm glad you're enjoying it. I keep watching it each week too despite the mixed reviews.

Next week, they're going to some Colombian emerald mines, so that should be fun.

 

[minousbijoux]

One of these weeks, I'll remember and be able to catch some of it.

 

[gemandjewelrylover]

What are the mixed reviews? As a newbie, I am enjoying it, although on the Vietnam ruby episode I thought that kind of showing up unannounced at the private mine with cameras and a government official in tow wasn't so cool....I felt for the mine owner and workers.
But overall, seeing the sources of the stones, the mines, like in the Tanzanite episode, and all the beautiful stones enthrall me. So thank you Smitcompton and TL for bringing the show to my attention.

 

[T L]

What are the mixed reviews? As a newbie, I am enjoying it, although on the Vietnam ruby episode I thought that kind of showing up unannounced at the private mine with cameras and a government official in tow wasn't so cool....I felt for the mine owner and workers.
But overall, seeing the sources of the stones, the mines, like in the Tanzanite episode, and all the beautiful stones enthrall me. So thank you Smitcompton and TL for bringing the show to my attention.

A lot of people think it's phony and staged, like most reality shows. I agree that there are some very interesting parts such as visiting the mines.

 

[gemandjewelrylover]

Oh, I see. I hadn't thought about that.....well, anyway, I'm always happy to look at stones any time I can, and learn a little, so I'm enjoying it. The connection of the stones to their birthplace, how it looks in the rough, etc...I don't get a chance to see these things in daily life, so I'm happy to be able watch it on TV.

 

[koolchicken]

I was watching the show today as well. I figured at least some of it was staged just because I figure most of what's on TV is fake. For example, I don't think he's really changing money out in the open and on camera. Who would agree to something illegal with a lens in your face? But some of it has to be real and I find it fascinating either way.

 

[gemandjewelrylover]

Yeppers! Some of the stuff on that show is a little hard to believe, that people don't mind doing some of the things they do on camera – if it's real, I figured the presence of a whole camera crew during the money changing kept it a little bit safer – I certainly wouldn't want to be doing that alone, It'd be an excellent way to get mugged. LOL The money changing guy in Vietnam's face was pixelated…

In any case I think it's good entertainment. Wish I had been interested in gems and gemology when I was in high school or college, things might be very different now! LOL

 

[koolchicken]

I was watching on TV via the iPad and it wasn't coming in clear so I didn't notice the guy in Vietnam had his face blurred. But still, I think at least some of the money stuff is staged or more likely overdramatized.

Either way I totally agree, it is good entertainment. So as with all reality TV I treat it as a largely scripted show with some facets (pardon the pun) of real life woven in. And there is a lot to enjoy in this particular program. And if it were 100% real we might not get to see any of it, like the trip down into the mine. So I'll accept what the producers do to make shows like this happen as long as we can keep watching!

 

[T L]

The thing that really drives me nuts is that he shows a very average looking stone or a very common one, and says he can get thousands and thousands for it. For example, tanzanite is not too difficult to find, even in high quality in the marketplace. One need not send this guy to the depths of the dangerous mines in Africa to get a prime piece. He always says he gets these gems for his "clients." They can probably get one for a decent price just by watching the Gem Shopping Network or Jewelry Televsion .

The star ruby episode had to be the worst. In the end, if I remember, he ended up with some opaque, non gem quality thing, and he said he could get $$$$$ for it. I had to laugh. Now everyone is going to think that is high quality star sapphire.

 

[koolchicken]

Yeah, I wondered about that too. When I saw their "star ruby" at the end all I could say was "what star?". And the tanzanite. Anyone who's ever been to the Caribbean knows you can get buckets of huge stones there for the same price per carat. I enjoy seeing the mines, and the markets but it's all a little off, like most TV. If they kept the premiss and still did all the stuff their currently doing, but just got better stones it would be a perfect show.

I hate to say it but the tanzanite show felt like the cruise ship sales pitch. "Hurry, tanzanite is running out. It'll all be gone in a few years and prices are going up!" Now I don't know that much about gems, but that just doesn't seem true. I guess the show is just a lot like other shows, they're trying to sell you stuff.

 

[Art Nouveau]

Thank you TL for pointing out this show. I wouldn't have known about it otherwise because I never watch the Travel channel. I enjoy the parts where they show the mines. But I agree with the others that the stones they end up buying are not the greatest. The parcel of Imperial Topaz purchased looked like citrine. The dollars they quoted about the profits realized are wildly exaggerated. The negotiations seem staged. But overall, it's fun to watch.

AN

 

[T L]

Thank you TL for pointing out this show. I wouldn't have known about it otherwise because I never watch the Travel channel. I enjoy the parts where they show the mines. But I agree with the others that the stones they end up buying are not the greatest. The parcel of Imperial Topaz purchased looked like citrine. The dollars they quoted about the profits realized are wildly exaggerated. The negotiations seem staged. But overall, it's fun to watch.

AN

Hi AN! Nice to hear from you.

I also thought "citrine" when they showed the imperial topaz. At the end of that episode, he held up a 20+ carat imperial topaz that was a yellowish brown citrine color, and he said, "I can get over $20K for this stone (or some absurd amount, I forget)."

 

[OreoRosies86]

I am really enjoying the show, but it is a bit more difficult watching it through Pricescope eyes! A lot of the stones they are gushing over I found myself saying "Window, window, window... window."

 

[marcy]

I am watching the episode on emeralds right now. I love the color of the emeralds they are showing.

 

[minousbijoux]

I caught it last night. Loved seeing the emerald mine and the process; not so much their transactions and their hardball negotiations **snort**

 

[JewelFreak]

+1, Minou! Loved ogling the emeralds (assume they were real but who knows with reality tv?) but all the edge-of-the-cliff scary narration about their constant danger gets old, plus panic about not finding stones for their "clients." "Negotiations" had me laughing; if that old guy didn't know his costs & profit margins to the 10th of a penny before starting, he would be a total flop in his business. The part in the mine was really interesting to see.

--- Laurie

 

[OreoRosies86]

Does anyone else find the head gem hunter somewhat obnoxious? So much of that show I feel is sucked up by his one man variety show of jokes and flailing about! It was cool to see Swala Gem Traders on there though! I have admired many pieces of jewelry here made from their stones.

 

[chrono]

The dramatics are too much for me to take, for the same reasons I dislike watching reality type TV shows. Oh, good that Swala was on the show.

 

[gemandjewelrylover]

Yes, I get tired of Diane's talking with her hands so much....gesture overload! And I've only watched two episodes so far, and Ron's antics may get old soon, but I do like Barry. So far. Reality TV or not, I like to watch and imagine what it would be like to be able to go gem- hunting--sounds exciting to me. And seeing tons of stones, the mines, and the places they come from my living room, well, that's really interesting to me. So I'm happy to be able to watch it.

 

[T L]

Does anyone else find the head gem hunter somewhat obnoxious? So much of that show I feel is sucked up by his one man variety show of jokes and flailing about! It was cool to see Swala Gem Traders on there though! I have admired many pieces of jewelry here made from their stones.

I think his weird quirky behavior is why they chose him for the show. At least he isn't boring. I don't care much for the woman actually.

 

[OreoRosies86]

Does anyone else find the head gem hunter somewhat obnoxious? So much of that show I feel is sucked up by his one man variety show of jokes and flailing about! It was cool to see Swala Gem Traders on there though! I have admired many pieces of jewelry here made from their stones.

I think his weird quirky behavior is why they chose him for the show. At least he isn't boring. I don't care much for the woman actually.

I don't know what my opinion of her is just yet. I'm not quite sure what it is that she does? Is she a handbag designer?

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

OK , my turn. I think the emerald show was the best one. This is actually a place where visiting the mines are very dangerous. The old man dealer offered them his private helicopter to see the mines and they turned that down. I couldn't believe that. The roads to the mine are filled with robberies and theft and drug cartels and all manner of criminal activity.(according to my reading) Usually it is recommended you go by helicopter to visit the mines. Maybe things have improved.

I thought the emeralds they saw were beautiful. A 7 ct top grade emerald cost him 42 thous and she paid 34,500 for a matching pair of 4 cts x2 . One paid 6,000 per ct, the other pd 5,000 per ct. I think that is probably accurate-fair.

My only question was why no-one mentions treatments on the show. Or did I miss it? The appraisals of course are always huge. I don't know what to make of them.

Last nite, after watching the show, I went to sleep, not dreaming of sugar plums, but those top class emeralds danced around my neck, and dangled from my ears and i had such a nice sleep.

Save up for that Columbia trip ladies.

Annette

 

[marcy]

I am not a fan of the characters and reality TV side of the show but I love seeing the gems and the mines.