thaigem.com

[rparker1998]

has anyone purchased loose stones from them?

How was the quality? shipping? returns? etc?

 

[T L]

Stay away like they're the black death. All junk. The searches that I saved in ebay all purposely block them out. They own "Gemstv" so they're a big company, but the ebay business is just awful. If I'm being extremely cruel, and someone has had a positive experience, than please say so.

 

[rparker1998]

Date: 12/16/2008 9:58:06 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover
Stay away like they''re the black death. All junk. The searches that I saved in ebay all purposely block them out. They own ''Gemstv'' so they''re a big company, but the ebay business is just awful. If I''m being extremely cruel, and someone has had a positive experience, than please say so.

Maybe that''s part of the way they are able to offer such good deals on GTV. I''ve bought most of my jewelery from GTV and have only 1 piece i haven''t been in love with and it''s a green amber ring. I''m just not crazy about it, but i didn''t pay much for it so i''m keeping it for the later in life value

Maybe thaigem.com''s loose stones are they cast off''s from the gems they use to make the jewelery for GTV?

 

[T L]

I'm thrilled that you're very happy with them, but please be very careful what you buy from Gemstv, especially sapphires, rubies and emeralds. I suspect they're treated by berillyum-heating and resin fillers, and lead glass. The yellow diamonds are also irradiated yellow, but I don't remember if they disclose that treatment up front. I suspect most of their very bright and fancy colored gems are enhanced somehow.

I don't have a problem with people selling treated stones, but they should disclose it up front. Unfortunatley, that's one of my gripes with all of the TV gem shopping channels. They'll exclaim this and that are top gem world class, but they won't at all mention treatment and type.

 

[movie zombie]

there is absolutely no way i''d buy from them.

movie zombie

 

[Pandora II]

Wouldn''t touch them with a barge pole I''m afraid.

 

[rparker1998]

Date: 12/16/2008 11:15:22 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover
I''m thrilled that you''re very happy with them, but please be very careful what you buy from Gemstv, especially sapphires, rubies and emeralds. I suspect they''re treated by berillyum-heating and resin fillers, and lead glass. The yellow diamonds are also irradiated yellow, but I don''t remember if they disclose that treatment up front. I suspect most of their very bright and fancy colored gems are enhanced somehow.

I don''t have a problem with people selling treated stones, but they should disclose it up front. Unfortunatley, that''s one of my gripes with all of the TV gem shopping channels. They''ll exclaim this and that are top gem world class, but they won''t at all mention treatment and type.

well if you search their website it does have a listing of the treatments they use on their stones. You also have the 30 day return policy should you receive something and not like it. I''ve not purchased any sapphires, rubies or emeralds from them yet as I haven''t a. been able to afford to and b. the specimes they''ve shown don''t appear to be "good" to me. now i do like their ceylon sapphires, but as i said haven''t purchased one or seen one.

My mom picked up a ruby from the jewlery channel when it was going out of business and being reintroduced as the liquidation channel and her jeweler told her it wasn''t a good quality ruby - so i guess just as with almost any vendor you take a risk.

 

[rparker1998]

Date: 12/16/2008 11:19:56 PM
Author: movie zombie
there is absolutely no way i''d buy from them.

movie zombie

gemstv or thaigem?

 

[rparker1998]

Date: 12/17/2008 6:21:01 AM
Author: Pandora II
Wouldn''t touch them with a barge pole I''m afraid.

gems tv or thaigem

 

[T L]

Date: 12/17/2008 8:21:25 AM
Author: rparker1998

Date: 12/16/2008 11:15:22 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover
I'm thrilled that you're very happy with them, but please be very careful what you buy from Gemstv, especially sapphires, rubies and emeralds. I suspect they're treated by berillyum-heating and resin fillers, and lead glass. The yellow diamonds are also irradiated yellow, but I don't remember if they disclose that treatment up front. I suspect most of their very bright and fancy colored gems are enhanced somehow.

I don't have a problem with people selling treated stones, but they should disclose it up front. Unfortunatley, that's one of my gripes with all of the TV gem shopping channels. They'll exclaim this and that are top gem world class, but they won't at all mention treatment and type.

well if you search their website it does have a listing of the treatments they use on their stones. You also have the 30 day return policy should you receive something and not like it. I've not purchased any sapphires, rubies or emeralds from them yet as I haven't a. been able to afford to and b. the specimes they've shown don't appear to be 'good' to me. now i do like their ceylon sapphires, but as i said haven't purchased one or seen one.

My mom picked up a ruby from the jewlery channel when it was going out of business and being reintroduced as the liquidation channel and her jeweler told her it wasn't a good quality ruby - so i guess just as with almost any vendor you take a risk.

With rubies, sapphires, only a sophisticated lab can determine the true extent of the treatments. I would not base the quality of a ruby on a jeweler's word unless he had the sophisticated equipment to determine the true extent of the treatment. I purchased a lead glass filled ruby just for the sake of having an example of one. I paid $5 for it. It looks like a very high quality ruby worth thousands. Don't let your eyes deceive you, treatments can go a long way in making an ugly stone look beautiful.

That being said, I have found some bargains on the shopping channels. When the "Shop At Home" channel was going out of business, I picked up a heavy ballerina style pearl ring with VS baguettes going all the way around. I got this for one tenth their original asking price (I loved it when I originally saw it air). I replaced the pearl with a higher quality one I obtained from a trusted pearl dealer on ebay, and now I have a ring that I paid very little for that looks like it's worth thousands. Gemstv has some cute silver pieces as well. I just don't like to purchase expensive gemstones from them. I have more reliable sources who also give me a better value for my money. The types of gems I'm speaking of are rubies, sapphires, paraiba tourmaline (Mozambique cuprians actually), emeralds, tanzanite.

As for zultanite, I do not really know the going prices for that stone, but I bet if you were to shop around, you might find a better value for your money. They are not the only ones selling zultanite (diaspore), however, they have said time and time again that the stone is exclusive to the shopping channel. I think that's a bit deceitful if you want my honest opinion.

You seem like you are wanting to start a budding gem collection, so I'm just trying to be frank in order to give you some better ideas where to look. I apologize in advance if I offend.

 

[Catmom]

My very first purchase of a loose stone was from them. It was also my very last purchase from them. I keep it as a reminder. What do you think...........

 

[T L]

I like the box! Ha!

Seriously though, that is probably a coated stone, and the window is huge.

I do like the silver pieces that GemsTv offers. I have puchased two silver items from them at fair prices. I just would not spend my $$ on expensive gems. Their settings also seem very hollowed and light weight.

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 12/17/2008 8:22:22 AM
Author: rparker1998

Date: 12/17/2008 6:21:01 AM
Author: Pandora II
Wouldn''t touch them with a barge pole I''m afraid.

gems tv or thaigem

Either.

I prefer to buy my stones from dealers that I trust and to know exactly what stone I am buying. Therefore I don''t buy from TV channels - not that we really have them in the UK.

I did once buy a piece that was originally from GemsTV on ebay - I then took the stones out of the ring as that was what I was after. Frankly the stones were nowhere near the quality I would normally buy - but I paid next to nothing so I was okay with it.

 

[movie zombie]

Date: 12/17/2008 8:21:58 AM
Author: rparker1998

Date: 12/16/2008 11:19:56 PM
Author: movie zombie
there is absolutely no way i''d buy from them.

movie zombie

gemstv or thaigem?

i wouldn''t buy from either of them.

take the time to read a bit re stones and the industry and you''ll understand why. seriously, get richard wise''s book and some others and find out what constitutes a good quality color stone. then realize that most of us won''t be able to afford but maybe one of those in our life time. however, we''ll have the tools to decide what tradeoffs we''re willing to make when we do buy. i have only one really magnificent stone and that''s in my e-ring. i have developed champagne taste on a beer budget. however, i like fine beer so i''m going to be picky in whatever price range i do buy color stones. learn about extinction and windows, learn about cut, learn some about tone and saturation. then realize that stones pictured online almost never look the same once they''re in your hand.

its always let the buyer beware and there is something for every budget. but please do not expect a quality stone for bargain basement prices.

movie zombie

 

[icekid]

add me to the absolutely NO list!

 

[NeverEndingUpgrade]

Date: 12/17/2008 9:52:59 AM
Author: tourmaline_lover
I like the box! Ha!

Seriously though, that is probably a coated stone, and the window is huge.

I do like the silver pieces that GemsTv offers. I have puchased two silver items from them at fair prices. I just would not spend my $$ on expensive gems. Their settings also seem very hollowed and light weight.

I thought that pink topazes are standardly coated. (Is standardly a word?)

 

[chrono]

I would not even accept a stone from TG for free. No thanks.

 

[T L]

Date: 12/17/2008 5:49:10 PM
Author: NeverEndingUpgrade

Date: 12/17/2008 9:52:59 AM
Author: tourmaline_lover
I like the box! Ha!

Seriously though, that is probably a coated stone, and the window is huge.

I do like the silver pieces that GemsTv offers. I have puchased two silver items from them at fair prices. I just would not spend my $$ on expensive gems. Their settings also seem very hollowed and light weight.

I thought that pink topazes are standardly coated. (Is standardly a word?)

There is a form of imperial topaz that is pink in color, but not bubblegum pink, and it is rare and expensive. Unfortunately they do coat white topaz with every color imaginable these days. I''ve seen paraiba topaz, sunset topaz, mystic topaz, etc . . .

 

[LaurenThePartier]

My first gem purchase was from ThaiGem on Ebay, a few years ago. It was my last purchase from them and I didn''t get into gemstones again until mid last year because I was so afraid of buying more junk.

Stick around this forum - you''ll learn all kinds of interesting things, and learn a bit of what to look for in gemstones.