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Watching Jewelry Television yesterday made my stomach turn

T L

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Sep 20, 2008
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I never ever watch JTV, but I was at my MIL's yesterday and her cable is very limited, and it was the only thing on. This dufus host comes on, and states that they have this amazing red stone that is redder than the reddest of gems. Than he goes on to say that very few gems are really red, and ruby is not one of them. :confused: (I guess he never saw a fine ruby), but that red diamond is very red (not really even redder than ruby, but okay) and red spinel is also very red, and this next one is the reddest of them all.

Then he states it's a topaz (to which tons of treatment suddenly pop up to my mind), but since it's from Nigeria, it's deeper in color than other gems, since Africa is known for having gems that are "deeper in tone and hue than anywhere else in the world." He doesn't mention saturation, so if it's really redder, what about that? Then the camera focuses in on the red topaz, and I can see in teeny tiny print at the bottom of the screen "Treatment: cvd - see JTV.com for more on treatment." I look up the treatment code and cvd means "Chemical Vapor Deposition" or basically "coating."

I had to change the channel, I got ill. He lied three times in the five minutes watching him.

1) Rubies are not truly red
2) Africa produces deeper tones and hues than the rest of the world (While Africa does produce many beautiful gems, this is just a blatant generalization and a lie).
3) This stone is from Africa so it's a deeper color (but the color has nothing to do with Africa, it has everything to do with some coating at the lab)!!

I hate that channel. I wish they would shut down. They do a disservice to the good name of honesty and integrity in the retail world. I do watch a lot of GSN, and they often misrepresent things as well, but never ever ever to this extent. This was just disgusting. I guess they learned absolutely nothing from that lawsuit that almost destroyed them a few years ago.

Here's the type of gem he was trying to sell. "Peony Mystic Topaz." The word "Mystic" already disturbs me.

http://www.jtv.com/Peony-Mystic-Topaz-Minimum-5.50ct-12x10mm-Oval/253277,default,pd.html
 
Re: Watching Jewelry Television yesterday made my stomach tu

WOW! :o :o Glad i don't shop on JTV and never will!!! Big Beware on this one. No telling what you'd end up with! Glad I have PS! Thanks for sharing TL ;))

I know its not funny, but I can imagine your reaction while watching this. You probably flipped your lid!!
 
Re: Watching Jewelry Television yesterday made my stomach tu

Barnum was right about a sucker being born every minute. I don't suppose a single potential buyer looks up "chemical vapor deposition." Anybody expecting to get a fine gem for $45.99 is asking to be conned, imho. That's no excuse for shifty operations like JTV in any way -- I just hate dishonest operations like that.
 
Re: Watching Jewelry Television yesterday made my stomach tu

I have mixed feelings.
On one hand I wish they were more honest and truly educated the public about gems.
The real deal is soooo cool.

On the other hand a lot more people have $45.99 to spend than $45,999.99. (Not that you could get a good 10x12mm ruby or red diamond for anything near that)
If they buy and enjoy a $46 stone, so be it.
In the future if the coating wears off, so be that too.
You get what you pay for.

If they were more honest and educational they would not be creating demand for what they are selling, a $46 stone.
Also there just aren't the numbers of customers to justify selling high end stuff on a TV show.
 
Re: Watching Jewelry Television yesterday made my stomach tu

kenny|1311611391|2976369 said:
I have mixed feelings.
On one hand I wish they were more honest and truly educated the public about gems.
The real deal is soooo cool.

On the other hand a lot more people have $45.99 to spend than $45,999.99. (Not that you could get a good 10x12mm ruby or red diamond for anything near that)
If they buy and enjoy a $46 stone, so be it.
In the future if the coating wears off, so be that too.
You get what you pay for.

If they were more honest and educational they would not be creating demand for what they are selling, a $46 stone.
Also there just aren't the numbers of customers to justify selling high end stuff on a TV show.

Oh, Lord, I agree. I have such mixed feelings. I want to shut down the crooks because they don't deserve to fool poor people and make money. But I want the poor people to get their inexpensive gems and be happy! Why not a "real ruby" for $5.95 from a kind company instead of this one? Think how good someone might feel owning a "real ruby" for 1/10 the price s/he is paying for one of these African mystic peonies or whatever!

Deb
:read:
 
Re: Watching Jewelry Television yesterday made my stomach tu

Well, he most likely right about one thing, the topaz coming from Nigeria. THere is a ton of colorless (white) topaz in Nigeria, and it's really cheap, cheaper than quartz. So this stuff is perfect for coating and adding color to.
 
Re: Watching Jewelry Television yesterday made my stomach tu

ZestfullyBling|1311598727|2976276 said:
WOW! :o :o Glad i don't shop on JTV and never will!!! Big Beware on this one. No telling what you'd end up with! Glad I have PS! Thanks for sharing TL ;))

I know its not funny, but I can imagine your reaction while watching this. You probably flipped your lid!!

Yeah, I wanted to hit the television and knock that dufus out. I was really pissed.
 
Re: Watching Jewelry Television yesterday made my stomach tu

JewelFreak|1311607722|2976346 said:
Barnum was right about a sucker being born every minute. I don't suppose a single potential buyer looks up "chemical vapor deposition." Anybody expecting to get a fine gem for $45.99 is asking to be conned, imho. That's no excuse for shifty operations like JTV in any way -- I just hate dishonest operations like that.

I think you can get some nice natural untreated gems for around $50. I know I have, but dishonesty is wrong whether the stone is $1 or $1,000,000. I personally wouldn't pay that much for a coated topaz.
 
Re: Watching Jewelry Television yesterday made my stomach tu

kenny|1311611391|2976369 said:
I have mixed feelings.
On one hand I wish they were more honest and truly educated the public about gems.
The real deal is soooo cool.

On the other hand a lot more people have $45.99 to spend than $45,999.99. (Not that you could get a good 10x12mm ruby or red diamond for anything near that)
If they buy and enjoy a $46 stone, so be it.
In the future if the coating wears off, so be that too.
You get what you pay for.

If they were more honest and educational they would not be creating demand for what they are selling, a $46 stone.
Also there just aren't the numbers of customers to justify selling high end stuff on a TV show.

Dishonesty is dishonesty and lying is lying. Because a gem is "cheap," doesn't make it right.
 
Re: Watching Jewelry Television yesterday made my stomach tu

AGBF|1311616749|2976417 said:
kenny|1311611391|2976369 said:
I have mixed feelings.
On one hand I wish they were more honest and truly educated the public about gems.
The real deal is soooo cool.

On the other hand a lot more people have $45.99 to spend than $45,999.99. (Not that you could get a good 10x12mm ruby or red diamond for anything near that)
If they buy and enjoy a $46 stone, so be it.
In the future if the coating wears off, so be that too.
You get what you pay for.

If they were more honest and educational they would not be creating demand for what they are selling, a $46 stone.
Also there just aren't the numbers of customers to justify selling high end stuff on a TV show.

Oh, Lord, I agree. I have such mixed feelings. I want to shut down the crooks because they don't deserve to fool poor people and make money. But I want the poor people to get their inexpensive gems and be happy! Why not a "real ruby" for $5.95 from a kind company instead of this one? Think how good someone might feel owning a "real ruby" for 1/10 the price s/he is paying for one of these African mystic peonies or whatever!

Deb
:read:

Deb,
There are other places that are honest/reputable that sell gems for fair and even inexpensive pricing. I think people should choose to purchase gems from more honest dealers and not give JTV their business.
 
Re: Watching Jewelry Television yesterday made my stomach tu

PrecisionGem|1311633316|2976620 said:
Well, he most likely right about one thing, the topaz coming from Nigeria. THere is a ton of colorless (white) topaz in Nigeria, and it's really cheap, cheaper than quartz. So this stuff is perfect for coating and adding color to.

Well, according to the host, he said it was deep red because Africa produces such deep color. What an outright lie, as the gem did not get it's color from Africa!! :angryfire:
 
Re: Watching Jewelry Television yesterday made my stomach tu

Sounds like there is a story for some "investigative reporting". Does anyone know of any smaller news shows where you can call in suspicious businesses and they will investigate them and report a story? (Kind of like 60 minutes, but I don't think they will care about JTV.) Boston used to have a reporter who did that, but I don't live there anymore, and I don't remember what the name of the show.
 
Re: Watching Jewelry Television yesterday made my stomach tu

Ha, I remember JTV. I actually bought a few stones from them when I was a newbie. My 6 ct. citrine I bought for $60 and it's a pretty stone.

JTV is basically the Walmart of gemstones and jewelry. They may have high-end items from time to time, but they are inflated for what you get.
 
Re: Watching Jewelry Television yesterday made my stomach tu

Hmm, I have less issues with this than the CZ market. I HATE how people are calling them "Smart Diamonds" and spouting on and on about Diamonds when they are just lab grown CZ. Not even natural Zircon.

Gordon Max is one of those companies that annoys me. "A Smart Girl's Best Friend" etc... Then they sell a 1ct equivalent sized stone for round about $300+. There is SO much marketing spiel in writing - and it keeps harping "Diamond" with accompanying propriety marketing terms. But I don't know how they are allowed to call them "smart diamonds".

I have a caliberation CZ for $5 which appears close to 1ct (I didn't measure). And I know where to get then for $1.50 if I didn't get an idealscope bundle. So where exactly IS this smart girl? Not at Gordon Max I'll warrant.

At least Tiffany only marks up 30% vs other retailers for their diamonds. Gordon Max is marking up a few thousand %. Sheesh.
 
Re: Watching Jewelry Television yesterday made my stomach tu

TristanC|1311651913|2976868 said:
Hmm, I have less issues with this than the CZ market. I HATE how people are calling them "Smart Diamonds" and spouting on and on about Diamonds when they are just lab grown CZ. Not even natural Zircon.

Gordon Max is one of those companies that annoys me. "A Smart Girl's Best Friend" etc... Then they sell a 1ct equivalent sized stone for round about $300+. There is SO much marketing spiel in writing - and it keeps harping "Diamond" with accompanying propriety marketing terms. But I don't know how they are allowed to call them "smart diamonds".

I have a caliberation CZ for $5 which appears close to 1ct (I didn't measure). And I know where to get then for $1.50 if I didn't get an idealscope bundle. So where exactly IS this smart girl? Not at Gordon Max I'll warrant.

At least Tiffany only marks up 30% vs other retailers for their diamonds. Gordon Max is marking up a few thousand %. Sheesh.

I almost fell for that before I found PS!
I just started looking around for diamond when I saw an article about Gordon Max in the papers. I went to one of their shops and got a quote for a pair of 1ctw studs for almost $700. The sales person was telling me how each of these half carat CZ was individually faceted by hand :rolleyes: Luckily I decided to think about it and didn't get any.

A month later, I got my studs from BGD. Though they were 0.6ctw instead of 1ctw and cost more than $700 (but not that much more), they were AGS000 H&A real diamonds :praise: Never regretted since.

To be honest, I still wear CZ earrings though when I'm traveling and don't want to risk losing my precious diamonds. But those were $10-$20 ones which I bought many years back. Gordon Max is indeed overpriced.
 
Re: Watching Jewelry Television yesterday made my stomach tu

I bring my caliberation CZ around to show people who consider 'alternative' jewelry - I just ask, how much do you think it is? Then I tell them. If they want to skip diamonds altogether and get CZ, they still shouldn't get ripped off by these CZ sellers.

Get a good jeweller and set a CZ if you want to make something of it, but I don't like it when people get 'conned', unless they know what they are getting into.

I mean almost anyone I know who goes into Tiffany/Cartier/H.WInston KNOWS they are overpaying, but they are happy to. Gordon Max is just confusing rhetoric and I'm not convinced anyone knows what they are getting into. Like lambs walking into the lion's den.
 
Re: Watching Jewelry Television yesterday made my stomach tu

Well, good marketing can do wonders.
:oops:
Oops... Thanks for the reminder! Edited my last post so that I don't flout the rule further.....
 
Re: Watching Jewelry Television yesterday made my stomach tu

2.This is a diamond education site and we want to keep the focus as such.

a.Discussions related to any diamond simulants, Cubic Zirconia (CZ), Moissanite, or any other man-made gemstones are not allowed on this board.
heheheh
:D
 
Re: Watching Jewelry Television yesterday made my stomach tu

Oh, does my post flout the rules of the forum? Sorry, I was writing more about warning people of the dangers of crafty marketing rather than promoting the merits of CZ.
 
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