Gemstone Kits

[Wee And Bee]

Has anyone ordered any of the kits? I got a mixed gemstone parcel over a year ago, and honestly have no idea what I got. I want to get them looked at to see if I have anything cool. I have been very happy with JTV, I've gotten a few little pieces here and there, would love to get some tanzanite (I saw Dawn a while back, she had a 25 carat stone!!!) but can't afford it. I just find the entire channel fascinating to watch-- Tamara cracks me up, seems like she is on speed every time someone lets her loose to talk, you'd think she was selling a car for $5 the way she gets all revved up!

[pebbles]

I bought a necklace and bracelet from HSN last year that was made up of all kinds of semi-precious stones. They said they were whatever the jeweler had on hand at the time and no 2 were the same. I have no idea what the stones are either. I can pick out some pink quartz and some amethyst but the rest ...? Appraisals are expensive so I don't think I'll do it. Also these pieces are very heavy.

[beekeeper]

How large of a parcel did you buy?

I have purchased a couple parcels over the past couple years ... only to return them because in general, the stones were poor quality ... chipped, included, even cracked. I do remember that there were many that I had no idea what they were. Like Pebbles said, appraisals can be pricey ... so unless you buy a book and start studying gems ... I have no idea how else to figure out what they are. Some are easier than others ... but how do you tell a purple flourite from an amethyst? Yellow beryl from citrine? Pink sapphire from pink topaz? It can be really difficult!

[Wee And Bee]

I have no idea how large the parcel was, but it came with a tray and some little clear boxes, but I am sure that I didn't pay more than $100 for it. It is confusing to classify them! I have sorted them by color, and that's about it. They sit in a drawer-- maybe soon they'll make an appearance on ebay! Mandy is on JTV now. She just had a tray of gorgeous tanzanites, then went to a tray of light colored, clearer "clusters" and is trying to push them like they are 3 carat solitares! She is such a hoot to watch.

[beekeeper]

These hosts are funny to watch. They will go on and on about buying the darker tanzies ... then hawk a super light one, saying "ok, this is a real zinger ... you have to buy this .. tanzanite for everyone" ...

If you paid around $100, it's probably a 60 carat parcel. The 100 carat parcels typically for about $150.

[Wee And Bee]

Yes! Zingers! I love it!

[pebbles]

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beekeeper:
These hosts are funny to watch. They will go on and on about buying the darker tanzies ... then hawk a super light one, saying "ok, this is a real zinger ... you have to buy this .. tanzanite for everyone" ...

If you paid around $100, it's probably a 60 carat parcel. The 100 carat parcels typically for about $150.
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I guess they have to be create to sell the lighter ones, LOL. But some people are not aware that they are less valuable than the darker ones and think they're all the same.

[beekeeper]

I agree that some people think that way ... but if they spend any time on JTV, they would know the darker is better ... thats all they focus on when selling tanzies!

So ... last night from Cheryl's show ... I ordered 2 sapphire parcels. I don't expect much ... 5 carats for $15 ... but the parcel she was showing had stones with really good color. If mine are all black ... they WILL go back!

[mystylady]

I couldn't post for a few days... I hurt the muscles in the right side of my neck somehow (ow ow ow) I missed you guys!
Wee, I've ordered 640 ctw of mixed facets over the past 3 years and when I first started I felt exactly the same way you do. You also did the same thing that I did, which was to separate them by color. I found that some were much easier to identify than others, such as Peridot, Emerald, Citrine (which will almost always have "banding" or areas in the stone that look more yellow which occurs in streaks. It helps to hold the gem up to the light and turn it in all directions).
Blue Sapphires will have banding most of the time too, though it's hard to see without good lighting. Another good gem ID tip to know is: if you place a stone onto it's gem jar foam with the lid off and then look at it at eye level, moving the jar slowly in the light, you should be able to tell if that gem gives off flashes of colors like in the rainbow or if the flashes of color are limited to the color of the stone... this is hard to explain but easy to show. It's also a very good clue as to what your gems might be, because not all gems do it. It's called "dispersion" or how the gem disperses light. Topaz doesn't, but Aquamarine does. Sapphires do. Tourmaline doesn't. Zircon has the highest dispersion of all the colored stones, outside of Diamond.
Wee, I knew NOTHING about gemstones when I first started collecting so I had to learn everything myself. I went online to my town Library & ordered a ton of gemstone books (the library can order books from all over, not just your library) and I found some awesome internet sites that really helped me a lot! One of the VERY BEST is:

www.gemstone.org

This is the website for the International Colored Gemstone Association and believe me, you're gonna LOVE it! They should even be able to recommend some good books. I'd start with Walter Schumann's "Gemstones Of The World"
Good Luck Sweetie!

[Wee And Bee]

Thanks so much for the info...big fan of the library, and I am on vacation for the next week, so this will give me a new project!

I love sapphires, they are my birthstone, and I think they are so beautiful.

I ordered a coral branch necklace from JTV today-- 24 bucks, 16 inches, very pretty. I think coral looks great on, especially with a blue shirt. If you go to the search icon on JTV and type in coral they have a few nice pieces.

Also-- JTV is having a contest-- check out the site for more info. Almost impossible to get a "high score", I think it's rigged!

[mystylady]

Hiya Wee! I love Sapphires too!
Coral and blue really does look sharp together, doesn't it? Good deal, too on the price! Don't ya just LOVE seeing that grey envelope in your mailbox???!!! <going thru withdrawal>
I'm on a strict budget & can't order for now :( I love hearing about you all's orders tho, it's the next best thing!
THAT STUPID GAME!!!! The highest I got was 56,320 and I thought that was something until I looked at the high scores. 8-\ Damn I think you're right about it being rigged! How can anyone possibly get over 166,000 points? Believe it or not that was the high score for yesterday! Yeah Right!
Do ya wanna cringe??? I LOST a beautiful 6x4 mm oval Sapphire when I accidentally flung it out of my tweezers the other day aarrrggghhhh!!!!!!!! I've lost a few gems that way. I should spread out a white sheet before I play with my gems and sit in the middle of it I decided! LOL

[beekeeper]

Well ... sigh ... I received the two sapphire parcels yesterday ... they were HORRIBLE! I'm not kidding, just about every stone was either chipped or cut REALLY badly. Some were black, some had decent blue color ... but none were worth keeping. They will both go back. I think I'm done with the parcels ... :-(

[Garnet333]

Sorry Bee. I am always afraid to buy the bundles for the exact reason why you are sending them back. Now because of your disappointment you deserve to go buy yourself a big fat sapphire at a very expensive local jeweler, that should make you feel better.

[beekeeper]

CARTIER! :-)

" ... but hubby, Garnet said I could ... " ;-)

[Garnet333]

OMG, you keep that up Bee and you WILL be moving to Utah with Dr. Travis. LOL

[pebbles]

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beekeeper:
Well ... sigh ... I received the two sapphire parcels yesterday ... they were HORRIBLE! I'm not kidding, just about every stone was either chipped or cut REALLY badly. Some were black, some had decent blue color ... but none were worth keeping. They will both go back. I think I'm done with the parcels ... :-(
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It reminds me of those grab bags they used to sell to kids. They were always made up of junk that they were unable to sell.

[beekeeper]

Pebbles ... I totally agree with you! lol ... grab bags of junk is EXACTLY what those two parcels were! Again, they should be ashamed to pass that crap on!

[mystylady]

What a bummer, Bee. I had a feeling... Sapphires are hard to get in quality stones as it is let alone a cheaply priced parcel. I have had more good luck than bad, ordering from JTV fortunately, but only with the mixed facets and the few times I've ordered single stones. Most of the Sapphire that came in the parcels (mixed faceted) are junky too, but a few were good or even better than good; enough to justify the crappy ones. Maybe you should give the mixed parcel another try but only after inventory... that's when you get the best gems. At least it's not a hassle to return to them, right?

[beekeeper]

Nope ... I'm DONE with the parcels. I'll buy the sapphire individually, cuz I don't want no crap! ;-)

I'm happy for you though ... glad someone is getting something good in their parcels!!!

[mystylady]

I want to order 5000 carats of mixed faceted gemstones and take a bath in them! LOL Yeah right! I can't ordre a hematite stretchy bracelet set of 12 for 6.99 right now! It kills me every time I see a kit that I can't order. I love them!

[beekeeper]

Mysty - on Christmas, did you catch any of tht JTV programming? There was a "get to know us" segment with Jeanine and Jerry, walking around JTV, showing us what goes on behind the scenes, etc. They showed the bit tubs full of the mixed gemstones ... Jeanine was totally mesmerized by it and couldn't keep her hands out of it ... it was kinda cool! I'd love to have THAT tub of gems!! :-)

[mystylady]

Woops! I somehow missed this thread! Shame on me! No! I missed that segment dang it! It sounds awesome! I sure wish I had seen it. My mind conjures up images of Scott playing the bells, the Line Of Hosts singing carols, and individual hosts talking about their most memorable Christmas, complete with family pictures & home videos (very cool) but not the behind the scenes segment. Rats! Phooey! No wait! I think I caught the very end of it but not the gemstone tub part. I seem to remember kicking myself for not putting JTV on earlier because I had missed most of the segment and I've always wanted to know what goes on "behind the scenes". The little I saw was very interesting!

I told my daughter that I want a Mixed Faceted Gemstone Parcel for Mother's Day! I don't care what carat weight, I'm just craving new gemstones! I've practically bored holes in all of mine from examining them... I know every inclusion, every flaw. But don't let that make you think that I'm gonna stop playing with them! There's still so many I have yet to identify. You know it's weird. I've brought some of the more "mysterious" stones to several jewelers and NOT ONE OF THEM would even hint as to what they were. The strangest thing was that they ALL acted as if they knew. But no matter what, they were tightlipped. Very peculiar. I wonder if there's like liability or something? Every single jeweler was totally non-committed about identifying stones and I even tried asking about an obvious one (amythyst, I believe) just to see if they'd say what it was, and still no dice. I thought it was odd, to say the least. Hmmm

[beekeeper]

Why wouldn't they tell you what they were?!? It's not like it's a national security issue ... it's a frickn' gemstone for Petes sake!

(who's pete?)

[pebbles]

Yeah, most won't help you unless you pay for an appraisal. That's why it's a good idea to have a "family jeweler" -- someone who has known you for ages. They will tell you what you have. Also, I really think that some jewelers don't know the more obscure stones. They rarely if ever see them and would have to look it up.

[beekeeper]

Spessartite? What's a spessartite?!? ;-)

I agree with Pebbles! I'm lucky to have a friend in the biz ... if I needed an appraisal on something, he will do it for free! :-)

[mystylady]

Yup I bet that's exactly it... no mooola no info. For all you non Italians Mooooola is $$$ money. I don't know any Jewelers personally although I know a few who are very fond of the "family Jewels"... wow WHAT??? WHO said that? <looking around innocently> LOL

[beekeeper]

lol ... YOU said that Mysti, I heard it! too funny!

[bookchick]

I heard it too!!!!

pleeeeeeze be careful when you're rolling around in that gemstone bath

sharp edges+'tender' parts=OW-WIES!!!

concerned bookchick

[jewelfreak]

Hey everyone. New here, but definately not new to JTV. The very first thing I bought was a 20ct parcel with a loupe. It was pretty nice, with some intersting stones like a large checkerboard cut andalusite and a nice, pear shaped aqua. Then I bought a 50ct, but thay had run out, so they sent me a 100ct parcel for the same price. Bonus! The stones were ok. Then I bought a large kit that came with everything - tool kit, trays, headgear, a book, you name it. I got it, and the stones were awful, bad stones to begin with and cracked and chipped on top of it. So I exchanged it, but that lot wasn't great either. Then I ordered a 15ct parcel, and it was amazing. I got a large rectangular cushion labradorite that I definately will be having made into something along with a square emerald cut stone that could quite possibly be a precious topaz. But even if it is just a nice citrine, it is a fab stone.
Anyway, the moral of this story?
Only buy the small kits, like 15 - 30 cts. For some reason, the stones in those are overall much better. I think they try to hide the crappy stones in the large kits because they think that with so many stones, you won't care or notice the bad ones if you get a few good ones. But word to the wise for anyone thinking of ordering a kit for the first time - don't buy with the hopes of getting all these great stones. You may get lucky, nut more likely you will be dissapointed. Just expect to get a few good stones. In most instances, you will get one or two stones that will pay for the kit, but the rest will be mediocre at best. At least that is my experience.

[mystylady]

Thanks for the info, JF! I've had pretty good luck with MFGP's in large sizes, but the secret to that is to catch them RIGHT AFTER inventory. That's when they chuck the really good stones in! I've been disappointed by a larger parcel but there have been enough good stones to justify the "not so good" ones. In a 200 carat MFGP I got a 8x6mm oval "Pidgeon-Blood Red" 2.80 carat Ruby that verbally appraised for close to $3,000! That alone made the parcel worth it! The best was a 60 carat that came with a "Guaranteed to get" Buff Top Santa Maria Aqua, an oval Andulusite, A Ruby, A Chinese Peridot in a Marquise cut, an oval Tanzanite (washed out, sorry to say) and about 6 more specific stones that I can't remember what they all were now, but it was AWESOME! The bad part was that they PUT THE SPECIFIC STONES IN WITH THE REST OF THE 60 CARATS!!! What a time I had trying to fish out the specifics! That's what drives me to learn how to identify gems! Just so I can know what the heck I have! The clear stones are the hardest, then the yellows, IMHO.

[beekeeper]

Don't the gems all come from the same tub of loose stones? On Christmas during the taped programming, Janine was showing us the viewers, the parcel department ... and she was digging her hands in a big tub of loose stones ... like she was washing her face in a basin of water or something ... ok, I'm a bit jealous ... I WANT TO PLAY IN THE GEMS! lol ...

Maybe I'll try buying a smaller carat weight parcel ... I'd love to luck out and find just ONE fabulous stone worth keeping!

[mystylady]

Yeah they have like this barrel full o gems that they scoop out of...
Me too! Not only do I want to play in the gems, I want to dive in the barrel head first! Just swim around for a while!
The smallest parcel I've ordered was that 60 carat one and it was something else. I have to say that for the money, you really get what you pay for. Gem by gem, if you tried to buy them individually, you'd be looking at thousands of dollars. So Let us know how it turns out if you order! I think this time is gonna be the charm!

[francesca]

I've tried the 100ct parcel three times. Returned, Pronto!, each time. Compared to what I got,
aquarium gravel is a priceless treasure!
Mystylady I'm glad that you've had such good luck.

Now, those nutty hosts go on and on every time they present them that the stones are bigger, better; more valuable varieties.

Are they saying to everyone that purchased the week before, "See ya, sucker!" lol

And I swear that EVERY week I hear "We are going to have to retire the gemstone parcel!" and "We've JUST done inventory! Stones have been added that are NEVER found in mixed parcels!"
Uh huh. And I just fell off the turnip truck!


Did you catch the contest, a year or so ago, for Gemstones on the Loose? One of the winning entries was a kitchen table top done in a Gemstone Mosaic!!! Another was the fireplace surround in someone's front room. These were just average every day houses; pretty pricey home decorating!

[bozoguy61]

what's with all the smoking questions..i thought this was about jewelry?

[mystylady]

Sorry you had bad luck with your parcels, Francesca :(
I think I've been lucky or something.

SPAMSPAMSPAMre they saying to everyone that purchased the week before, "See ya, sucker!" lol>
LOL I thought the same thing...

To hear them say it, they make it seem as if the gems are going to run out any second. I don't like the way they try and scare us by saying that the gemstone parcels are going to be going up and GET THEM NOW OR ELSE. Once they went on and on about the prices going UP UP UP and when all was said and done they actually had gone DOWN!

I missed the Gemstones on the Loose entries darn it! Wasn't it where you had to come up with the most original idea for using loose gems? I have to admit... outside of putting them in a bowl for decoration, I was stumped.

[francesca]

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I missed the Gemstones on the Loose entries darn it! Wasn't it where you had to come up with the most original idea for using loose gems? I have to admit... outside of putting them in a bowl for decoration, I was stumped.

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It was a popular contest. They showed a ton of entries! LOTS of bejewelled pets . . . . there were some great pics. :^ )

[mystylady]

Francesca, have you ever watched Direct Shopping Network?

[francesca]

Why, yes I have! I'm thinking I watch altogether too much of the sparkly stuff. I've never ordered from them. I regret that when Rex was still alive I didn't get the special collections that he offered. A different cut each week in BIG solitaires of peridot, amy, blue topaz, citrine; garnet. One week round brilliants, then a set of cushions, set of radiants, etc. They were priced at a complete steal.

Often they show such long strings of really poor quality stones that I just get too tired of looking at the dreck to wait and see the good stuff.

[mystylady]

Oh wow, YOU REMEMBER REX! OMG! I LOVED Rex! I was devestated when he died! I'm gonna have to PM you...

[jewelfreak]

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mystylady:
Sorry you had bad luck with your parcels, Francesca :(
I think I've been lucky or something.

SPAMSPAMSPAMre they saying to everyone that purchased the week before, "See ya, sucker!" lol>
LOL I thought the same thing...

To hear them say it, they make it seem as if the gems are going to run out any second. I don't like the way they try and scare us by saying that the gemstone parcels are going to be going up and GET THEM NOW OR ELSE. Once they went on and on about the prices going UP UP UP and when all was said and done they actually had gone DOWN!

I missed the Gemstones on the Loose entries darn it! Wasn't it where you had to come up with the most original idea for using loose gems? I have to admit... outside of putting them in a bowl for decoration, I was stumped.
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last year's winners and pictures of their entries are still posted on the JTV site along with last year's design contest finalists and whatnot. Go to the homepage, and then click on the contest center which is on the lower left of the page.

[mystylady]

Surfin'!!! I'm goin' SURFIN'''! Thanks Jewel!