Today's parcels

[Fezmydoodle]

Just saw Scott had new 20ct parcels for $38 with visor. He said they added better quality stones, including larger (over 1ct) Tanzies, Rubies, Tsavs, etc to the barrells. I got two for my younger girls, get this...for Christmas coming up. Tired of buying them video games & clothes, and this should be a fun learning gift which should occupy them for a while -- yeah.

Do you think they really are doing better QC on the parcels now?

[beekeeper]

I hope so, for your sake! You'll have to let us know how they are when you get them. I haven't had the best luck with the parcels I've bought ... but people are saying you get better stones in the smaller parcels.

Again, let us know what you end up with!

I think it's a great idea to buy the kids these parcels instead of video games! Something different, something fun ... hopefully they enjoy them!

[Garnet333]

At 6am today they were showing 400 ct of loose gems. WOW, they looked like gorgeous stones. What I am afraid of is buying the darn stones and having to send them back because of the poor quality. If those stones looked anything like they showed this morning, it would have been a fabulous buy.

[kittyinthecity]

Can I ask you guys a probably dumb question?

What do you do with those parcels of loose gems?

Do you ever set them in jewelry? Or display them?

I've been tempted but have never purchased them.

[beekeeper]

Not a dumb question at all!

I collect gems. I have a case with a glass lid, that holds all my gem jars. I don't really display them ... it's locked up when I'm not admiring them! lol ...

[kittyinthecity]

Thanks!

Then another question.

When that jewelry is spinning around on the turntable, there's only one of each of those right? Have you ever called up and bought one? I've seen things I liked, but I too scared to call them! LOL!

[beekeeper]

No. Sometimes they are one only's, but they will tell you before hand. Typically, they are just display samples for pieces they have multiples of.

Don't be afraid to call, especially if the price seems high prices, cuz typically they are playing pricing games and if you call, you can get the bottom dollar price right away. The customer service reps have always been very kind and friendly ... so give it a try!!!

[kittyinthecity]

Thanks!

Oh my, they have an Alexandrite ring now. I love Alexandrite!

[Garnet333]

I keep all my loose stones in little gemstone jars. I am getting ready to set my loose tanzies in a white gold bracelet. Of course I have been saying that for a year now, right Bee?

Every now and then, I pull them out and look at them. If I find a stone I really love I will have it set. But for the most part, I keep them in my little gem jars and admire them :)

[kittyinthecity]

Okay Bee - This is your fault! I went to JTV's website and ordered one of the diamond rings she was showing, #17, I think on tray 6.

1ct. 10 white gold for $249.00??

I think it will be a good Mother's Day present.... for me!

okay, this could be a dangerous thing!!

[beekeeper]

Hey now ... I didn't twist your arm ... just gave you a little push! ;-)

ooooh ... bagettes! Very pretty ... I hope you love your ring! Let us know.

[kittyinthecity]

I just can't imagine diamonds at that price. But apparently sometimes you guys get lucky?

[jewelfreak]

I have had bad luck with the larger ct weight diamond rings that contain a lot of small, prong set diamonds losing stones within days of purchase. But if they are channel set, you should have nothing to worry about. But I did buy a 1ct diamond and 1ct rubellite ring that have ton of tiny stones, and it has been nothing but great, so it's just the luck of the draw. Hope your ring is gorgeous!!!!

[mystylady]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
kittyinthecity:
Can I ask you guys a probably dumb question?

What do you do with those parcels of loose gems?

Do you ever set them in jewelry? Or display them?

I've been tempted but have never purchased them.
www.tvtalkshows.com/board/showpost.php?p=1493963
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The only dumb question in my opinion is the one you didn't ask!!!
What I do with my parcels is put them in the little gem jars after I've sorted them all out according to color, what they are, etc... then I study them. I go to my Library's website and search the entire County's available selection of books on the subject I'm interested in, then "order" the books that our branch doesn't carry (they have them sent right to them!) then they call me when they're in! One of my favorite "headings" to search is "gemstone inclusions"! A Gem's inclusion is like a fingerprint. Not only are there no two alike, but certain gems have certain inclusions. It's a way to identify what you have. "Gemstone Identification" is another favorite!
I sometimes set my stones, but I more often than not either will sell the occasional loose stone or will sell the stone with the casting, unset. Only rarely will I sell a set gem. I personally don't feel like I'm good enough at it yet to actually set something and then sell it! I do like to give them as gifts... "set by me"!

[pebbles]

How do you sell them, Mysty?

[mystylady]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
pebbles:
How do you sell them, Mysty?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Pebs!
I show them to my friends, my daughters' friends..."Mom, please don't show them your gemstones!"... co-workers, but no actual strangers. The ones I've sold were all to friends who just really liked a certain stone, which I'll do, provided that it Isn't in my personal and very "Hands-Off" collection! Them's are not for sale! They're to admire and to drool over ONLY!

[jewelfreak]

As for what I do with my loose gems that maybe aren't so hot, I go to a craft store called Pat Catans (don't know if they are in your area, but other craft stores should have these) and buy these tiny glass bottles with a cork stopper with a jump ring embedded into them. I put 5 - 10 gems in there, cork it up, and put them on charm bracelets or just on a silver chain or a black cord. They make really cute, inexpensive pieces of jewelry for gifts or to sell, and then you don't have to feel bad for hiding or tossing the "bad" gems you get in your parcels. Oh yeah, if I am selling them, I make sure I put in a few nice stones (they can be common ones like amethyst and peridot as long as they are nice) with the not so good ones.

[mystylady]

Sounds nice! I love those tiny bottles!

[beekeeper]

ok ... I caved. I ordered a parcel on Saturday ... sigh ...

50 carats mixed gems with 4 sterling pendant castings and 4 chains, $79.99 ... plus free shipping. I swear, if it's MOSTLY crap, I'm done. DONE DONE DONE!

[mystylady]

Ooooh how exciting Bee! Just remember... not ALL of the stones are going to be knockouts! I saw that kit tonight, Cheryl had it and it's a great deal! Hopefully they fixed the problem with the jump-ring that the clasp latches onto being too big to fit through the bail of the casting! ARRRRGGGHHH! I complained big time about that one! They're usually pretty good about listening to and fixing problems like that...
I can't wait to hear what ya got and how you like it!
"May the Bird of Gemstone Luck Poop a Huge Poop on Your Parcel"!

[jewelfreak]

"May the Bird of Gemstone Luck Poop a Huge Poop on Your Parcel"!
----------------------------------
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You all are tempting me to buy another kit! There was a 25ct plus 50ct cabachon kit on yesterday for 39.98. There was a huge rubellite in the sample. Now normally, a sample wouldn't tempt me to buy, but between that and the rubellite Mysty got in her kit the other day, I am VERY tempted. I am on a tourmaline kick lately. I put a ring on hold at work the other day - mauvey pink tourmaline with inlaid mother of pearl and diamond accents in yellow gold. Very unusual and striking. I have never seen thet combo before, and absolutely have never seen mother of pearl in a gold ring - only sterling. I fell in love with it my first day, but I tried to sell it to another lady so I wouldn't spend the money! But she needed it sized to a size 8, and I told her I would have to check because inlaid opal isn't sizeable, so you wouldn't think MOP would be either. It turned out not to be sizeable, so that means I HAVE to buy it, since it is already my size. DARN! LOL! It was originally 500 bones, but it is on clearance, and after my discount it will only be $175, so a pretty good deal, i think!

[francesca]

That ring sounds nice jewel.

Check with a loupe if the gold actually holds the MOP pieces in place or if the MOP and gold seperators are glued-in. It's very easy to lose pieces from the glue-in type settings.

[jewelfreak]

It just has two, long, narrowish strips of MOP on either side of the tourmaline. I will have to check it, thanks for the tip, Francesca!! You rock!!!
P.S. How do I tell? Will I see glue or something?

[beekeeper]

Francesca, aren't the inlaid opal pieces mostly glued in? That's why they aren't sizeable, because it pops the stone out.

Well, I received the gem parcel yesterday ... and I'm very sorry to report (I was so hopeful) that it was all ... worthless. A couple large cloudy and included pale orange labradorites, a big prasiolite in the horrendous quantum cut, lots and lots of tiny princess cut pale purple amethysts, a couple chipped mozambigue garnets, about 5 .75 pear cut swiss blue topaz stones, a white topaz in the briolette cut that looks like it was cut by a drunk person, 2 pale citrines and about 6 or 7 various shaped (what looks like) white topaz stones. There is ONE stone that I like ... a one carat oval Iolite, but not worth the $80 price tag.

I'm so sad! :-(

[francesca]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
jewelfreak:
It just has two, long, narrowish strips of MOP on either side of the tourmaline. I will have to check it, thanks for the tip, Francesca!! You rock!!!
P.S. How do I tell? Will I see glue or something?
------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm not the greatest at explaining, if it is glue-in you can see the seams. Like magnifiying the grout lines of a very tiny tile floor. A well-made glue-in is fine for jewelry. It helps keep costs down. Just something you need to be aware of for the sake of knowing to give it gentler use. Also good to know when it comes time to clean a glue-in. Some methods of cleaning will break the glue bond.

In true inlay the gold seperator bars are worked into flanges that cover the edge of each piece of gem to secure them. The finished piece is given a final polish to smooth it into one seamless beauty. With your loupe even, it will look virtually seamless.

Hope that made sense! :' )


Bee, even with the true inlay, sizing isn't recommended. There's just too much precision involved in putting the thing together. A VERY skilled jeweller might go 1/4 to 1/2 size up or down. I doubt that they would be eager to undertake the job.

[Fezmydoodle]

Sorry to hear about the parcel Beekeeper.

I like how now they are marketing the vaccuum sealed parcels so the stones don't scratch against each other. Come on...they get them out of the barrell where they get scratched to begin with. I'm sure they'll gets lots of people trying the parcels this way, but not me. Plus even though they break down the carat weights, it doesn't mean you're getting a clean stone or a large stone in the carat weight -- it could be lots of little ones.

Will anyone be tempted?

[francesca]

=========================
the vaccuum sealed parcels
=========================

I saw that! For Pete's sake! Can we just all say GIMMICK? *sheesh*


Sorry about your order bee! Mysty's infectious enthusiasm almost sent me into an ordering frenzy! LOL

[beekeeper]

lol ... don't go crazy Francesca! You'll probably just end up at the post office sending it all back!

You know, after my experiences and from reading everyones posts here ... I am going to stop hyping JTV as much as I have in the past. In the end ... you really do get what you pay for. I'm sure they do have some good deals ... but for the most part IMO, those deals are mostly on the higher end stuff ... items most people can't buy too many of. I think people ought to stop wasting their money on the $150 pieces ... save up and buy QUALITY. Again ... PEOPLE ... stay away from 10k gold ... it's JUNK!

[mystylady]

OH NO BEE! That's just the crappiest thing I've heard all week! I really wanted you to get a good one, too... 8-(~
That just sucks the big one.
I've gotten stones that look like rejects from some "Lapidary 101" class... What is UP with them?
I'm going to take pictures of my parcel and somehow show it to you guys! I'm almost thinking now that I'm not picky ENOUGH or something!
I haven't seen the vacuum packed thing yet... Femz is right tho. I mean come on! They come out of a HUGE barrel <SKRAAAAPE> Probably by some person who's been "scraping the barrel" for so long that it's like "yeah whatever..." and just plunges that scooper home, taking out whatever aggrevation or frustration that happens to be front and center at the moment... OK please don't write in and be all ticked, you barrel scrapers, just for the record...been there done that... we can't ALWAYS be sickly sweet, especially when the gems ARE damaged a lot of the time! So if anyone who holds the scoop is reading this: just chill... and be more careful, OK? Not ALL gems are up there on the Moh's you know. If dust will scratch and damage a stone less than a 7, whaddya think that scoop is doin to them?
<OK I'm done!>
I'm disappointed, is all. I really wanted Bee to get a kick butt parcel. Damn!!!

[beekeeper]

ME TOO! :-( I am so bummed. I thought for sure that I was gonna get a tsavorite, or tanzanite or decent rubelite! Nada, zip, Zero ... BIG goose egg! It's like the lottery ... you just KNOW you are gonna win ... yet, never do ... sigh ...

By the way, my parcel was NOT vacuum packed.

[francesca]

"By the way, my parcel was NOT vacuum packed."





That vacuum thingy was a new miracle LAUNCHED by Scott the other day. 100 ct, $129. (??) Not positive on that price. BUT. The contents were identified and it only included white topaz, blue topaz, pink topaz, amy, citrine, and MAYBE spessartite and tourmalines. Probably chalk rubies and black sapphires, too. I really wasn't paying the closest attention. Sorry Scott! Your enthusiasm didn't hook me. ;' )

[jewelfreak]

Well, I got my parcel today, and I must say I am THRILLED!!! While I didn't get and tanzie or tourmaline, I think I got some really neat stuff, considering the price and the fact that I actually only ordered the kit for the book and another tool kit.
I got an AWESOME large, trillion yellow fire opal - which is a stone I have always lusted after - it has such a neat irredescent quality and color - reminds me of frozen orange juice! lol I also got a nice sized quantum prasiolite - and while prasiolite is NOT one of my favorite stones, I must say that seeing it in person has won me over a little. Most interesting was a carat or so rectangular cushion Kunzite - not only with a checkerboard top - but checkerboard ALL over - I have never seen a stone like it before! I also got a small, oval red fire opal, two pudgy pear andalusite's (one much nicer than the other) a small, round peridot with a really spectacular cut (portugese, maybe?), three TO DIE FOR london blue ovals of various sizes, five perfectly matched oval garnets, a lovely swiss blue emerald cut, and the rest pretty much your typical "consolation" stones. All in all, it was a great parcel. The great part was, unless mine was a fluke, they REALLY have improved as far as QC goes. I only had one chipped stone, and only one stone that looked like it was cut by a kindergartner, and no included stones to speak of. THE BEST PART - not one crappy, milky emerald, ruby or sapphire to be found!! Halleluja!!!!!!!!!!!

[mystylady]

<sings> WHAT A FEEEEELING! WHAT A FEEEEEEEELLLLLING!
Woo Hoo for yoo Jewel! I don't have any "orange-juicy" Fire Opal, just a small oval Cherry Opal like you got. I bet Praisiolite is like Labradorite in that it looks better in person than on TV. I didn't like Labradorite AT ALL until I actually saw how kewl they are! Did you hear that they're (the AGTA) calling all Labradorite "Andesine"? I wonder if that means just the red stones or the Golden colored ones too?
Portugese cut stones are easy to spot... there's like a million facets and they "graduate" down on the girdle of the stone. The girdle itself isn't straight but goes more like this:
UUUUUU
That doesn't look right! VVVV? no... Well, any road, it's sweet as hell looking!

What book came with your parcel? What tool kit? How many carats??? Enquiring minds NEED to know! lol

[pebbles]

Are you allowed to return parcels if you don't like them?

[jewelfreak]

Mysty, the kit I bought was 25 cts, a tray 2, the tool kit and the new Secrets of the Gemstone Trade book for 79.99. But it only cost me 64 even cuz I had 20% off and it was a free shipping day. I only ordered it for the book and an extra tool kit, but the tray and stones exspecially where a NICE bonus.
Yes, Pebbles, you CAN return parcels, but you have to send the whole thing back. That was a big problem once when I ordered my one and only really large kit. It was the all inclusive kit - it had 150 cts of mixed, 1000 carats of rough stones, 500 cts of cabs, two tray 2's, the visor, the tool kit, the Gemstones of the Word book for 279.99 (I think). I was thrilled with the kit - it was a great deal for everything you got - but my bag of mixed facets was pure crapola! I mean BAD. The only interesting stones in it was a watermelon tourmaline and another multi-colored tourmaline, and the rest where all included and chipped to hell. The problem was, I had ordered the kit primarily to get my gear, so I didn't want to have to send the tools and book back and have to be without them while waiting for a whole new kit. I tried to get them to just let me send back the packet of stones and have them exchange them, but no dice. So then I decided I would go ahead and just exchange it, but then the lady on the phone said they were all out of that kit, so I couldn't exchange it!!! Argh!!!! Anyway, a few days later they were able to exchange it, but it was a nightmare.

[Evil Us]

I bought one of the mixed parcels for $199.99. I've also got a good friend who is a gemologist whose study was in colored gemstones. When I brought it to him, he said everything and he meant everything was total crap and he would not have paid anything for it.
I bought the parcel mainly because of the host reading testimonials about what certain people have found and the classic..."when I brought this one stone to my jeweler to have it appraised, he said it would appraise out at $1500.00."
What I figure the parcels are are the stones that aren't worth anything... whether the cut was wrong, clarity was horrible, color sucked, whatever. So they get pitched into a 55 gallon drum and then thrown into the little zip lock bags and sold. Imagine, a profit margin of 100% on goods sold...unheard of!

[jewelfreak]

The key to buying kits is having realistic expectations. There are a very lucky few who ever get that 1500 dollar ANYTHING in their parcel. What you may get are some nice, lower end stones like amethyst, topaz, peridot,fire opal, andalucite, etc., but they can definately still be worth more than the price you paid. I work for a jeweler, and I know firsthand what the stone suppliers charge when we need to order a replacement stone for someone's piece of jewelry - and it's not pretty. I'm talking 50 to 60 dollars for a few carat amethyst and things like that. 20 dollars for a 1 or 2 point diamond accent stone.
The one tip I STILL swear by - buy the 15 - 30 carat kits ONLY - you get better stones because there is less places for them to sneak in the crappy ones. I will never buy a big kit again - I have learned my lesson. But I have never bought a small kit and not have gotten one stone that was worth the price of the kit. Seriously.

[beekeeper]

Pebbles, I've returned every one I ever ordered ... so yes. JUNK!

JF, I just can't do it anymore ... after that last one (50 carats), and not one decent stone, I feel it's just better if I not buy anymore. I'm glad you have been lucky!

[jewelfreak]

JF, I just can't do it anymore ... after that last one (50 carats), and not one decent stone, I feel it's just better if I not buy anymore. I'm glad you have been lucky!
-----------------------------------------------------
I know where you're coming from, Bee. My luck with their jewelry has been just about as bad as your luck with the parcels.

[beekeeper]

I have to be honest, I haven't had any bad luck with their jewelry, but when I buy, I save up and splurge for the higher end stuff. To me, a $150 ring is a $150 ring, regardless where you buy it. If you pay a higher price, espeically at JTV, IMO you should be able to trust the quality. So far so good anyway! I'm sure there are stinkers everywhere ...

[jewelfreak]

I have bought jewelry from JTV ranging in price from 10 dollars to 550, and almost all of it has been . The only things I have ever kept have been a 30 dollar clearance chrome and citrine ring, and one of the stones in that has a big inclusion, a pair of 30 earrings that initially came with a missing stone but they rectified that, and a 550 dollar rubellite and diamond ring that still has a cracked diamond, and the only reason I kept that is because I liked it too much to return it, but they were sold out so I couldn't exchange it for another one. As far as 150 dollar rings, I have bought two rings for that price at kaufmann's, and they have incredible stones and are extremely well made, so if you're gonna buy a 150 ring, you just have to know where to get it. Walmart is another great source for extremely well made diamond pieces. While the diamonds are not super high quality, they are nice and priced accordingly and never have any big black spots like in the diamonds we see at Zale's (even in our higher end pieces.) Plus, Wal-marts settings and prongs seem to be pretty much indestructable, you just have to look through all of the ugly stuff they carry to find the few pretty ones! LOL
The bottom line is, you can get awesome stuff for great prices - you just have to keep your eyes on the sales, and ALWAYS check clearance. That's where you find really unique stuff for amazing prices, just because the more unique stuff isn't for everybody. My mom and I never pay full price for anything, not even through JTV.
Oh, one last thing. The only truly awesome, perfect thing I ever got from JTV was a champagne and white diamond pendant I bought for my mom last christmas. It's to die for and was a steal at 150 dollars. Everwhere she goes, people stop and ask her about it. Ain't that just my luck? LOL

[beekeeper]

I did buy a pair of diamond earrings from JTV, 14k white gold, .5 carat (little hoop with a removeable snowflake dangling from it) for $99. The exact same earring was selling at QVC for $199. I was thrilled when they came, very nice quality, very sparkly. They were a gift for my Mom, who is a huge QVC watcher, so I know she thinks I paid the higher price for them! hehe

[Unregistered]

I have purchased a few small kits and I am really confused on how to tell what a stone is. I can tell the obvious ones, but there are some I have no idea what they are. Any books anyone can recommend or a good way to tell what they are without taking them to a jeweler? Thanks!

~Debbie
"Newbie"

[jewelfreak]

Walter Shumann's Gemstones of the World
The National Gem Collection Book (The Smithsonian Institution, not sure of the Author)
Any Antoinette Matlins Books like Gemstone Identification Book and Guide to Colored Gemstones
Secrets of the Gem Trade
These are all available at the JTV website except for the Smithsonian one, and they are a LOT cheaper through JTV than the bookstores

Hope this helps, Debbie, and welcome!

[mystylady]

Hi Debbie and welcome!
There's some great Gemology websites you can check out too...

SPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMawesomegems.com/gemfacts.html

http:/gemstone/gem-by-gem/gem-by-gem-by-variety.html

http:/multicolour.com/front.html

Hope this helps!

[Unregistered]

Thanks to you both for the info. I will definately check them out! Hopefully I got some good stuff. It looks beautiful, and I know what some of them are. If no "treasure finds", that's ok. It's fun to look! Never know what you will find. It's like playing the lottery! :-)

~Debbie

[beekeeper]

So did anybody see Scott (back from vacation ... it was nice while it lasted) and Jennifer do the Christmas in Summer gemstone show? Hawking the gemstone parcels, making such a big deal about how "we only have 1000 of these", then spending (literally) 1/2 hour on the damn thing ... saying "I'm not moving on til it sells out". sigh ... well, it didn't sell out and he finally moved on, only to hit it again later in the show. Good grief!

Of course Jennifer was only able to say "exactly" a few times! sigh ...