I was out of my mind. After breaking my hip, I was on heavy painkillers and the only thing that I enjoyed doing was watching the Gem Shopping Network. I had a few bucks to spare, so I started buying. I became obsessed with gems and combed the internet for information on each of them.
Several of the items I purchased were attractive on the surface, and I thought I got good deals. If an appraisal was provided, it looked like I had made some awesome purchases. That is, until I took a couple of stones to my local jeweler to have them set or sized.
If you have your item appraised by Gem Shopping, it will certainly look like you had a bargain price, and if you want to insure your purchase, you will pay a heavy premium. Appraisals are a matter of opinion, and as we know, everyone has one. I do have a fair education in jewels, and even I could see that there is a mass hypnosis going on in Duluth.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but you can't trust your TV to tell you when there are lighting techniques used from the transmitter that make gems look better than when you receive them. It can even look like a bait and switch, but I think it is the stage lighting.
If you succumb to their snake oil sales, don't have them size an item for you or appraise it, because you will not see that purchase for a month. You can't go back and look at a photo of the item on line. You will also waste a day waiting for it to be delivered, requiring your signature, and at an exorbitant cost. Don't be fooled into thinking that they are placing extra insurance on the item, because everything is shipped the same way and at the same cost.
Any setting that is made by Gem Shopping is junky. So many sharp edges and catchy prongs, and always light on metal. (Estate pieces may be better.)
I am so embarrassed and sorry that I did not return several items. I can never tell my mother (and I'm 55 years old!) I purchased from a few different "hosts", and it is always the same.
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