JTV Jewelry Television is an American-based company that sells jewelry in the USA (mainly). JTV Jewelry Television is big, has smart marketing, and is successful. Actually, JTV Jewelry Television has an influence in the whole world on the jewelry branch. But the question is ‘how far goes their influence’ and do they dominate the jewelry branch and is that a good thing for you, the buyer, and me, the seller?
In 1996 JTV Jewelry Television started as an ordinary jewelry shop with a vision. And today they ‘own’ the world’s jewelry branch from Knoxville with more than 1700 employees, and branches all over the world, and their whole selling process is automated. More than 87 million Americans watch 24/7 this JTV Jewelry Television channel and that’s not counting the viewers on mobile and I pad.
JTV Jewelry Television is the leading company in producing jewelry and selling gemstones in the USA and jewelry makers in mostly Asia produce whatever JTV Jewelry Television wants, in the quality and quantity they want. Therefore they have control over a great deal of the gemstone trade in the world.
There are some minor points to look at, concerning this. For instance: JTV Jewelry Television is selling jewelry on television and matte gemstones don’t come out well on TV. So most of their jewelry is made with faceted gemstones. And due to the price, those gemstones have all the same amount of carats; gemstones above 1 carat are hardly sold and so hardly produced.
JTV Jewelry Television can make and break fashion in jewelry. For example, when the tennis bracelet is hot, they order only tennis bracelets, and when the fashion changes they order some other fashionable jewelry. It’s not unique and traditional Asian designs tend to vanish.
JTV Jewelry Television sells mostly faceted and shiny gemstones. That means that they deal with quartzes, which can be precious gemstones, like diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds too. Faceted means that a stone or bead has many flattened edges in a certain pattern.
The flattened edges are created by cutting the gemstone, most of the time that is real handwork. And it takes an expert eye and experience to see how the raw or rough gemstone can be cut best. Because you want a gem with as few inclusions as possible.
The technique of cutting a gemstone in facets is not that old.
Until about the 15th century the gemstones were only polished on the visible part. The gemstone was half round, the top part polished and set in a piece of jewelry with a closed back that covered the non-polished part. A gem like this is called ‘cabochon’.
After the 15th century, the development of cutting techniques went faster. Especially in France and The Netherlands, gemstone cutters made a lot of progress. In the 16th century, they knew how to use the ‘rose cut’. Rose-cut gemstones have a flat back and domed top in triangular facets. The number of facets can be from 3 to 24 and they look like the petals of an unfolding rosebud.
In 1640 Jules Cardinal Mazarin developed a new type of cutting, the brilliant cut, which is sometimes also called the ‘Mazarin cut’.
There is a special reason why the technique of cutting gemstones with facets became so popular in the 15th century. That has something to do with the candles. Candles? Yes, candles.
In the Middle Ages and before, people lightened their homes with candles made of fat. Kitchen fat or animal fat. And those candles lasted very short and smelled awful. Big parties were held in the afternoon because turning up to a party with your best clothes and jewelry and knowing that they will be ruined by the candles, is not encouraging to go.
In the 16th century, whaling started and some smart guys discovered that whales had a certain spot in their body that gives excellent fat, no smoking, no black flame, and the candles made of whale fat lasted long.
Parties started to be organized at night time and everyone wanted to shine and be seen. And that is the beginning van the faceted gemstone jewelry.
That depends, on what you want your jewelry to represent. For me, the jewelry should make me more beautiful, and show the world that I am a unique woman. My jewelry shows who I am and what I stand for. My jewelry camouflages my minor points (my height) and emphasizes my great points (my eyes).
I want unique pieces of jewelry and not mass-production stuff and I want to see the heart and the soul of the maker in my jewelry. Therefore I want to have gemstones in my pieces of jewelry, maybe not fashionable, not faceted, and not shiny, but beauty from themselves, and that beauty reflects on me. So I am not a great fan of JTV Jewelry Television.
But when you don’t feel like me, and you want to go with the flow and don’t mind buying new jewelry with every new fashion trend, this is great. JTV Jewelry Television is easy to come by, affordable and it’s a bit of entertainment
It may be clear what I think as a seller of unique handmade jewelry and as a jewelry lover (or magpie). But what you do think about buying your jewelry on JTV Jewelry Television from a company that controls the world’s jewelry? I am just curious and ask you to let me know. This is a rather controversial blog post because I am really interested in your opinion.
FlorenceJewelshop designs and produces unique designer jewelry. Every design is used only once. And the material is bought on one of my frequent travels. I buy from local gemstone sellers and makers and every gemstone bead has its own story. I design for special ladies, like you. But do you know what piece of jewelry looks great on you? What jewel accentuates your best features? Which pair of earrings match perfectly with the shape of your face and your ‘blue’ eyes? I wrote a PDF where you can find all the answers and if not you can always email me. Personal contact is important, so sell/buy a special piece of emotion, a piece of jewelry.
The PDF is free of charge. Just let me know where I can send it to.
Hug, Florence of FlorenceJewelshop
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