Re: Quality of jewelry today vs 20 yrs ago

Remar · ‎08-18-2015

Grayhairdonotcare. I think you got a great deal. I If you deside to sell some of the pieces I would make sure to say, estate QVC pieces. Even retired items from QVC that are only a few years old seen to do well. People would love to have some of the older jewelry because they know the quality is there.

Have fun with you're new treasures.

depglass · ‎03-10-2010

I'd like to point out one exception. Most sterling today is platinum or rhodium plated, therefore it won't tarnish if it doesn't get deeply scratched. I have a few old pieces of QVC sterling that will not shine up, period. These were not designer pieces, my Carolyn Pollack and Robert Lee Morris pieces still look fine and they are not plated. QVC had a plated line for a few years, the name escapes me, but it was not good quality and they discontinued it.

SANNA · ‎04-23-2010

Overall my older jewelry is better, but funny thing happened. I recently purchased j357657 ring in platinum with emerald cut diatonique. I cannot even tell you how many complements I am getting in this $28 ring! I put my real one to the bank box.

The quality of this one is fabulous, everyone is asking if this is my anniversary upgrade. I say Yes!

So not everything is bad these days.

faeriemoon · ‎03-14-2010

I've been watching the Q since the early nineties and I have always thought (even back then) that the findings on their gold jewelry were cheapo, and the jewelry was made to fool the eye. Things were hollowed out and made to look larger and heavier than they actually were. They in fact used to come right out and say how they had developed methods of jewlery making to give you a big look for less.

These days they have even done this with the silver jewelry. I have found their designer jewelry to be much better, and I stick with that for the most part.

I think the glory days of QVC are a figment of people's imagination. Prices have increased, yes; but so has everything in "the real world." I do agree though, that older Diamonique looks better than newer Diamonique. I have no explanation for that.

I also think that programming was better "back the day."

The big thing with QVC has always been convenience. But convenience is everywhere now, and it usually offers better pricing and better shipping. However Q customer service remains very good IMO, and many sites cannot say the same.

jannabelle1 · ‎09-12-2010

Lucky you for getting that box of the "older" Q pieces! I sure do remember the wonderful jewelry so many ago. I look at many of the rings and bracelets I purchased then and they are of so much higher quality than pieces I purchased even a few years ago. I stopped buying jewelry 2 years - I'm retired and just don't wear it like I used to, plus the quality just isn't there anymore. I'm trying to remember the name of the very handsome older gentleman who used to be on QVC years ago - he died probably 8 to 10 years ago. Toward the end of his life he'd appear with a younger guy who was also designing jewelry with him. His pieces were so beautiful.

AuntMame · ‎10-16-2010

@faeriemoon wrote:
I've been watching the Q since the early nineties and I have always thought (even back then) that the findings on their gold jewelry were cheapo, and the jewelry was made to fool the eye. Things were hollowed out and made to look larger and heavier than they actually were. They in fact used to come right out and say how they had developed methods of jewlery making to give you a big look for less.

Agree. I bought a TSV pair of gold hoop earrings about 20 years ago that were "puffed." The gold was so thin that if you held them too tightly while putting them on they would dent or even bend in your fingers.

There were Diamonique rings I sent back that looked barely Cracker Jack-ready.

There was one particular silver-topaz ring that looked like it was entirely plastic, even the stone.

That said, I do have some great pieces from QVC from years ago. And jewelry, both costume and gold, was made much better back then, but then so was everything else.

Tyak · ‎01-26-2013

There's no comparison to the quality then and now. I have diamonique earrings from 22 years ago that I'm still wearing , in fact I have them on today. I bought diamonique studs about 12 years ago and the quality then was going downhill, I don't waste my money buying it today.

faeriemoon · ‎03-14-2010

@Tyak wrote:
There's no comparison to the quality then and now. I have diamonique earrings from 22 years ago that I'm still wearing , in fact I have them on today. I bought diamonique studs about 12 years ago and the quality then was going downhill, I don't waste my money buying it today.

I have DMQ studs from 1991. Even then they had cheapo backs to them; I replaced them with backs from another gold earring I had.

The stones, however, looked better than the DMQ of today.

SoX · ‎03-15-2010

@faeriemoon wrote:
I've been watching the Q since the early nineties and I have always thought (even back then) that the findings on their gold jewelry were cheapo, and the jewelry was made to fool the eye. Things were hollowed out and made to look larger and heavier than they actually were. They in fact used to come right out and say how they had developed methods of jewlery making to give you a big look for less.

These days they have even done this with the silver jewelry. I have found their designer jewelry to be much better, and I stick with that for the most part.

I think the glory days of QVC are a figment of people's imagination. Prices have increased, yes; but so has everything in "the real world." I do agree though, that older Diamonique looks better than newer Diamonique. I have no explanation for that.

I also think that programming was better "back the day."

The big thing with QVC has always been convenience. But convenience is everywhere now, and it usually offers better pricing and better shipping. However Q customer service remains very good IMO, and many sites cannot say the same.

@faeriemoon

In the early nineties, I remember a jeweler in the building where I used to have my hair done, tell me that Q's gold jewelry was a joke in the industry, with few exceptions.

Never really being a "gold" kind of gal, I sold practically all my Q gold jewelry to one of those gold buyers, and made a handsome profit.

faeriemoon · ‎03-14-2010

@SoX I'm not really a gold girl either, but back in the early Q days when their prices were more reasonable I kind of fell for the hype of the moment on a gold piece. Some were fine, most were a disappointment when they arrived at my door. Like an idiot I kept most of them.

Fortunately I've always been more into silver, and for the most part their silver is good. But these days I stick with the designers, because left to their own devices (aka Q brands) they try to take the cheap way out.