QVC Loses its Sparkle

QVC loves to flash a little bling-bling. In fact, it's how they built their multi-billion dollar empire. But with the economy swirling the drain and gold prices continuing to skyrocket, home shopping customers are losing interest in shiny objects.

The Q is now focusing more on "practical" items like electronics, kitchen gadgets, and food (although I for one don't think that a $50 cheesecake is practical). Just think back to this past Memorial Day weekend. Save for the Black Hills Gold show last night, there was nary a sparkle to be found. I think every time I flipped onto QVC they were presenting that flat garden hose or a food item of some sort.

The problem--other than Queen Bea being bored out of her gourd--is that jewelry has a much higher profit margin than these other categories. Sales focused on non-jewelry categories and lower price points resulted in QVC's first quarter earnings dropping 18% from last year.

The trend against jewelry isn't just affecting QVC. The demand for gold is at a 20-year low and all jewelry retailers are suffering. When you just lost your job or you aren't sure that you'll still have a job in a month, buying a new bauble simply isn't the priority.




Even Jewelry Television (JTV)--a channel focused solely on jewelry and gems--is getting in on the act. JTV recently rolled out a new gemstone-infused skincare line called DermaGem. I can only assume that they are looking to find new non-jewelry products to help carry them through the slump.

On the flip side, that ginormous 25-carat apple quartz ring pictured at the top of the page is the Today's Special at HSN ... maybe there is hope. The sheer audacity of that ring makes me smile. Home shopping without bling is like eating cereal with no milk. Yuck.

JTV Sued for Discrimination

According to KnoxNews.com, Former Jewelry Television vice president Steve Gordon is suing JTV for age discrimination. He also alleges that JTV was involved in a plot to weed out all the employees who accrued high health care costs--known in legalese fancy talk as “a pretextual guise for discriminatory conduct.”

Steve was laid off as part of the company-wide workforce reduction back in May of last year. However, a month before he was terminated, Gordon said he met with two Jewelry Television executives who discussed the company’s increasing health-care costs, including those associated with his cancer treatment.

Steve was hired in 2004 after being recruited by then-CEO Robert Hall and then diagnosed with a type of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma cancer in 2005. He claims that he was replaced with younger people (i.e. healthier), that they re-hired certain people, and that they tended to hire friends and family.

The lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, maintains that Jewelry Television sought to eliminate employees who threatened the company’s objective of an independent public offering by increasing health insurance or workers’ compensation premiums. Steve is seeking $10 million in damages.

After the whole Andesine Labradorite debacle and jewelry sales being down across the board, JTV needs another lawsuit like it needs a hole in the head. I hope this isn't true. I hope that they aren't so heartless as to pull the rug out from someone diagnosed with cancer. But I know the realities of corporate America and nothing surprises me anymore.

ShopNBC Cuts Host Jobs

Approximately 70 ShopNBC employees were laid off yesterday in an effort to "cut costs."

Even the hosts weren't spared at the chopping block this time. According to an anonymous sources, hosts Bill Fahey and Kerry McNally were both let go. And Jim Fisher's contract was not renewed, but he will now be a guest for the coin jewelry shows. Daniel Green is also gone, but he resigned a few weeks ago to do a local television kitchen show.

Per CNN, ShopNBC's "salaried work force was reduced by approximately 11%, which is effective immediately. This represents a total reduction in the salaried workforce of 27% from fiscal 2007. Impacted team members were offered competitive severance and outplacement services. Additionally, the Company will suspend its 401(k) match for fiscal 2009, and there will be a salary freeze with no merit pay increases in the coming fiscal year."

Jewelry Television also announced yesterday that they were starting yet another round of layoffs. They already have reduced their workforce from about 2000 people to 1300 in 2008. They aren't saying how many employees will get pink slips this time. However per the comments I'm reading here, it sounds like they were short staffed and encouraging call center employees to work overtime in December. Strange.

I wish everyone effected by these layoffs the best.

Ghost Mine in the Sky with Diamonds

The andesine-labradorite mine owner, a miner, and Chiang Min (from JTV's Bangkok subsidiary) visiting the mine in Tibet.


JTV has expanded their “Learning Library” and they sure are busy promoting it! I took a look at it, and from what I can tell--aside from the standard textbook info on jewelry and gemstones--what they are really trying to do is give their side of the whole andesine-labradorite scandal in an “educational” format.

So what do they have to say?

First, the accusations, class-action lawsuit, and huge settlement in the millions of dollars are described simply as "a flurry of activity on red and green andesine-labradorite. " Cute. Iraq has had a flurry of activity these last few years too!

They also state that the so-called Tibetan "Ghost Mine in the Sky" is real and produces natural red andesine-labradorite. They "can confidently state that there is a mining camp and many deep holes in the ground ... There are numerous mine shafts at this mining site, which makes it less likely the site is a diversion or a hoax." The mine is lacking equipment, but they claim this is because they have to mine the stones by hand. However, they are still waiting on lab reports from the samples they collected at the Tibetan "Ghost Mine in the Sky."

JTV also claims that they have "not sold Mexican labradorite as andesine-labradorite." I guess they were accused of shipping the Mexican yellow labradorite to China so that they could claim it was was the more valuable andesine-labradorite. However, they say that they shipped the gems to China for faceting only and never tried to pass them off as anything but Mexican labradorite.

JTV’s "Jewel Hunter Jack" found mines on the China/Mongolia that yielded yellow stones, and when laboratory tested, these stones proved to be andesine-labradorite. The stones are copper-diffused to create red and green colors. "JTV has every reason to believe these mines are real and functioning. It was on this trip that Jewel Hunter Jack learned andesine-labradorite is mined as yellow and treated to transform the stones to red or green. At the time, the miners told Jack the stones were only heated. However, we have now learned they are actually color enhanced/diffused."

Since this has been a long, heated, and complicated issue, I would be very interested to hear a rebuttal from the other side. Anyone?

Are JTV and GemsTV Deceiving Customers?

Robert James FGA, GG, President, International School of Gemology, thinks that both JTV and GemsTV are violating FTC guidelines against deceptive pricing.

How? You know the game ... they tell you that the gem they are practically giving away for $39.99 used to sell for $3690! Wow! What a bargain!

But does the gem really sell for $3690 anywhere? Did they ever even sell one even close to that price? Is it really worth that?

Check out these screen shots that he captured:





He is also withdrawing his support of the huge JTV class action settlement over the andesine issue. He wants a full jury trial so all the documents can be made public.

I think that the bottom-line issue is that the jewelry business is built on trust--we believe that the ring is a natural ruby set in 18k gold and is therefore worth a certain amount of money ultimately because they say it is. When this basic trust is eroded you might as well buy from any old Tom, Dick, or Harry on eBay.

His article is quite informative. Check it out here.

Shopping Around ... Info Dump

So I've been slacking on the blog over the Thanksgiving holiday and my inbox overfloweth. This is going to be the biggest info-dump post ever. I just have to clear out some clutter! I can't take it anymore!




Kathy McGuire, inventor of My Little Weatherbuddy, got to meet Joan Rivers backstage at the Q after their 22nd Birthday Holiday Party. Kathy said Joan was "so nice and gorgeous" and that she had a great first experience on QVC, "I couldn't of had a better time in Disney world." I'm so jealous! I love Joan!


Finally! Someone is listening to me! I have nagging ad nauseum about high shipping costs and finally the-powers-that-be cleaned the wax outta their ears and listened. According to this Wall Street Journal article, it’s been all about the free shipping this holiday season.


Say bye-bye to bling-bling, electronics is now the Q’s most popular business (I wonder if this could this have anything to do with King George coming from Dell?) There's just one little problem with this: unlike jewelry, electronics has a very low profit margin.


Here's a warning that some of the coins sold on the home shopping channels might not be uncirculated as they claim. Basically this boils down to just buying what you love for fun and not buying because of some perceived future value. The best advice on the topic can be found on Steve Bryant's website (former QVC host). And while your there, take a quick listen to his song parodies (FYI--some are NSFW).


When the markets tanked last Monday (not to be confused with all the other days that it tanked), HSN dropped 24 percent to $2.84. That's in one day, folks. Wow.


Carol Alt is bringing her RAW beauty products to HSN and they are raw for real, y'all—as in not cooked. I knew about the raw eating trend, but I didn’t know that it extended into other non-edible products too. I could never do that whole raw eating thing since I (usually) love to cook! That would just suck too much joy out of my life. Oh well, to each her own.


Apparently iPhone is greedy enough to lower themselves to Walmart, but still too good for the Q. I guess you gotta draw the line somewhere, right?


This is a great article about not confusing home shopping hosts with real friends--even if they are nice people. Hosts are just doing their job by selling you stuff in an entertaining and friendly manner. And I really wish that the Q would stop all their talk about the big, happy QVC family--especially since they're canning hundreds of their beloved family members.


Here's a good write up for JTV’s watch website, which is much better than the regular Jewelry Television site--great pictures and easy navigation. I thought I'd post this since there hasn't been much good news coming out of JTV recently. Gotta take what you can get.


Mindy Grossman, CEO of HSN, was named number 28 on the 2008 Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Cable list. Why? Because HSN “has posted revenue growth during a time when most retailers have been challenged. Her reputation in the retail industry combined with her vision of HSN as a new retail frontier have made HSN a top choice for brands and strategic partners who had previously been averse to TV retailing, including Condé Nast, Sephora, Nate Berkus and Coty Inc. Her strategy of combining lifestyle entertainment and commerce has had an impact on the retail industry as well as on other media.” Forget King George over at the Q—all hail Queen Mindy!


This article details how Internet sales are becoming a bigger chunk of total home shopping sales. Personally, I never call to order anything. I am exclusively an online kind of a girl since I like to comparison shop and read reviews before making a purchase. I also do NOT like the pressure of the on-air sale (only two per state left!) I do, however, enjoy listening to the designer or inventor of the product describe and explain what they are selling. You just don’t get that kind of expertise from the eighteen-year-old at the mall. I think that the on-air and online compliment each other quite nicely and, really, the Internet is home shopping’s only hope for remaining a relevant shopping format in the future.


Here are some articles about some smart ladies with smart products who worked hard and got lucky by getting to go on QVC: Affirmagy, Butler Bag, and Lapper Trays. Congrats to all!


Interesting article about the science behind the Living Proof NoFrizz product, which won the Allure Beauty Breakthrough of the Year and is now sold on QVC. I checked out the reviews and they are definitely a mixed bag. We can fly a man to the moon, but we can't cure baldness or tame frizzy hair--go figure.


HSN's Terry Lewis gets a glowing review here for her line of "investment coats." Sounds impressive.


Fashion designer Arnold Scaasi has designed for Jacqueline Kennedy and now he’s launching a jewelry line on HSN featuring hematite, pearls, enamel and gemstones. I swear, home shopping channels are like Las Vegas—at some point everyone ends up performing there.

Jewelry Television Slashes More Jobs

Jewelry Television is laying off thirty IT employees. The employees were told on Wednesday that their positions were being eliminated.

Between QVC and JTV, 11/12/08 has become the Black Wednesday for the home shopping channels.

These layoffs come after JTV eliminated approximately 150 jobs this past May and more are possible into the first quarter of 2009 as they "adjust to a national downturn in jewelry sales."

Here are a few of the posted comments posted on the Knoxville area website (where JTV is located). Do you think that people are angry?

hey, guys to let you know, the show hosts make more than $200K a year while their customer service reps make $10 a year with no raises or bonus.

This company has friviously spent money like it's going out of style, for example, the new call center(which i hear they didn't even need since there was nothing wrong with the old one) cost them over $100K, the new cubilces were over $100K (they weren't needed) Then the company laid off over 200 claiming that it was necessary with the economy the way it is, then they spent over $1mil on relocating the set. The show hosts lie through their teeth 24/7 in order to light up the phones, then the call center agents are the ones having to apologize for theri lies, they laid off some really good show hosts and kept trash. for example, they let Valerie, Leah, Jeanine and a few others go and brought back Heidi(the poster girl for useless people) can anyone say "train wreck?" Then there's Wendy, Mrs. Monotone, and Mandy the one that screams on the air, then there's Misty, the one that's nasal all the time and don't forget about Scott and couldn't tell the truth even if he tried. The company will be out of business very soon. and these poor people that have been lied to, and cheated out of their raises and bonuses checks will be S.O.L.

JTV had alot of lay offs in the summer then turned around and hired new call center people. Sounds to me like they were trying to weed anyone out that was making more money or that had insurance. I understand that come the first of the year anyone with insurance will have to pay 100% of their insurance so what are they losing. This company has wronged its employees from the get go. Maybe they need to start at the top cut there and get a dose of humility and remember its the people out here that keep them going and their faithful employees.

So heres my question...why does JTV still own a over $14,000,000 Hawker 800 Private Jet?

JTV neglects to tell you that they have started outsourcing customer service jobs to a Florida based company. Also, subcontracting customer service jobs to home based people. So JTV is not telling the media or its employees the truth. They lie once again. Thank you JTV for a Merry Christmas. Thank you for adding more stress to our economic situation. JTV does not want Knoxville and the world to know that the management are snakes in the grass and using thier associates thru Christmas, to let them go after thier busy season. Thier management just smiles and says everything is ok. I am sure they make $100,000 a year.

The Reviews Are In!

I recently asked all you lovely ladies (and gentlemen, of course) for your honest opinion about that time-honored home shopping tradition of on-air testimonials. Boy do y’all have some strong opinions!

What was the overwhelming response? How shall I put this … well, here are just a few quotes. I think you’ll get the picture pretty quickly.


“Dumb, dumb, dumb. Does anyone ever call and say this sucks?”

“I hate them like a Yankee Fan hates the Red Sox.”

“I tune them out or press the mute button. They bore me to death.”

“Hate them. Especially … the death call.”

“These calls are usually painful to listen to. Sometimes these testimonials force me to change the channel or mute the TV...I can't tolerate them.”

“I usually turn the channel when the callers start talking...”

“I dislike callers gushing over the hosts, providing sensitive personal information, saying "Hi" to someone in the next room, or just plain blabbing too much.”


Don’t beat around the bush now, tell me how you really feel!

There were several comments about how the exchanges make the hosts and vendors uncomfortable, to the point that you can’t watch (or at least mute it until the train wreck is over). I have to admit that when a caller starts talking about an illness or death (the oh-so-dreaded “death call”), I will physically dive for the remote control. I just can’t change the channel fast enough!

One reader pointed out the she preferred watching ShopNBC and Jewelry Television because they had few to no on-air testimonials. I wonder if they are doing this on purpose, or they just can’t get anyone to talk to them!

There were complaints all around that they were simply pointless and boring because you already knew ahead of time that the caller was going to rave about the product. As one reader said, “I am always waiting for someone to call up and say how much they DON'T like something or a caller who says that the workmanship on the QVC clothes has gone down hill over the years. Someone who will say how so NOT on trend their clothing is. That would be interesting.”

I have seen a handful of negative calls—although they are few and far between—and the “uncomfortable” factor just shoots through the roof as the host and vendor’s worst fears are realized on live television.

I had a few people tell me that they enjoyed listening to callers when certain vendors, like Joan Rivers and Jeanne Bice, were there because they try to make everything fun and entertaining. I think there is really something to this. It takes a certain type of person to be able to artfully handle off-the-cuff conversations with complete strangers while trying to sell products. This isn’t a skill that most people have. Joan not only is blessed with natural wit, she can also draw from her years of experience dealing with hecklers while doing her stand-up comedy. How many hosts and vendors have that reservoir of experience?

In fairness, there was one positive remark: if the caller asked a relevant question about the product, and the host or vendor gave and informative response, the call is good. This, of course, ties into the new-fangled online questions that QVC is doing, which most of you seemed tentatively optimistic about. I think it has great potential since most of the questions are better and there isn’t a “cringe factor” going on. Maybe they need to spiff it up with some on-air graphics or something. I do think that they’re going in the right direction though.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention this one email that made my snarky attitude come crashing down around me. I forget that there are many, many home shopping viewers that are elderly, shut-ins, and lonely people. I forget that they feel like they have a real bond with the hosts and vendors.

“I am vaguely embarrassed by the on-air testimonials on home shopping channels...but I see they fill a need for some women who are lonely and just want to talk to someone and have some attention paid to them. My mother *adores* getting to speak to her favorite hosts and their guests on QVC. She is always talking about them to me like they are her personal friends and how sweet they are...in my cynicism I see how caught up she is while these people could care less. It is only part of their jobs.”

I’m left wondering if these calls are harmless entertainment that provides some level of company or comfort to those that don’t otherwise have it—or—if these people are being horribly manipulated and mistreated into spending their money. I don’t have an answer, but I will leave you with some words of wisdom that this wonderful reader sent me.

“The bigger lesson here is: cultivate your own interests, because you can't count on your children or a home shopping host to be your constant companions. Growing old gracefully means that you have hobbies you enjoy, good friends, and the ability to reach outside yourself to the world around you. I don't want to live my later years with the QVC host as the only person I've talked to all day.”

Goin' Rogue

Yes, chickadees, I saw John McCain on SNL this weekend in all his QVC glory. And I love Tina Fey ... love! love! love!

If you missed it and you consider yourself a home shopping diva, you must check it out!

This isn't a political blog, but I just want to encourage you to please vote tomorrow--no matter the lines, the weather, or the wait. Vote. It's your right and the only real voice you have in this country and, yes, it matters.

And just in case you would like to remember your brave act of patriotism with a beautiful piece of quality jewelry, for only $19.95, Jewelry Television is offering Commemorative Presidential Birthstone Sets exclusively on Tuesday, November 4th (Election Day). Seriously, I kid you not! This isn't a Saturday Night Live skit--this is for reals, y'all!

Joyce Richman, Senior Vice President of Programming at JTV said that they are "planning to keep tabs on which birthstone set is selling best on Tuesday to create a sense of fun and excitement on this historic Election Day."

Here's what you'll get:

Barack Obama/Joe Biden Birthstone Set
Native Hawaiians treasure peridot and refer to the stone as the tears of Pele, a Hawaiian goddess of fire. Peridot is also the birthstone for Democratic Presidential Nominee, Barack Obama, who was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on August 4, 1961. Citrine is the birthstone of Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee, Joe Biden, who was born on November 20, 1942. One of very few naturally occurring yellow gemstones, citrine was traditionally believed to increase clarity and foster a healthy heart.

John McCain/Sarah Palin Birthstone Set
Born August 29, 1936, John McCain's birthstone is the beautiful green peridot. Peridot is mined almost exclusively in the United States including Arizona, where the Republican Presidential Nominee served as a U.S. senator for nearly 20 years. Republican Vice Presidential Nominee, Sarah Palin, was born on February 11, 1964 and enjoys amethyst as her birthstone. Several ancient cultures believe amethyst brings good fortune and protection.

Only in America ... or, as Tim Russert would always say, "What a country!"

Jewelry Television Settles Class Action Lawsuit!

According to Knoxville television station, WBIR, Jewelry Television reached a preliminary class-action settlement with customers who claimed to received chemically altered gemstones instead of the all natural stones that were described on air.

The controversy over the andesine labradorite stones has been going on for some time now. You can read what I had to say about it here.

Although JTV admits no wrongdoing, the thousands of customers who bought the stones in question can get "cash refunds, store credit, or a combination of the two." Jewelry Television also has to better train their employees to avoid this from ever happening again.

Even though the settlement could cost the retailer several million dollars, Knoxville attorney, Greg Coleman, said that it was not their intent to put Jewelry Television out of business. "We realize they are a valuable employer in Knoxville but at the same time we have to be fair to the customers and the class."

If you think that you bought one of the gemstones and need to find out if you are eligible to take part in the class action settlement, contact Gary Coleman at 865-247-0080.

Shopping Around

• Jessica Alba spoofs home shopping in support of a Declare Yourself, "a national nonpartisan, nonprofit campaign to empower and encourage every eligible 18-year-old in America to register and vote in the presidential primaries and 2008 presidential election." Check out the video of Jessica selling muzzle masks here. Even if you don't, please make sure that you are registered to vote!

• Anthony Heywood from QVC UK talks about his visit across the pond, lunch with Davania, and Jeanne Bice forcing him to make an appearance on camera. They like to call it Qgossip.

• Greg Maffei, CEO of Liberty Media (which owns all of QVC and part of HSN--I think--this might have changed since HSN broke off from its parent company), talks about how the economy and the bailout will affect their business. Read the Rocky Mountain News interview here.

• I can not look at this due to being in a twelve step program for scrapper addicts, but feel free to check out a preview of new scrapping stuff from Laura at Glitz Designs here and here. She'll be on HSN on 10/8/08.

• JTV is trying to pull themselves out of the cheese and evolve into a real home shopping network--the economy and lawsuits are just slowing them down a bit. However, starting October 15th, Jewelry Television will be launching in high definition (HD) in a brand new studio with brand spankin' new graphics. (Just one minor problem--they don't have any distribution deals yet for the HD, but they are working on that.) Read the article here.

• Here is another article on JTV, which I do not understand. It seems to be written in code. Are they talking about fake online reviews and articles? I can't tell, but it sounds shady.

Heads Up! Gemstones on the Loose!

Click here to enter the Jewelry Television Gemstones on the Loose Sweepstakes.

The prizes look awesome for any shiny object junkie like yours truly. :-)

Take a look and then enter, chickadees!

JTV Talk, Talk, Talk, Talk, Talking Trainwreck

Dawn Tesh of Jewelry Television talks about talking too much ...

Today's Blue Plate Specials ... Magic Eight Ball Madness!

The ShopNBC OTV is a Charles Winston Women's Swarovski® Crystal Accent Charm Bracelet Watch. If I liked hearts, this would be kinda cute--a nice trendy piece for the fall. The strap is leather and comes in red, black, and white (well, the black is already sold out).

I love the quote from Charles Winston about this: "Here is the perfect gift for any woman, from the very young, to the very sophisticated.”

Remember chickadees, we aren't old, we're sophisticated ... or very sophisticated ... possibly more sophisticated than dirt. :-)


The QVC TSV is a Modern Soul NewStretch Shawl Collar Jacket & Wide Leg Pants. I like the idea of this--a comfy pant suit that looks more dressed up than it feels. However, the pants have an elastic waist (no thank you) and the pants also only come in one length. Being vertically challenged, I know this would not work for me. But the worst part is that you have to hand wash and dry flat. Queen Bea doesn't hand wash or dry flat!!!

The Q is going 8/8/08 nuts today! There is easy pay on all kitchen clearance here. And there's Crazy Eights Offers all day here. And easy pay on all home theater systems here (do NOT tell Mr. Queen Bea! Ugh!)




The HSN TS is a Lexmark Photo Printer, Copier, Scanner and Fax with 1GB SD Card. From what I saw on Google, $88.08 (the 8/8/08 madness will never end!!!) seems to be a good price. If you're considering buying this, check out the reviews for this here.


Jewelry Television has free shipping on customer favorites. Check it out here.

Jewelry Design Contest Winners Announced

Jewelry Television announced the winners of their 6th Annual Jewelry Design Contest.

The Grand Prize goes to Kathryn Coffman




Second Prize goes to Tina Valle (this one is my favorite!!!)




Third Prize goes to Sharon Tatem




The Viewers' Voice Award goes to Marita Avila



Congratulations!!! I can't wait to see your finished pieces. And have fun on that shopping spree (not that I'm jealous or anything!)

JTV Clearance on Wonder Woman Cuff!

Wide Textured Sterling Silver Cuff Bracelet
(Item: MCH057B)

This cuff is a rockin' deal, chickadees. If you like big, chunky silver items, you have got to take a look at this. It's 49.4 grams of silver for only $55.99 ... that's a little over a dollar a gram ... that's practically free! OMG, I'm morphing into Lisa R. as I type.

Anyway, I love big, bold cuffs--mainly because I like to think that I'm Wonder Woman. If I only had the Lasso of Truth ... *sigh*

Not only is a really good deal in and of itself, but there are also all sorts of 10% off, 20% off, and free shipping coupon codes that you could use with this.

I think I'm feeling faint.

Just click the Coupon link on the right side of the blog and scroll to the end of the comments for the latest JTV coupon codes. (Thank you MK!!!)

Today's Blue Plate Special ... Exotic Travels on Wheels

The QVC TSV is a 1.10 ct tw Andalusite & Diamond Accent Ring 14K Gold. I don't care for the setting, but the stone is interesting. I didn't know much about andalusite so I did a little research. Here's what Jewelry Television had to say about the gem:

Depending on the viewing direction, andalusite can appear olive green, rich reddish brown, or grayish green.

Unlike alexandrite, andalusite color changes are pleochroic and based on viewing angle - not lighting.

Andalusites are often cut so that the table is green with red or orange on the edges.
Named after the Spanish city Andalusia, andalusite was first discovered in Spain. Andalusite is a naturally occurring pleochroic gemstone.

On Mohs’ scale of hardness, andalusite is 7.5.

Even Jewelry Television didn't have much inventory of this stone, so it really is rare. The Q's not lying!

The HSN TS is a Skyway 30" Wheeled Duffle with Vented Pocket. I'm sure this is fine. I just don't have an opinion one way or the other. If you like SSC, there is a 20% off sale here.

The ShopNBC OTV Taja 7' x 9' Hand Tufted Wool Rug. I have a rug that looks just like this! $200 isn't a bad price for a 7x9 wool rug, even with the $25 shipping (plus most people don't have to pay sales at ShopNBC!!!)

If you've got 08/08/08 Olympic fever, ShopNBC also has all the new Olympic gear here.

Today's Blue Plate Specials ... Oompa-Loompa Strikes Back!

The QVC TSV is a Sterling Turquoise Nugget Stretch Bracelet with Heart Charm. Considering that I don't much care for turquoise, hearts, or stretch bracelets, this isn't really the piece for me.

If you're a gold girl, make sure you check out the Last Chance Eternagold. With gold getting more and more expensive, it's been a sad state of affairs lately for gold lovers. I'm guessing that since QVC has a policy of not raising the price past the QVC price, they have to retire a big chunk of the Eternagold line and bring in similar items at a higher price. This would be the time to grab them!



The HSN TS is TanTowels Tinted On the Glow. So I looked through the reviews for other TanTowel products and they were b-a-d. Really bad. Even people who used to like them, now say that the new ones are terrible. I don't think that we should encourage the hosts to get any more Oompa-Loompa anyway.

The ShopNBC TS is Invicta Women's Pro Diver Swiss Quartz Stainless Steel Watch. ANOTHER WATCH!!! How many watches does a person need? I refuse on principle to discuss another watch OTV. Hmph.

I will, however, mention that there is a big clearance on watches going on at Jewelry Televisio, which includes free shipping! Check it out here.

Today's Blue Plate Specials ... Shopping in High Def

The HSN TS is a Gateway 22" HD LCD Dual Core, 1GB RAM, 160GB HD Desktop Computer with TV Tuner. Does this mean I can watch TV on my computer? Will my Tivo hook up to it too? Queen Bea loooves her Tivo! I'm guessing that there will be lots of high definition deals on HSN since they are launching HSN HD in 2009 (and they've spent "multimillions" on the necessary upgrades).

As to Gateway ... well, I've heard that they brought all their customer service jobs back to America, which it great, but I've also heard terrible things about dealing with that very customer service. I don't know, chickadees!

The ShopNBC OTV is ... guess what? Another watch! Again. What's with all the watches ShopNBC Powers That Be??? That being said, I actually kinda like the Invicta Women's Limited Edition Glitter Glam Baby Lupah Watch Set. For $80, you're getting a decent quality watch with four different leather straps, which are supposed to be easy change.

The QVC TSV is a Haier 19" Widescreen High-Definition LCD TV w/ DVD Player. Since QVC HD launched earlier this year, be expecting many, many HDTV's being pushed on us. This TV seems fine enough, but I don't see how it's a TSV. I found it cheaper here and here and here and here (the first two had much cheaper shipping too!

The point being is that the Q needs to pay attention to their name and offer a little extra Value--like including that 2-year Premium Product Protection for free instead of charging $46.84 or maybe not charging $22 for shipping.


And don't forget to vote for your favorite jewelry design at Jewelry Television. Today's the last day. Vote here.

JTV Jewelry Design Contest ... Vote!

Jewelry Television is having their 6th Annual Jewelry Design Contest and while the powers that be at JTV choose the top three winners, you can vote for who should win the Viewer's Voice Award from 50 finalists.

Some of the sketches look completely professional, while others appear ... less so. I have a hard time picturing the finished product if the sketch isn't particularly good. Sorry.

You can vote once a day from June 30 - July 6. Click here to take a look and vote!

The winner gets a $2500 shopping spree. Now wouldn't that be fun!