Some surprises at Jewelry Television

Dawn Ford enjoying the jewels on our field trip to Jewelry TV.

You would think that folks who work around the beautiful products at Jewelry Television would wear a bunch of jewelry themselves, wouldn’t you? But they don’t.

In fact, they only are allowed to wear one piece of jewelry when they come to work — and it has to be the same piece every day. And a photo of that piece is placed on the back of their name badge — so it can be checked by security as they enter and leave their work posts.

This is just one of the tidbits I picked up when a group from the Executive Women’s Association took a field trip to Jewelry Television recently. Here are some other things we heard:

• When looking at colored gemstones, the lighter colored ones usually are less expensive than the darker colored ones. That’s why Shawn O’Sullivan, the grader at Jewelery Television, likes to joke, “Add more color to your wife!”
• The gemstone tanzanite is becoming so rare that sometime during our lifetimes,  it no longer will be available. Already the really deep blue tanzanite is very rare.
• There are more kinds of gemstones today than in the past. For instance, there are three kinds of blue topaz.
• Probably because of the economy, the sales of gold jewelry are going down while the sales of silver jewelry, which is less expensive, are going up.
• Jewelry Television, started in Knoxville in 1993, is the only network that sells jewelry and gemstones 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is number four in television sales and is number one in the world for the sale of loose gemstones.
• The distribution facility at 9600 Parkside Drive ships out between 20,000 and 25,000 packages every day, mostly by Federal Express.
• Jewelry Television employs about 1,200 people in Knoxville and 100 more in Thailand. It reaches 85 million homes.

A third of our group listening to an introduction by Sandra Foster of Jewelry TV.

Here is a closer look at Sandra.

Brazilian fire opal. The darker shades are worth more.

The fun part of the tour -- the gemstones!

Dr. Margo Uri Simmons seems pleased.

Linda Underwood

My favorite: blue topaz

From left, Phyllis Nichols, Michelle Henry and Pam Reeves

Citrine

Wanda Moody

Green amethyst

Regina Dean, right, and Celeste Herbert

Cabochons are gemstones that have been polished and shaped rather than faceted.

This is Jewelry TV's grader, Shawn O'Sullivan.

The shipping department, under constant camera surveillance.

A conveyor belt helps fulfill the orders.

This giant amethyst was in the entrance to the television studio portion of the building.

We watched from behind a window.

Here is what a typical show looks like to viewers.

The hosts look at statistics which constantly tell them how sales are going -- while they are on the air.

To show the jewelery off to its best advantage, it is photographed in something called a lightbox.

You can see how much difference the perfect lighting makes.

After the tour, we were taken back to -- where else? -- the Gemstore!

They gave us champagne and a 10 percent discount! From left, Margo Uri Simmons, Elaine Streno, Diana Condon and Andrea White.

Maureen Patteson, left, and Susan Edwards

Lynne Fugate, left, and Jeannie Dulaney shopping.

Because it is my favorite color, I was tempted. But I resisted!