JTV Reviews: The Truth Behind the “Deals”

In 1993, Jerry Sisk, Bill Kouns, and Bob Hall joined forces and created America’s Collectibles Network.

Sisk and Kouns came from a jewelry background, while Hall had TV production experience. The idea was to create a channel to sell collectibles in much the same way as other networks like QVC were already doing successfully.

While the original channel also promoted items like watches and coins, they began focusing exclusively on jewelry and rebranded as Jewelry TV (JTV) in 2002.

The company is based out of Knoxville, Tennessee, and is one of the largest jewelry television channels in existence.

The channel reaches 84 million US households and broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Their website, JTV.com, is the largest non-bridal jewelry eCommerce store, according to the Internet Top Retailer 500 list.

(Though almost every online jewelry store I know of focuses on wedding and engagement rings, so I’m not sure how big the non-bridal category is.)

Today, JTV sells not only on its channel but through its website and mobile app, too.

JTV focuses on all types of jewelry, but most of its pieces are fine jewelry, often with unique or little-known gemstones—though they also sell plenty of  “standard” pieces with diamond, quartz, or pearls.

They have a large necklace, pendant, bracelet, and ring selection, as well as earrings and other accessories. You’ll find pieces made of yellow gold, rose gold, white gold, platinum, and sterling silver.

You can also find some fashion jewelry as well as loose stones and jewelry-making supplies.

I’ve reviewed a considerable number of jewelers, and I can say that the sheer variety of styles and products at JTV is second to none.

Some retailers we've reviewed sell fine jewelry (Bulgari), licensed jewelry (Pandora), fashion jewelry (Blush and Bar), loose gemstones (Blue Nile), or jewelry-making supplies (Fire Mountain Gems).

But JTV is the first brand I’ve ever come across that sells everything.

Their target market is college-educated, affluent women between the ages of 40-65, so most of their pieces are sold as “treat yourself” items or supposed “investments.”

(More on that “investment” claim in a bit.)

They have partnerships with celebrities like Paula Deen and brands like Disney, and several proprietary brands like Bella Luce and Genusis Pearls.

Suppose you watch JTV—either on your local channel or through their websites’ live stream. You’ll quickly notice a pattern: everything they sell is supposedly rare, popular, valuable, discounted, and offered for a limited time only.

Most TV shopping channels, like QVC or HSN, are the same way. But when it comes to jewelry, it’s easy to know which claims are real and which aren’t.

Unlike proprietary gadgets or collectibles, gemstones and precious metals are global commodities. Anyone with an internet connection can research a “precious” stone and see how rare it is and its market price.

You might guess that JTV can’t always sell valuable jewelry and gems at discount prices—and you’d be right.

Most of JTV’s products are bought in bulk, marked up far above market prices, then “discounted” as good deals from that inflated amount to a price close to market value.

The claims of rare quality are mostly marketing ploys to get a viewer to pull out their credit card. In reality, JTV’s manufacturing facilities are in Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, and Thailand, where labor costs are lower.

In 2008, JTV faced a class-action lawsuit over its promotion of the gemstone andesine-labradorite. JTV advertised the gem as all-natural when in fact, a chemical process was responsible for the color.

The suit claimed that JTV bought the gems for pennies, then sold them for $149 per carat.  JTV settled the case out of court, paid a cash sum to customers, and did not admit to any wrongdoing as part of the settlement.