TJC (TV channel)

TJC is part of the Vaibhav Global Limited (VGL) group. The company mines and handcrafts many of the products sold on its TV networks, hence its claim to cut out the "middleman" [1] and to attempt to undercut high-street prices.

On 14 January 2008, The Jewellery Channel moved from Teddington Studios to new purpose-built studios in Middlesex, simultaneously switching to widescreen-format broadcasting. It plans to broadcast in HDTV in the future.

On 11 April 2008, The Jewellery Channel launched delivery to the Republic of Ireland for the first time.

In November 2019, The Jewellery Channel HD launched on Freeview and Virgin Media. It closed on the former service on 22 June 2020 to help make room for COM7 following the closure of COM8.

In May 2020, TJC formally changed their registered company name to 'Shop TJC Limited'. This was recorded at Companies House in the UK. The change was taken to reflect that the channel has broadened the products it sells into jewellery, lifestyle and homewares.

In June 2020, similar to ITV's broadcasting of Ideal World and Create and Craft, TJC began simulcasting live broadcasts on More4 during the channel's downtime hours.

TJC sells a wide variety of gemstone jewellery, loose gemstones, watches, fashion jewellery and simulated gemstone pieces.[2] They are one of the eight sightholders of the Tanzanite One mine.

They also sell their own jewellery brands:

• Elanza – Simulated diamond jewellery
• EON 1962 – Classic-style watches
• Genoa – Fashion watches combined with classic design features
• Iliana – Gemstones set into 18 carat gold
• J Francis – Silver with platinum overlay and accessories
• Karis – Gold- and platinum-bonded jewellery
• Rhapsody – Gemstones set into platinum
• Strada – Fashion watches

They also have collaborated with some of the world-famous brands:

• Lucy Q[3]
• Rachel Galley[4]

The channel holds themed days such as 'Tanzanite Day'. It also holds discount days where it reduces the final auction prices by 10% or 17.5% (the latter the equivalent to the UK 17.5% VAT charge).

The firm launched an additional channel, TJC Gold, in October 2012 to offer more expensive gold and platinum collections. It runs for six hours a day.

TJC's website offers their full catalogue of products (approximately 15,000 items), online rising auctions, on-air auction products and web offers not available on-air; TJC's channel can be watched from the website. The TJC blog includes information on products, jewellery trends, interviews with guests, exclusive promotions and backstage 'gossip'. Its Facebook page which offers similar content to their blog, and also offers consumers the chance to interact with them.

There is also an educational section offering consumers additional information on gemstones - Gemopedia. Other educational guides include a diamond buying guide and ring size guide.

TJC has a UK call centre which operates seven days a week from 9am - 6pm. The call centre is based in Feltham, south west London. A personal shopping service is also available, and an online chat function is available on their website. Consumers watching the channel live can text in and interact with the presenters.

The company offers a 30-day money back guarantee.

TJC has been censured by the Advertising Standards Authority the following times since 2007/8[5][6]

The Jewellery Channel was fined £3,200 by Trading Standards for making false claims about the treatment of a gemstone product sold through its TV channel. After complaints were made, the channel discovered that it had been selling jewellery described as natural 'pink topaz’, when in fact it was colourless topaz sprayed pink.

Auction date, 25 August 2013: The ASA received a complaint as to whether an auction starting price was misleading and exaggerated the item's value. Although the Jewellery Channel attributes no worth or value to the starting price, the ASA upheld the complaint on the grounds that, in this case, most viewers would infer that the opening figure represented a genuine valuation of the ring, and therefore the final reduced price was a genuine saving.

TJC is available on Sky and FREEVIEW 24 hours a day. On 22 November 2009, TJC was added to Freesat on channel 815.[7]

The channel was also carried on Freeview channel 44 between 7pm and 9pm between December 2007 and May 2008. The channel was replaced with a second Gems TV stream, which itself ceased in April 2009 as it was used for extended hours of CNN. On 21 September 2011, TJC returned to Freeview on channel 60.[8] On 19 September 2012, TJC moved to Freeview channel 49 as part of a reshuffle of the EPG.[9]

TJC also simulcasts on 5USA between 6am and 12pm, allowing the channel to be available to viewers on Virgin Media and TalkTalk TV, in addition to Freesat, Freeview and Sky.