TheGem
Elementor Hybrid One-time Purchase
Author: CodexThemes | Last Updated: 08.01.2026

TheGem

Quick Verdict

TheGem is a powerful and highly flexible multipurpose theme with exceptional WooCommerce integration, making it a strong choice for experienced agencies and developers. However, its history of security vulnerabilities, steep learning curve, and need for significant performance optimization make it less suitable for beginners or projects requiring a simple, lightweight solution.

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Analysis

TheGem is a feature-packed, multipurpose WordPress theme sold on ThemeForest, designed for agencies and experienced developers who need maximum flexibility. Its core strengths lie in its vast array of customization options and deep integration with both the Elementor and WPBakery page builders. It is particularly well-regarded for its powerful, built-in WooCommerce builder, which allows for extensive e-commerce site customization without requiring additional premium plugins. The documentation is comprehensive, providing a solid resource for navigating its many features.

However, this power and flexibility come with significant trade-offs. The theme’s extensive options panel can be overwhelming for beginners and clients, creating a steep learning curve that makes it a poor choice for simple projects or easy handoffs. Furthermore, out-of-the-box performance is often mediocre, and achieving good Core Web Vitals scores typically requires considerable manual optimization and technical expertise. Users should not expect top-tier speed without a dedicated effort to fine-tune the site.

Finally, prospective buyers must consider the theme’s maintenance and security implications. TheGem and its bundled plugins have had a history of security vulnerabilities, ranging from moderate to critical. While the developers are commendably quick to release patches, this history underscores the absolute necessity of a rigorous maintenance schedule, including prompt updates and thorough testing on a staging environment. TheGem is a capable tool in the right hands, but it demands a professional workflow to manage its complexity and mitigate potential risks.

Elementor
WooCommerce
Hybrid
✅ Pros
• Extensive customization options
• Powerful custom WooCommerce builder
• Comprehensive documentation
❌ Cons
• History of security vulnerabilities
• Steep learning curve for beginners
• Requires manual performance tuning
Plugin Compatibility
Will my plugins work?
Research Confidence: High
Safe if
TheGem is a safe choice for building e-commerce websites, as its deep and well-maintained integration with WooCommerce, including a custom builder, is a primary feature of the theme [14].
Check before purchase
Use caution when enabling advanced performance features in page builders, as Elementor's 'Element Caching' option is known to conflict with TheGem's animation and parallax effect scripts, requiring it to be disabled [9].
Avoid if
Avoid this theme if your project heavily relies on specific third-party form plugins, as users have reported script conflicts that can cause forms to get stuck in a 'forever loading' state without manual troubleshooting [13].

Community Quotes

"Interaction effects and parallax backgrounds sometimes fail when Elementor's 'Element Caching' feature is enabled. [9]"

— CodexThemes [9]

"Fixes for 'forever loading forms' on TheGem often involve manual CSS adjustments or disabling certain optimization settings in Cloudflare. [13]"

— eForm Support [13]

"Recent updates have specifically addressed issues where custom ACF fields were not rendering correctly in the 'Grid Filter' and 'Posts Extended Grid' elements. [9]"

— CodexThemes [9]

Freelancer Recommendation

The theme is ideal for WooCommerce projects and works well with ACF and WPBakery. However, users should be aware of a known conflict with Elementor’s caching feature and potential issues with third-party form plugins, which may require specific troubleshooting.

Alternatives: Astra, Kadence, Blocksy
Client Handoff
Can the client manage it?
Research Confidence: High
Safe if
TheGem is safe for agency-to-client handoffs if the agency pre-configures the theme extensively, locks down complex layout options, and provides the client with clear instructions for content-only updates.
Check before purchase
Use caution when handing this theme over to clients who are not tech-savvy, as the sheer volume of theme options and settings can be overwhelming and lead to support requests or accidental site breakage [12].
Avoid if
Avoid TheGem for projects where the end-client will need to build new pages or make significant design modifications independently, as the complexity creates a steep learning curve that is frustrating for non-developers [12].
Panel Difficulty
Complex
Documentation
Excellent
Learning Curve
Days

Community Quotes

"TheGem has a wide range of features and theme options, so you will be spoilt for choice, but it can be overwhelming for newbie users. [12]"

— LowCostWebAgency [12]

Freelancer Recommendation
This theme is best suited for projects where a developer or agency builds and maintains the site. For direct client handoffs, a simpler theme like Kadence or Blocksy might be more appropriate.
Alternatives: Avada, Enfold, Kadence
Performance & SEO
Will the site be fast?
Research Confidence: High
Safe if
This theme is a safe choice for experienced developers who are proficient in advanced performance optimization techniques, such as preloading critical assets and reducing DOM complexity to improve Core Web Vitals [7].
Check before purchase
Exercise caution if you expect excellent performance out of the box, as the theme's mobile PageSpeed score of 69 and community reports confirm that achieving good Core Web Vitals requires considerable manual effort [7, 8].
Avoid if
Avoid TheGem for projects with a strict requirement for a 90+ mobile PageSpeed score if you lack the time or technical expertise for in-depth optimization, as the default configuration is unlikely to meet this goal.
69
Mobile
Benchmark: 90+
96
Desktop
Benchmark: 90+
3.45s
LCP Mobile
Benchmark: <2.5s
2.46s
LCP Desktop
Benchmark: <2.5s
0.030
CLS Mobile
Benchmark: <0.1
0.050
CLS Desktop
Benchmark: <0.1
Test Information
Test Date: 2026-02-05
Tested URL: https://codex-themes.com/thegem/wordpress-woocommerce-theme/theme-features/

Code Observation (demo):

The official demo site scored 69/100 on Google PageSpeed Insights mobile, placing it in the 'needs work' category. The Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) of 3.45 seconds needs improvement, while the Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) of 0.03 is good. This data, combined with community feedback, indicates that achieving high performance requires significant manual optimization beyond the theme's built-in tools [7, 8].

⚠️ Based on DevTools inspection of demo, not a production audit

Community Quotes

"Real-world performance optimization often stalls due to heavy DOM depth and slow Time to First Byte (TTFB), which are not fully resolved by the theme's automatic tools. [7]"

— Reddit [7]

"High LCP is often caused by using background-images in hero sections; developers recommend using img tags with fetchpriority='high' and preloading LCP images to bridge the lab/field gap. [7]"

— Reddit [7]

Freelancer Recommendation

Users should plan for a dedicated optimization phase after site development, focusing on image loading strategies and minimizing TTFB. For projects where out-of-the-box speed is paramount, a lighter theme like GeneratePress would be a better fit.

Alternatives: GeneratePress, Blocksy, Astra
Update Safety
Will updates break the site?
Research Confidence: High
Safe if
TheGem is safe to use for teams that implement a rigorous update protocol, including testing all theme and plugin updates on a staging server before deploying them to the live environment [11].
Check before purchase
Proceed with caution when updating, as the theme has a history of multiple security vulnerabilities, including Cross-Site Scripting and Local File Inclusion, which necessitates prompt patching to keep your site secure [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Avoid if
Avoid using TheGem on mission-critical websites if you do not have a staging environment or a dedicated maintenance plan, as major updates have been known to introduce breaking changes that can cause downtime [11].

Community Quotes

"Professional developers recommend a minimum 7-day wait period before applying major WordPress or TheGem updates to live sites to watch for community-reported regressions. [11]"

— Reddit [11]

Freelancer Recommendation

Given the theme’s history of security issues and potential for breaking changes, it is critical to enable automatic updates only in a managed environment. Always review changelogs for security notices and test updates thoroughly on a staging site before applying them to production.

Alternatives: Kadence, Astra, Blocksy
Scalability
Can I use it for multiple projects?
Research Confidence: Medium
Costs
Pricing breakdown
Explicit Costs
  • Regular License $59
  • Support (6) Included
  • Regular License $59
  • Extended License $2900
Hidden Costs (Community)
No hidden costs reported.
Demo Gallery
0 example sites

No demos available.

Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions from community

Is TheGem a secure theme?

Updates & Stability

TheGem has a documented history of several moderate-to-critical vulnerabilities, including Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), Missing Authorization, and Local File Inclusion (LFI) in its bundled plugins [1, 2, 3, 4]. However, the developer, CodexThemes, has a strong track record of releasing security patches promptly after a vulnerability is disclosed. A strict and timely update protocol is essential when using this theme.

Sources: 1,2,3,4

How does TheGem perform on Core Web Vitals?

Performance & Speed

Out of the box, TheGem's performance can be average, often requiring significant manual optimization to achieve good Core Web Vitals scores. Community discussions highlight issues with high Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) and large DOM depth that are not fully resolved by the theme's built-in performance settings, necessitating developer intervention [7, 8].

Sources: 7,8

Is TheGem suitable for beginners or for client handoff?

Client Handoff

No, TheGem is generally not recommended for beginners or for clients who need to manage their own site design. Its extensive theme options panel can be overwhelming for non-technical users, leading to a steep learning curve and potential frustration [12].

Sources: 12

What page builders does TheGem support?

Plugin Compatibility

TheGem is built to integrate deeply with two of the most popular page builders: Elementor and WPBakery. It includes a vast library of custom elements and templates for both builders [10].

Sources: 10

Does TheGem work well with WooCommerce?

Plugin Compatibility

Yes, excellent WooCommerce integration is one of TheGem's main strengths. It includes a powerful custom WooCommerce builder that provides granular control over product pages, shop archives, and the checkout process, often eliminating the need for Elementor Pro for e-commerce customization [14].

Sources: 14

What are the most common bugs or conflicts with TheGem?

Plugin Compatibility

Commonly reported issues include conflicts with Elementor's caching feature breaking theme animations [9], and script conflicts with some third-party form plugins that cause them to hang indefinitely while loading [13].

Sources: 9,13

What plugins come bundled with TheGem?

General

TheGem bundles several premium plugins at no extra cost, including the popular page builder WPBakery, as well as Slider Revolution and LayerSlider for creating advanced sliders and presentations [10].

Sources: 10
Sources & Methodology
16 sources indexed

Timeframe

Last 12 months

Analysis Date

February 5, 2026

Confidence Assessment

Data confidence: HIGH (16 analytical sources, 16 total)

Methodology Note

This analysis is based on a combination of scraped marketplace data, official documentation, automated performance tests, and a manual review of community discussions and vulnerability databases.

Referenced Sources 16