Whiteflash-Diamond Playground

Unfortunately such apples exist in every profession. Among the honest jewelers are some who will create anxiety about a purchase in hopes of gaining new business, especially when they find out the purchase was made on the internet.  The tactics can range from subtle to extreme:

Attacking a diamond of top quality may sound absurd but it’s not unheard-of: “This diamond is not real because it has too much fire” usually leads to speculation that the gem is Moissanite (which has higher dispersion than diamond). “Real diamonds are too hard to be cut so precisely,” when referring to a H&A diamond are often followed by the claim that it is CZ or other simulant. Such attacks are often put to rest when the consumer demonstrates his/her knowledge of the subject or mentions the AGS or GIA report. Still, a few clients have had jewelers go so far as to offer an “official test” - diamond testers are notorious - where they “confirm” the diamond a fake. Strangely, this always happens during our 10-day return period. In every instance, when asked to put the claim in writing, the jeweler suddenly decides that perhaps it is a diamond after all and the criticism turns into praise (psst – they knew it all along).

Insinuating fraud is another tactic. Recently one of our clients was selling a used piece. Her jeweler insisted it was white gold, not the platinum we sold her. We checked our records, assured her it was platinum and asked her to the claim in writing. He told her he was “sure it was white gold, performed like white gold, looked like white gold and cut like white gold” but did not put it in writing. She wrote to us: “I took it to another jeweler to ask her opinion, and she looked at it for a few seconds and said not to worry, it was platinum. She also said that she knew the first jeweler by reputation, and that he ‘likes to ruffle feathers,’ for whatever reason.”

Shockingly, even deliberate sabotage exists. One client reported that a mall jeweler offered to clean her ring and inspect the prongs while she was shopping. Upon her return he said there was “faulty prong work” but he would be willing to repair it for a small refinishing fee. He did not realize that she is a jewelry nut who fully inspects her piece each day with her loupe. The new tool marks he’d made by prying at the prongs were obvious. The jeweler denied it but sabotage was confirmed when we received the piece back to refinish it. If our client had not been vigilant this jeweler may have succeeded in making her pay a fee for repair to damage he caused, while casting aspersions on our manufacture and her treatment of the ring.

“Appraisal” services are a subtle, common approach. Appraising a competitor’s product is a clear conflict of interest, but it generates profit and provides the opportunity to create doubt. We strongly advise clients that any appraisal should be done by a qualified independent appraiser; one who does not sell gems or jewelry and works out of his own office. Competing jewelers are notorious for devaluing outside products if they sense they can bring that customer to their side.

Thankfully there are more honest, reputable dealers than swindlers, but it takes only a few bad apples to spoil a trade’s reputation. It’s hard to resist a well-dressed, honest-seeming “professional” who looks you in the eye and makes claims, even when they are patently false.

Summary advice:

1. Get any claims intended to erode confidence in your piece in writing.
2. Do not let your fine jewelry out of your sight with unknown jewelers.
3. Use only independent professionals who do not sell gems or jewelry for appraisals.