Diamond Switching

[JHutchNJ]

Hi- I am hoping someone can give me some advice. I got engaged in July. Since then I have been having some problems with my white gold band changing colors. The store we bought it at (a nationwide chain) offered to reset it two weeks ago. They returned it to me friday and the diamond looked larger to me. I know that sounds odd. The diamond we had bought was very well cut and very good in the four c''s...I have both GIA paperwork and paper work from the store. It was suppost to be inscribed with a number. I took the diamond too a different store to have it looked at. they said that the measurements do not match and it is about .24 larger then my original diamond. They could not find a inscribed number..but maybe they could if they took it out of the setting. I am not sure what I should do. This diamond does not seem to have all the sparkle my old one had and I really want my old diamond back...or an explanation. What should I do! Thanks....

 

[Mara]

Have it independently appraised and get a report...printed, official. Make sure the appraiser is certified...not just some random jeweler with a loupe.




Then take that back to the original store and tell them that you think your diamond was switched. Show them your original paperwork and the non-matching appraisal report.




Start climbing the ladder until you get someone who will listen to you. If you need to, threaten legal action.




Good luck!

 

[Lauren523]

Hello.

Well, I agree. You should have it appraised by a certified gemmologist. My fiance bought me an engagment ring for Christmas and I took it back to the jewelers to fix the prongs and then I had it appraised by an independent appraiser and the numbers were way off in color. I could have sworn my diamond looked yellow when I last picked it up from the jewelers. Come to find out from the appraiser, my ring was rated as a P!!!! The jeweler my fiance bought it from said a J!!! So either my diamond was switched, or they were WAY OFF and don't know what they were talking about! Also, my diamond was said to be a 1.00ct. stone and the appraiser said it was a .93! I would get it appraised just to be sure!

Lauren

 

[Uncle Marty]

Lady from NJ and Lauren,
Switching Diamonds... Yes it does happen but rarely.

Selecting an qualified appraiser to check out what you had bought or what you think you bought requires more than doing your walking thru the yellow pages.

Qualified appraisers are rarer then Hens Teeth.

You must check out their credentials with the same diligence that you checked out the jeweler you purchased from. (you did didn't you?)

They must be more than a retail jeweler that had sold diamonds for the umpty years.
They should be a member of either NAJA (National Association of Jewelry Appraisers) or ISA ( International Society of Appraisers)
and have formal appraisal education. Unfortunately most of the appraisal certificates done by people who did not take and pass the required courses should not be actively involved by passing judgement on other jewelers sales.
Having an AGS certificate and the appraiser in New Jersey did not agree, by what authority.
I know the people who work in that lab and they are very exacting in their findings.
If you need names of appraisers in your area write me. I belong to NAJA (not on the Internet) or you can contact ISA for a recommedation.
If it found that a jeweler switched any gemstone then you should call the Consumer Fraud bureau in your area immediately and file a formal complaint.
If you have good documentation they will contact the District Attorney in your area and start procedings against the guilty jeweler.
One more thing, tell the appraiser before they do any judgement call that you will expect them to testify in court procedings. If they say No, walk.

Unle Marty of course

 

[Uncle Marty]

J Hutch,
Just a reminder...Diamonds do not grow.

Bring your G.I.A. Grading report to the store that repaired your ring. Tell them your concerns.

If they are reputable they will explain why it looks different. If you are still unsure of their explanation tell them you will be bringing the diamond to G.I.A. for further identification. If they get all upset then advise them after G.I.A. you intend to visit the Consumer Fraud people in the District Attorneys Office in your city, if the Diamond does not match the grading report given you.

If their diamond setter or jeweler chipped the Diamond during resetting they should have told you and discussed the problem and offered a replacement with a diamond of the same or larger size, same color and clarity.

If you have insurance on the Diamond, after you visit G.I.A. call the insurance company and tell them of your suspicions. They will replace your Diamond and bring suit against the store. In any case do not worry as long as you have the G.I.A. grading report. Do not let the store remove it from your hands.

Uncle Marty of course

 

[fire&ice]

----------------
On 3/3/2004 1:50:31 AM Uncle Marty wrote:

J Hutch,
Just a reminder...Diamonds do not grow.

Uncle Marty of course----------------

No they don't grow; but, a different setting can make the diamond "appear" larger.

 

[JHutchNJ]

Hi-

I just wanted to give a quick update. Today I went back to the store where I bought it. They could not find a the id number on my diamond. They asked if they could send it out to be looked at. I said no. So I now have an appointment tommorrow with a GIA gemologist who is SIA approved (thanks for the advice). They also said that the diamond does not 'appear' to measure to the size of my stone but 'it is hard to tell without taking it out of the setting....and they cannot take it out at the mall store.

Thanks for the advice.

Janice

 

[Patty]

Good Luck, Janice. I hate to hear of things like this.

 

[DavidEmslie]

Ahh, there is part of hte problem, its from a mall store,

Most mall stores dont have there own real jewelers on hand, or goldsmiths. They have to contract it out to other jewelry stores or companies that can offer those services, or they work with independant smiths...most of these people are pretty good, most of them are honest hard working individuals who are very honest and are either bonded or have good reproe with multiple jewelry stores.

This is how my company works, we sell online, and we do contract custom work for jewelry stores all up and down the front range of colorado and even for a few stores in the midwest who do not have custom jewelers on staff.

now 99% of the time things run smooth and there are no problems. However problems can come in when the lowest bidder starts winning the contracts for repair. It could very well be someone who was not qualified for the job recived your ring. Could have been a number of possibilities, maybe the stone broke and it was replaced and someone hoped no one would notice...or maybe it was intentional switched...or maybe and I hope this is all that happend...maybe someone just mixed up a couple of rings and you recived someone elses...is it the same setting? Sounds like it could have been an accidental swap of rings at the workshop...if its a chain this could be too, with hired jewelers it could very well be durring the busy bussel of things, the wrong ring was put in the wrong repair envalope. usualy when swaps are done and someone is ripping someone off form past accounts I have read about, the swaped stone is not a diamond...and generlay not a bigger diamond. This is what leads me to think this. Are you sure the ring is the same? I would seriously investigate this possibility as I would think there is probably someone out there wondering why they now have a smaller diamond? Id ask them this and see what happens.


hope this info helps, its not often people can get in contact with someone who works behind the sceans and can tell you how te system works.

 

[strmrdr]

DavidEmslie raises a great point.

It is really a good idea to ask who does the work when buying a diamond.
One of the sleaziest stores in my town does most of the sizing and repair work for most of the mall stores that don’t have their own staff to do it.