Do Mall Stores Sell/Still Sell Fracture Filled Diamonds?

[pyramid]

http://www.niceice.com/treatments.htm


QUOTE from above link

But what if you don't want a fracture filled diamond? How can you be sure the diamond you are buying has not been clarity enhanced? It should be as simple as asking, but a trip through a local mall proved otherwise... We don't sell to mall jewelry stores so it was easy for us to walk into the mall stores and look at the diamonds they were selling. Each of the stores denied selling clarity enhanced diamonds, and pointed across the mall to their competitor and said "but they do." If only you could have seen the looks on their faces when we pointed to the flash effect in their diamonds and said "Then what's this?"

Despite FTC guidelines which require jewelers to disclose diamonds treated with the clarity enhancement process in writing to consumers as "Clarity Enhanced / Fracture Filled" many stores do not provide disclosure of any type to their unsuspecting customers. An industry survey conducted in January of 1995 states that an estimated 72% of jewelers who sell clarity enhanced diamonds fail to provide disclosure to their consumers.

_______________________________________

Do any of the experts know if mall stores sell or still sell fracture filled diamonds without disclosure? The above web page states they did.

 

[pyramid]

bump

 

[Uncle Marty]

Pyramid et al,
I am truly shocked that any seller from a B & M, Mall store or any other seller would sell a C/E (Fracture Filled) Diamond and not disclose.
Federal Laws require disclosure.

However we all are aware that some sellers do at times misrepresent. So what is a buyer to do ?

Very simple. When entering any place of business (even on The Internet) tell the seller that you do NOT want to buy a CE Diamond.
In addition you want a document to that effect should you purchase a Diamond. Plus the document should read that if the seller misrepresents in any way then the seller agrees to refund twice the money paid for the Diamond plus any expenses for a Graduate Gemologist from GIA who has passed all tests successfully and has been trained as an Appraiser by NAJA or ISA.
In additon do not buy any Diamond without an INDEPENDENT GRADING REPORT from a recognized Laboratory for that purpose. The unfortunate part is which grading labs are acceptable.

First, it is self serving for a seller to appraise the item he is selling. He/ She must never appraise any item for more than they sold the item. In fact the seller should not issue an appraisal. The only documents he should give you is a sales slip which includes the following;
The name of the seller, address, telephone number.
Date of the purchase
Any warantees or guarantees.
What exactly you are buying (not just a Diamond ring) but what Kt is the gold, what are the stones, what treatment was done to them, the dimensions of the stone (colored stones can be identified by dimensions instead of weight, and are they genuine, Created by man, cultured, synthetic,glass) .
If Diamonds are included what is the weight, shape, color and clarity.
The Price of the item
Plus the taxes that were paid by you (sales tax).

Sounds easy. But all too often purchasers of jewelry do not insist on getting the above information or sellers refuse to deliver a properly filled out sales slip because you and they are cheating the State out of their taxes.

Just think about it before you agree to make a purchase from a seller without paying the sales tax and then not getting the appropriate documentation after giving the seller the money you found on the street.

Should you have a problem (unfortunately this happens) you will not have recourse. How can you go to the authorities and ask for help when you broke the laws of your state. Do you really think that the authorities will not notice that you were a party to fraud ?

Selecting an accredited jewelry appraisal service is another long discussion that is answered very easily.

Ask to see documentation that this Lab is a member of either ISA or NAJA in good standing and has continued their appraisal education.
When you go to a doctor he/she has all the medical schools they have attended and passed and all the extra classes they have taken on their office wall.
See these documents from your appraiser. You are entitled to see these as well. It is your money that is being spent. Protect your investment and insure it with an insurance company.

One more thing, An insurance company is not required to know anything about Diamond, gemstones or jewelry. They are in business to make money.
They will accept your premium until you have a loss and then question the value placed upon your possessions by an appraiser. You will NOT get the appraised value in a CHECK. This is not the death of a loved one. Most policies allow the insurance company to replace the item (as close as possible).

If they can save $5.00 by replacing your item they will. Read all the print on your policy do not wait till it is too late and then call your local jeweler to help you.

In my opinion there is no such thing as GOOD LUCK.
If you need help write me.

Uncle Marty of course

 

[pyramid]

Thank you Uncle Marty.


Does anyone know if Mall jewellery chains do sell fracture filled diamonds at all?

 

[pyramid]

bump

 

[pyramid]

niceice?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Only one chain store company tried them in Australia for years - but they gave up because it was too hard I think.

But we had a fair number of the larger stones with fake GIA certs sold here up till last year. We do not know much about it because there is a court case pending - but it seems that a well reputed jewellery salesman sold a lot to jeweller / watchmakers who would not know a diamond, or a cert from a ute full of sheep.

 

[pyramid]

Thank you CutNut.


I have since read an article on the internet saying that when a television company did a programme on treatment of stones being sold they found that some stores (I think it was mall stores/chain stores) which had sold fracture filled diamonds did not know they had bought them in their inventory so they were being sold to them illegally. I thought buyers for large stores would be trained in gemmology a bit and would know what to look out for.

I also read that it was mainly pendants and earrings which would be fracture filled.

(cannot find the article again)

 

[pyramid]

 

[pyramid]

last bump

 

[pyramid]

After e-mailing a few chain store jewelers, I am now of the opinion that they do NOT sell fracture filled or laser drilled diamonds. Most stores selling those types of stones do so with full disclosure and give out a document for the diamond stating it is fracture filled so that the customer may give this to any future jeweler working on their ring.

 

[pyramid]

http://www.gia.org/gemsandgemology/620/6837/this_weeks_news_details.cfm

 

[pyramid]

.

 

[pyramid]

niceice

Could the sales assistants see the actual flash effect in the diamonds through a loupe? Do you know if this is still in practice today or are all diamonds in mall stores genuine as the stores are implying?

I apologise if maybe you have not been online and read the message boards for a while.

 

[pyramid]

Anyone know where I can see a copy of that industry report from 1995 stating clarity enhanced diamonds are being sold without divulging details to the customer?

 

[pyramid]

 

[pyramid]

bump

 

[pyramid]

Where can I see a copy of that industry report from 1995 stating clarity enhanced diamonds are being sold without divulging details to the customer? Would a large chain store like Zales be able to give me a copy of the report about chain stores?

 

[mike04456]

I could probably track it down but I don't know what 1995 report you're referring to.

 

[pyramid]

The grading report referred to on www.niceice.com:

QUOTE:
Despite FTC guidelines which require jewelers to disclose diamonds treated with the clarity enhancement process in writing to consumers as "Clarity Enhanced / Fracture Filled" many stores do not provide disclosure of any type to their unsuspecting customers. An industry survey conducted in January of 1995 states that an estimated 72% of jewelers who sell clarity enhanced diamonds fail to provide disclosure to their consumers.

 

[mike04456]

I'm not familiar with that report, but things have changed significantly since then. In 1995, there was little disclosure because it was not required--the FTC rules in place at that time had not been revised since 1959 and dealt only with artificial coloring. They were updated in 1996 to require disclosure of fracture-filling, among other things. Nowadays, I doubt there is any more risk of undisclosed fracture filling than there is of any other scam.

 

[pyramid]

Thank you for your reply LawGem.



I have looked for the report also but can only find one from January 1998 but that is about 70% of colored stones - emeralds being sold without disclosing the filler.

 

[mike04456]

----------------
On 3/17/2004 12:05:22 PM pyramid wrote:





Thank you for your reply LawGem.



I have looked for the report also but can only find one from January 1998 but that is about 70% of colored stones - emeralds being sold without disclosing the filler.
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The FTC rules have also changed since 1998. They were last updated in 2001. Most colored stones are not sold with sufficient disclosure, but this is because most are just heated, and heating has long been regarded as something so basic that disclosure was not necessary. This is no longer the case, though--any treatment that has a significant effect on the value must be disclosed.

 

[pyramid]

Thanks again.