Blog eBay Launches Authentication for Fine Jewelry

[bcmacdonald]

bcmacdonald published a new blog post.

Launched in July 2022, eBay's Authenticity Guarantee service now includes fine jewelry from leading brands such as Bvlgari, Tiffany & Co., <a...

Continue reading the Original Blog Post.

Have you purchased or sold fine jewelry on eBay? What are your thoughts on this new development?

 

[MissGotRocks]

So the buyer asks for the authentication? How much does it cost and who pays for it? How long does the process take and does the seller have to wait for all of that to take place before they receive the money?

 

[Mrsz1ppy]

So the buyer asks for the authentication? How much does it cost and who pays for it? How long does the process take and does the seller have to wait for all of that to take place before they receive the money?

Nope. It happens automatically for jewelry over $500. No direct cost to buyer. Seller’s commission increasing. Two business days supposedly. No idea on payment speed.

I noticed that some items on Dover’s listings have the authenticity guarantee, but some don’t. I thought I had read the roll out was 9/15. Maybe it is is gradual.

 

[MissGotRocks]

So instead of the seller shipping directly to the buyer, they will be sending it to these authenticators? Wonder how insurance works for all of that if the piece is lost or misplaced? eBay sells a lot of jewelry valued over $500 - seems that it would have to be a huge facility to have a two day turn around. I would almost rather send it to the authenticators BEFORE it was listed so that a potential buyer would have that assurance before purchasing. Then they could ship it to the buyer.

 

[Mrsz1ppy]

So instead of the seller shipping directly to the buyer, they will be sending it to these authenticators? Wonder how insurance works for all of that if the piece is lost or misplaced? eBay sells a lot of jewelry valued over $500 - seems that it would have to be a huge facility to have a two day turn around. I would almost rather send it to the authenticators BEFORE it was listed so that a potential buyer would have that assurance before purchasing. Then they could ship it to the buyer.

I am very interested to see how it plays out. I sell my own pre-owned jewelry on eBay, but buy much more than I sell. I know my local jeweler will be so happy I’m not popping in all of the time to ‘check out’ what I bought!

 

[oldminer]

I have a sinking feeling that eBay really does not have a realistic understanding of the complexity of what they are offering. They have been doing authentication with watches for some time with good success, but the market for watches has a lot of order to it. The products are diverse, but relatively standardized. With jewelry and gems, the variation from one item to another can be incredibly problematic.

They will be able to insure shipments and do the logistics just fine, but getting reliable and repeatable results from "experts" is going to be something painful to watch even at a great distance. I really hope it works for eBay, sellers and consumers, but the program may collapse under the speed requirements and the limited resources of folks qualified to render authentication of such diverse products.

If their approach works well, then it may prove highly useful for everyone. Wait and see.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Let’s not forget that eBay is going to raise commission to about 15%. That’s a huge number in the jewelry / diamond realm. Someone’s gotta pay for that. Consumers are who will be paying.
Plus, as David points out, they’re sticking their foot into an alligators mouth. Jewelry and watches are two totally different markets.
Bad news for buyers and sellers from my perspective

 

[Mrsz1ppy]

TRR has been doing this, not perfectly I might add.

If you have a store, the commission is 13%.

I would rather pay a little bit more, and get what I paid for. That is why I check every purchase with a third party. I will still check some things, just as I do with TRR. Wearing my consumer hat, to me it means eBay will be on the hook if there is fraud. It’s not always possible to get an answer from AGL in 30 days.

Just this week returned a spinel that was really a tourmaline (with a local lab cert!) and a ruby that was lab created but sold as natural. I also took a 4+ ct pink sapphire I bought 20 years ago on eBay and never set, to a respected appraiser, and it is lab not the natural one I paid for. This new process would have saved me from that mistake.

Nobody likes change. But all a person who sells gems and jewelry has to distinguish themselves from the competition is trust. That is why Tiffany et al can charge more. Consumers trust they are getting what they are told they are getting.

 

[MissGotRocks]

I have sold a couple of pieces on ebay but their fees are just outrageous. Everyone likes to protect themselves and be protected from others but it does come at a price I guess. I seriously doubt I will ever list anything there again - it is hard to offer something at a fair price when all of the other listing costs are at play.

 

[Rockdiamond]

I would rather pay a little bit more, and get what I paid for.

In general, I'm totally with you. I prefer to patronize merchants that offer better services, and I don't mind paying a little more for it.
This is an entirely different scenario. eBay is not the seller. 13% ( I need to check our account for the specifics) is NOT “a little more” when it comes to diamonds and jewelry. It’s a lot more.
And most importantly- eBay isn’t nearly as trustworthy as the most trusted sellers.
It’s a shame you purchased illegitimate stones on eBay in the past. Of course it’s horrible if people are getting ripped off. But I don’t see this as any sort of workable solution.

 

[yssie]

Neither eBay nor GIA is remotely qualified to authenticate branded jewellery. GIA doesn’t (and shouldn’t!) train brand verification.

Unless their “authentication” merely verifies #realgold and #realdiamonds and doesn’t touch branding...

 

[denverappraiser]

GIA (Gemological Institute of America) doesn't offer so much as a class in how to do any of this, and I see no evidence that 'GIA professionals' means GIA employees, trained or not. As best I can tell, the authentication here involves metal testing, certain parts of stone identification, and matching stones to supplied grading reports. As mentioned above, it's kind of an expensive service (A $10,000 item will have a $1,300 fee, for example) and all such fees end up on the consumer, even if there's a middleman and even if it's buried in the price.

 

[kenny]

What happens if I buy a blue sapphire that eBay certifies to be untreated and from Kashmir, but then I send it to AGL who determines the country of origin is not Kashmir or can't be determined, but find evidence of treatment?
What happens to the extra zillion bucks I payed for the sapphire being from Kashmir and being untreated?

Same with a fully natural (origin of material and color) green diamond ...
After the sale what if I send it to GIA who determines the Green was the result of radiation in a lab rather than natural radiation in the earth?

I doubt eBay is going to buy the $$$$$ equipment and employ they top-level technical gem professionals that AGL and GIA have.

Me thinks eBay is sticking its head into a guillotine and cutting the rope holding the blade up.
I doubt this service will last.
Also, I suspect there will be fine print protecting eBay from full liability considering the price of some of these goodies and forcing agreement to settle disputes via arbitration.

 

[yssie]

What happens if I buy a blue sapphire that eBay certifies to be untreated and from Kashmir, but then I send it to AGL who determines the country of origin is not Kashmir or can't be determined, but find evidence of treatment?

Mayyyybe it'll be burmese...

 

[denverappraiser]

What happens if I buy a blue sapphire that eBay certifies to be untreated and from Kashmir, but then I send it to AGL who determines the country of origin is not Kashmir or can't be determined, but find evidence of treatment?
What happens to the extra zillion bucks I payed for the sapphire being from Kashmir and being untreated?

Dollars to donuts this authentication service won't tell you it's from Kashmir, and probably won't tell you it's untreated. It'll be called natural sapphire with an approximate weight.

Note in the ad that eBay is pinning it all on GIA experts, whoever that turns out to be. Again, dollars to donuts, it's NOT actually GIA as we know them.

 

[kenny]

Dollars to donuts this authentication service won't tell you it's from Kashmir, and probably won't tell you it's untreated. It'll be called natural sapphire with an approximate weight.

Note in the ad that eBay is pinning it all on GIA experts, whoever that turns out to be. Again, dollars to donuts, it's NOT actually GIA as we know them.

Then I hope eBay will NOT permit sellers to make price-related claims that they can substantiate/verify/"certify".

The biggest can of worms I anticipate is "Natural" FCDs, that were mined from the earth (natural) but treated for color (not natural) where the seller never mentions the color treatment but call just it a natural FCD and leaves it at that.

All these customers will think they got a killer deal because they paid only $12,000 for something worth $50,000 when it's actually worth only $1,200. (or whatever the numbers are)

 

[kenny]

Grading from a lab that's not only the most qualified in its field, but also fully independent is the best protection for the customer.
Sellers that self-grade what they sell, including yes Tiffany, have an inherent conflict of interest.

 

[Rockdiamond]

A $10,000 item will have a $1,300 fee, for example)

We’re all in agreement that this will be a total $hit show …..
But isn’t a large percentage of the fee eBay’s exorbitant commission rate ?

 

[danielsetton]

We sold on eBay for about a decade since 2006 and saw the rapid decline in the quality of the diamonds and how grading become so exaggerated. Yes, prices and costs will rise, but at least there will be some kind of parity in quality control between sellers.

 

[danielsetton]

We’re all in agreement that this will be a total $hit show …..
But isn’t a large percentage of the fee eBay’s exorbitant commission rate ?

I believe that Diamonds by Lauren used to be an eBay brand, selling mostly fancy colored and GIA graded engagement rings. While these kind of products aren't going to be competitive with a 13% fee on top, at least K-I3 diamonds won't be sold as D-VVS1 and carat weights will actually be honest and accurate.

I also believe that they'll cap the 13% up to a certain value.

Are you still on eBay?

 

[Rockdiamond]

Are you still on eBay?

HI Daniel,
Yes, we started selling diamonds on eBay in 1999....and have been there ever since.
Back in those days, if I had an issue or a question, I dealt directly with a VP...who long ago moved on to much bigger things...
Commissions were about 3%...it was paradise.
I stopped looking at other sellers' listings many years ago- before you guys started
Even then it was a minefield.
The exception nowadays is when I look at one of the seemingly infinite number of sellers poaching my pics. I rarely even do that.....who needs the aggravation.
Speaking of aggravation- try reaching an eBay CS rep who does anything more than assuring you "I will help you with your issue"
Or, how about billing.
You get random emails informing you that eBay is going to tap your bank account for $23.14. Then, 2 days later, they decide you owe them another $1.29
I kid you not.
Imagine the revolutionary concept of once a month billing!
\Sorry to rant.....

While these kind of products aren't going to be competitive with a 13% fee on top, at least K-I3 diamonds won't be sold as D-VVS1 and carat weights will actually be honest and accurate.

I also believe that they'll cap the 13% up to a certain value.

I know I already apologized...but I forgot this part..
I don't see how eBay or any of the people they are tasking with this can guarantee accurate weights- they're not going to pull the diamonds out the rings.....
No one can accurately grade color and clarity of mounted diamonds, so there's that as well.

about the commission...

 

[Rockdiamond]

So- about the commission

Final value fee update in the Jewelry category | Seller Center

Authenticity Guarantee, our authentication service for luxury items on eBay, will soon cover high value Jewelry items in some Jewelry categories.

www.ebay.com

Now, these bloodsuckers...I mean the nice ebay team who make the rules.....are going to make your life much more simple.
I mean, it's much easier to calculate 15% versus 12.7%...that's for a private seller, whom they punish.
When you have an eBay store ( which costs a couple hun a year iirc) they only raised it to 13%...and only 7% above $5k ( no max is mentioned)
But I am curious as for how to read this.

Sell something for $5k and you're paying $650...sell for $5001 and you're paying 7% or $350.07
How do you guys read this?
It's still exorbitant either way. And I find the fact they'll bilk private individuals for more than businesses rather rank as well.......

 

[oncrutchesrightnow]

Guess I’m in the minority here. As a consumer, all I really want is peace of mind for a few things: solid gold versus plated, filled, or hollow; gemstone versus plastic; and that the color is not a coating.

It is better for the consumer to take responsibility for lab versus earth, natural color versus human intervention, and exact weight. We can do that by buying or not buying or adjusting our budgets based on whether the vendor provides a certificate and a return policy.

 

[yssie]

Guess I’m in the minority here. As a consumer, all I really want is peace of mind for a few things: solid gold versus plated, filled, or hollow; gemstone versus plastic; and that the color is not a coating.

It is better for the consumer to take responsibility for lab versus earth, natural color versus human intervention, and exact weight. We can do that by buying or not buying or adjusting our budgets based on whether the vendor provides a certificate and a return policy.

You're definitely not alone! Frankly I don't even trust eBay - or anyone that eBay pays - to definitively tell me that something is solid gold or gold filled. And I hate to think what they might do to genuine antiques if they go around scratch and acid testing willy nilly

 

[yssie]

So- about the commission

Final value fee update in the Jewelry category | Seller Center

Authenticity Guarantee, our authentication service for luxury items on eBay, will soon cover high value Jewelry items in some Jewelry categories.

www.ebay.com

Now, these bloodsuckers...I mean the nice ebay team who make the rules.....are going to make your life much more simple.
I mean, it's much easier to calculate 15% versus 12.7%...that's for a private seller, whom they punish.
When you have an eBay store ( which costs a couple hun a year iirc) they only raised it to 13%...and only 7% above $5k ( no max is mentioned)
But I am curious as for how to read this.

Sell something for $5k and you're paying $650...sell for $5001 and you're paying 7% or $350.07
How do you guys read this?
It's still exorbitant either way. And I find the fact they'll bilk private individuals for more than businesses rather rank as well.......

You're right. And the examples eBay provides are useless. Common sense says that it would be 7% on the overage past $5000. But the wording *explicitly* doesn't state that.

 

[danielsetton]

HI Daniel,
Yes, we started selling diamonds on eBay in 1999....and have been there ever since.
Back in those days, if I had an issue or a question, I dealt directly with a VP...who long ago moved on to much bigger things...
Commissions were about 3%...it was paradise.
I stopped looking at other sellers' listings many years ago- before you guys started
Even then it was a minefield.
The exception nowadays is when I look at one of the seemingly infinite number of sellers poaching my pics. I rarely even do that.....who needs the aggravation.
Speaking of aggravation- try reaching an eBay CS rep who does anything more than assuring you "I will help you with your issue"
Or, how about billing.
You get random emails informing you that eBay is going to tap your bank account for $23.14. Then, 2 days later, they decide you owe them another $1.29
I kid you not.
Imagine the revolutionary concept of once a month billing!
\Sorry to rant.....



I know I already apologized...but I forgot this part..
I don't see how eBay or any of the people they are tasking with this can guarantee accurate weights- they're not going to pull the diamonds out the rings.....
No one can accurately grade color and clarity of mounted diamonds, so there's that as well.

about the commission...

You're reminding me of all the reasons we left...
Probably the only true remedy for eBay would be to close the category, like Amazon do, and start from the ground up with products they can verify quality for (reputable certificates, loose stones) or at least bring all sellers to an acceptable standard - whether by choosing the right sellers for their model or by program criteria. Honestly I have no faith that eBay could ever pull that off and the jungle of fraud and junk being sold there will likely continue.

It's just sad that the whole category got out of control and that exactly those products/sellers that shouldn't be there are set up to thrive. Accurately described, properly certified jewelry simply doesn't have the margins to cope with their fees, nor can it compete with fake descriptions, optimized for eBay's search algorithms.

 

[luvmysparklies]

I read where the new Ebay CEO is trying to make it so that people turn to Ebay first for their expensive goods (he said something to that effect) and that he wants a new target audience. There have already been problems in other areas with this "authenticity guarantee." With regard to trading cards, people have complained that RARE cards worth many thousands were mishandled because Ebay took them out of the original preservation sleeve to examine "handle" and then put the card in their own branded display trifold holder. Cards have had their corners bent, greatly decreasing value just so that they could be put into the Ebay holder. Or worse yet, the cards have slipped out of their protective covering, exposing to the elements. Yes, they were authenticated, but lost value because of this. Important questions have been raised here about Ebay now authenticating jewelery. There is definitely some fine tuning needed (IMHO, abandonment of this idea). Scratch testing antiques, when in other areas they have shown themselves to mishandle? Who are the authenticators and how have they been trained, like what credentials do they have? I agree with all of the questions raised here.

 

[distracts]

I read where the new Ebay CEO is trying to make it so that people turn to Ebay first for their expensive goods (he said something to that effect) and that he wants a new target audience.

If ebay wants people to turn to them first for expensive goods, they need to 1. lower fees to attract sellers back, and 2. crack down on sellers with inaccurate titles/descriptions, stolen pictures, etc. Ebay used to be a fun place to shop for jewelry but now is hell because there are too many $100 listings with a picture from a jeweler I recognize, that say in the title "diamond platinum ring" or whatever but in the body "silver and cz" and they use so many different words that it's impossible to remove them from your search. I am not worried about authentication because I can take things to my own appraiser, but about merely finding something I want to buy in the first place.

 

[luvmysparklies]

If ebay wants people to turn to them first for expensive goods, they need to 1. lower fees to attract sellers back, and 2. crack down on sellers with inaccurate titles/descriptions, stolen pictures, etc. Ebay used to be a fun place to shop for jewelry but now is hell because there are too many $100 listings with a picture from a jeweler I recognize, that say in the title "diamond platinum ring" or whatever but in the body "silver and cz" and they use so many different words that it's impossible to remove them from your search. I am not worried about authentication because I can take things to my own appraiser, but about merely finding something I want to buy in the first place.

I have experienced the same thing! I have seen JbG pics, etc. I am no expert, but there have been times I have tried to look on behalf of someone here that was on a journey for an OEC or OMC only to see "manmade" etc. once drilling down. It's waaay too many listing like this. I am glad, but not glad that I wasn't the only one that felt the same frustration, and you're right...they've made it impossible to filter. I don't want to see victorian pieces only to discover the pic is stolen and the center is not real. What a time waster. There used to be some teeth behind reporting a listing and now its just a joke. If you don't already know of people like David/Diamonds by Lauren, I&R, etc. it can be a losing/frustrating prospect. What I don't like about the new direction that the new CEO wants to take is that there are things on Ebay that you won't necessarily find elsewhere. I have special needs family members that find comfort in items that are no longer made (certain old model radios, trinkets, etc.) and I have been able to simultaneously support a small business or a foundation through my purchases while giving these family members joy. I get that there's nothing wrong with the idea that a buyer gets what they intended to buy, but at this point, I don't see where Ebay has full and efficient capacity to be in this authenticating realm. Last year, I read horror stories of designer handbag sellers sending their items to be authenticated and Ebay folks actually folded a multi-thousand dollar handbag IN HALF to save on shipping costs for the box. The buyer let them know that is the way it was sent to them. Ebay should really retool, rethink and definitely stay out of lanes they haven't invested enough to be in.

 

[yssie]

Ebay folks actually folded a multi-thousand dollar handbag IN HALF to save on shipping costs for the box.

OMG. I legit winced. And now I’m laughing.

I gave up on eBay years ago. Too much crap to try to sift through. I’m close to giving up on IG too, too many resellers peddling bling who clearly haven’t any actual idea of what they’re selling.