eBay Seller Coco2be selling fake jewelry synthetic advertised as natural Colombian emeralds scam with aigl certificate / appraisal

[willowsfarmla]

I purchased a several what I thought to be gorgeous natural Colombian emerald rings from the seller on eBay coco2be and after having them submitted to the GIA for testing all 3 came back as synthetic emeralds. I just wanted to warn others as it seems they sell quite a few every month and describe them all as natural earth mined Colombian emeralds with aigl certificated which also state they are natural but they are synthetic! Grown in a lab ! I cannot believe they have gotten away with this for so long. I also purchased a ruby ring from then which was described as a “natural earth mined unheated Burma ruby ring” which at the time I though I was getting an amazing deal / value as the appraisal from aigl is for 48,000 & I won the auction for just under 3000 but the ruby is 100% flawless it does not have any inclusions whatsoever even when I look at it with a microscope so I am starting to heavily doubt it is a natural ruby as well and I will be sending it to my jeweler to take a look at as soon as I get back in town.

I am beside myself , how coco2be can stay in business for so long selling fake stones as natural with seemingly no negative reviews on eBay and with fake appraisals to match ! How can aigl write fake appraisals ? Or maybe the original stones in the ring were natural when sent to aigl and then switches before listing on eBay ?

It has been quite some time since I purchased these rings and they are no longer protected by eBay’s 30 day guarantee but as soon as I get the ruby ring tested I will be contacting them about a full refund.

Here are some photos of what the emeralds look like that they sell

 

[Autumn in New England]

Since you're a brand new trade member, my first thought was that this ebay seller might be a rival of yours, hence this post. But in browsing their inventory, I mean, clearly there's a whole host of issues. Naturally, it's illegal and immoral to misrepresent gemstone composition and treatments, etc. But, at some point, we also have to use our common sense (no offense to you, just speaking in general). First, I've never heard of American International Gemological Laboratories. And they have terrible reviews online. It seems they're more an "appraisal" company than actual lab. And their name is suspiciously similar to AIG, which is completely unaffiliated. Next, no one is going to auction a $42k emerald ring off for $360. So this is definitely a buyer beware type situation. But I agree, even at these prices, and with presumably novice customers, it's amazing they still have 100% positive feedback. Just goes to show ya!

 

[Voodoo Child]

If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

 

[dk168]

Based on the photos in the original post alone, my first thought is that the Emeralds cannot be real for the asking prices, as I have yet to see an Emerald so clean in those colours without costing a fortune!

DK

 

[dk168]

If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Indeed.

DK

 

[Soseattle]

This kind of thing is rampant on ebay and Etsy. Buyer beware.

 

[fredflintstone]

I purchased a several what I thought to be gorgeous natural Colombian emerald rings from the seller on eBay coco2be and after having them submitted to the GIA for testing all 3 came back as synthetic emeralds. I just wanted to warn others as it seems they sell quite a few every month and describe them all as natural earth mined Colombian emeralds with aigl certificated which also state they are natural but they are synthetic! Grown in a lab ! I cannot believe they have gotten away with this for so long. I also purchased a ruby ring from then which was described as a “natural earth mined unheated Burma ruby ring” which at the time I though I was getting an amazing deal / value as the appraisal from aigl is for 48,000 & I won the auction for just under 3000 but the ruby is 100% flawless it does not have any inclusions whatsoever even when I look at it with a microscope so I am starting to heavily doubt it is a natural ruby as well and I will be sending it to my jeweler to take a look at as soon as I get back in town.

I am beside myself , how coco2be can stay in business for so long selling fake stones as natural with seemingly no negative reviews on eBay and with fake appraisals to match ! How can aigl write fake appraisals ? Or maybe the original stones in the ring were natural when sent to aigl and then switches before listing on eBay ?

It has been quite some time since I purchased these rings and they are no longer protected by eBay’s 30 day guarantee but as soon as I get the ruby ring tested I will be contacting them about a full refund.

Here are some photos of what the emeralds look like that they sell

I'm sorry, and this is going to sound harsh, but you have yourself listed as a trade member. As a trade member you should've known better. With that said, I'm sorry this happened to you. A hard lesson.

 

[Avondale]

Just for context, there was another post just like this one posted shorty before this one. Can’t remember if it was the same account but it also had a trade badge and was the first post for the very recently created account. That other post claimed that clients of the OP had been scammed and everything else was pretty much the same, down to the pictures used.

That previous thread was shortly removed for violation of the rules, I imagine.

 

[Bron357]

Unfortunately there are scammers everywhere.
No reputable Gemology lab gives valuations alongside their gem report. An appraiser, who is a gemologist gIves a value alongside an opinion of the gems which are assess in their settings (so only limited testing types are done and carat weights are estimated based on mm dimensions). No the same quality or in-depth investigation as an accredited gem lab ie GIA does.
The ”issue” with the “outfit” calling themselves American International Gemological Laboratories is that they aren’t a true gem lab and various google searches reveal great dissatisfaction by buyers who relied on their report when buying jewellery assessed by them. Vastly over valued.
There is obviously a similarity of name with American Gemological Lab, AGL, who is the most highly regarded coloured gem lab in the US.
In this case, it may well be that the gemmologist appraiser from American International Gemological Laboratories didn’t have the skills or equipment like GIA to identify that the emerald was lab grown. Honestly, the improvements in quality and deceptibility of lab grown material makes it all the more difficult to tell the difference without quite intensive and specialised testing. Even Sotheby’s managed to sell a Jadeite bangle that had, unbeknownst to them and which passed normal testing, had in fact been treated.
with the eBay seller, it MAY be that they don’t know their gems are lab, maybe the choose to pretend not to know. Most people, probably none, who buy an emerald or ruby ring off eBay and with an apparently professional and impressive lab / appraisal don’t think to send it off to GIA or AGL for further expensive testing.
Most people who have good knowledge of gem labs and appreciate the ever increasing types of treatments and lab material DONT buy off eBay and certainly dont trust any certificate unless it is from a well known and highly regarded lab.
You did, you now know the truth. It goes without saying, sadly, that the ruby you more recently purchased will go the same way.
In this world, almost without exception, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

 

[lovedogs]

Clearly no one is going to sell a ring worth tens of thousands for a few hundred dollars. If it seems too good to be true, it always is.

Also, if you arent in the trade, tell admin

 

[RRfromR]

I only buy items tagged Authenticity Guarantee on ebay. All the items are sent to GIA to confirm that the listing is accurate.

 

[LilAlex]

I only buy items tagged Authenticity Guarantee on ebay. All the items are sent to GIA to confirm that the listing is accurate.

This is true. AFAIK, it only confirms that the item is genuine and maybe whether or not treatment is present. But it does not confirm if the item is accurately represented in terms of photos. That's where eBay is the worst, imo. (Well, apart from instances like this thread which reminds me of the Benny Hill sketch: "That's a Stradivarius, my man (!), that'll cost you four pound ten!")

 

[willowsfarmla]

Hello Everyone, firstly I would just like to say thank you so much for all of your responses/advice/thoughts , I apologize I did not respond sooner I have just been so distraught over the situation (especially since learning I am too far out of the eBay money back guarantee timeline for any recourse.) You are exactly right , “if it’s too good to be true…” and I should have known better. I guess i infatuation with gemstones just got the better of me, I was really mislead by the fact these were supposed to be “certified” emeralds. Later to find out they are just appraisals from some place in California that refused to even verify the appraisals.

I am not a trade member or a seller (I am semi retired) I believe the trade badge was my mistake ; I am new on here and will try to correct it. I am simply a collector / amateur jewelry maker (I do make some wire wraps, beaded necklaces / bracelets and charms but it is more of a hobby rather than a business. I have been collecting jewelry for the better part of 3 decades , but never owned a nice Colombian emerald before which is what led me onto this path in the first place.

Yes I am new to price scope & for now I will just sit back , read & try to learn as much as possible from all you much more experienced folks

Thank you again for all your responses & advice it means the world to me that y’all would take the time out of your day to respond to me especially since my first post on here was rather dramatic !

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend & if somebody new head sees this post and it causes them to just take the time to double check/helps to prevent them from getting into a similar situation, I will be happy. (I should have called the appraisal company before purchasing , then when they told me they could not verify the appraisal , it would have saved myself a whole lot of heart ache)

 

[Autumn in New England]

Hello Everyone, firstly I would just like to say thank you so much for all of your responses/advice/thoughts , I apologize I did not respond sooner I have just been so distraught over the situation (especially since learning I am too far out of the eBay money back guarantee timeline for any recourse.) You are exactly right , “if it’s too good to be true…” and I should have known better. I guess i infatuation with gemstones just got the better of me, I was really mislead by the fact these were supposed to be “certified” emeralds. Later to find out they are just appraisals from some place in California that refused to even verify the appraisals.

I am not a trade member or a seller (I am semi retired) I believe the trade badge was my mistake ; I am new on here and will try to correct it. I am simply a collector / amateur jewelry maker (I do make some wire wraps, beaded necklaces / bracelets and charms but it is more of a hobby rather than a business. I have been collecting jewelry for the better part of 3 decades , but never owned a nice Colombian emerald before which is what led me onto this path in the first place.

Yes I am new to price scope & for now I will just sit back , read & try to learn as much as possible from all you much more experienced folks

Thank you again for all your responses & advice it means the world to me that y’all would take the time out of your day to respond to me especially since my first post on here was rather dramatic !

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend & if somebody new head sees this post and it causes them to just take the time to double check/helps to prevent them from getting into a similar situation, I will be happy. (I should have called the appraisal company before purchasing , then when they told me they could not verify the appraisal , it would have saved myself a whole lot of heart ache)

The important thing is you knew something was amiss and decided to do your homework. Sometimes it leads to disappointments (we've all been there), but you're better for it in the long run. I hope your next purchase is something you truly love. I look forward to seeing more of you here on PS!

 

[Treehugger]

I also fell into his scam and became a victim of my greed (willing to buy cheap and sell high). I purchased a necklace with "neon green Colombian emerald" for under 4 thousand with AIGL flaky appraisal of 43 thousand. it struck me as soon as I opened the box- it is FAKE!!! I am not a gemologist but the craftsmanship was horrible. The emerald part gold surrounding was bent and crooked and thinner than a condensed milk can metal that I buy all the time. When I confronted coco2be, he became nasty and defensive, advised me not to "try to steal anything" from him, that I don't deserve the piece and his time.
Scum of the earth.
AIGL is some flaky scam company as well. I contacted ebay and reported the listing as fake.
Best regards to you all!

 

[T L]

Those emeralds scream fake to be because they’re too clean and the price is too low for comparable quality natural emeralds.

What really scares me with emeralds these days are the extremely convincing synthetics with very natural looking inclusions, going for huge prices.

Always, always get a reputable lab report when purchasing an expensive emerald. Even with inexpensive material, and “expensive/inexpensive” is subjective to the consumer, get a reputable lab report for questionable material. You are basically risking X sun of $$ if you purchase any of the highly synthesized or highly treated gems, even if the latter is natural in origin, without a reputable, verifiable and THOROUGH lab report.

 

[LilAlex]

I know we all know this and the OP does, too, but effectively "90% off" is not to be expected for a gem, ever.