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Kay Jewelers a ripoff??

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shoemortgage1979

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When my husband and I picked out my one carat princess solitaire at Kay''s, I examined it very well. It sparkled like crazy (of course, their lighting is great for a reason), it looked very clean to the naked eye and under microscope, and it was a true full carat size. However, after we got it back from having it reset in white gold instead of yellow gold, it did not look like the same diamond. It looks smaller with visible inclusions...Then, just so I knew I wasn''t crazy, I went back and compared to another one carat of the same price and sure enough...that diamond in the store was bigger, cleaner to the eye...etc. DO THEY SWITCH AND BAIT?? I am so upset! What recourse do I have, if any at all?? I want what I paid for and I did not get it.......HELP!!!!
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ImpatientOne

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Don''t they have a 90 day return policy? If you are truly unahppy with it, return it. They do have some certified stones in their store - I wouldn''t buy anything from them that isn''t certified. I recently had one o their sister stores (Wiesfields) bring in some loose stone for me that were certified. The GIA stone I chose has the cert so I can look under the scope and tell it is the same diamond I purchased. Some are laser inscribed as well.

Take it back if you don''t like it!!!
 

Kaleigh

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I''d take it to an independant appraiser to make sure it matches the cert. What kind of cert did you get with it?? Does the cert plot the inclusions??
 

allycat0303

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I don''t think they would intentionally switch a stone. Did your stone come with a certificate? Has it been cleaned lately? A lot of princess (or all diamonds actually) have variable diameter depending on how they are cut etc. so I don''t know if just comparing the two visually is enough (unless it''s REALLY visibly smaller, like a 0.75 instead of 1 carat) it can also be the setting, I find some settings make a stone look larger then others. In any case, all of these things can have an effect.

And the sparkling lights at Kay''s can also be misleading. Did you bring you ring with you and see it under Kay''s lights?
 

diamondseeker2006

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Can you just return it? We could help you find a much better quality stone. Kay''s just doesn''t have great quality diamonds, unfortunately. There is a LOT to learn about diamond quality. Take a look under Knowledge on this site or the excellent tutorial with pictures here:

http://www.goodoldgold.com/4Cs/

Here''s an example of a great quality princess stone (AGS0):

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/1977/

Many others from other vendors, but I wanted to show you that there are variations in princess quality out there, and you need to know what to look for!
 

shoemortgage1979

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Oh...I think I may be in the doghouse on this one...It''s not a certified diamond. Because of a tight budget we opted for their least expensive solitaire. I will have to go back and return it then...I didn''t even think about their 90 day policy...Thanks.
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codex57

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I don''t shop there regularly, but I''ve never been too impressed with the workers there. If it''s not the same stone, I''d bet there''s just as much chance that the switch was an accident based on carelessness rather than intentional theft.

Still, the lights they have in there are crazy. It can make a lump of coal sparkle. That''s the case at most jewelry stores. So, I always check out the stone in lighting other than what they have around the display cases. I prefer natural sunlight and flourescent lighting cuz that best represents where the stone will be seen most in my situation (outdoors and at the office).
 

Kay

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Date: 12/1/2006 4:33:31 PM
Author: shoemortgage1979
Oh...I think I may be in the doghouse on this one...It''s not a certified diamond. Because of a tight budget we opted for their least expensive solitaire. I will have to go back and return it then...I didn''t even think about their 90 day policy...Thanks.
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The people on PS love to help people find great diamonds. If you feel comfortable doing so, why don''t you post what you paid for the stone, and what Kay told you about color, clarity, etc. (which may not be true since it is not certified). I bet someone here can find you a better stone for the same price. If you can return the ring for any reason within 90 days, I would do so.
 

Perfectdiamond

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I actually have a related question on checking whether it is the same stone. How could you tell whether it is a same stone after it is put in a pendant setting. I am looking for a diamond center stone and want to set it in a pendant. I don''t feel comfortable to let a local jewller to do it because I am worried that it might get switched. Is there a number or something if the diamond is certified? Where should I look into to find this number? Thanks a lot.
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Lorelei

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Date: 12/2/2006 5:46:23 AM
Author: Perfectdiamond
I actually have a related question on checking whether it is the same stone. How could you tell whether it is a same stone after it is put in a pendant setting. I am looking for a diamond center stone and want to set it in a pendant. I don't feel comfortable to let a local jewller to do it because I am worried that it might get switched. Is there a number or something if the diamond is certified? Where should I look into to find this number? Thanks a lot.
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Welcome to PS
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Diamond switching is very rare thankfully, not many jewellers will deliberately risk everything for the sake of this. However to set your mind at rest, buy a small 10 power loupe and get to know your own diamond. That way you know where any identifying inclusions or birthmarks are, you can whip out your loupe and know it is your diamond in a jiffy. You can also double check it against the inclusion plot of your grading report. You could always get your new diamond laser inscribed for a charge, usually a number is inscribed on the girdle, but not all diamonds are inscribed or numbered in this way, so you may have to ask for this to be done additionally. Also try to find a jeweller who is happy to walk you through indentifying your diamond before and after any procedure, but it is best to be able to know your own diamond. Trust but verify.
 

Perfectdiamond

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Lorelei,


Thanks for the message. It sounds harder than I thought. I am basically a lay person in terms of recognizing diamond. It took me a while to understand some of factors to determine the quality of a diamond but I am not sure how long it is going to take me to learn how to recognize a diamond in reality. Thanks for the information. I guess that I should try to set the stone with the same store that I purchase the stone. Have a nice weekend.


PD

 

Julian

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I have never been to Kay's, but I thought some mall jewelers put CZs into their settings and then order the diamond per setting sold. So sometimes people think the diamond that they'll get will look like the perfect simulant does and are later disappointed. I don't know if Kay's is one of those jewelers. Can anyone chime in? ETA: but that doesn't explain the loupe. Hmmm... I'm at a loss to explain the mystery, then! I guess it may be the store's lighting? I echo the PSers who say return it & start over. Good luck!
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Lorelei

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Date: 12/2/2006 5:20:33 PM
Author: Perfectdiamond

Lorelei,



Thanks for the message. It sounds harder than I thought. I am basically a lay person in terms of recognizing diamond. It took me a while to understand some of factors to determine the quality of a diamond but I am not sure how long it is going to take me to learn how to recognize a diamond in reality. Thanks for the information. I guess that I should try to set the stone with the same store that I purchase the stone. Have a nice weekend.



PD


PD, easiest way is to loupe your diamond when you first get it, see if there are any inclusions inside it you can see, take a note of what they look like and where they are, that way you know " oh my diamond has a dark dot at 3 o''clock" then if you need to leave it for any reason, you can check for the dot. It''s easy, just think of it as a birthmark!
 

mtrb

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Mar 8, 2003
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shoemortgage - once you return it... come here and have us help you pick the perfect stone. Let me tell you a little secret. A well cut stone.. even if it is less than 1 carat will look as large and sparkle a heck of a lot more than a poorly cut 1 carat. That said. We own a gia certed, extremely well cut .864 round, and it is constantly mistaken for a 1 carat.. and boy does it sparkle. I think you should let the fine folks here help you and you will come out with something that will run circles around what you can find in Kay.
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findarock

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Oct 21, 2006
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I am glad that I came across this post, I am looking at different companies and I was considering looking at Kay Jewelers, and even Zales, I was also concerned about the bait and switch.
Let me know how it goes?
 
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