One of the perils of selling jewellery online is that at some point in time, the customer will need the ring resized, polished, claws tightened and so on. A ring, like a car, isn’t maintenance free. So, they will take it to a local jeweller, who will use the opportunity to try and drum up some business and badmouth online jewellers.
Sometimes jewellers will offer their services for free to win the trust of the newly found client, and then use the opportunity to badmouth an online jeweller. This may in turn create fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD), even resentment about the online jeweller.
This has happens to us a lot, especially since we are seen as the devil incarnate in the eyes of some jewellers who feel threatened by internet jewellers who offer the best quality at amazing prices.
Nowadays, since our diamonds are all GIA or AGS certified, most of them with laser inscriptions and verification letters, very few jewellers attack the quality of our diamonds.
More often than not, a client takes their ring to a jeweller who then proceeds to attack the quality of the ring – a far easier target than a GIA certified diamond!
Over the years, we’ve experienced many attacks from other jewellers, including:
- Diamonds cracked.
- Side diamonds “glued in”.
- Diamonds will fall out.
- Setting not the right size on a brand new ring.
- Wedding ring sits flush, so the ring will rub against each other, causing the diamonds on the wedding and engagement rings to fall out.
As a consumer, if there is a problem with your diamond, or piece of jewellery, it’s best to first speak with the person who sold it to you, not only for your benefit, but as a courtesy to them.
Usually they will be more than happy to fix the problem, however, if you face any difficulties, the best option would be to take it to an independent appraiser – that is, someone who doesn’t sell diamonds or jewellery. This will cost you money, up to $100, but it will at least give the jeweller some kind of evidence that the problem exists.
So, in summary:
- It’s not uncommon for competing jewellers to try and drum up business by slandering their competitor’s work.
- If this, or any other problem occurs, contact the person who sold it to you immediately.
- Be extra nice to them and don’t assume they did anything on purpose. Mistakes happen, and you must remember that you are criticising someone’s work, which may offend them.
- If the jeweller refuses to fix the problem, take it to an independent appraiser, or at least something in writing.
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