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How to
Avoid Fraudulent Practices in the Jewelry Industry
Author: Shelia Foster
Unfortunately
the fact of the matter is that there are jewelers and dealers out
there that engage in fraudulent practices when they are doing
businesses from time to time. How can you spot them and just what are
these fraudulent practices? The truth of the matter is that they are
difficult to spot unless you are self trained to.
Most are
masterful con artists who pick their targets carefully and will look
you in the eye while they share a glass of wine and a joke with you,
all the while plotting to to screw you over. Fraudulent practices
such as “stone switching” are surprisingly easy to pull of
and once it is done, can be easily denied by the jeweler who will
claim that it is you who is the con artist just looking for some easy money.
Even the most
reputable jeweler can have an employee with a gambling or a drug
problem, so it is up to you to cover your butt. Rule number one is
that if you have expensive stones on your jewelry have then
certified, documented and insured. Never just walk into just any
jewelry store and hand expensive jewelry with nice stones in it over
to the jeweler and assume that everything is OK.
Find a
qualified jeweler and then don't be afraid to discuss the topic of
stone switching with them and ask them what safeguards and guarantees
they have in place to guarantee the you can't be victimized at their establishment.
A qualified
reputable jeweler would be more then glad to discuss the topic and if
you have expensive high grade stones in your jewelry would understand
your concerns. Trying to save a few bucks by having your high end
jewelry worked on by the jeweler at the local back alley pawn shop is
the best way to end up becomming the victim of stone switching. |
