Jewelry buyers beware of scams when choosing a special gift for a loved one. Many buyers may overlook important details while getting caught up in the excitement of purchasing the perfect gift. To help avoid getting caught in a scam, here are a few things to remind your policyholders about:
Remind them to get a report from a reliable lab, such as AGL (American Gemological Laboratories), or GIA (Gemological Institute of America. Buyers should be cautious accepting reports from other less reputable labs as they could misrepresent the stone quality or origin.
It’s important to obtain a detailed description of their purchase and read the fine print about the return policy.
Be careful about who cleans or repairs jewelry. With synthetic or lab-made stones looking very similar to natural diamonds at much cheaper prices, there have been many cases of diamonds being swapped during cleaning or repair.
Hide the purchased jewelry when you leave the store. There is no more obvious target than that fancy logo bag from a jeweler. Make your purchase inconspicuous by putting it into another shopping bag or even a grocery bag.