I’m a fan of the TV court shows. Watched The People’s Court since Judge Wapner’s days. You learn a lot about people and the law from watching these shows. My favorite episodes revolve around Jewelry, although most episodes are about tenant law, puppies that got sick after purchase, used cars that go bad within a couple weeks and family members not paying back loans.

Today Judge Alex had a case of a Jeweler who was accused of switching diamonds.  Fascinating case, at least if you’re in the business.

Now Alex is my favorite of the current crop of Judges (Marilyn Milian comes in a close second). It turns out, that besides being a former cop, former trial attorney and judge, Alex used to sell diamonds as well. Interesting…

Well this lady bought a ring off eBay. She didn’t follow up the purchase with an appraisal. Then she brought it into a Jeweler to get a matching band made. After she got back the ring, she noticed a little indentation in it. But she didn’t know much about Jewelry. She thought it was severe, but I think it was something easily polished away and both Alex and the Jeweler felt the same way.

The plaintiff lost the case. She thought that the Jeweler pulled out the small baguettes and switched them for diamonds of a worse quality.  Alex got an appraisal from a Jeweler he knew, who appraised the quality of the diamonds as identical to what her eBay ad said. I was really surprised at that. She got lucky with that purchase, but it’s mind blowing that so many customers have absolutely no clue as to when they are getting a good deal or getting had…

It’s clear she didn’t prove her case. She had to prove the condition before sending it to the Jeweler by getting an appraisal and then get another one after it came back from the Jeweler with issues. But just going by her recollection is not going to win her the case.

For those who have seen the show and wonder how to handle such a purchase…well first eBay is not the best place to buy Jewelry. But if you do want to use them, make sure the seller has a certificate from a reputable lab on the center stone. Then have the Jewelry appraised after receiving the item. Make sure the center stone matches the cert.

As Judge Alex said, for small stones, the labor is probably more expensive to the Jeweler than the gain in switching stones…let alone the loss in reputation. And if you have a cert on the center stone, the plot and specs are as good as a fingerprint and you can feel safe sending in the Jewelry for work. At least in terms of not worrying that stones would get switched. Also take lots of before and after pictures. Close-ups and from all angles.

Overall I thought the Judge did a great job.