Jeweler Headed to Prison for Felony Grand Theft

He replaced diamonds with CZ and moissanite.

A jeweler in California is headed to prison for swapping out customers’ diamonds with cubic zirconia and moissanite.

Charles Jayson Hanson, 53, was convicted of five counts of felony grand theft, along with a misdemeanor charge of petty theft, the Orange County Register reports.

The Newport Beach resident has now been sentenced to a state prison term of six years and four months.

Hanson operated a store called Stoned Jewelry, which has since closed.

In one case, a couple paid Hanson $16,000 to upgrade a diamond engagement ring, prosecutors said. When they got the ring back, the diamond had been swapped out for cubic zirconia.

One victim told the court that as a result of Hanson’s actions, “I have lost confidence and trust for those who are in these positions of trust.”

Read more at the Orange County Register