Headlines

Sheriff Investigating South Carolina Jeweler After Customers Allege Diamond Swapping

Published

8 years ago

July 22, 2016

INSTORE Staff

Neighboring jewelers say they’ve heard rumors of swapping for years.

The former owner of Dorchester Jewelers in Summerville, SC is being investigated by the local sheriff’s office after multiple customers accused the jeweler of diamond swapping, News 2 reports.

The article says that one customer, Diane Sarrocco, claims that the store owner, Jill Henry, offered a great deal on what was supposedly a diamond ring. “Once I received the ring, I made the comment the day I picked it up, ‘this looks so big it almost looks fake’,” Sarrocco recalls. But then Sarrocco took the ring to an appraiser, who said it was actually cubic zirconia. “My reaction was just shocked, and I have to let Jill know that she’s dealing with unethical people here, and then I realized it was… Jill knew about this, she had to have a part in this. I just felt so betrayed.”

Dorchester Jewelers recently closed for business, and when News 2 visited Henry to ask about the accusations, she didn’t come to the door.

The news outlet also spoke with other local jewelers, who said they’ve heard similar accusations made against Dorchester Jewelers for years.

You Wouldn’t Cut Your Own Hair. Why Run Your Own Retirement Sale?

After being in business for over a quarter of a century, Wayne Reid, owner of Wayne Jewelers in Wayne, Pennsylvania, decided it was time for a little “me time.” He says, “I’ve reached a point in my life where it’s time to slow down, enjoy a lot of things outside of the jewelry industry. It just seemed to be the right time.” He chose Wilkerson to handle his retirement sale because of their reputation and results. With financial goals exceeded, Reid says he made the right choice selecting Wilkerson to handle the sale. “They made every effort to push our jewelry to the forefront of the showcases,” he says, lauding Wilkerson for their finesse and expertise. Would he recommend them to other jewelers who want to make room for new merchandise, expand their business or like him, decide to call it a day? Absolutely he says, equating trying to do this kind of sale with cutting your own hair. “The results are going to happen but not as well as if you have a professional like Wilkerson do the job for you.”