Headlines

Woman Sues New York Jeweler for Allegedly Not Disclosing Treatments on $270,000 Diamond Ring

Published

8 years ago

May 13, 2016

INSTORE Staff

Suit seeks more than $1 million.

A Nevada businesswoman who visited the Fantasy Diamonds jewelry store in New York and purchased a diamond ring for $270,000 now alleges that it’s a “fake” and wants her money back, the New York Post reports. The article says that store owner Rodi Rudin hand-delivered the ring to Donna Curry in Nevada along with a Gem Appraisal Industry certificate. But when she took the ring to a local gemologist, “he told her that the ‘pink diamonds’ were in fact ‘injected’ or ‘treated’ with color and even the main gem had been altered.”

The article says that Rudin initially promised Curry a refund, “but when she came back to Manhattan in December to return the ring he reneged and instead handed Curry documents that detailed the color treatment in all three stones, saying, ‘Oh, I forgot to give these to you,’ according to court papers.” Curry is suing for a full refund of her $270,000, plus an additional $900,000 in punitive damages.

New York general business law makes it a misdemeanor to sell diamonds “that have been artificially colored or tinted … without disclosing in writing to the purchaser … that such diamond has been artificially colored or tinted.”

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.”