Just got back from summer vacation and reviewed my e-mails to find a wee bit of very Odd News.
It seems a 3.02 carat diamond ring worth $40,000 was found in a parking lot somewhere in Washington, DC and then returned to a local jewelry store whose name appeared stamped inside. The store owner commented, "People are careless". That's quite the understatement!
He also inferred that even if his people inspect the stone in an attempt to identify it, which incidently begs the question of how anyone knows its worth $40K without already having made the proper ID, it would still be like "finding a needle in a haystack" to track down the rightful owner(s). Whatever.
Careless or not, the owner of this ring wasn't properly protected in the first place. These days any diamond can easily be inscribed on its edge with a serial number or other identifier. And, you'd think that a truly customer service oriented retailer would keep detailed records of any item sold for that kind of money.
The best diamond companies and the best jewelers do everything they can to protect the consumer.
For example, serialized Hearts On Fire diamonds each have a unique laser inscription that includes the brand name, the company logo and the number assigned to that individual diamond. This number is recorded on the HOF Diamond Identification Document and the AGS Diamond Quality Document that are both delivered at the time of purchase.
In addition, a Transfer of Ownership is signed which registers the diamond to its rightful owner with both the retail jeweler and the Hearts On Fire Company.
All of this information is extremely useful to insurance companies in the event of a loss. It is also great help to law enforcement authorities. In fact, a ring of thieves was arrested by the FBI after a serial number of a particular Hearts On Fire diamond that had been reported stolen appeared on an online auction.
Don't you think that when you spend your hard earned money on a piece of the rock, you'd expect more than a little peace of mind to come with it?
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
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2 comments:
Actually, Mervis keeps detailed records of all their sales, and that's ultimately how the store was able to track down the owner! They compiled a list of people it could have been, and matched it up against people who called in, hoping it was their ring. Only one person matched both lists, and when that person came in, he brought in his certificate, which showed that his diamond would have a specific laser inscription on it. Going back under the microscope, the lost diamond had the same inscription, showing that he was indeed the truth owner.
That's great to know. Thanks for the update. I never assume that the news has presented the complete story. PS I love happy endings.
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