7NEWS Reports

Air Date: Thursday, March 25, 1999

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Gem Deception

You may remember this line from Marilyn Monroe:
"I don't need rhinestones, but diamonds, are a girl's best friend."

Diamonds dazzled Marilyn Monroe, but Colleen's eyes didn't sparkle with the diamond her fiancé Larry bought for his proposal.

Colleen
"It was unclear, the diamond was yellowish."

Larry thought he was giving Colleen a four-thousand-dollar ring. Now several appraisals say it's worth one thousand dollars.

Larry Kneeland
"It was a big day for me, but now I come to find out... we got taken."

Regulatory agencies warn consumers that, before you purchase any jewelry, know what to look for and which questions to ask... or else.

Kerry Smith, Massachusetts Department of Consumer Affairs
"There's definitely fraud going on."

A recent investigation by the Massachusetts Department of Consumer Affairs found four retail stores misrepresented the carat size of twelve of sixteen diamonds purchased. One-quarter were bigger than what stores claimed, but half were smaller.

Kerry Smith
"It's represented as one carat but it actually turns out to be .98, that can be the difference of up to 650 dollars."

Steve Perry learned the hard way that all jewelers aren't as good as gold. He bought a 175-dollar diamond bracelet for his wife. It was later appraised for 95 dollars.

Steve Perry
"I was really relying on the integrity of the salesperson."

So what should you know before buying that rock? Experts say focus the four C's:

Cut is the most important feature: it makes the stone sparkle and increases its worth. The round brilliant cut glimmers the most--the emerald cut the least.

Nahabet Cimenian, Ararat Jewelers
"No matter what, diamonds get dirty, even the emerald gets dirty, but when you have quality it shines."

Next is color. With diamonds, the whiter, the more valuable.

Jewelers usually display diamonds against black felt, they look pretty that way, but the experts say it's not the best way for you to examine a diamond's color. So take your white business card, fold it up like this and put the diamond in sideways, that way you can look at the color closely.

Then consider the number of carats.

Surprisingly, bigger isn't always better.

Judi Anderson
"I'd say the biggest one's got to be the most expensive, right? Actually, that's the least expensive stone here."

Finally, check clarity. Magnifying the stone will help you see if it's clear, more valuable or heavily flawed.

Then before you hand over your money, compare quality and prices at several stores. And get everything, including the store's return policy in writing--just in case the jewelry isn't the quality you thought it was.

Colleen
"I've kept it anyway because it was a symbol of our love for each other."