Lab Created Diamond????? Yet another scammer for YG"S list

[rockdoc]

Diamond Nexus, which I found the link to in a Yahoo or Google link on the site here, is very obivously a scam.

http://www.diamondnexuslabs.com/index.htm

Check out the comparison page, where they compare the hardness.
The lab grown "diamonds" they are misrepresenting is quoted as being 8.5!


The testimonials, of people certainly point to the fact that they have made and received their purchases with justibiable reliance that they actually received diamonds.

The other very interesting fact is that the companies that are growing the "real thing" DO NOT make large colorless stones in that the cost of doing that results in costs that are actually higher than buying natural diamonds!

Rockdoc

[Smith]

I looked over their website. They seem to be representing it as a simulant,not a synthetic diamond.

[dbucfanGG]

Originally Posted by rockdoc

Diamond Nexus, which I found the link to in a Yahoo or Google link on the site here, is very obivously a scam.

http://www.diamondnexuslabs.com/index.htm

Check out the comparison page, where they compare the hardness.
The lab grown "diamonds" they are misrepresenting is quoted as being 8.5!


The testimonials, of people certainly point to the fact that they have made and received their purchases with justibiable reliance that they actually received diamonds.

The other very interesting fact is that the companies that are growing the "real thing" DO NOT make large colorless stones in that the cost of doing that results in costs that are actually higher than buying natural diamonds!

Rockdoc

You have to read these "news stories" at this link...
http://www.diamondnexuslabs.com/jewe...php?newsPath=1
One goes on to say...
Gemologists agree that polycrystalline synthetic diamonds are glittering and brilliant because they come closer than any other gem material to matching, often besting the characteristics of a mined diamond. If there can possibly be criticism about modern synthetic diamonds, it is that they are too perfect. Generally, these remarks are only made by the pretentious who think there is prestige in overpaying, despite the fact only the buyer really knows the difference because of the huge savings they realized. Polycrystalline synthetic diamonds, with more fire, are the intelligent de facto choice.

Author:
Robert Joseph
What gemologist is this??? and whom is Robert Joseph?

[dbucfanGG]

Here is a story about how jewelers "scam you"...it's like the pot calling the kettle!!!

News Content:

High quality man made diamonds are a bargain at about $80 per carat, and they do not increase in price exponentially as carat weight increases. For example, a one-carat synthetic diamond costs about $80; a three-carat man made diamond would then sell for $240. A one-carat mined diamond that sells for $3000 would go for $45,000 in a three-carat size, all things being equal, which with mined diamonds is never the case. Perplexing comparative evaluations, exponential price growth, consumer confusion, and the reality of diamond industry antics is why the mined diamond business is awash in dirty tricks. Here are descriptions of the most sneaky and pervasive mined diamond scams:

THE BLUE-WHITE SCAM: A jeweler tells you: this is a blue-white diamond. This is a very old term. The dealer will probably tell you that it is a better diamond, but actually it is just the opposite. Blue-white refers to the fluorescence that results in natural light, which contains ultraviolet wavelengths. This blue fluorescence actually makes a colorless diamond look a little oily or milky in sunlight and decreases its value.

THE LIGHT MAKES WHITE SCAM: Bright lights make every mined diamond look better. Of course, every jeweler wants to show his or her diamonds in the best light, but there are some lighting tricks you should avoid. Some bulbs have a strong blue component, which makes yellow stones look whiter. Special bulbs are often used with strong ultraviolet wavelengths, which make most diamonds fluoresce blue. This also has a whitening effect for stones in the lower color ranges.

THE GRADE BUMPING SCAM: A jeweler exaggerates the grade. The FTC says that a jeweler must be accurate within one grade of color and one grade of clarity on a diamond. So many jewelers bump the color and clarity just one grade. Unfortunately, this can mean a great deal of money if you are talking about a fine-quality, 1-carat diamond. For instance, you might find a stone that the jeweler quotes as a 1.00 carat F color / VS1 clarity for $6,500. However, if you sent it to a reputable gem lab like GIA, it would come back as a G color / VS2 clarity, which is only worth about $5,500. This means you lose (and they profit) about $1,000.

THE FRACTION SCAM: The tag says 3/4 carat, and the FTC allows jewelers to round off diamond weights. So a diamond labeled as 3/4 carat in weight might actually weigh anywhere between .69 and .81 carat. This could mean a significant amount of money, since diamond prices leap at certain popular sizes. In this example, you might be buying a .69 carat round G/VS2 worth about $2,100... but paying for what you thought was a 0.75 carat worth $3,000. You lose $900.

THE LASER DRILLING SCAM: Dealers drill holes to burn out black carbon spots. About 1 in 3 diamonds in the United States is laser drilled. Dealers use lasers to drill a tiny hole into the depths of a diamond to burn and evaporate large black inclusions to make them disappear. The trouble with this little trick is that laser drilling can make the diamond a little more fragile to breaking with a good knock. Most dealers trade laser-drilled stones for much less.

THE HIDING THE FLAWS SCAM: Every jeweler hides flaws under the prongs if he can. In many cases, this can make an I1 clarity appear like a VS2 if you look at it in a ring setting. Structural flaws like feathers and cleavages can be damaged by the high pressure exerted by the prong on the diamond to hold it snug in the ring.

THE FRACTURE FILLING SCAM: New treatments to make flaws invisible. There is a new process patented a few years ago that melts a kind of crystal into surface-breaking fractures in a diamond. This technique will slide by consumers unnoticed. The treatment is considered slightly fragile because it can be damaging under the extreme heat of a torch when the diamond is set into a ring. Fracture-filled diamonds should trade for much less than diamonds without this treatment, but in reality they often sell for as much or more because they look like a higher, more expensive clarity grade.

THE CHEMICAL COLOR COATINGS SCAM: A little paint goes a long way. This very deceptive practice involves a little point of blue or purple paint on the lowest tip of the diamond, called the culet. This is small enough that you might not detect it, but the location spreads the color throughout the stone. This counters the yellow tint in lower color grades, making a diamond look like a more expensive, colorless grade.

Man made diamonds or synthetic diamonds are manufactured in a laboratory under controlled conditions. If anything about synthetic diamonds is called into question it is that they are too perfect. And since all mined diamonds have inclusions, flaws, and birthmarks, under magnification a trained jeweler can tell the difference. Considering that man made diamonds cannot be distinguished with the naked eye, lab-created diamonds have aesthetic beauty matching—often besting—mined diamonds, and huge savings are realized, jewelry lovers must regard synthetic diamonds as an intelligent option. Plus, there is no insurance to buy after purchasing man made diamond jewelry and the thousands of dollars in savings can be banked!

[rockdoc]

Hi Dbuc

Yes, some pretty outrageous claims made there.

Rockdoc

[Marty]

There is also the claim on their website that they use "artisan hand-tooled scroll settings". The settings they have pictured are mass produced, and trademarked I might add, by Stuller Settings in Lafayette LA.

Marty

[rockdoc]

Hi all.

Just to let folks know, the FTC provides only limited protection legally to diamond, colored stone and jewelry purchases.

The type of FTC definition in the jewelry industry is "GUIDELINES". GUIDELINES do not have the force of law, except in FTC court, or in states where the Guidelines are accepted, which is very few of them.

The FTC has TWO level of their "rules". One is industry Guidlines which is what the jewelry industry has. The other is TRADE REGULATION. Trade regs have much sharper teeth and DO have the force of law.

Unfortunately, our industry has not promlugated establishing trade regs, and still doesn't/ hasn't. This would be a very worthwhile challenge to accomplish, but it isn't being addressed.

The far more significant set of laws are spread over several "titles".

1. The Uniform Commercial Code - which has been adopted with varying detail by each state. In comparison to the FTC which allows for rounding, up and being within one grade, is not part and parcel to the UCC. It states that any item sold must be in exact compliance with the representation.

2. Moss Magnusson Warranty Act - This covers express and implied warranties, that are offered with various items and products sold. Warranties in the Act cover such descriptive items as - Warranty of Fitness, Warranty of Merchantibility, just to name a couple. Where this comes in to severe affect is if a diamond is seriously included or has a durability issue and it set into a ring and this would be a viable example of warranty of fitness, which says the item must be good for the use intended. Since an I-2 or I-3 stone would be considered a durability problem in a ring that would normally take "hits" while being worn in the usualy way by consumers, i.e. normal wear and tear, it could have bearing of it's implied warranty. Another example of implied warranty directly is related to ommission. If a treatment is not disclosed, it is implied the item has not been altered or treated, and falls under the implied warranty area.

3. Lanham Act - This act covers systematic and intention unfair trade practices, usually made between manufacturers and their re-sellers on a wholesale level. It does apply in conjunction with Trademark, Patent and Copyright issues. In "severe" cases RICO ( racketeering issues can be added to this in a legal action too).


Hope this helps.

Rockdoc

[The Other Robert]

This is great, I had a customer come in today with one of these diamond nexus simulants today. We had plenty of time to test and probe to determine what it was, as the customer was told to treat it like a sapphire... so we weren't taking any chances with a rushed identification.
It was a single refractive stone, 8.5 mm in size, the RI matched that of the RI liquid (no reading) and it was quite bright. When myself and our GG John finished our tests, we concluded that it was in fact CUBIC ZIRCONIA! We went to the web site and learned that the chemical composition was ZrO2.... Zirconia Oxide! with some additional research we reconfirmed that ZrO2 is CZ... Now this would be alright, a well cut CZ is an affordable alternative, and diamond nexus does advertise as a "diamond simulant"..... except that she was charged $190 for a $10 retail CZ!!!:flame: Needless to say, she will be taking them up on their return policy. It's this kind of almost 2000% markup on a RETAIL value that just steams me up. How can these people sleep at night?

[bonkycat]

This is another reason why I love this forum. Where else can we put 1300 minds together and share findings! This also boots our success and value in the industry.
Good job finding out the answer to that one, and thanks a million for sharing it with all of us.
Lisa

[Lee Little]

Hey guys,
It stumps me as to why people put so much value on diamonds. Ideal cut CZ and white zircons look better to me, even without considering the huge price difference. Take away the hype and what have you really got?? I admit that I have been under a rock most of my life but am I missing something here? I am always waiting to be enlightened, perhaps that's the problem in itself..... Lee