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25 JEWELRY MYSTERIES TO SOLVE

READ THE 25 CASES AND SEE IF YOU CAN FIGURE OUT THE JEWELRY MYSTERY

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25 Fun Jewelry Mysteries

I LOVE a Good Mystery!

So I’ve put together my own special type of Mysteries… In fact…

25 of Them!

25 Jewelry Mysteries that could happen to anyone at anytime. Mysteries regarding Diamonds, Rings, Jewelry, and Jewelers.

Your Role is to Explain the Situation. Why would this happen? What caused it?

These Cases are REAL! They’ve all happened to Unsuspecting Customers…

Just like YOU!

Which also means, there may be Multiple Answers

The purpose of these Mysteries is not to point right or wrong, it’s just to have fun with them and open your eyes to Scenarios that could happen at anytime.

Put your thinking cap on. See how well you do. Can you figure out what the Mystery is? Could you figure it out if it happened to you?

Let’s find out…

Answers are at the End of this Post! :) Enjoy!

Mystery 1) The Case of the Missing Inscription!

Jewelry Mysteries A guy picks up his Engagement Ring from repair. He had his prongs rebuilt. He scopes the Diamond under their microscope and Sees NO Inscription! BUT, he does see a Black Inclusion near the edge of his Girdle.

Was his Diamond Switched?

Mystery 2) The Case of the Wedding Day Blues!

Jewelry Mysteries Ginger takes her Bridal Rings in to get them soldered together for the big Wedding Day. She picks them up the night before… They Don’t FIT!

WHY?

Mystery 3) The Case of the Missing Stone!

Jewelry Mysteries Georgia had her Diamond Engagement Ring cleaned. 2 Days later she looks down and sees A Diamond Missing out of the mounting.

Who’s to Blame?

Mystery 4) The Case of the Yellow Diamond!

Jewelry Mysteries Maureen had her 1 Carat Diamond taken out of her old Yellow Gold Mounting. She had it reset in 14k White Gold. But now Her Diamond Looks YELLOW!

WHY?

Mystery 5) The Case of the Double NO!

Jewelry Mysteries Howard bought an Engagement Ring. He had it engraved and sized and happily proposed to his Girlfriend. She said “NO“! Sadly he took it back to the Jeweler to return it, who also told him “NO“!

WHY?

Mystery 6) The Case of the Cheaper Diamond!

Jewelry Mysteries Joe wants to buy his Fiancee a Diamond. One Jewelry Store sells the Diamond Ring for $2,000 Less than other stores with the exact same Clarity, Color, and Carat Weight.

Should He Buy it?

Mystery 7) The Case of the Oval Diamond!

Jewelry Mysteries John bought a Marquise Diamond and the Jeweler set the stone in a beautiful White Gold Mounting. When John picked up the ring he noticed that his Marquise Shaped Diamond NOW Looked Oval!

WHY?

Mystery 8) The Case of the Cloudy Stone!

Jewelry Mysteries Henry looks at a GIA Certified 1.00 Carat Round Diamond of VS1 Clarity, F Color, with an Excellent Cut. It Looks Foggy and doesn’t shine like a lower quality SI2 Stone…

WHY?

Mystery 9) The Case of the Added Interest!

Jewelry Mysteries Matt thought that he had 12 Months Interest Free Financing on his Rings, but looking at the latest Statement Shows Interest! Tons of it!

What Happened?

Mystery 10) The Case of the Appearing Inclusion!

Jewelry Mysteries Jane has had her Diamond Ring for 4 months and for the first time, she looks down and Suddenly Sees Inclusions in her stone.

WHY?

Mystery 11) The Case of the FAKE CZ!

Jewelry Mysteries Sally takes her ring in for a Cleaning and Polishing. The Salesperson comes back a minute later and tells her that Her Stone is Fake! It’s a CZ!

Did They Steal Her Diamond?

Mystery 12) The Case of the Breaking Prongs!

Jewelry Mysteries Kelly, who worked at the Laundromat, had problems with her Prongs Constantly Breaking. Every month or so a new Prong would Snap Off!

WHY?

Mystery 13) The Case of the Tarnished Gold!

Jewelry Mysteries Henrietta bought a White Gold Wedding Set 8 Months ago and loved it until her Friend said that her Ring Looked Tarnished and Yellow.

What Happened?

Mystery 14) The Case of the Inflated Price!

Jewelry Mysteries Tim bought a Diamond that was priced at $1,000. He then had it set in a Ring that Cost him $200. But looking at the bill he sees an Extra $150 Charge.

WHY?

Mystery 15) The Case of the Shrinking Stone!

Jewelry Mysteries Josh bought a ring from a Catalog that stated the Carat Weight was 1/3 Carat (33 Points). But when he looked at the receipt, it said the Carat Weight was ONLY 26 Points.

Was He Ripped Off?

Mystery 16) The Case of the Diamond Guarantee!

Jewelry Mysteries Mary took her Diamond Ring in to get her Missing Diamond Replaced. The Jeweler took one look at her ring, and one look at the Diamond Warranty and said “There’s Nothing We Can Do!

WHY?

Mystery 17) The Case of the Smaller Trade-In!

Jewelry Mysteries Suzie wants to trade her 1.00 Carat Diamond in towards a bigger stone. She compares her Diamond to a 1.25 Carat Diamond that cost $4,000 more. The problem is, They Look The Same Size!

WHY?

Mystery 18) The Case of the Chipped Stone!

Jewelry Mysteries Julie had her Diamond Ring sized last week. Today she notices that there’s a Chip Taken out of the Side of her stone.

Who’s To Blame?

Mystery 19) The Case of the Certified Stones!

Jewelry Mysteries James compared 2 Certified Diamonds with the exact same Cut, Color, Clarity, Carat Weight, Polish, Finish, Measurements, Fluorescence and Shape. One Stone Still Looked Better than the other Stone.

WHY?

Mystery 20) The Case of the Low Grade Stone!

Jewelry Mysteries Sam buys a Diamond from a Salesperson who says the Diamond Quality is Good. He takes it somewhere else to get a second opinion and is told that the Diamond is LOW Quality!

Why Would This Happen?

Mystery 21) The Case of the Ring Sizing Charge!

Jewelry Mysteries Mike brought his $3,000 Girlfriend’s Ring in to get it sized up a bit more because the ring was still a little bit too snug. The Jeweler frowns and says that it will Now Cost Him $50.

WHY?

Mystery 22) The Case of the Different H’s!

Jewelry Mysteries Mindy compared 2 GIA Certified Diamonds of H Color (with the same Clarity, Color & Carat Weight). But One Diamond Looked Whiter than the other.

How Can This Be?

Mystery 23) The Case of the Bending Ring!

Jewelry Mysteries Andy’s Ring keeps bending out of shape. He keeps getting it fixed, but it bends from Round to Oval.

Why Would it Do This?

Mystery 24) The Case of the Denied Setting!

Jewelry Mysteries Martin Bought his Girlfriend a Loose GIA Certified Diamond from one Jeweler and wanted to have it Set in a Ring from another Jeweler. The second Jeweler told him that they Could NOT Set the Stone.

WHY?

Mystery 25) The Case of the Thin Shank!

Jewelry Mysteries Randy took his ring back to the Jewelry Store he bought it from 8 years ago. The Shank was getting thin and he thought the Extended Service Plan he bought would cover the cost of the repair. He Was Wrong!

WHY?

NOW FOR THE ANSWERS!

Below are the Solutions and Answers to the Mysteries above…

Mystery 1)

The Case of the Missing Inscription!

A guy picks up his Engagement Ring from repair. He had his prongs rebuilt. He scopes the Diamond under their microscope and Sees NO Inscription! BUT, he does see a Black Inclusion near the edge of his Girdle.

Was his Diamond Switched?

Jewelry Mystery Solution

NO!

The Jeweler turned the Diamond in the head while fixing the prongs. The Inscription is now hidden behind a prong, while an Inclusion that a prong was hiding is now visible. This could happen to any one and any Diamond.

The Jeweler can fix this by simply rotating the Diamond until the Inclusion is hidden and the Inscription is seen.

Mystery 2)

The Case of the Wedding Day Blues!

Ginger takes her Bridal Rings in to get them soldered together for the big Wedding Day. She picks them up the night before… They Don’t FIT!

WHY?

Jewelry Mystery Solution Putting both rings together makes the rings take up more space on your fingers, and makes them tighter.

Usually when you solder two rings together, you’ll also need to take them up 1/2 Size more!

And if it makes the rings really wide, you may have to go one full size up!

Mystery 3)

The Case of the Missing Stone!

Georgia had her Diamond Engagement Ring cleaned. 2 Days later she looks down and sees A Diamond Missing out of the mounting.

Who’s to Blame?

Jewelry Mystery Solution It’s impossible to tell!

Ultrasonic Cleaners break away Dirt and Debris that cakes itself around Diamonds and Gems. Often, once the dirt is removed, the Diamonds may be loose in the mounting because of it.

This is why it’s a good idea to have your Stones Checked before you leave the store. That way if they wobble, the Jeweler can tighten them. The Jeweler should do this automatically as a service, but they shouldn’t take any blame either if they forget. They are your rings and your responsibility. The Jeweler only cleaned them! It’s your job to double check!

Mystery 4)

The Case of the Yellow Diamond!

Maureen had her 1 Carat Diamond taken out of her old Yellow Gold Mounting. She had it reset in 14k White Gold. But now Her Diamond Looks YELLOW!

WHY?

Jewelry Mystery Solution Her Diamond has always been Yellow (M Color), but the Yellow Mounting masked the Color so it wasn’t so obvious.

Setting the Stone in White Gold now makes the True Color of the Diamond stand out.

Mystery 5)

The Case of the Double NO!

Howard bought an Engagement Ring. He had it engraved and sized and happily proposed to his Girlfriend. She said “NO”! Sadly he took it back to the Jeweler to return it, who also told him “NO”!

WHY?

Jewelry Mystery Solution Many Jewelers will not take back a ring once it’s been Engraved (Personalized), or Sized!

Ask what their Return Policy is BEFORE you have any alterations done to the ring!

Otherwise, you may just be stuck holding the ring!

Mystery 6)

The Case of the Cheaper Diamond!

Joe wants to buy his Fiancee a Diamond. One Jewelry Store sells the Diamond Ring for $2,000 Less than other stores with the exact same Clarity, Color, and Carat Weight.

Should He Buy it?

Jewelry Mystery Solution

NO!

If one store sells a stone that appears similar for $2,000 less, check the stone better. It’s cheaper for a reason! Usually it’s because the stone is Cut bad! The stone could be Cut too Narrow or too Deep and lose light, life and sparkle! You get what you pay for!

Mystery 7)

The Case of the Oval Diamond!

John bought a Marquise Diamond and the Jeweler set the stone in a beautiful White Gold Mounting. When John picked up the ring he noticed that his Marquise Shaped Diamond NOW Looked Oval!

WHY?

Jewelry Mystery Solution The Jeweler put the Marquise Shaped Stone into a regular White Gold Head with rounded Prongs. Sadly, putting regular Prongs on a Pointed Diamond doesn’t look so hot. It can make a Pointed stone look round-y.

I suggest putting V-Tipped Prongs on Pointed Diamonds. They not only make the tips look nice and pointed (enhances the shape), but they also protect the vulnerable points from chipping or breaking.

Mystery 8)

The Case of the Cloudy Stone!

Henry looks at a GIA Certified 1.00 Carat Round Diamond of VS1 Clarity, F Color, with an Excellent Cut. It Looks Cloudy and doesn’t shine like a lower quality SI2 Stone…

WHY?

Jewelry Mystery Solution The Diamond has Fluorescence!

Some Diamonds that have Fluorescence will look Cloudy or Foggy no matter what the Clarity or Color is. Look for Fluorescence on the Diamond Report. If a stone has Fluorescence, visually look at the Diamond and compare it with others to see if Fluorescence affects the beauty and sparkle of the stone.

Mystery 9)

The Case of the Added Interest!

Matt thought that he had 12 Months Interest Free Financing on his Rings, but looking at the latest Statement Shows Interest! Tons of it!

What Happened?

Jewelry Mystery Solution He was late on his last payment, and because of the contract, the late payment voided the Interest Free Plan and set him up with a high Interest Charge Plan instead. One that adds Interest to your account all the way from DAY 1. Ouch!

If you sign up for Interest Free Plans, make sure you pay on Time!!!

Mystery 10)

The Case of the Appearing Inclusion!

Jane has had her Diamond Ring for 4 months and for the first time, she looks down and Suddenly Sees Inclusions in her stone.

WHY?

Jewelry Mystery Solution The Inclusions were always there (Inclusions don’t Grow). The Brilliance and Sparkles of the stone were hiding the visible flaws. Once her Diamond got dirty enough to hinder light, the Inclusions stood out more and were visible to the naked eye.

Clean your Diamond often and it will look like new again, and it will hide your flaws better!

Mystery 11)

The Case of the FAKE CZ!

Sally takes her ring in for a Cleaning and Polishing. The Salesperson comes back a minute later and tells her that Her Stone is Fake! It’s a CZ!

Did They Steal Her Diamond?

Jewelry Mystery Solution NO!

They didn’t have enough time swap out the stone. The Jeweler is protecting themselves by checking the stone before they work on it (Jewelers can usually tell if a stone is a CZ just by glancing at it).

There are multiple things that could have happened to her so called Diamond. It could have been fake to begin with. Maybe her boyfriend bought her a CZ and thought she’d never find out. Maybe the Appraiser who appraised the stone switched it out. Maybe the initial Jeweler swapped it out during the first sizing… It could have happened at anytime in the lifetime of that ring. Unless she had it tested all along, she will never truly know what really happened. Unless her boyfriend Confesses! :)

Mystery 12)

The Case of the Breaking Prongs!

Kelly, who worked at the Laundromat, had problems with her Prongs Constantly Breaking. Every month or so a new Prong would Snap Off!

WHY?

Jewelry Mystery Solution Kelly works with Bleach often, and…

Bleach KILLS GOLD!

If you work with Bleach, take your Gold Rings off or the Bleach will wear them down, erode them, and pit the Metal. Your Prongs will break and snap way too easily!

Mystery 13)

The Case of the Tarnished Gold!

Henrietta bought a White Gold Wedding Set 8 Months ago and loved it until her Friend said that her Ring Looked Tarnished and Yellow.

What Happened?

Jewelry Mystery Solution Almost all White Gold Rings are Rhodium Plated to make them look whiter. That’s because White Gold is basically really Yellow Gold with some Zinc added to make them appear white. Then the rings are Rhodium Plated to make them even more white (and more durable). But eventually this plating wears off and your rings will appear yellow, or tarnished again.

Have the Jeweler re-Rhodium plate the rings to make them look white once more! :)

Mystery 14)

The Case of the Inflated Price!

Tim bought a Diamond that was priced at $1,000. He then had it set in a Ring that Cost him $200. But looking at the bill he sees an Extra $150 Charge.

WHY?

Jewelry Mystery Solution Some Jewelers like to be sneaky and actually charge for the Jeweler’s Labor, Parts and Setting Charges. This is a tricky way of upping the sale.

Ask if there are any hidden fees involved when purchasing a ring. That way you’re not surprised by the Grand Total!

Mystery 15)

The Case of the Shrinking Stone!

Josh bought a ring from a Catalog that stated the Carat Weight was 1/3 Carat. But when he looked at the receipt, it said the Carat Weight was ONLY 26 Points.

Was He Ripped Off?

Jewelry Mystery Solution

NO!

If you read the small print on the back of the Catalog, the disclaimer says “Carat Weights are Approximate and may vary by 7 Points” (And the FTC allows this!). Which means, that YES a .33 Carat Diamond could actually only be a .26 Carat Stone!

Read the fine print BEFORE you purchase and always ASK questions to get the specific Diamond details!

Mystery 16)

The Case of the Diamond Guarantee!

Mary took her Diamond Ring in to get her Missing Diamond Replaced. The Jeweler took one look at her ring, and one look at the Diamond Warranty and said “There’s Nothing We Can Do!”

WHY?

Jewelry Mystery Solution Mary missed her last Cleaning and Inspection, which, if you read the Warranty, will VOID the Diamond Guarantee!

If you have a Diamond Guarantee with a Jewelry Store, read all the requirements and make sure you don’t ever miss a Scheduled appointment! It could VOID your Guarantee!

Mystery 17)

The Case of the Smaller Trade-In!

Suzie wants to trade her 1.00 Carat Diamond in towards a bigger stone. She compares her Diamond to a 1.25 Carat Diamond that cost $4,000 more. The problem is, They Look The Same Size!

WHY?

Jewelry Mystery Solution The New Diamond she’s looking at is Cut Deep. This results in the Diamond being deeper than it is wide (mm wide, from one side of the stone to the other). So when she puts her 1.00 Carat Diamond up against the 1.25 Diamond, they both look the same size!

Always check the CUT of a stone and make sure it’s CUT well (I recommend a Very Good or Excellent Cut Grade!)

Mystery 18)

The Case of the Chipped Stone!

Julie had her Diamond Ring sized last week. Today she notices that there’s a Chip Taken out of the Side of her stone.

Who’s To Blame?

Jewelry Mystery Solution There’s no way to tell!

It could have happened years ago before the Jeweler set the stone (but usually they will check the stone first for damage), the Jeweler could have accidentally chipped it during Sizing (although unlikely as they weren’t working near the stone), or Julie could have hit in on the Filing Cabinet at home Yesterday and Chipped it. The point is, there is no way to prove who did it or when it even happened.

My advice: Check your stone BEFORE and AFTER you drop it off at a Jewelry Store. AND have your Diamond checked every time you accidentally bump or hit your stone. All it takes is the right amount of pressure and the right angle to chip the edge of a Diamond. They can last forever, but not if it’s hit hard enough! :(

Mystery 19)

The Case of the Certified Stones!

James compared 2 Certified Diamonds with the exact same Cut, Color, Clarity, Carat Weight, Polish, Finish, Measurements, Fluorescence and Shape. One Stone Still Looked Better than the other Stone.

WHY?

Jewelry Mystery Solution James is comparing 2 stones that were Certified by different companies. Which means, the quality of those stones may vary. Some companies are more strict, while others may be lax.

I always recommend the top 2 Certification Companies in the Country: GIA and AGS! They are the tops and are more accurate than other companies like IGI or EGL!

Mystery 20)

The Case of the Low Grade Stone!

Sam buys a Diamond from a Salesperson who says the Diamond Quality is Good. He takes it somewhere else to get a second opinion and is told that the Diamond is LOW Quality!

Why Would This Happen?

Jewelry Mystery Solution Diamond Quality is all Subjective! One person’s opinion of what “Good Quality” is, may not be the same as the next.

Don’t listen to a Salesperson saying a stone is Good or Bad… look at the actual 4C’s of the stone and compare Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat Weight yourself! It’s the only way to be sure what Good Quality really is! (In my book, it’s SI1, H, Good Cut or better)

Mystery 21)

The Case of the Ring Sizing Charge!

Mike brought his $3,000 Girlfriend’s Ring in to get it sized up a bit more because the ring was still a little bit too snug. The Jeweler frowns and says that it will Now Cost Him $50.

WHY?

Jewelry Mystery Solution Jewelers usually always give you the FIRST Ring Sizing at no charge. BUT, if you need to get it re-sized, and they have to spend more time, money, and labor on the ring, then they will charge you the standard sizing fee (which could get pretty expensive, especially if it’s Platinum).

This is why I always say, don’t get the ring sized if you don’t know her exact finger size. Wait until you see if she likes the ring first, then take her in and get her finger fitted properly. That way, if the Jeweler sizes the ring wrong, they’ll fix it at no charge to you! :)

Mystery 22)

The Case of the Different H’s!

Mindy compared 2 GIA Certified Diamonds of H Color (with the same Clarity, Color & Carat Weight). But One Diamond Looked Whiter than the other.

How Can This Be?

Jewelry Mystery Solution H is a Color RANGE that goes from the end of G all the way down to the top of I. Which means, an H Colored Diamond that is near the top of the range, may look whiter than an H Colored Diamond at the bottom of the range.

Diamonds are like people. They will have slight variations in color and tone, even if they are all classified the same!

Mystery 23)

The Case of the Bending Ring!

Andy’s Ring keeps bending out of shape. He keeps getting it fixed, but it bends from Round to Oval.

Why Would it Do This?

Jewelry Mystery Solution Andy’s Ring is too Thin and Bends easily. He needs to thicken up the band. And his ring is also too large for his finger. This means his finger doesn’t cushion the ring properly and allows the ring to bend and deform even more.

If Andy thickened up the band and had it sized properly, he wouldn’t have to worry about an oval shaped ring!

Mystery 24)

The Case of the Denied Setting!

Martin Bought his Girlfriend a Loose GIA Certified Diamond from one Jeweler and wanted to have it Set in a Ring from another Jeweler. The second Jeweler told him that they Could NOT Set the Stone.

WHY?

Jewelry Mystery Solution Many Jewelers won’t set a Diamond that was purchased elsewhere, simply because they don’t want to be responsible for it in case of accidental breakage. If the Jeweler were to bump the stone during setting and chip the edge, that Jeweler would then have to replace the stone and that won’t be cheap!

This is why many Jewelers say “You should buy a Diamond AND the Mounting from the same Jewelry Store“. That way, everything is covered!

Mystery 25)

The Case of the Thin Shank!

Randy took his ring back to the Jewelry Store he bought it from 8 years ago. The Shank was getting thin and he thought the Extended Service Plan he bought would cover the cost of the repair. He Was Wrong!

WHY?

Jewelry Mystery Solution Randy didn’t read the plan correctly. While the ESP covers things like: Ring Sizings, Refinishing and Polishing, Labor and Parts required for Resetting Stones, Retipping, Tightening Stones, Reshaping Rings, Rebuilding Prongs, Tightening Channels, and Soldering Rings Together… It DOESN’T COVER SHANKS!

If the Shank (bottom part of your ring) wears down, you are responsible for having that Shank rebuilt. This is just normal wear and tear that happens over the course and lifetime of a ring. It’s not covered and you should fully be prepared to pay for it! :)

Mystery Solved!

I hope you liked these Short but Interesting Mysteries. I also hoped you learned from them. They could happen to your Ring, your Diamond and YOU!

Are you informed enough to Handle the Solution?

Let’s Hope So! :)

But Why Stop Here?

Want More Puzzles?

Get some Great Mystery Puzzle Books
from Amazon ! :)

AND, be sure to Check out all my other Jewelry Secrets FUN PUZZLES and GAMES!

They’re FUN! :)

Recommended Jewelry Supplies:

Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner Jewelry Steam Cleaner Complete Jewelry Cleaner Kit Diamond Dazzle Stick
Gold Silver Jewelry Polishing Cloths Jewelry Making Supplies Kit Gold Acid Test Kit Watch Tool Repair Kit
Ring Adjusters EMT Emergency Ring Cutter 10x Jewelers Loupe Jewelers Microscope

Recommended Jewelry Supplies:

Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner Jewelry Steam Cleaner
Complete Jewelry Cleaner Kit Diamond Dazzle Stick
Gold Silver Jewelry Polishing Cloths Jewelry Making Supplies Kit
Gold Acid Test Kit Watch Tool Repair Kit
Ring Adjusters EMT Emergency Ring Cutter
10x Jewelers Loupe Jewelers Microscope

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