CAN YOU RETURN A BAD DIAMOND?

I’ve been Asked this many times before:

Can you Return a Bad Diamond?

It brings up a lot of Questions!

First off, What is a Bad Diamond?

A Bad Diamond could be (and most likely is) a Low Quality Stone… Generally this is a Stone with a Huge Eye-Visible Flaw in the Center of it, a Diamond with a Prominent Ccrack or Chip in the side, or a Diamond that has a Yellow or Brown Hue to it.

That’s what Most would Consider a Bad Stone.

But, a Bad Diamond could also be a Diamond that is NOT what they said it was. Like for Instance, if the Store told you that the Diamond you Bought was a VS2 and come to find out it’s really only an SI1. Most Folks would Consider this BAD.

After all, you Want what you’re Paying for, and you don’t Want to Feel like you’re Getting Ripped off.

So can you Return a Bad Diamond?

It all Depends!

It Depends on Many Factors, like what the Store’s Return Policy is… Most Jewelers offer anywhere from 1 Week to 3 Months for a Full Refund (some do Charge a Hefty Restocking Fee).

But a lot of Stores also have Certain Disqualifiers as well. Things that say that if you Size, Alter, Engrave, or Special Order a Ring, there are NO Returns!

Make sure you Read their Return Policy Before you Buy the Ring (Some Stores even have NO Return Policy!)
Find out!

If it’s Past the Return Date, you probably could do a Trade if needed.

But if the Stone isn’t what was stated at the Time of Purchase, then Things get a Little Bit more Difficult and Complicated.

The Diamond is NOT what was Stated!

If you don’t get in Writing what the Salesclerk told you, then it’s your Word Against Theirs. This usually Doesn’t Favor the Customer! So make sure they list the exact Clarity, Color, Cut and Carat Weight on your Receipt or Appraisal. You don’t want to rely on “Oh Trust me, it’s a Good Stone” or “It has lots of Sparkle” or “It Appraises for Double the Sale Price” or even “Ladies Diamond Ring”… NO! That Doesn’t Help you in the Least.

Because “a Good Stone” Means Nothing. Good to Who? An I1 Diamond could be “Good” in some people’s Eyes. After all, it’s Better than No Diamond at all!

See what I Mean?

Everybody has Different Tastes, and considers “Good” something Different as well. It could be SI1, it could be I1, it could be VS or VVS… You just don’t know.

Good is Irrelevant!

Good Cut? Good Clarity? Good Carat Weight? What?

It’s All Crap!

Get the REAL Quality in Writing. That way you’re Not Surprised Later (Surprise, you Bought the Lowest Quality Available!) If you don’t get the Quality in Writing then you’ll really never know!

Now, what if you Buy the Stone (let’s say it’s Sold as an SI1), and you take it somewhere else and they say it’s an SI2 instead?

What Now?

If the Quality of the Stone is only 1 Grade off (like VS2-SI1, or SI1-SI2, or I2-I3) then there’s Nothing you can do! The FTC’s Guidelines Allow for Different People’s Opinions. They Allow Jewelers to be off by as much as One Full Grade when Judging Diamond Quality. So Legally, you can’t do anything if they Sold you a VVS2 Diamond and it ends up being a VS1 instead!

It’s Perfectly Legit!

The Best Way to Overcome such Situations, is to Buy a Certified Stone. I Only Recommend 2 Certificate Companies: GIA (#1) and AGS. Nobody Else!

If you Buy Certified, chances are, the Diamond you are Buying IS the Diamond you are getting. It just Makes Sense and it’s Worth Every Penny (Certs usually Cost a Little More).

NOW… 2 Grades or More off?

What if the Grade is off by more than 1 Grade? This is where things get Interesting…

If the Jewelry Store tells you that the Diamond you Bought is a VS2 (for Example), and you take it somewhere else to get it Appraised (a Real Gemologist or Appraisal Service), and they say it’s an SI2 (2 Grades Lower), then you may have Room for Legal Action. But, I wouldn’t take this Route until you’ve Exhausted every other Possible means.

Take the Diamond, and your New Official, Documented Appraisal, back to the Store you Bought it from. Speak to the Manager or Owner (please make sure you Speak with the Person in Charge of the Jewelry Store, that may also be the Corporate Office if it’s a Big Company). Show them the Results and tell them you would like to get a Better Quality Stone that more Matches the Quality listed on your Receipt. More than likely they will Oblige and Help Resolve the Situation. No Jeweler wants a Bad Rap! (Word Spreads Quickly) If it is a Mix up, or the Tag was Wrong, or the Paperwork was Incorrect, give them time to Fix things. Humans Make Errors after all!

But, if the Store won’t Help you, and wants to Fight and Argue, then you probably have No Choice but to Seek the Aid of a Lawyer.

This is all Good Advice, but Sadly, Most Stores are Not to Blame…

Most people only have to Blame themselves!

Most People do Not get the 4C’s in Writing. Most people do not know what “Good” or “Bad” Quality really is. Most People Buy Diamonds Solely Based upon the Cheapest Price. They don’t Check out the Store’s Reputation. They Don’t Check the BBB. They don’t even Ask what their Return Policy is.

So before you Cry “You Sold me a Crappy Diamond!” you need to ask yourself:

“Did I Ask what the Quality was?”

“Did I Shop and Compare Stores and Diamonds?”

“Did I Compare Stones Side by Side?”

“Did I look at the Stone under a Microscope?”

“Did I Buy a Certified Stone?“

“Did I do my Homework?“

These Answers will give you a Better Idea of who’s at Fault and what a Bad Diamond really is.

It will Help you from Running into the Situation where your Fiancee looks down at her Stone and says “There’s a Black Spot in my Diamond!“

It’s all in taking the Time to Educate yourself. Learning about Diamonds. Studying and Comparing Stones.

You MUST Ask Questions!

That way, a “Bad” Diamond doesn’t turn into a “Ugly” Situation!