Lifestyle

Kay Jewelers Caught Switching Out Diamonds for Fakes

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Tony Maples Photography

 

Back in May, Buzzfeed ran a story about a woman in Maryland who was devastated to find out that Kay Jewelers had allegedly switched out her diamond on her wedding band and replaced it with a fake. This month, Click2Houston investigated a similar story of a Houston woman who says her diamond was switched and stolen as well.

After beating cancer, Sophie needed to get her wedding ring resized. She took it Kay Jewelers in the Galleria where they sent it off to a factory to work on the ring. Everything seemed fine until Sophie took the ring to another Kay location to have it cleaned, and they told her the center stone was no longer a real diamond.

These stories are not unique. A Facebook group with over 1,600 members called Boycott Kay Jewelers is flooded with similar tales of diamonds switched out after the piece of jewelry is sent outside of the store.

What can people do to find out if they fall victim to this crime? Click2Houston recommends that customers look at their diamonds under a microscope at the jewelry store before the item leaves their hands. One can note the flaws in the diamond and see the GSI number on the stone (if it has one). Once the piece of jewelry returns to the store, check again to make sure it’s the same gem.