International Diamond Center International Diamond Center Clearwater and Orlando Ripoff by over grading diamonds Clearwater Florida
http://www.internationaldiamondcenterlawsuit.com/
WHAT IS INTENTIONAL DIAMOND OVERGRADING? Intentional diamond overgrading is the deliberate misrepresentation of a diamond’s characteristics by a retailer to a consumer. Most commonly, a jewelry store claims that one or more of a diamond’s Four C’s (carats, color, clarity, and cut) is better than its true grade.
WHY DOES IT MATTER? It matters because the difference in a single grade in a single one of the Four C’s can affect the value of a diamond by thousands of dollars. When multiple characteristics are misrepresented by multiple grades, your diamond just went from jewelry to junk.
HOW DID IT OCCUR? Certain jewelers saw an opportunity to pass off inferior diamonds as far more valuable than they actually were by having them “certified” or “graded” by fraudulent grading houses. Those organizations issued bogus certificates purporting to grade the Four C’s of the diamond. The bogus certificates were designed to look identical to legitimate GIA certificates and even use GIA’s grading scale.
WHAT CAN I DO? If you purchased a diamond that was accompanied by a certificate other than one issued by the GIA, you may have been the victim of diamond fraud. It’s natural to feel cheated and disgusted. After all, this was more than just a routine consumer purchase. This was supposed to be a token and symbol of you and your spouse’s commitment to one another. But you have rights, and the law gives you remedies. Keep reading to find out how to secure the compensation and recovery you deserve.
First and foremost, if your diamond was accompanied by a certificate issued by any organization other than the GIA, it’s time to investigate. Extreme red flags include certificates issued by the now defunct EGL-International or diamonds that were graded “in-house.”
Once you’ve determined that your diamond did not come with a GIA certificate, your best course of action is to take it to a reputable jeweler for an honest evaluation of its real characteristics. In the Florida and Georgia markets, you want to have your diamond evaluated by a GIA certified gemologist.
When you bring your diamond in for a second opinion, leave the non-GIA certificate at home. You want the independent jeweler to look at your diamond without any preconceptions. Tell him or her you would like a GIA-certified graduate gemologist to grade your diamond’s color and clarity. An informal evaluation should take less than a few minutes, and give you an idea as to whether a full GIA inspection is necessary.
If the independent jeweler reports color and clarity grades that are more than two grades below what you were told by the seller, you’ve likely been duped and it’s time to proceed with a lawsuit against International Diamond Center.
The deliberate misrepresentation of a diamond’s characteristics to a consumer is a serious offense. In both Florida and Georgia, the State Attorney General is responsible for investigating crimes against consumers. The Attorney Generals of both states aggressively prosecute businesses that deploy scams and deceptive practices against the public.
If you have been bilked out of thousands of your hard earned dollars by the intentional overgrading of a diamond, it is important to promptly report the fraudulent sale to the State Attorney General. For sales that took place in Florida, you can fill out a convenient online formhere at the Florida State Attorney General’s Website. For sales that took place in Georgia, you can fill out a online form here at the Georgia State Attorney General’s Website.
Once you’ve submitted a brief report to the State Attorney General, take a moment and let other consumers know what happened to you by filing an online complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Doing so not only helps protect the next person who may have been scammed with an intentionally overgraded diamond, it initiates an investigative process with the BBB that can result in significant adverse action being taken against the retailer.