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Purchasing Jewelry at the Ports of Call

Colorado Babe
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Colorado Babe

Colorado Babe

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Warning to anyone that purchases jewelry in all of the ports of call in the Caribbean. I just wanted to remind those who do purchase jewelry in the Caribbean to please get your expensive jewelry appraised as soon as you get home. The appraisal's you get in the Caribbean are worthless and no jewelry insurance company in the U.S. would ever accept them as a true appraisal.

I also wanted to advise you that there is a new Diamond being created (Lab created diamonds) and many of these vendor's in the caribbean are trying to sell them as natural diamonds without advising their clients that they are not natural but lab created. Please be aware that these diamonds are only worth about half the cost as a natural diamond.

There are many vendor's in the Caribbean also selling fake stones, fake gold, silver , etc. Another reason to get your jewelry appraised.

Why am I posting this. I am posting this because I just recently purchased over $13,000 worth of jewelry in St Kitts and got my jewelry appraised yesterday and was advised that I had been scammed. I also had traded in my original diamond to upgrade it and now I am without it. I would hate for anyone to have to go through the nightmare that I am currently going through. I just want to warn those who purchase jewelry in the Caribbean to be very careful.

I am not saying that every jeweler in the Caribbean is a bad one. I am just posting this to warn all of you to please be aware and get that jewelry appraised.

My husband and I have purchased many beautiful pieces from some very reputable jewelers in the Caribbean. Most or the jewelry we have purchased is worth two to three times more than what we had originally purchased it for. This is the first time we have ever encountered a bad jeweler. WE have always purchased our jewelry from two other jeweler's at two different ports (Jamaica and St Kitts) but this time we decided to give another one a chance. This particular jeweler came across as very professional, knowledgeable and kind and has many clients who rave about him.

Today, I will be going back to my neighborhood jeweler to get the written appraisals to submit to my credit card as I have filed a formal dispute claim. I've also made personal contact with the jeweler in question and he claims he is going to make this right. He suggested that on Monday, I FEDEX the original jewelry to the NY office where he will replace it and send back to me by Friday. I am at this point not sure how we will proceed. We will be working closely with our neighborhood jeweler who will advise me us on how to go forward.

 

Please do not ask me who it is at this point.. I am still waiting to see how this whole situation plays out. I will be happy to provide an update at a later date but in the mean time, please, please be careful when purchasing jewelry from a jeweler at the cruise port.

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Magicat

Magicat

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Posted

Good advice, too bad you have to go through this to share it with us.  After a reputable highly recommended jeweler in St Thomas tried to bamboozle us, we stick to a great one we found in St. Maarten.  If this guy is willing to make it right, I would give him the chance.  What have you got to lose?  Good luck

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Colorado Babe

Colorado Babe

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2 minutes ago, Magicat said:

Good advice, too bad you have to go through this to share it with us.  After a reputable highly recommended jeweler in St Thomas tried to bamboozle us, we stick to a great one we found in St. Maarten.  If this guy is willing to make it right, I would give him the chance.  What have you got to lose?  Good luck

Yes, I am willing to give him a chance.  What do I have to lose? At this point, just the ring that I traded in (which is covered under my jewelry policy). Not sure if my insurance will pay out though since I willingly traded it in.   

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MTLCRUISER72

MTLCRUISER72

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When buying jewelry in port can sometimes be a 50-50 chance of good or bad. Two years ago I bought an expensive Swiss Watch and a Diamond crusted ring in our port stop of Jamaica form one of the "Diamond" stores.

I had registered the warranty for the watch while still in port just to make sure, but as for the ring we could only take the word of the store owner. But the good news was when we returned home my wife went to a jeweller to have it appraised and was told it's value was close to double of what we paid (including our 15% sales tax)

A few months later talking to another cruiser they had purchased some diamond ear rings some where in the Caribbean and found out later they are fake. They had paid part in cash and the rest on a CC, Unfortunately they did not have a CC with fraud protection and had no recourse to claim anything back.

 

In short, sometimes it's worth it sometimes you have to think twice!

 

 

Mike

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vettegal99

vettegal99

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So sorry to hear this happened to you,  For 15+ years we have dealt with only one Jeweler in St Thomas.  In fact, we were there last week.  US appraisals have always come out higher than what we paid and US jeweler told me we had very good quality stones.

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smakl

smakl

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Posted (edited)
59 minutes ago, vettegal99 said:

So sorry to hear this happened to you,  For 15+ years we have dealt with only one Jeweler in St Thomas.  In fact, we were there last week.  US appraisals have always come out higher than what we paid and US jeweler told me we had very good quality stones.

going to St Thomas in March, if you don't mind, I'd love to know which jeweler.

Edited by smakl
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spookwife

spookwife

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Posted
17 hours ago, jamestown478 said:

I have never had an issue with them after 20+ transactions and they are one of the recommended jewelers from the cruise lines. 

thats because DI pays them for advertising.  any/all of the 'recommended' jewelers from the  inserts and port call sheets have paid for the privilege of having their name  be prominently listed on cruise  provided brochures.  

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wendychloecruiser

wendychloecruiser

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6 minutes ago, spookwife said:

thats because DI pays them for advertising.  any/all of the 'recommended' jewelers from the  inserts and port call sheets have paid for the privilege of having their name  be prominently listed on cruise  provided brochures.  


The cruise lines also get a kick back percentage of purchases.  

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jamestown478

jamestown478

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8 hours ago, spookwife said:

thats because DI pays them for advertising.  any/all of the 'recommended' jewelers from the  inserts and port call sheets have paid for the privilege of having their name  be prominently listed on cruise  provided brochures.  

yes and if they were known to have lots of problems the chances that the cruise lines would continue to back them are slim.

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mac_tlc "Live from...." Rare

mac_tlc

Posted
Posted

Sorry this has happened to you. Hope it all works out and am interested in the resolution. We just got back from St. Thomas where we purchased an "upgrade" for my wife from a jeweler we have used for almost 20 years and other friends have used for over 30..... but you never know, I guess. 

 

*&^% happens, but it is important how they react and address the situation once it does. 

 

mac_tlc

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Ocean Boy

Ocean Boy

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Posted

I also remember a posting by someone who returned home from the Caribbean to be told a stone was a fake. It turned out that the person checking the stone on return to the States made the mistake. It actually ended up being a genuine stone. 

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nukester

nukester

Posted
Posted
On ‎2‎/‎1‎/‎2020 at 10:07 AM, Colorado Babe said:

Warning to anyone that purchases jewelry in all of the ports of call in the Caribbean. I just wanted to remind those who do purchase jewelry in the Caribbean to please get your expensive jewelry appraised as soon as you get home. The appraisal's you get in the Caribbean are worthless and no jewelry insurance company in the U.S. would ever accept them as a true appraisal.

I also wanted to advise you that there is a new Diamond being created (Lab created diamonds) and many of these vendor's in the caribbean are trying to sell them as natural diamonds without advising their clients that they are not natural but lab created. Please be aware that these diamonds are only worth about half the cost as a natural diamond.

There are many vendor's in the Caribbean also selling fake stones, fake gold, silver , etc. Another reason to get your jewelry appraised.

Why am I posting this. I am posting this because I just recently purchased over $13,000 worth of jewelry in St Kitts and got my jewelry appraised yesterday and was advised that I had been scammed. I also had traded in my original diamond to upgrade it and now I am without it. I would hate for anyone to have to go through the nightmare that I am currently going through. I just want to warn those who purchase jewelry in the Caribbean to be very careful.

I am not saying that every jeweler in the Caribbean is a bad one. I am just posting this to warn all of you to please be aware and get that jewelry appraised.

My husband and I have purchased many beautiful pieces from some very reputable jewelers in the Caribbean. Most or the jewelry we have purchased is worth two to three times more than what we had originally purchased it for. This is the first time we have ever encountered a bad jeweler. WE have always purchased our jewelry from two other jeweler's at two different ports (Jamaica and St Kitts) but this time we decided to give another one a chance. This particular jeweler came across as very professional, knowledgeable and kind and has many clients who rave about him.

Today, I will be going back to my neighborhood jeweler to get the written appraisals to submit to my credit card as I have filed a formal dispute claim. I've also made personal contact with the jeweler in question and he claims he is going to make this right. He suggested that on Monday, I FEDEX the original jewelry to the NY office where he will replace it and send back to me by Friday. I am at this point not sure how we will proceed. We will be working closely with our neighborhood jeweler who will advise me us on how to go forward.

 

Please do not ask me who it is at this point.. I am still waiting to see how this whole situation plays out. I will be happy to provide an update at a later date but in the mean time, please, please be careful when purchasing jewelry from a jeweler at the cruise port.

 

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nukester

nukester

Posted
Posted

DIamonds international is th e worst and poorest quality of them all....... ripped us off 10 yrs and I never will buy from them.

 

note your being taken for a sucker and the savings is so small but quality is so poor

 

stay away from di

 

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