PORTLAND, Ore. — Adene Schroder knows her gems.
Her grandfather worked in the jewelry business. So when the Gresham woman picked up her ring after having it resized, she quickly recognized something didn’t look right. The stone had been swapped. Her cloudy green emerald had been replaced with a clear, brightly colored gem.
“It was like there was a 7-Up bottle that somebody cut up and put in my ring,” said Schroder.
Incidents of jewelers swapping stones are extremely rare say consumer advocates. But it does happen. Consumers can take precautions to protect themselves.
“It’s really not a common occurrence, however it is a concern. These can be very, very expensive items,” explained Michelle Schaffer, Oregon Regional Manager for the Better Business Bureau.
Adene Schroder gets a little choked up just talking about her ring. It was a special gift.
“My boyfriend had this ring that was his grandmother’s and he knew how much I loved emeralds. It is my favorite stone,” said Schroder.
The Gresham woman needed to have the ring resized so she took it to Fred Meyer Jewelers. A week later, Schroder picked up the ring from the Gresham store.
“It was not my stone! I told them it was not my stone,” explained Schroder.
She was heartbroken. She felt horrible. Her boyfriend’s family heirloom had been replaced with a different gem.
“It’s no longer his grandma’s ring. That was her stone,” said Schroder.
Fred Meyer Jewelers doesn’t know what happened to the original emerald. The company admits, the gem was replaced without the customer’s knowledge or consent.
“What appears to have happened was her stone likely was broken during the repair process, which is very common with gems and it was replaced,” explained Melinda Merrill, manager of community affairs for Fred Meyer.
“The problem is the jeweler didn’t tell us that he replaced it. So the jeweler has been terminated,” said Merrill.
Fred Meyer Jewelers said it allowed Schroder to pick a new emerald and apologized. The company cannot recall a similar complaint like this one.
“This is a terrible, but unique situation,” said Merrill.
Recently, the issue of gem swapping has come to light after a BuzzFeed story about customers complaining their diamonds had been unknowingly replaced with lesser-quality gems at the popular jewelry chain Kay Jewelers.
The owner of Kay, Signet Jewelers Limited has vehemently denied switching customers’ gems.
"We strongly object to recent allegations on social media, republished and grossly amplified, that our team members systematically mishandle customers’ jewelry repairs or engage in ‘diamond swapping,’" wrote Signet Jewelers Ltd. in a statement. "Incidents of misconduct, which are exceedingly rare, are dealt with swiftly and appropriately."
Consumers can help protect themselves when having jewelry cleaned or resized.
“Bring all documentation,” said Michelle Shaffer of the BBB. “Make the jeweler be aware that you know your diamond or your stone very, very well.”
Consumers may want to stay in the store while the jeweler is cleaning your ring. Typically, it doesn’t take long.
Use a reputable jeweler. Find someone you trust or a jewelry store that has been referred by family or friends.
Consumers should check your diamond or gem while you are still in the jewelry shop. If you come back later, there’s no way to prove that your stone has been switched.
It may also be helpful to take photos of your gem.
“What’s going to save me in this whole ordeal is that I documented it,” said Schroder. “I knew what my ring looked like. I knew my stone.”