Someone Please Smack me - More Fakes from SLC

[FarmMom]

I know . . . I shouldn't have.

I placed another order.



Months ago I had gotten the idea of stockpiling SLC jewelery to sell at my mini jewelry store during christmas, but after all the jerking around they have done and after I discovered how easy it was to buy gems online I decided to simply make my own.

BUT, one thing I could NOT find cheap enough were their faceted gemstone beaded necklaces. I loved the idea of using them instead of a chain for statement pieces. My plan had been to buy a stockpile of different ones at a huge discount to sell years down the road with a pendant.

I'd had them in my cart for a while, and finally saw them on TV go on sale with FREE shipping. $6.97 each instead of $10.00-$12.00. I even did the buy all for EXTRA discount. I ALMOST bought 3 full sets, but settled on ONE.

Thankfully I did.

ALL THE STONES ARE FAKES!!!!!

Amethest, garnet, spinel, peridot, etc etc, ALL ARE GLASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I couldn't believe it! What kind of company IS THIS?!

Worse, those poor souls who DO resell this stuff have NO idea, and when someone does finally come back to complain, it leaves them in a very awkward spot

So I guess . . . I will keep them and sell as "trinkets" for $10 each, but takes up valuable space in my store to sell JUNK. No use sending back, shipping would be $8 and then the WHOLE headache of trying to explain why I need a refund on a no refund clearance item (because it's fake, who is really going to believe it?).

Makes me wonder what ELSE is really fake here that we simply assume is real? Mounted stones are difficult to test unless you do a scratch test.

BUT . . . now I understand WHY gem sellers online are SO much more expensive with their beaded strands . . . they are likely actually REAL and not fake.

I tried so hard to like this company, but they keep cheating on me . . . this relationship is NOT working . . .

[Greeneyesbluesighs]

But @FarmMom , it makes no sense to me why you would just roll over on this?! If I received fakes and knew it I would do everything possible (and there would be a lot you could do) to hold them accountable.


And when did you get free shipping from tv? They haven’t done that in ages?

[Bella]

FarmMom, I would agree with Greeneyesbluesighs, I would call them out on it and see what happens! It makes ME mad! I have several of the beaded gems necklaces that I put with a large gemstone pendant, I love that look, now I feel I got cheated as well!

[FarmMom]

Greeneyes, that was the ONLY reason I ordered from Live TV. To be clear the order was placed online, not sure if that made a difference. I normally would never as the shipping would kill any sort of deal, but I got 7-8 necklaces for just over $50.

Bella, I have bought a few different sets of their beaded necklaces. They have SO MANY of the SAME KIND it's very confusing which is which.

The garnets on my garnet beaded necklace with garnet pendant DO seem to be real. but how do I BUY more? It's just too much of a gamble.

To clarify, these were the 3 strand beaded gemstone necklaces, but a few of the single strand necklaces were fakes too (remember my complaint about the amethyst necklace?). I did buy one 3 strand necklace a while buy as a test run, but mostly for the style (which was fine), never thought to test the stones.

It's a tricky gamble though... once a stone is mounted, it's harder to test. Mounts should never be taller than the stone (from what jewelers online say), but nearly all of my SLC rings are mounted taller, so I cannot place on a refractometer. I can use the dichroscope, and they did test correctly with that, but that's just to tell if it's a gem or glass.

Dichroscopes are handy to have and cheap to buy. A loupe checks inclusions, a dichroscope checks the color. different stones will turn certain colors under the eye piece and let you know what it is

But even the local jeweler, once a stone is set, who test them? No one. You could easily mount a fake or incorrect stone.

Yesterday I tested a pile of zircons I had bought online . . . they all tested to be GARNETS, both on the refractometer and the dichrosope. Often rough looks the same, so it's an easy mistake. Garnets and zircons have similar hardneses, so unless you look at it with equipment you wouldn't really notice.

Bottom line is, find a jeweler you can trust and who will stand by their product is found to be incorrect

[CaribbeanGirl]

If any one else has had this problem I would get with farm mom & get something done about this. If someone does not step up they are going to keep doing it. Why should they be making money selling fakes? I know I would but I do not order loose stones or any thing over $20.00. I am older & disabled & do not have the money. You would be helping so many people if you did . I feel If they did this once they have done it 100s of times

[Druid]

@FarmMom Your find about the fake stones in necklaces is very concerning.I wonder if this is going on in rings, pendants ,earrings.Maybe this explains why one can win an item on auction for a fraction of their price, like for example Montezuma Ruby hoop earrings at $23 when on their web. is $159. ( rubies are heated ). It doesn’t make sense for the company to lose so much money on auction.Now I have a big doubt about my purchases on both auction or web.

[Druid]

@FarmMom Your find about the fake stones in necklaces is very concerning.I wonder if this is going on in rings, pendants ,earrings.Maybe this explains why one can win an item on auction for a fraction of their price, like for example Montezuma Ruby hoop earrings at $23 when on their web. is $159. ( rubies are heated ). It doesn’t make sense for the company to lose so much money on auction.Now I have a big doubt about my purchases on both auction or web.

[FarmMom]

@FarmMom Your find about the fake stones in necklaces is very concerning.I wonder if this is going on in rings, pendants ,earrings.Maybe this explains why one can win an item on auction for a fraction of their price, like for example Montezuma Ruby hoop earrings at $23 when on their web. is $159. ( rubies are heated ). It doesn’t make sense for the company to lose so much money on auction.Now I have a big doubt about my purchases on both auction or web.

Druid, if you read on the ruby, it might say fracture filled, aka glass. Rubies are notorious for treatments, heating is normal, but oiling is not as common (although is considered ok in the trade), and fracture filling is where they inject resin, plastic or glass into the ruby to give it a better color and clarity. In all honesty I would never buy any high end stone from them. Even tanzanites are being treated to be more "blue". It's hard for them to check every stone so they don't.

I actually bought a nice set of lab created rubies for about $1 each (normally $100 ea). Fully tested to be ruby, but the clarity and bright color told me it must be lab ruby. color and clarity was identical across all 15 stones. Personally I'd rather a lab ruby than a fracture filled ruby... they look nicer and are about as legit as a filled ruby

I tested other gems from them and so far they seem ok. but not everything is testable. About half of the stone necklaces I have bought were fakes, but I have not tested all of them. The jasper ones were fake and another one I had gotten . . .

[Bella]

I know many people hate glass filled rubies, and I get it, but I have a gorgeous 60 carat ruby tennis necklace that is glass filled and I could care less! It’s gorgeous and I always receive compliments on it, some have even gasped when the see it and ask is that ruby? I also have a 14 carat ruby solitaire ring with diamonds and a pair of ruby and diamond earrings that are breathtaking. I love rubies that look natural and I cannot afford any large Burmese heated or unheated rubies,so I settle for these. I have had no issues with durability whatsoever. Most of my rubies I purchased while living overseas so I think the quality seems better. I became good friends with many jewelers while overseas, I never felt scammed or pressured and I knew exactly what I was getting. I was never was a fan of lab created rubies or emeralds they look too perfect or glass like. When looking at my ruby jewelry you would never know they were glass filled unless you looked through a loupe. If it wasn’t for the glass filled option and the prices I wouldn’t have any rubies in my collection at all, and so for the glass filled I’m grateful.

[Druid]

@FarmMom For the monezuma rubies in the hoop earrings the treatment states “ heated” that’s why I bid on them.Inever bought glass filled or flux healed rubies. Heat treatment is ok, oiling for rubies and sapphires not so much and never any glass field or flux. Nevertheless, their info about the Ruby treatment could be fake. I also have some cheap priced bead necklaces won on RA with apatite, jasper, garnet, aquamarine, white onyx,etc. I am now concerned about the pendant stones like citrine, rhodolitevgarnet, emerald, polki diamond, kyanite,etc.They could be all fake too, maybe.