Kay Jewelers, which describes itself as “the #1 specialty jewellery brand in the United States”, was at the centre of controversy last week after multiple media sources reported on the allegations.
Several people left messages on social media saying they had taken items into Kay Jewelers for repairs or inspection and found the diamonds had been changed to those of poorer quality. Some reports even claimed diamonds were replaced with moissanite.
Heidi Stier-Rivera is one customer who left a post on the company’s Facebook page. She stated that her SI1 diamond had been switched for a different stone that was “full of inclusions” after sending it in for re-mounting.
“They [Kay Jewelers] kept insisting my prongs had hidden the inclusions before, but I had other jewellers authenticate that it is not the same diamond my husband purchased,” Stier-Rivera’s post read.
The Kay Jewelers Facebook page has been flooded with posts from people saying they would not deal with the company in the future following the claims.
Responding to controversy
Kay Jewelers has reportedly issued a statement that indicated it was “actively reviewing” the matter.
A review of the retailer’s Facebook page shows that administrators are responding to comments with the following (or similar) statement: “We'd be more than happy to reach out to you and personally address any questions you may have about our repair process. So we may do that, please send us your contact information in a direct message or at www.kay.com/facebook. Thank you!”
Jeweller contacted Kay Jewelers for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
Kay Jewelers was founded in 1916 and is part of Signet Jewelers, which owns several other jewellery businesses including H Samuel, Ernest Jones and Zales and claims to be the world’s largest “specialty retail jeweller”.
According to its website, Kay Jewelers has more than 1,500 stores across the US.
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