Landmark Diamonds & Precious Metals Inc

To Whom It May Concern: I first want to apologize for my uncharacteristically unprofessional behavior on the day in question. I was under a great amount of stress and let my temper get the best of me.  I was extremely insulted when Mr. [redacted] accused me of having switched his diamond. ...

I have been in business for over 37 years and have never been accused of being anything but above-board and extremely fair.  The last thing I would do is switch a stone to make an extra $300 or $400.  Beside the fact that it constitutes fraud and would be illegal, my reputation is much more important to me than any amount of money.The only thing I can determine is that in our initial meeting, when Mr. [redacted] saw the diamonds (which were loose) he must have gotten the sizes mixed up with which stone had the small black inclusion off to the side and which had a less conspicuous white inclusion in it.  He did not make a decision at that time and told me he wanted to think about it.  When he called me back and told me he wanted the 1.01 ct., that was the stone I earmarked as his, and that is the stone  I delivered to our goldsmith to be set in the custom ring he had made.  The custom ring, alone, would have cost at least twice as much at most retail jewelers. When the client states that he looked at the diamond through a scope, he is misspeaking.  He was using a 10x loupe to look at the diamonds at the first meeting and after he received the ring...and again at the ill-fated meeting that has led us to this point.  As far as I remember he never remarked that he was able to see any inclusions in any of the diamonds with his naked eye.I very fairly offered to replace the stone in his ring with a certified diamond of a higher quality and indicated it would cost an additional $450 or so. The diamond was costing me $1000 - $1200 more and so charging $450 (which included the cost of having the diamond set into his ring) is an amount that I considered more than fair.His statement regarding the EGL-USA laboratory certificates is erroneous.  While the GIA is considered the best cert in the business, EGL-USA certificate stones run a close second and are always priced accordingly (usually at least 10-15% off the wholesale list price as compared to a comparably graded GIA diamond)The jeweler who assisted Mr. [redacted] when he sought out a second opinion, obviously had his own agenda and had no idea what he was talking about.  I am a GIA Graduate Gemologist, having attended the school in Los Angeles in 1978-79 and although my eyes may have aged, I am still confident in my abilities.  But even a seasoned jeweler will have a difficult time grading a mounted stone.  Black inclusions, even when not visible to the naked eye when a diamond is loose, can light up when mounted. As with “expert” opinions in all cases, for every negative report there will always be another report stating the opposite opinion.I wanted to resolve this amicably, but to expect me to lose money by replacing his stone with one that costs me more, is unreasonable for Mr. [redacted] to expect.  He definitely did not pay too much for the ring and diamond he received, and I would challenge any jeweler to try and match the quality for less or even the same amount of money.When we met to discuss the stone that day he stated that he could not afford to pay me more because he was spending so much on his wedding.  While I can sympathize with his plight, I should not be expected to lose money because of that.As far as a desired settlement, I would gladly replace his diamond with a better quality one for an additional $450.  That is less than half of the cost that I will absorb.  I have every wish to rectify the situation and am more than willing to do so, but I simply cannot afford to absorb the full cost and should not be expected to.  He did not overpay for the quality of diamond he received and I am more than confident in proving that. The fact that Mr. [redacted] does not trust me is his problem and has no basis in fact. I understand my behavior that day obviously has swayed his opinion of me, which I understand completely and for which I am deeply sorry.  But I will not allow anyone to besmirch my reputation with a baseless claim. If we must go to court to resolve this, then so be it. I also apologize for the delay in this response.  I have been busy with personal family matters that take precedence.  That being said, I would respectfully ask the Revdex.com of MN to restore my A+ rating as soon as possible.Sincerely,Mark O. H[redacted]PresidentLandmark Diamonds & Precious Metals, Inc.       I very fairly offered to replace the stone in his ring with a certified diamond of a higher quality and indicated it would cost an additional $450 or so. The diamond was costing me $1000 - $1200 more and so charging $450 (which included the cost of having the diamond set into his ring) is an amount that I considered more than fair. His statement regarding the EGL-USA laboratory certificates is erroneous.  While the GIA is considered the best cert in the business, EGL-USA certificate stones run a close second and are always priced accordingly (usually at least 10-15% off the wholesale list price as compared to a comparably graded GIA diamond) The jeweler who assisted Mr. [redacted] when he sought out a second opinion, obviously had his own agenda and had no idea what he was talking about.  I am a GIA Graduate Gemologist, having attended the school in Los Angeles in 1978-79 and although my eyes may have aged, I am still confident in my abilities.  But even a seasoned jeweler will have a difficult time grading a mounted stone.  Black inclusions, even when not visible to the naked eye when a diamond is loose, can light up when mounted. As with “expert” opinions in all cases, for every negative report there will always be another report stating the opposite opinion. I wanted to resolve this amicably, but to expect me to lose money by replacing his stone with one that costs me more, is unreasonable for Mr. [redacted] to expect.  He definitely did not pay too much for the ring and diamond he received, and I would challenge any jeweler to try and match the quality for less or even the same amount of money. When we met to discuss the stone that day he stated that he could not afford to pay me more because he was spending so much on his wedding.  While I can sympathize with his plight, I should not be expected to lose money because of that. As far as a desired settlement, I would gladly replace his diamond with a better quality one for an additional $450.  That is less than half of the cost that I will absorb.  I have every wish to rectify the situation and am more than willing to do so, but I simply cannot afford to absorb the full cost and should not be expected to.  He did not overpay for the quality of diamond he received and I am more than confident in proving that.   The fact that Mr. [redacted] does not trust me is his problem and has no basis in fact. I understand my behavior that day obviously has swayed his opinion of me, which I understand completely and for which I am deeply sorry.  But I will not allow anyone to besmirch my reputation with a baseless claim. If we must go to court to resolve this, then so be it.   I also apologize for the delay in this response.  I have been busy with personal family matters that take precedence.  That being said, I would respectfully ask the Revdex.com of MN to restore my A+ rating as soon as possible.  Sincerely, Mark O. HeiligmanPresidentLandmark Diamonds & Precious Metals, Inc. Tell us why here...