There are concerns that Kay Jewelers may be selling fake diamonds. Kay states that it only uses diamonds of I1 clarity and conflict-free origins. However, there are no guarantees in terms of diamond quality. In fact, the company insists that its employees check stones before leaving the store. This is because employees cannot be held responsible for fake diamonds. Kay also has strict policies against swapping. To prove its policies, BuzzFeed News met with Richard Cavello, the general manager of a Kay location in Midtown Manhattan. Richard Cavello showed BuzzFeed News how store employees check for the stone’s certification number and mark it if it is chipped. The customer was then informed about the chipped stone.

Kay Jewelers offers no assurance in terms of diamond quality

Although Kay Jewelers has an attractive, colorful website filled with a variety of engagement rings and other jewelry, the brand offers no guarantee as to the quality of the diamonds. While the company does accept trade-ins, some diamonds and gemstones are not certified and are not accepted as trade-ins. The website also does not have an information page that offers more details on the diamond quality. Lastly, Kay Jewelers does not offer an expert staff to answer questions about the quality of diamonds.

The prices for Kay jewelry are significantly inflated when compared to similar products. Additionally, if the diamonds are not accompanied by a proper certificate, Kays will lose a significant amount of value. This can prove very costly when attempting to sell a diamond purchased from Kay Jewelers. However, customers can get a 60-day exchange policy. Although this may sound like a long time, it is worth considering if the diamonds are really worth the price.

Employees should check the stones before leaving the store

At least one customer has had his or her diamond ring misdiagnosed as a moissanite by Kay jewelers. In February, Chrissy Clarius took her engagement ring to the Westminster Mall Kay for a six-month checkup. She requested that the Kay employee find a diamond certification number on the stone, which he couldn’t find. Instead, the employee took the ring to another jeweler, who declared it to be a moissanite.

The company claims its employees should inspect diamonds before leaving the store, but this is not always the case. A recent story published by Buzzfeed News detailed a customer’s experience at Kay’s. A customer who bought her engagement ring from the store thought the stone was fake and took it to another jeweler, which ultimately turned out to be an I. Kay claims to have strict policies to prevent swapping.

Kay Jewelers offers conflict-free diamonds

The diamonds at Kay Jewelers are certified conflict-free. Compared to diamonds from other sources, their prices are significantly higher. Despite the higher prices, they still have excellent quality, and the diamonds are available in all seven clarity grades. And because they use conflict-free diamonds, they also have superior color and luster. Kay offers both pre-set and real-set engagement rings with these gemstones.

The process to procure conflict-free diamonds is not as easy as it sounds. But it is possible – and much more affordable – if you know where to look. A certified conflict-free diamond is always ethically sourced. A certificate of authenticity guarantees that the diamonds are conflict-free, and Kay Jewelers always insists on it. The company will guarantee the diamonds’ authenticity based on their personal knowledge and written guarantees from suppliers.

Kay Jewelers uses diamonds of I1 clarity

The I1 clarity grade refers to inclusions in the diamond and falls on the lower end of the scale. Diamond clarity is determined by a third-party lab, and it refers to the presence of visible imperfections or blemishes. Diamonds with large inclusions will diminish the brilliance of a diamond, making it appear dull and lifeless. At Kay Jewelers, we do not use diamonds with obvious inclusions because of the high costs of these stones.

When purchasing a diamond ring from Kay Jewelers, be sure to look for a certification that guarantees the quality of the diamond. Since the diamonds at this store are not certified by a reliable source, you may end up with a lower quality diamond than the store claims. In addition, I1 clarity is not a recommended diamond clarity grade, so you might want to look elsewhere. Kay Jewelers diamonds are sourced from conflict-free sources, which is always a good sign.

Kay Jewelers uses Moissanite

It has been accused that the renowned Kay Jewelers has been using fake diamonds to replace real ones during repairs. Many customers have reported losing their engagement rings, which they believed were replaced with Moissanite stones. But Kay claims to only be using Moissanite as a substitute stone when their jewelry is not in perfect condition. The company’s policy of inspecting diamond certification numbers isn’t enough to stop Kay from doing this.

In order to detect fake diamonds, Kay Jewelers uses a loupe through the crown facet of the stone. The loupe shows the culet twice. The stone will appear just like a real diamond, if not completely identical. A jeweler may be able to see tiny inclusions in the Moissanite, but a heat transmission tester can only detect a diamond with a single refractive index.