Unfortunately the fact of the matter is that there are jewelers and dealers out there that engage in fraudulent practices when they are doing businesses from time to time. How can you spot them and just what are these fraudulent practices? The truth of the matter is that they are difficult to spot unless you are self trained to.

Most are masterful con artists who pick their targets carefully and will look you in the eye while they share a glass of wine and a joke with you, all the while plotting to to screw you over. Fraudulent practices such as 'stone switching' are surprisingly easy to pull of and once it is done, can be easily denied by the jeweler who will claim that it is you who is the con artist just looking for some easy money.

Even the most reputable jeweler can have an employee with a gambling or a drug problem, so it is up to you to cover your butt. Rule number one is that if you have expensive stones on your jewelry have then certified, documented and insured. Never just walk into just any jewelry store and hand expensive jewelry with nice stones in it over to the jeweler and assume that everything is OK.

Find a qualified jeweler and then don't be afraid to discuss the topic of stone switching with them and ask them what safeguards and guarantees they have in place to guarantee the you can't be victimized at their establishment.

A qualified reputable jeweler would be more then glad to discuss the topic and if you have expensive high grade stones in your jewelry would understand your concerns. Trying to save a few bucks by having your high end jewelry worked on by the jeweler at the local back alley pawn shop is the best way to end up becomming the victim of stone switching.