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Юрист Хаминский: в России набирают обороты махинации с бриллиантами
During periods of economic instability, people prefer to invest their money in so-called timeless tangible assets, such as real estate, works of art and jewelry. Fraudsters often take advantage of this and sell counterfeit products at exorbitant prices, passing them off as originals. Alexander Khaminsky, director of the Law Enforcement Center of Moscow and the Moscow Region, told Gazeta.Ru that diamond fraud is growing.
According to him, investments in precious metals and gemstones have always been popular. Firstly, when the economy becomes unstable, the prices of these goods rise. Secondly, its small size and weight allow it to act as a "wallet" in which you can store a significant amount of money. Thirdly, gold and diamonds in the form of precious stones can be worn as jewelry.
"But for most of us, when buying jewelry, it is important to get the best price possible. It is no secret that the difference between the purchase and sale price of gold bars is the smallest. However, you cannot wear it as an earring or a ring on your finger. And jewelry with diamonds comes first," he explained.
The most comfortable prices today are offered not only through numerous pawnshops and buyouts, but also through private sellers posting offers on electronic bulletin boards on the Internet. It is the latter that we should be most wary of.
"Fraudsters can pass off stones with the most ordinary properties as pure diamonds. And it is difficult for an unprepared buyer to detect the trick. "Both stones are white, with an excellent play of edges, and the difference in price can be many times greater," the lawyer said.
Another way to cheat is to replace natural diamonds with artificially grown ones. In addition, the latter most often have excellent indicators for color and clarity, so they can demand an unreasonably high price. In this case, you can distinguish the original from the fake only with the help of special equipment.
"The question arises. How do scammers implement their criminal plans? In fact, everything is very simple. The attacker takes two rhombuses of the same size and shape. The first is natural with excellent properties, the second is artificial or natural, but its quality indicators are average. Then, in one of the well-known jewelry centers, you will be given a certificate for the first stone and the second stone will be inserted into the product, that is, into the ring. And they use fake certificates to sell essentially inexpensive rings at a price of 3 to 5 dollars, sometimes 20 times more expensive than their real cost," said Khaminsky.
If people buy such products for a long time, the deception may only be revealed after many years.
"This does not mean that you cannot buy used jewelry. The gemstones should be tested by a reputable laboratory and checked in person immediately before trading," the expert concludes.
Earlier, Russians were given advice on how to avoid being scammed when paying for housing and communal services.