15 May 2014
Lindsay Greatorex
Director of Social Media and Marketing
Diamonds by Eyal
FAKE KIMBERLY PROCESS CERTIFICATES GOING AROUND
Source: National Jeweler/Diamonds/Social Issues
May 13, 2014
Washington.–Diamond traders and members of the industry should be on the lookout for a number of fake Kimberly Process certificates, warns the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.
In an alert sent out Friday, the department warned that in one recent scheme, individuals were invited to Sierra Leone to view rough diamonds later identified as fake stones. It was not immediately clear at press time of what material these “fake” diamonds were actually made.
The individuals also were provided with a fake KP certificate numbered Sierra Leone 004199, issued in either April or May of this year. Variations of this certificate SL 004199 have been presented to diamond purchasers in the last three weeks.
In the last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection also has identified fake KP certificates from Guinea, Ghana and Sierra Leone used to defraud people in an advance-fee scheme.
The criminals approached U.S. citizens on the Internet, telling them to buy the rough diamonds directly from West African sources and promising legitimate KP certificates.
The State Department is asking anyone who is presented with a fake KP certificate to contact U.S. Customs and Border Protection at kpmailbox@dhs.gov, and the Department of State at USKimberleyProcess@state.gov.
If you are involved with buying, selling or trading diamonds, please be aware of this.
For the consumer this is the exact reason why it is extremely important to go a jeweler who has experience and education behind him because he will be able to tell the difference between a fake or real certificate as well as a fake diamond. You may think you are getting a really good deal on something that just happens to be worth nothing, so don’t trust who is selling you a stone, especially if the price seems to good to be true.
It is imperative that you work closely with a Jeweler like Eyal Cohen to safely and securely obtain exactly what you are looking for without any problems. Working with someone you can trust is the most important thing when it comes to diamonds.
For everything you need to know, come to Diamonds by Eyal where you can become educated on diamonds and get all the information you need to make the best purchase.