We know jewelers like to badmouth the competition. I’d heard it was possible to get sued over, but never heard of an actual case until this one.

Here’s the sequence of events:

– Roger Clemens was going to buy a $750,000 (oval, purplish-pink, 2.5-carat) ring from Michael Ansen.

– Clemens talks to dealer Charles Krypell, who says Ansen is “gouging” him.

– Clemens cancels the sale, buys from Krypell.

– Ansen sues Krypell for $5.1 million for defamation. ($5 million, for not even a million dollar sale?! You gotta love lawyers!)

Now, a court will have to decide who’s telling the truth here. But this is today’s public service announcement: Jewelers should watch what they say about the competition, because they may have to defend those comments in court.

And for a larger point: What does all this bashing do to consumer confidence and the overall perception of the industry?

Rob Bates

JCK News Director