In summer 1995, the Jewelers Vigilance Committee issued a bulletin cautioning jewelers that we could no longer rely on the long-standing protection of not providing specific identification information when taking in jewelry and watches for repair, modification or appraisal. A jeweler followed industry-recommended procedures and limited the description of a possible emerald to one “green stone.” According to the JVC bulletin, when the worst happened and the jeweler was sued, he had to compensate the client for an emerald.
What other issues should we be careful about during the “take-in” process?
As the JVC scenario has taught us, we’ve been too complacent in relying on “long-standing traditions” as our guide to proper procedures. We should consider more informative dialogue between the jeweler/appraiser and the client as a method of avoiding liability and the accompanyin