ST. LOUIS COUTNY — Call it "The case of the disappearing diamonds".
A local woman got a jeweled necklace from her boyfriend, but when she took a closer look at the gift, she noticed that several diamonds seemed to be missing.
The Florissant woman said it wasn't just her necklace that appeared to be missing diamonds, but every similar necklace being sold at the well-known store, Zales.
So, were consumers getting cheated or was it something much more innocent?
It was supposed to be a symbol of new love.
"My heart is open to him, his heart is open to me. That was the purpose of the gift," said Diane McDonald, who was given an Open Hearts necklace from Zales. It's part of the popular collection by Jane Seymour.
"When I opened the box, at the upper right, it appeared to have a diamond missing," said McDonald.
There were supposed to be 40 small diamonds in her necklace, making up 1/8th of a carat.
Shocked and disappointed by what appeared to be a missing stone, McDonald took the piece to her local Zales store at the Galleria Mall.
She said they found it wasn't just her necklace that appeared to be missing diamonds.
"The jeweler at the Galleria pulled out the same piece and found the same situation," McDonald said.
Now angry, McDonald called the I-Team to find out why her diamond necklace didn't come as advertised.
"You don't want to have people have problems with their jewelry. It's a celebration, it's a gift," said Jim Summa, one of a handful of AGS-certified gemologist appraisers in Missouri.
When the I-Team showed him the necklace, he immediately spotted what was missing and four other spots on the necklace that were also empty.
His analysis?
"It's part of the design. It's made that way. If there's 10,000 of these, they all have the same thing going on here. It's an illusion of a stone," said Summa.
An illusion of a stone, perhaps, Summa said, to complete the 'open heart' look at the necklace's advertised carat weight without adding extra diamonds.
The empty spots appear to act as mirrors, Summa said. But they're hardly a replacement for diamonds.
"It's gonna look different. It's going to look different from the row of diamonds. When you have it on- you're going to say 'Well, there is something going on,'" said Summa.
But ultimately, Summa said it's not unusual for mass-produced pieces at a lower price point to be made in this fashion. Especially, Summa said, when they're made from wax casts.
But Summa said, at the end of the day, "I don't see anyone being overcharged here."
The necklace retails at Zales for just over $200 on sale.
Although not the shining symbol of her love she had hoped for, McDonald said she's taken away something valuable from this experience
"I will be checking everything. Any potential engagement ring. Uh huh," said McDonald.
A representative for Zales parent company, Signet Jewelers sent us this statement:
"Please know that we are dedicated to exceptional customer service at every stage of the consumer experience. Given this, we take all concerns very seriously and work with each customer to come to a satisfactory resolution. We are currently working with the customer on this matter. " Frank Cirillo, Director, Public Relations.
Zales eventually gave McDonald a $100 dollar gift card after she complained about the necklace.
She says she will likely return it and stop doing business with the company.
