ThaiGem fraud

I had an old customer of mine come in this week with a gem he
purchased on line from Thai Gem. It was represented to be a 3+ ct.
demantoid garnet, for which he paid almost $4000. It was almost
immediately apparent by the incredibly high dispersion that it was
not garnet. With some testing we found it most likely to be
sphaelerite, based on the dispersion, fluorescence and lack of any
inclusions typical of demantoid. I advised him to return it. I will
keep you all posted on their response. Given the problems that seem
to keep cropping up with this company you should all probably be well
advised to be extremely cautious in your dealings with them. Daniel R.
Spirer, GG Spirer Somes Jewelers 1794 Massachusetts Ave Cambridge, MA
02140 617-491-6000 @spirersomes www.spirersomes.com