LYNND
Too Good to be True?
I first found JeenMata or Jeen Trading, LLC on Walmart website, where they are listed as a Pro Seller. They appear to have some reviews for their products tied to Shy Gems so I take it that that is also the same company. One order came from Houston. Another order I placed shipped out of Canada, where they are apparently headquartered (name there is LAKME IMPEX INC.) I can speak to my Walmart experiences: The seller responded to my concern when an earring back was loose on my first order and sent out replacements. That first order consisted of 1/2 ctw diamond earrings. The stones were of very GOOD quality and test as diamond on my diamond tester. This year I placed three orders. In one case I messaged them via Walmart and they were friendly and responsive. In another case, I did not hear back. I have yet to receive anything that looks or feels "cheap". (Each order has been worth the money I paid.) That said, I now intend to have the pieces checked out because Moissanite can test as diamond on low-end diamond testers. I also came to appreciate, belatedly, that a 10K gold stamp is not present on the earrings from my first order. (I am now wondering if it could be gold plated silver given that most of their merchandise consists of plated silver.) A quick FYI for those who are angry that their rose gold or whatnot faded or tarnished. JeenMata CAN make your item in whatever metal you prefer if you buy from them directly (ShyGems website). If you are expecting rose or yellow-gold plated wedding rings to hold up, the short answer is that they won't. And that's true no matter where you buy them. Gold wash is the least durable. Gold plate is the second least. Vermeil is better. Gold-filled is superior. And you can get a lot of use from those in jewelry that stays dry (like a pendant). For wedding rings, however, plated material is a BAD CHOICE. If you don't want your rings to fade, your only real choice is gold, white or rose gold in 10-18K (solid). If you can't afford that, buy SILVER because unlike the others most jewelers can apply rhodium plating over the silver to prevent tarnishing and to give you the look of solid white gold or platinum (no one will ever know). All of this is to say I think it's unfair to slam this company (or similar) for providing budget-priced bridal jewelry in gold-over-silver. Do your homework and understand that plating of rings is destined to wear off, often within as little as a year. Chemicals (chlorinated pool water, household cleaners, dish soap, lotions) are hard on gold plating. Having said all this, I recently came across this company selling 1 carat silver earrings (with gold, rose and white plate) for such a rock-bottom low price that I am beginning to second-guess my prior purchases. Either they are conflict diamonds, lab diamonds or Moissanite. I don't see how they can sell the real thing (earth-mined, decent quality) for a fraction of the price otherwise. I have placed multiple orders and will now take everything I have purchased to a jeweler for proper testing. If there is a discrepancy I will file with the BBB and inform Walmart. I already know that the company has violated at least one law, and that is the requirement to apply a hallmark. There is no metal stamp of any kind. Having said that, I have ears that are sensitive to non-gold, non-silver material. My 10K "gold" earrings have not tarnished and they are non-magnetic. (I will update this review if I learn otherwise.) It may very well be that this company is just unwilling, like the vast majority in the jewelry trade, to screw over their customers with artificially high prices. (Contrary to popular opinion, diamonds are one of the most common gemstones. Prices remain artificially high so the DeBeers cartel can keep up their decades-old marketing about the precious nature of diamonds going.) Nevertheless, the saying goes: "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is". If you buy from this company and have any doubts take it to a jeweler to confirm! If you should then confirm from a jeweler that you got a *great deal* on the *real deal* then give this company the props it deserves over at Walmart and Shy Gems!