A Painful Truth

How would it feel to learn your “lawyer” never passed the bar? Or if your “dentist” never completed dental school?
What about your “gemologist” never having earned their certification?

This is what many of us are facing in the gem and jewelry industry. It’s happening everywhere—even here in Montreal. Members of my industry are claiming to have credentials they have never earned.

Something has to give.

Not only are members of my industry openly lying about credentials, influencers are backing these companies blindly.

Social media has taken center stage and for the most part, it is an amazing community. It is a place to share ideas, photos, brands, and experiences but also a place to be influenced. Some influencers are great, but some don’t understand the companies or products they are supporting, and some are in it solely for personal gain. Because of this, I’ve seen too many put on a blindfold and follow indiscriminately, caught up in the hype or promise of a new product or collaboration.

As consumers, it is time to take a step back. A time to learn to ask questions. A time to remember that trust shouldn’t be blind, it should be earned. The credentials claimed should be the credentials held and the products and companies supported should be products and companies worthy of it.

As a GIA Graduate Gemologist, I am opening the floor to a conversation about integrity. It is time to call to action those of us in the industry, to shift the focus of my followers to education, and create a new normal.

Stay tuned for an upcoming four-part blog series that delves into the above topics. A blog series that opens doors to my personal experience, to the deception that exists on our doorsteps, and shines a light on the pitfalls too many fall into.

-Keely