Sorry guys, I know I put much of this in another post. I just hoped putting it here would increase the odds that an eBay employee would find it.
@eBay
Regarding changes made to the Jewelry Policy and categories: Despite one of your employee's comments, these changes were not intended to be accurate, not to follow industry standards, nor to follow FTC guidelines, nor to provide the Buyers with a good experience either shopping or buying - that is clearly obvious.
Ebay employees are not qualified to dictate Industry Standards nor interpret the nuances of a specialized category, like jewelry or collectibles, that require experience and education to gather the knowledge necessary to do so. One is not going to get that in a few meetings. If you set out to destroy what little reputation you have left with Buyers, you could not have picked a better category to damage. People have expectations that cannot be changed on your (or your Chinese Partners) whim.
The following statement are time-honored jewelry buyer expectations: Fine jewelry is intended to be an investment, at the least, and is collected and treasured for more than one lifetime and must stand the test of time...hence the use of fine metals, high-level construction and high grade stones; Fashion jewelry is expected to be replaced or discarded during the owner's lifetime and is not constructed with high cost or high grade materials. Period. No other definition is acceptable to a buyer.
Fine Jewelry is defined by more than just the sum of it's components. Labor intensive works of art made with base metals & less than precious stones can be classified as fine jewelry.
Re: GF or SF: the term is Fill, not filled, these are not empty vessels getting filled. Gold or Silver-fill jewelry is composed of a solid layer of gold (or silver), which must constitute at least 5% of the item's total weight, mechanically bonded to another metal, usually a base metal. It is used for jewelry that is intended to last more than one lifetime (fine) yet provide an economical alternative to solid gold or silver. Many 'fine' pieces are made of just this metal with no stones, yet according to your policy they will be put in Fashion.
Plate is significantly less of the item's total weight, approx 0.05%. Plating is easily worn off or damaged - which is why it has traditionally been considered only suitable for Fashion Jewelry that is expected to be replaced as fashions change. No one puts high grade stones in plated settings.
Gemstones and beads: Are you not aware that stones & beads are graded? For a stone or bead to be considered "Fine" it MUST be on the high end of the grading scale - it is not just the name/type that makes it 'fine'. SMH.
PS: No one plates fine metals with base metals - it is ridiculous that you made rules covering a non-existent circumstance and have confused so many people by doing so.
I could go on, but I am sure that others would be happy to discuss other instances where you have dropped the ball - a bowling ball on a glass table top.
