HEADS-UP "NEW" gemstone listing guidelines

[flipping_treasures]

Just received this in my email.  Thought I would pass it on.

Dear flipping_treasures,

Starting May 25, 2022, we’re making changes to our Jewelry policy. Our updated listing guidelines will create a more consistent and reliable experience for Jewelry buyers, help them find the items they’re looking for quickly and easily, improve conversion, and reduce issues resulting from unclear or inaccurate item descriptions.
 
New Jewelry listing guidelines effective May 25, 2022

• Fine Jewelry. To list your item in the Fine Jewelry category, the Base Metal must be made from fine materials and the Main Stone must be a fine, natural stone. Secondary stones can include either fine or fashion materials.
  • Simulated gemstones are considered fashion jewelry.  We will move items with simulated main stones from fine jewelry into fashion jewelry in October
• Diamonds. If you list a stone that is not an actual diamond, the term “diamond” cannot be included in the listing. You should instead describe your item using the actual material, such as moissanite, cubic zirconia, glass, etc.
• Treated gemstones. If you list a natural stone that has been treated (e.g., dyed to enhance the color), you must state that the gemstone is “treated” in your listing title. You may not describe the stone as “enhanced.”
• Lab-created gemstones. If you list a lab-created stone, you must clearly state that the stone is “lab-created” in your listing title, and not “man-made,” “lab-grown,” or other similar terms. “Lab-created” must immediately precede the stone name in your title (e.g., “lab-created diamond”).

Note: Starting May 25, 2022, active listings that do not comply with the new guidelines may be ended. Those Items will appear into your unsold folder and will need to be relisted to align with updated policy guidelines.

You can help buyers find the items they’re looking for and make sure they receive orders that match your item description by listing them clearly and correctly. Learn more about Fine and Fashion Jewelry best selling practices.

As always, thank you for selling on eBay.

The eBay Selling Team

[evelyb30]

What the bleep is about the size of it.  eBay can't get out of its own way these days, or stop tripping on its own feet.  And knocking us sellers down in the process. 

Will someone please tell me why I'm not just taking Disability and "earning" about as much without all the craziness? 

[flipping_treasures]

I said it once ... let me say it again ... "This has got to be one of the stupidest things eBay has pulled in the Jewelry arena since they combined Fine and Costume Jewelry item specifics.  Since when is 14kt gold, fine or costume depending on the stone that is in it?  Really, really dumb."

So now when buyers want to find 14kt gold anything, they will have to search not only fine, but costume jewelry as well.  The listing confunkle this is opening up, not to mention the out and out con opportunities, is mind blowing.

[donsdetour]

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@don-franciscos-sister wrote:

Just curious here…

If I have a 10, 14, 18 karat gold piece of jewelry that happens to have CZ stones (versus diamonds), is there any reason that I cannot just sell the setting itself, with the notation in the description that it presently has “place holder” cz stones?  OR, should I just pull the CZs altogether? 

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Hmm trying to by pass them rules and regs is a fast way to find yourself not selling on eBay at all:

Is it worth it??

[evelyb30]

Speaking of bypassing, the main way into the board is down.  Again.  I found a way into some posts but not the main board itself.  Leaving this here just in case anyone else finds this way in. 

[don-franciscos-sister]

Actually, my query related to NOT bypassing any rules.  As I obviously would not state or imply that the CZs are “diamonds,” it sounds like the right answer if I want to sell such a piece on eBay will be to just pull the stones and sell the empty gold setting.  

[donsdetour]

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@don-franciscos-sister wrote:

Actually, my query related to NOT bypassing any rules.  As I obviously would not state or imply that the CZs are “diamonds,” it sounds like the right answer if I want to sell such a piece on eBay will be to just pull the stones and sell the empty gold setting.  

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Might be the best way: If a clean pull with out damaging the setting, such would or could work.

Though it is going to be fashion is going to be a place were folks look for such with the new rules...

Just be sure the metal and purity is entered in the specifics as well as the stone per rules;

Search is going to that criteria for search over category: 

Folks hunting gold of course will go were it is in what ever category such will be listed under.

Fine and or fashion...

[idealgems1]

Great points all around!  As I have mentioned in other threads, my background is that I am a Graduate Gemologist, former board member of the Independent Jewelers Organization, former member of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers, and owner of a brick and mortar fine jewelry store for 40 years.  I don't say this to try to one-up any of you other sellers, who I very much respect.  It's just that I shouldn't have to be explained by eBay what is fine jewelry and what isn't.  Guidelines should at least make common sense.

On a couple of threads I have posted my suggestions.  But certainly any solid karat gold jewelry or solid platinum/palladium jewelry is fine jewelry by any standard.  I would advocate for reclassifying silver jewelry (including vermeil) into a new category.  This would streamline and clean up the category and make it easier to navigate and find what buyers are looking for.  IMHO, five dollar fine jewelry just doesn't exist.

Fully disclose any gemstone treatments as much as known.  Make sure that unknown gemstones or gemstone treatments are clearly stated as such.  Make sure any synthetic/lab created/simulated gem is shown as such in the title.  This stuff just isn't that hard to understand. 

We should all have the same goal here...help buyers have a good experience so as to grow sales.  Buyers that spend endless hours and can't find what they want, or those that get burned by fraudsters won't be back.  Good guidelines will help buyers, ethical sellers, and eBay alike.

[flipping_treasures]

If anyone really believes that these "new rules" are going help buyers find "natural stones" and will end up helping grow sales, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you, CHEAP!

All this is going to do is allow the sellers who are already listing their items unethically a clearer path to their victims, because those of us that are being as truthful as we can be selling in some cases 3rd and 4th hand items will simply have to list everything in fashion jewelry.  We will have to because we don't have the degrees or equipment to list items with as a "natural stone that hasn't been heat treated, lab grown, or enhanced in some way along the line". 

I have a Presidium Gem Tester, that cost a pretty penny for a small seller.  It will tell me if items are glass or a real diamond, but not if the stone I am testing is lab grown or heat treated.  I have a gold tester and acids to help ID the gold or silver content of a metal, but what good is that if I can't ID the type of stone that is in the setting? 

No, these new rules for listing jewelry ARE NOT going to benefit either the ethical seller or buyer, it's just going to limit the buyers' choices of available sellers.  And by the way, once a buyer has bought a piece, how are they going to tell if it IS a natural stone?  Oh, yeah, they are just going to have to take the sellers word for it, right?  I suppose they could take it to a gemologist and have it examined and pay them for the examination.  I'm sure the buyers will be more than happy to do that. 

[jenpicked]

Ebay has been my only job for almost 20 years.  And I have four full time employees, who also rely 100% on their job with me (on ebay) for their families.  Needless to say, we do not take changes lightly on ebay.  

Once again, ebay has made a major classification change, without consulting a single person in the actual jewelry industry.  Obviously, ebay has zero knowledge of the jewelry industry themselves....which is OK, that is why successful companies all over the world use consultants in other areas for help with such matters.

For instance, does ebay not realize that many MAJOR jewelry companies use simulated stones all the time?  Companies that work with solid K gold and solid sterling.  On items that cost upwards of tens of thousands of dollars.  So, guys all of your Judith Ripka, and Pandora, and Konstantino, and Dior, etc etc etc.  

In fact, I just did a search for "Sapphire ring", and it auto defaulted into the fine jewelry category.  Which means that anyone searching for your Lab Created sapphire 14k solid gold ring......will never find it.  It will in essence totally disappear when searched. 

This is a huge mistake ebay.  Ask LITERALLY ANYONE from any successful jewelry company, or LITERALLY ANYONE in the jewelry retail industry.

[donsdetour]

"Ebay has been my only job for almost 20 years. And I have four full time employees, who also rely 100% on their job with me (on ebay) for their families. Needless to say, we do not take changes lightly on ebay. "

Advise you to diversify your system to include other locations....All eggs in one basket is not a good thing.

As for the rest of your post, yep its a mess with the search.... and it is running of BUYERS.

[evelyb30]

At least, for now, they're keeping their mitts off vintage jewelry.  Art deco diamond jewelry routinely had synthetic colored accent stones.   Czech jewelers regularly used glass garnet simulants mixed in with real ones in sterling and gold settings.  Neither belongs in costume jewelry, but guess where the'd land.  How we'd be supposed to know what was done to a gem 75 years ago or more I have no idea. 

If they mess with vintage all of us should probably just pack up and go home. There won't be any point. 

[dream*peddler]

They've already messed with vintage by dropping so many of the specifics that used to pertain to what we sell.  I don't know why ebay doesn't embrace what it is - a secondary market for just about anything.   If ebay would only stop re-inventing itself, it would shine for what it started out to be, which was a secondary re-seller/buyer, market.  No shame in selling/buying/recycling used goods, but ebay wants to be that company that sells designer watches, high end sneakers, and now they are advertising The Vault for trading cards and collectibles.  

One of the most glaringly overlooked item specifics in the fine jewelry category is weight.  Almost everyone that buys precious metals wants to know the weight, yet there is no item specific for that.  Ebay should have reviewed their best (not highest numbers) but their best sellers in each category and asked for their advice.  The fact that they left out a "Weight" specific tells me they didn't.

As a side note, I hate the phrase, "Fashion Jewelry."  It conjures up that cheap carp attached to cards in the 50 cent bargain bin of any 5 & 10 that reads, "Fashion Jewelry 😀."  I like "Costume Jewelry" much better, but that's a personal preference and you have to choose your battles and I have a feeling that will never change.

[evelyb30]

I"ve never gotten that one either.  If a piece is big enough for metal weight to figure into the price, weight has to be mentioned. I try not to sell silver on eBay and would rather melt gold than sell it here unless it's vintage. It's safer.  (the vintage goes to an antique dealer who loves jewelry) 

[vintagecraze50]

The biggest problem with this new guideline is that people will put fine sterling silver and solid gold items in a fashion jewelry category where THEY DO NOT BELONG with 500, 000 ,000 pieces of junk jewelry because it may not have a natural gem in it.  Yes, THIS IS NOT CORRECT.  WHAT is CORRECT IS THAT THE seller SPECIFY in the listing specifics and title if the stone in the item is lab created, or synthetic. Even then, anyone can just check off natural on the gem specifics and still get away with selling a not natural gem. 

[vintagecraze50]

The only way they could even possibly try to enforce the proper listing of a natural gem would be to require the seller to provide a GIA certified certificate showing the gemologists name and contact info. This report photographed and posted on the listing. They cannot do that probably because  they would then loose a lot of listings because most will not go through the expense and trouble of doing a GIA certified report.