eBay

santamonicajeweler · ‎05-18-2022

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”).

donsdetour · ‎05-19-2022

End result of this will be plain gold plated marked 925 china junk in that category,

You know the stuff: I don't even test the stuff due to its junk....

This switch to item specific searches is a mess: destroying the category search was a bad idea.

And then no hits on item you list: well if a buyer cant find it how they going to look or purchase it.....

In other words this mess is just going to get worse...

santamonicajeweler · ‎05-19-2022

There has been decades of cheating going on in this category. These changes are so primitive and obscure which makes me wonder if they are designed to benefit the Gold-plated Silver jewelry market. It's very sad when I see thousands of Listings from foreign or domestic Sellers titled; '14K gold Over' skipping 'Silver'. What's '14K Over' ?

It's like handful of unaware people are deciding our daily struggle to post items on eBay. Maybe, they're doing this on purpose to provide an edge for Far-east Sellers. I don't know!

This category change benefits Re-crystallised Gemstones as well. CVD(Chemical Vapor Deposition) Diamonds could be listed as Diamonds.

These are not Lab created Gemstones or Diamonds but all of these stones are 'lab grown'. The base product is real, so, good luck figuring that out!

At the end of the day, Buyers will lose money by these category changes. Dishonest Sellers are provided with a clear path to fit themselves in.

Very sad,

Fight will go on

retrobiz · ‎05-19-2022

When I first started listing jewelry on ebay, nothing led me through a process where I had to review the guidelines. I guess I got lucky because 'gold over' anything isn't fine jewelry to me. But with the implementation of the new guidelines for Fine Jewelry, I think I need to read the guidelines for lots of categories. Common sense doesn't seem to play a part in them.

I still wonder about odd things like pearls. Is a pearl considered a gemstone in a ring? If it's cultured, its that considered man made? Freshwater pearls are usually easy, salt water pearls are not, especially old ones. And you have to x-ray a vintage salt water pearl to see if it's real or man made. Sort of the same problem you run into with lab-created gems. If it's not considered a gemstone, does that mean you can post a 14k brooch with a fake pearl under fine jewelry? My head is still swirling with different scenarios that could mislead people.

If ebay used jewelry industry standards, it would help. For instance, 14k means if you melt the object down, 58.5% of the melt must be real gold. That would take care of the 'gold over' junk people. Even the old standards for gold filled are better than this.

vintagecraze50 · ‎05-19-2022

This is totally confusing. I cannot understand this policy completely yet. Simulated gemstones are cheap and not made the same way as lab created which have the same properties as natural. When I read the policy it looks like they want to exclude even the lab created gems with a solid gold or sterling setting from the fine category, then I read down further and it says SIMULATED will be moved to the fashion category. Somebody from Ebay needs to clarify this on these posts.

vintagecraze50 · ‎05-19-2022

Yeah the problem with this is that I would be forced to put my FINE Jewelry solid 10k 12k 14k sterling in a category with 10 million foreign sellers faking their descriptions anyway. I see a lot of this junkola stuff on here.

vintagecraze50 · ‎05-19-2022

The guideline should be to require that sellers indicate whether a gem is natural or lab created in the listing title and the item specifics to be clear to the buyer that the stone is lab created. Simulated gems, well, yes probably need to be in the fashion category regardless of solid 10k 12k 14k setting etc, but still, you are putting a solid gold or silver piece in a category with a heap of junk. That does not make sense.

vintagecraze50 · ‎05-19-2022

So, I guess they will have to be looking in the fashion jewelry category to buy a solid gold ring. What a messed up policy. Just because it does not have a NATURAL gem.

stacy_1971 · ‎05-22-2022

My problem is a plain sterling silver ring goes in the fine category, because it is a fine metal right? (Same thing for say 14K gold)..... but if it has a simulated stone, it makes it fashion category? OH..... And a sterling silver ring, with 14K gold plating is every bit as fine as a regular sterling silver ring..... what if the sterling silver is rhodium plated??? My biggest problem with ALL of this is that I am NOT a gemologist! I don't know the difference between a natural Ruby, a lab Ruby, a dyed Ruby..... This guideline is expecting all of us to go to college now?? This new guidelines is a dumpster fire. I am highly dissatisfied with this announcement. Too bad we can't leave feedback for ebay decisions. I hope someone higher up fixes this.

flipping_treasures · ‎05-23-2022

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.

Though the beauty may be in the butterfly, the struggle and growth occur in the cocoon.

idealgems1 · ‎05-23-2022

They are making it way more complicated than it needs to be. Solid gold, platinum, and palladium jewelry should be "fine jewelry" by any standard. Sterling silver and vermeil jewelry does not belong in fine jewelry. If we could eliminate all of the "sterling silver layered in solid gold..." crap, that would allow buyers looking for fine jewelry a chance to find it without wasting time and getting frustrated (and then going to a different site).

Create a new category for sterling silver so as to differentiate between it and cheap plated costume jewelry. Voila; you have a simple, easy to understand and easy to police system.

vintagecraze50 · ‎05-23-2022

They are truly trying here to get people to not list a gem as a natural gem if you have no idea what you are dealing with and that’s fine except it is NOT going to stop people from just saying that it is in order to avoid this because you can just click natural and there you go. Yes, you are right. Most experienced jewelers have no idea whether a gem is lab created or natural UNLESS, they employ a certified gemologist with all the fancy testing equipment scopes, refractory indexes, blah blah, and they charge about 100 bucks for an evaluation. SO, if you I cannot spend the money for an evaluation you need to list it as lab created just to be safe, at a lower price of course, or a really HIGH price with the eval.

idealgems1 · ‎05-23-2022

That's all well and good. Don't say it's natural unless you know it is, should be a given. My problem is that since I am a Graduate Gemologist and know a particular natural gem is treated, I have to say "treated" in my title, and the hundreds of sellers that only know their gem is natural but have no idea that it is also treated are not going to say "treated" in their title. Which listing is going to get more views?

don-franciscos-sister · ‎05-27-2022

Totally agree! I’m working on my GG, and have been buying and selling jewellery with gemstones for decades. For high-value pieces, I do get an appraisal, but I’m not selling those pieces here. For lower-value pieces, all I can do is give them my best (informed!) take.