Man Takes Home Fake Display Earrings Instead of the Real Ones Worth $4,000

Gold jewelry diamond shop with rings and necklaces luxury retail store window display showcase

A San Diego man has narrowly avoided the dog house after he accidentally took home the fake display earrings after purchasing a pair of $4,300 1-and-a-half carat diamond earrings for his wife from a Carlsbad, California Costco store.

Jeff Ladman said he was looking for a gift to show his wife how much he appreciated all she did for him and their triplet sons, who he said are all on the Autism spectrum. He told NBC L.A. that after some family money came his way earlier this year, he decided to go to the Costco and bought the earrings right out of the display counter.

"I had no idea that they were not real in the display case anyway,” said Ladman.

Fortunately, a Costco employee noticed the error and called Ladman on Tuesday, telling him they had accidentally sold him fake diamond earrings by mistake. The error was reportedly discovered during an audit of the jewelry counter's section.

"They said they made a mistake and we want to make it right. In fact, that they were the fake display ones, and they had the real ones," he said.

Ladman said his wife had been wearing the fake earrings every day for the last two months and was given a new appraisal and the real earrings. Just to be sure, he took the new earrings to an outside appraiser to make sure he got the genuine deal this time.

Ladman was upset at first about the mistake, but eventually let it go, chalking it all up to a mistake.

"It’s just a mistake, I make them four or five times a day, more if you talk to my wife," Ladman said, laughing. "Having triplets teaches you to be patient and to breathe, I thought it was super cool."

Fake diamonds are created in a lab and do not have inclusions or color. After a year or two of regular use, the fake diamonds can show wear and tear.

"I just wanted to do something nice for my wife because she has to put up with me and the boys," he added.


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content