CrimeMar 20, 2023
Jewelry Crime Reached Record Level in 2022, JSA SaysCrimeApr 12, 2023
Customs Seizes $4.4M Worth of Counterfeit Jewelry
CBP officers in Louisville, Kentucky, uncovered fake Tiffany & Co., Van Cleef & Arpels, and Chanel jewelry.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Louisville, Kentucky, uncovered shipments containing more than 2,700 pieces of counterfeit jewelry.
Louisville, Ky.—U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Louisville, Kentucky, uncovered 2,760 pieces of counterfeit jewelry in a 24-hour period, a haul that would be worth more than $4.4 million if genuine.
On April 3, officers seized two shipments originating from Hong Kong and heading to two different recipients in Jeffersonville, Indiana.
One contained 400 bracelets while the second shipment had 993 jewelry sets, all bearing “suspect” Van Cleef & Arpels trademarks, said CBP.
The officers shared documentation and photographs with its trade experts at the Consumer Products and Mass Merchandising Center of Excellence and Expertise (CEE), who determined the jewelry was fake.
If genuine, the pieces would have been worth $3.7 million.
On April 4, another shipment was halted, this time originating in Hong Kong and heading to a residence in Cleveland, Ohio.
Inside the parcel, officers found 1,367 counterfeit pendants with “suspect” marks from Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Fendi, Yves Saint Laurent, Tiffany & Co., Versace, Givenchy, Dolce & Gabbana, and MCM.
There were also jewels with “suspect” New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers marks.
CEE experts once again found the items were not authentic. If real, the value would total more than $710,000.
Related stories will be right here …
On April 3, officers seized two shipments originating from Hong Kong and heading to two different recipients in Jeffersonville, Indiana.
One contained 400 bracelets while the second shipment had 993 jewelry sets, all bearing “suspect” Van Cleef & Arpels trademarks, said CBP.
The officers shared documentation and photographs with its trade experts at the Consumer Products and Mass Merchandising Center of Excellence and Expertise (CEE), who determined the jewelry was fake.
If genuine, the pieces would have been worth $3.7 million.
On April 4, another shipment was halted, this time originating in Hong Kong and heading to a residence in Cleveland, Ohio.
Inside the parcel, officers found 1,367 counterfeit pendants with “suspect” marks from Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Fendi, Yves Saint Laurent, Tiffany & Co., Versace, Givenchy, Dolce & Gabbana, and MCM.
There were also jewels with “suspect” New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers marks.
CEE experts once again found the items were not authentic. If real, the value would total more than $710,000.
All three of the packages were given to Homeland Security Investigations, and an investigation is ongoing, said CBP.
In a statement, Louisville Port Director Thomas Mahn highlighted the importance of protecting intellectual property to the U.S. economy.
“No one buys a luxury brand piece of jewelry expecting it to fail or fall apart,” he said. “As consumers increasingly purchase from online or third-party vendors, our officers are at the frontline to guard against defrauders expecting to make money selling fake merchandise.”
LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director of field operations at the Chicago Field Office, echoed his sentiment.
“Substandard and illegal products harm the U.S. economy and the health and safety of consumers,” she said. “Once again our CBP officers at the Port of Louisville have demonstrated their exceptional skill and superior commodity expertise.”
In fiscal 2022, CBP said it seized more than 24.5 million items that violated intellectual property rights. If genuine, the items would have been worth nearly $3 billion.
CBP has an educational initiative available online to educate consumers about the dangers surrounding counterfeit goods.
More on Crime
The Latest
Supplier BulletinNov 21, 2024
Tasha R Releases 2025 Labbelle Lab Diamond Jewelry CatalogSponsored by Tasha R
AuctionsNov 21, 2024
Gold Watch Gifted to Titanic Rescue Ship Captain Sells for $2MThree Titanic survivors presented him with the personalized Tiffany & Co. timepiece about a year after the tragedy.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Harris Jewelry Ordered to Reopen Claims Portal for Refund RequestsA federal court found that the jewelry store chain violated terms of the settlement reached after it was accused of defrauding customers.
Brought to you by
Navigating Cybersecurity: Essential Guidance for JewelersFrom protecting customer data to safeguarding inventory records, it's crucial to learn how to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
CollectionsNov 21, 2024
Channel Elphaba in Muse’s ‘Have a Heart x Cynthia Erivo’ CollectionCynthia Erivo chose Dreams of Hope, an organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQA+ youth, as the charity for this year’s collection.
Weekly QuizNov 21, 2024
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Rocksbox Opens Pop-Up Store in San FranciscoThe new space was designed to evoke a warm, inviting vibe.
IndependentsNov 21, 2024
Mary Moses Kinney Is Now Part of The Edge’s Team Kinney, who spent nearly 30 years at IJO, has been hired to head Abbott Jewelry Systems’ new virtual marketplace.
Brought to you by
Enhance Your Expertise with IGI’s In-Person Courses in NYCThis fall, sharpen your skills in jewelry grading, quality control and diamond assessment.
Events & AwardsNov 20, 2024
Kering Debuts New Jewelry Award With Sustainability FocusThe four finalists will present their pieces at the 2025 JCK Las Vegas show.
CollectionsNov 20, 2024
Pamela Love Channels Surrealist Artists in New CollectionThe “Camera Oscura” collection showcases earring designs celebrating female Surrealist artists Claude Cahun and Leonor Fini.
Policies & IssuesNov 20, 2024
Columbia Gem House Raises $10K for Reforestation EffortsThe money will fund the planting of 10,000 trees in critical areas across Oregon, Arizona, Montana, and other regions.
Events & AwardsNov 20, 2024
The Jewelry Symposium Opens Registration, Scholarship ApplicationsThe event centered on advancing jewelry manufacturing technology will return to Detroit in May 2025.
AuctionsNov 19, 2024
‘A Tsar’s Treasure’ Fetches $2.9M at Sotheby’s Jewelry SaleA collection of pieces owned by Ferdinand I, the first king of modern Bulgaria, and his family, blew away estimates in Geneva last week.
MajorsNov 19, 2024
Trove Opens First US Flagship in NYCThe Australian jewelry box brand’s new West Village store will showcase new jewelers each month through its Designer in Residence program.
CollectionsNov 19, 2024
Snoop Dogg’s New Jewelry Collection Is All About Love“Lovechild” was created in partnership with Carolyn Rafaelian’s Metal Alchemist brand.
EditorsNov 18, 2024
Q&A: Helzberg CEO Brad Hampton on the Jeweler’s RebrandHampton discussed how Helzberg is improving the customer experience and why it was inspired by the company formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts.
Policies & IssuesNov 18, 2024
Reciprocity Jewels Returns to NYC Jewelry WeekThe group will host several curated events and an exhibition of designer jewelry made with Peruvian gold traceable to the miners’ names.
CollectionsNov 18, 2024
Dolly Parton Shines in Collaboration with Kendra ScottThe collection honors the 50th anniversary of Dolly Parton’s “Love is Like a Butterfly” song, which shares a birth year with Kendra Scott.
Events & AwardsNov 18, 2024
IGI Jewelry Design Competition ReturnsThis year’s theme asks designers to take inspiration from classic fairy tales.
EditorsNov 15, 2024
Why Fine Jewelry Belongs at New York Comic ConSenior Editor Lenore Fedow makes the case for why more jewelers should be appealing to nerds at the annual event.
CollectionsNov 15, 2024
Marie Lichtenberg Battles Counterfeits with New ‘Raiz’in Scapular’ DesignsThe latest “Raiz’in” drop showcases a newly designed “Scapular” necklace and donates a portion of the proceeds to Make-A-Wish France.
WatchesNov 15, 2024
Piece of the Week: Citizen’s Commemorative Pocket WatchNo. 1 out of 100, the timepiece was created to mark Citizen’s 100th anniversary and will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s next month.
Recorded WebinarsNov 15, 2024
Watch: 10 Tips to Keep Your Jewelry Store Secure On the latest episode of “My Next Question,” two experts share best practices for store security during the holidays and year-round.
AuctionsNov 14, 2024
18th-Century Diamond Necklace Sells for Nearly $5M Sotheby’s sold the necklace, which potentially has ties to Marie-Antoinette, for $4.8 million to a woman bidding via phone.
MajorsNov 14, 2024
Saks Fifth Avenue Cancels Holiday Light DisplayInstead of its usual elaborate display, the store will illuminate its façade and frame the windows to highlight its flagship’s architecture.
WatchesNov 14, 2024
Grand Seiko Partners With Ben Bridge on First Hawaii Store The new Grand Seiko boutique is located in Honolulu’s Waikiki neighborhood.
SourcingNov 13, 2024
Gem Legacy Adventures Announces 2025 Trip Eleven spots are available for travelers to visit Northern Tanzania and Southern Kenya from July 25 to Aug. 4.
