Consumers are feeling more optimistic about their present situation while the short-term future remains a little scary.
Sapphire Co. Exec Charged with Forging Judge’s Signature
The president of New York City-based The Natural Sapphire Company allegedly forged the signature on counterfeit court orders to remove online reviews.
New York--The president of one New York City sapphire company is being charged with forging a federal judge’s signature to help repair his business’s reputation online.
The Natural Sapphire Company is a third generation jeweler in Manhattan specializing in pieces featuring the corundum. The company made headlines in early 2011 when President Michael Arnstein said sales had increased exponentially thanks to Kate Middleton’s sapphire engagement ring.
Since then, the company has been fighting fake negative reviews online.
In July 2011, The Natural Sapphire Company filed a lawsuit against Mumbai-based Transpacific Software, a web design and software development company, and its founder, Prashant Telang, for cybersquatting and defamation.
The jewelry company had hired Telang to design its website at TheNaturalSapphireCompany.com and to purchase a number of domains on its behalf in 2004, the same year it changed its name from Natural Sapphire Company to The Natural Sapphire Company and moved its business to operating almost solely online.
In January 2011, it terminated its relationship with Telang due to his “failure to cooperate and to perform his duties as required.”
Shortly after that, Telang changed the contact information listed under the domain’s registration, the July 2011 complaint stated, and the company’s website “repeatedly became disabled … as a result of Telang’s attempts to harass Natural Sapphire Company, disrupt and disparage its business and extort money from the company,” court papers state.
After seizing control of the website, The Natural Sapphire Company claimed that Telang was using the domain name to redirect to a website listing links to forums where Telang, posing as a customer, posted false and disparaging reviews of the company. He also sent the company emails taunting them about his actions and how many potential customers they were losing as a result.
According to court documents, Telang asked for $100,000 to stop the harassment and return the domain to the company.
The Natural Sapphire Company’s case against Telang was settled in 2012 when U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan ordered Transpacific to take down at least 54 fake reviews across a number of review and consumer advocacy websites such as ScamInformer.com, PissedConsumer.com and RipoffReport.com.
Now it is Arnstein who is facing a court case, as federal prosecutors have filed a complaint alleging that the jeweler took matters into his own hands to remove reviews beyond those ordered by the judge.
A complaint filed in March in U.S. District Court for
According to the court papers filed in the case, in October 2014, Arnstein instructed an individual at his company to create a counterfeit judicial order by digitally altering the real one. He then allegedly emailed a copy of the counterfeit order to Google, requesting that the company remove certain URLs from its search results.
In the criminal complaint, the U.S. Attorney’s office also provided examples of email correspondence from Arnstein to various individuals including one that read: “No bullshit: if I could do it all over again I would have found another court order injunction for removal of links (probably something that can be found online pretty easily), made changes in Photoshop to show the links that I wanted removed and then sent to ‘removals@google.com’ as a pdf--showing the court order docket number, the judges [sic] signature--but with the new links put in.”
According to the complaint, Google received at least 10 more emails between Jan. 19, 2015, and Feb. 10, 2017, with forged orders to remove links and the forged signature of Judge Nathan, who signed Arnstein’s initial judgment in 2012.
Arnstein was arrested on April 17 and went before U.S. Magistrate Barbara Moses that afternoon. He was released on his own recognizance.
According to court documents, a preliminary hearing in the case is set to take place May 17.
When contacted by National Jeweler, Arnstein’s lawyer, Steven Brounstein, emphasized that the case has nothing to do with the company’s reputation with real clients, and added that Arnstein was “clearly victimized” in the case involving Telang and his company.
(Telang and his company have no connection to the current case against Arnstein, and Telang noted via email that he has had no contact with Arnstein or his company since 2012.)
Arnstein is pleading not guilty.
“Our legal team looks forward to working with the Justice Department so we can present the extraordinary mitigating circumstances that led to these charges,” he told National Jeweler. “Our company has been through a tremendous challenge, which we are sure will be of great interest to many trade professionals and internet-based businesses. We cannot make any further comment until we have further discussions with Justice Department on this case.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated post-publication to add a statement from Transpacific’s Prashant Telang.
The Latest

The company, which organizes a watch show in Geneva every spring, will bring a selection of watch brands to the 2026 Couture show in Vegas.

“The Modern Guide to Vintage Jewellery” follows the evolution of jewelry design from the ‘30s to the ‘80s with buying and styling advice.

For her annual Halloween story, Senior Editor Lenore Fedow explores the symbolism behind spiders, beetles, and other eerie insects.


Notable jewelry designers, members of the press, and retailers are up for an award at next year’s gala.

Leaders from Jewelers of America and National Jeweler discuss the gold price, tariffs, and more in this one-hour webinar.

From sunlit whites to smoky whiskeys, introduce your clients to extraordinary diamonds in colors as unique as their love.

After experiencing motherhood, growth, and loss, founder and designer Erin Sachse has created 10 irreplaceable jewels.

It is part of Sotheby’s “Royal & Noble Jewels” sale along with an ornate hair ornament and an old mine-cut light pink diamond ring.

The retailer, which has faced struggling sales in recent quarters, is looking to streamline its operations.

Hill Management Group will oversee, market, and produce next year’s spring show.

London-based investment firm Pemberton Asset Management acquired the auction house for an undisclosed amount.

The workshop will give attendees the chance to try out and ask questions about three different diamond verification instruments.

Founder and designer Rosanna Fiedler looked to a vintage Cartier clutch when designing the sunlight-inspired drop earrings.

The luxury conglomerates faced a challenging Q3 amid geopolitical and economic tensions.

The struggling diamond mining company, which owns the historic Cullinan mine, has launched a rights issue to raise about $25 million.

The book details the journey of watches as symbols of hard-earned success in hip-hop for artists like 2Pac, Jay-Z, and more.

Alexis Vourvoulis, who most recently worked at Tiffany & Co., brings more than two decades of jewelry experience to her new role.

The superstar’s August engagement put the stamp of approval on an already hot engagement ring trend.

Retailers should offer classic styles with a twist that are a perfect fit for layered looks, experts say.

The nearly 7-carat fancy vivid purplish pink diamond could sell for around $9 million.

The retailer’s new collection of engagement rings and fashion jewelry is set with natural diamonds that are traceable via blockchain.

Chief Artistic Officer Nathalie Verdeille has reimagined the iconic design in both figurative and abstract creations.

Five dollars buys one vote toward an industry professional you want to see dressed up as a hero, or a villain, this Halloween.

Recently acquired by KIL Promotions, the November edition of the public show in San Mateo, California, will be held Nov. 7-9.

The stone’s two zones, one pink and one colorless, may have formed at two different times, the lab said.






















