Problem with Shay Jewelry

[chere]

I'm planning to take all of my other pieces purchased from Shay jewelry to a jeweler sometime this month. I'm very interested (and scared, honestly) to find out what the materials really are.

Everything I own from Shay jewelry:
18.5ctw diamond tennis necklace (77k)
diamond pave medium link choker (33k)
diamond pave mini link choker (15k)
3 pave diamond marquise drop mini link chokers (170k)
pink sapphire pave mini link choker (8k)
diamond pave mini link bracelet (8k)
pink sapphire heart pave mini link bracelet (11k)
2 diamond pave essential link bracelets (42k)
diamond pave geo link bracelet (27k)



a total of over 400k in merchandise including tax

I've been a loyal customer of theirs for a long, long time, almost seven years, which is why I trusted them repeatedly with the tennis bracelet despite evidence that I shouldn't have.

In my opinion, it makes this situation of receiving the wrong carat weight and then the wrong diamond color honestly seem even crazier. Why would they risk losing a customer who has spent that much money with their company - unless, they've been doing this all along and I just never knew?

I'm starting to get seriously concerned that the above items I purchased are not what they were described to be.

Good call. I highly recommend using a Jewelry Appraiser who only does appraisals and they do not sell jewelry.

I hope your pieces are insured.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I'm planning to take all of my other pieces purchased from Shay jewelry to a jeweler sometime this month. I'm very interested (and scared, honestly) to find out what the materials really are.

Everything I own from Shay jewelry:
18.5ctw diamond tennis necklace (77k)
diamond pave medium link choker (33k)
diamond pave mini link choker (15k)
3 pave diamond marquise drop mini link chokers (170k)
pink sapphire pave mini link choker (8k)
diamond pave mini link bracelet (8k)
pink sapphire heart pave mini link bracelet (11k)
2 diamond pave essential link bracelets (42k)
diamond pave geo link bracelet (27k)



a total of over 400k in merchandise including tax

I've been a loyal customer of theirs for a long, long time, almost seven years, which is why I trusted them repeatedly with the tennis bracelet despite evidence that I shouldn't have.

In my opinion, it makes this situation of receiving the wrong carat weight and then the wrong diamond color honestly seem even crazier. Why would they risk losing a customer who has spent that much money with their company - unless, they've been doing this all along and I just never knew?

I'm starting to get seriously concerned that the above items I purchased are not what they were described to be.

I shall be holding my breath with you

lets just hope what happened with the purchase in question was a one off for you caused by some recent process change / error

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

"I do, however, appreciate that they finally agreed to a full refund and I give them credit for that."

You are too kind.

I wonder if they have fired the person or persons involved in this unfunny comedy of errors?

No
I bet not
I reacon those kind of people that make those kind of mistakes get away with it and some other guy is the fall guy

 

[glitterbomb]

Good call. I highly recommend using a Jewelry Appraiser who only does appraisals and they do not sell jewelry.

I hope your pieces are insured.

An appraiser is a good idea. A jeweler might have their own self-interest and motive to not be entirely truthful.

I do have insurance. The insurance policy I use only requires appraisal or a receipt if you have to file a claim, which I luckily have never had to do. I'm not sure they would cover a claim that what I purchased wasn't what I received though

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I'm planning to take all of my other pieces purchased from Shay jewelry to a jeweler sometime this month. I'm very interested (and scared, honestly) to find out what the materials really are.

Everything I own from Shay jewelry:
18.5ctw diamond tennis necklace (77k)
diamond pave medium link choker (33k)
diamond pave mini link choker (15k)
3 pave diamond marquise drop mini link chokers (170k)
pink sapphire pave mini link choker (8k)
diamond pave mini link bracelet (8k)
pink sapphire heart pave mini link bracelet (11k)
2 diamond pave essential link bracelets (42k)
diamond pave geo link bracelet (27k)



a total of over 400k in merchandise including tax

I've been a loyal customer of theirs for a long, long time, almost seven years, which is why I trusted them repeatedly with the tennis bracelet despite evidence that I shouldn't have.

In my opinion, it makes this situation of receiving the wrong carat weight and then the wrong diamond color honestly seem even crazier. Why would they risk losing a customer who has spent that much money with their company - unless, they've been doing this all along and I just never knew?

I'm starting to get seriously concerned that the above items I purchased are not what they were described to be.

Please don't take them to another jeweler. I think you need an independent appraiser. Obviously you don't want to disclose where you live, but two well known and highly respected appraisers used by many PSers are David Atlas and Neil Beaty. You can find them and other appraisers here:

Appraisers Archive

If you're looking for a trustworthy jeweler then you've found the right place. We have compiled a comprehensive lists of jewelers all over the world.

www.pricescope.com

If you want to name a large city close to you, you may get some references, too. Some of those prices sound really high, so it is very important that they are the quality that was represented to you. I hope all that is written on receipts in case there is a discrepancy.

 

[LilAlex]

a total of over 400k in merchandise including tax

Is this US dollars? I am not seeing $400K of value there. Caveat: I am not a diamond or chain expert.

And $77K for an 18.5-ct tennis necklace? Others can help. I count ~ 75 stones => ~ 0.25 ct each and in a near-commercial grade, that should be closer to 1/3 the price (+ the cost of making the necklace -- which may be exquisite; I can not tell). (Based on the rest of your experience, I am not assuming that these are super-high-color, near-flawless, etc., but rather H/SI-ish.)

How many grams of gold?

The repeated "errors" on your latest purchase -- when they should already be chastened -- makes me think this is more of a "proceed until apprehended" business model than an honest mistake.

I think you would benefit from branching out. You do own some lovely things!

GIA can batch-grade stones in a line or tennis bracelet; I think it would be worth the peace-of-mind next time.

EDIT: I think an appraisal will just drive you nuts. It will be 2X - 4X inflated depending on whether this is valued as vintage or replacement, etc. I do not see peace-of-mind coming from that.

 

[glitterbomb]

Is this US dollars? I am not seeing $400K of value there. Caveat: I am not a diamond or chain expert.

And $77K for an 18.5-ct tennis necklace? Others can help. I count ~ 75 stones => ~ 0.25 ct each and in a near-commercial grade, that should be closer to 1/3 the price (+ the cost of making the necklace -- which may be exquisite; I can not tell). (Based on the rest of your experience, I am not assuming that these are super-high-color, near-flawless, etc., but rather H/SI-ish.)

How many grams of gold?

The repeated "errors" on your latest purchase -- when they should already be chastened -- makes me think this is more of a "proceed until apprehended" business model than an honest mistake.

I think you would benefit from branching out. You do own some lovely things!

GIA can batch-grade stones in a line or tennis bracelet; I think it would be worth the peace-of-mind next time.

Yes, USD. I linked to the items. Their prices are outrageous, I agree. I didn't buy all of it at once, that is the result of nearly seven years of collecting and buying on average two pieces a year. They are a "high end" jewelry brand, that is in stores like Saks Fifth Avenue, Net-A-Porter, Material Good, etc which plays a role in their prices I think. I'm not sure about how many grams of gold are in each piece.

I don't believe they use high quality diamonds after the experience with the tennis bracelet. I agree, the tennis necklace probably is H/SI and I overpaid way too much. They were supposed to be F / VS1 - VS2 diamonds though, as shown in this link here:
https://brokenenglishjewelry.com/co...iamond-tennis-necklace?variant=15793214193699

I agree they probably are operating on a proceed until apprehended business model, which is really appalling.

I like other brands too....VCA, Cartier, Whiteflash to name a few, but yes, I trusted Shay jewelry because of their status and I shouldn't have.

 

[glitterbomb]

lol, I just noticed they have this written for all of their items "All of our stones are natural and untreated which may result in slight variances in color, shape, and size resulting in beautiful one of a kind gems."

Yes, there are high Gs and low Gs, etc, but that doesn't mean a G color diamond can look like a M color.

Knowing what I have been through now, that is a RED ALERT that they have that written for all of their items. So they know they have a problem with quality control, and that customers are not getting the color, shape, size stones that they advertise.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Yes, USD. I linked to the items. Their prices are outrageous, I agree. I didn't buy all of it at once, that is the result of nearly seven years of collecting and buying on average two pieces a year. They are a "high end" jewelry brand, that is in stores like Saks Fifth Avenue, Net-A-Porter, Material Good, etc which plays a role in their prices I think. I'm not sure about how many grams of gold are in each piece.

I don't believe they use high quality diamonds after the experience with the tennis bracelet. I agree, the tennis necklace probably is H/SI and I overpaid way too much. They were supposed to be F / VS1 - VS2 diamonds though, as shown in this link here:
https://brokenenglishjewelry.com/co...iamond-tennis-necklace?variant=15793214193699

I agree they probably are operating on a proceed until apprehended business model, which is really appalling.

I like other brands too....VCA, Cartier, Whiteflash to name a few, but yes, I trusted Shay jewelry because of their status and I shouldn't have.

I am feeling really nervous for you
i mean thats a tonn of money in antibodies language

I mean ive over paid horrendously down the mall and that's bad enough but i am trully appalled this has happened to you from a trusted vendor of yours

 

[chere]

If I was in your position, I would stop posting on Pricescope and social media until I got the pieces appraised and I spoke to my lawyer.

Good luck!

 

[glitterbomb]

Their pave pieces don't say what color or clarity diamonds they are supposed to be made with. Their larger diamonds, like the marquise, and the diamonds in the tennis necklace, are supposed to be F & VS1 - VS2. I doubt that they are. I guess LilAlex is right and there really is no point to an appraisal at this stage in the game, most of these pieces were purchased years and years ago and I don't think I have much, if any, recourse even if I found out they were deceptive with these pieces too. I think I will just move on, and not buy anything from Shay Jewelry ever again, which is what I was planning to do regardless after what happened with the tennis bracelet.

It does really bother me though to think they might be deceiving customers with every single item and that their entire brand is a sham.

 

[LilAlex]

I like other brands too....VCA, Cartier, Whiteflash to name a few, but yes, I trusted Shay jewelry because of their status and I shouldn't have.

I may have been overstating for effect. All jewelry costs way more than its intrinsic value. Hop over to the "5 pieces you meet in H_ll" thread for our way-worse-than-yours diamond studs.

For Cartier and VCA, they use very high-quality elements to go with their outstanding design.

I agree that it is a sunk cost. Nothing to do there. You have appropriately gotten plenty of joy out of them over the years -- and they are pieces to be proud of. IANAL, but I envision that there is no legal recourse here. "Gem grading is subjective." Every single piece of used camera equipment (my niche) for sale on eBay is "Super-gem++++ AAAAAA like-new" even though they were clearly lugged around in a box of rocks for decades.

 

[glitterbomb]

I may have been overstating for effect. All jewelry costs way more than its intrinsic value. Hop over to the "5 pieces you meet in H_ll" thread for our way-worse-than-yours diamond studs.

For Cartier and VCA, they use very high-quality elements to go with their outstanding design.

I agree that it is a sunk cost. Nothing to do there. You have appropriately gotten plenty of joy out of them over the years -- and they are pieces to be proud of. IANAL, but I envision that there is no legal recourse here. "Gem grading is subjective." Every single piece of used camera equipment (my niche) for sale on eBay is "Super-gem++++ AAAAAA like-new" even though they were clearly lugged around in a box of rocks for decades.

Can you please link me to that thread? I can't find it
Thank you

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Yes, it's sunk cost, BUT...if you have receipts on those larger items that say the carat weight and color/clarity, you have grounds to pursue legal action if there's a significant discrepancy. If all your receipts are vague, such as 10 ct diamond necklace in 18k gold, then you're likely out of luck.

 

[junebug17]

It's up to you @glitterbomb...Idk, I'm not sure I'd have the energy to get into a legal battle with this company, I'm guessing you'd have to hire and pay a lawyer. I'm not even sure how you'd go about it. But I'm old and tired lol. I guess it depends on how much it's going to bother you, and if you feel you have the time and energy to devote to the process.

 

[yssie]

@glitterbomb. Oh honey I’m sorry. I just caught up on a number of your threads and right now I just feel so bad for you. That’s a lot of money - but more than that, even, it’s so much #relationship and #trust to now be questioning… I would feel so betrayed. Just feeling like you have to question it is a betrayal unto itself.

Please take diamondseeker2006’s suggestion and contact either Neil Beaty or David Atlas. You can explain everything - your background with the company and the latest tennis bracelet debacles, and they won’t take advantage of your honesty. They’ll be able to help you figure out what you’ve got, and if you’re not happy with what you learn, they’ll be able to make suggestions re. what you might do about it.

 

[LilAlex]

Can you please link me to that thread? I can't find it

Only because you asked; I think I was the only one dumb enough to post :

The 5 pieces you would leave behind

Someone in the Top 5 Jewelry Staples thread said we needed a thread on the five pieces we would leave behind. https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/top-5-jewelry-staples.273705/page-2#post-5134488 So post away, and tell us why you’re still attached. Top to bottom: Pink bead...

www.pricescope.com

I am not convinced that Shay is a big name. They have a big-name look to their web presence, though. On this forum, I see 10,000 thread titles with "Cartier," 1,400 with "VCA," 400+ with "Heyman," and 5,000 with "Winston." But yours is the only thread title with "Shay" (not a user named Shay) that I can find. Maybe I am doing this wrong? I did not know the name but I am not in your area.

 

[glitterbomb]

Only because you asked; I think I was the only one dumb enough to post :

The 5 pieces you would leave behind

Someone in the Top 5 Jewelry Staples thread said we needed a thread on the five pieces we would leave behind. https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/top-5-jewelry-staples.273705/page-2#post-5134488 So post away, and tell us why you’re still attached. Top to bottom: Pink bead...

www.pricescope.com

I am not convinced that Shay is a big name. They have a big-name look to their web presence, though. On this forum, I see 10,000 thread titles with "Cartier," 1,400 with "VCA," 400+ with "Heyman," and 5,000 with "Winston." But yours is the only thread title with "Shay" (not a user named Shay) that I can find. Maybe I am doing this wrong? I did not know the name but I am not in your area.

Thank you for the link!

Yes, they are nowhere near VCA, Cartier, HW, Tiffany, etc status and fame. They aren't a huge jewelry brand with years and years of history. I don't think they are a big name, but they market themselves as high-end and their prices fall in line with that world, and they are in Saks, Net-A-Porter, Material Good, etc and celebrities like Dua Lipa wear a lot of their jewelry. She probably gets it for free though lol

 

[glitterbomb]

@glitterbomb. Oh honey I’m sorry. I just caught up on a number of your threads and right now I just feel so bad for you. That’s a lot of money - but more than that, even, it’s so much #relationship and #trust to now be questioning… I would feel so betrayed. Just feeling like you have to question it is a betrayal unto itself.

Please take diamondseeker2006’s suggestion and contact either Neil Beaty or David Atlas. You can explain everything - your background with the company and the latest tennis bracelet debacles, and they won’t take advantage of your honesty. They’ll be able to help you figure out what you’ve got, and if you’re not happy with what you learn, they’ll be able to make suggestions re. what you might do about it.

Thank you
I will try to reach out to them

Honestly, it does make me feel sad. I used to really love those pieces of jewelry, and now I feel like the enjoyment of them has been stripped away by this whole experience. I found myself wondering if they are even earth-mined diamonds and 18k gold. Who knows at this point. They most likely are, and that's being paranoid, but after a company that I spent so much money with over a span of seven years would feel it's ok to send me the wrong product twice, and hope I wouldn't notice, I honestly don't know what else they are capable of. It seems they were intentionally lying just to increase their profits and that's so incredibly beyond disturbing. They lost a loyal customer that would have continued being a loyal customer for many more years to come just to make more of a profit on this one bracelet. It seriously doesn't make any sense, unless this is what they do with all of their pieces and somehow no one has noticed until now?? I guess there's still a chance it could be a one-off mistake, but....I just don't see how, when they messed up so many times with this bracelet. They knew they weren't sending me a 15ct bracelet and they also knew they weren't sending me a bracelet made with G color diamonds. There's no way they didn't know.

 

[glitterbomb]

It's up to you @glitterbomb...Idk, I'm not sure I'd have the energy to get into a legal battle with this company, I'm guessing you'd have to hire and pay a lawyer. I'm not even sure how you'd go about it. But I'm old and tired lol. I guess it depends on how much it's going to bother you, and if you feel you have the time and energy to devote to the process.

I grew up around lawyers - a case like this you could hire a lawyer on a contingency basis and pay them a chunk of the settlement once the case settles. It just is a lot of energy and effort and I honestly don't know if it is something I want to go through. I'm sure they have their own legal team on board. They probably would want to settle out of court with a NDA as not to ruin their reputation.

This whole situation has been so stressful and I just want to be done with it. I'm thinking of selling all of it to a pawn shop after I get it appraised, just to be rid of it all.

 

[LilAlex]

I found myself wondering if they are even earth-mined diamonds and 18k gold. Who knows at this point.

I am confident they are genuine.

I am sorry that I (and others) have stolen some of your joy. You did ask and we try to be "helpful." This forum is much more unleashed during pre-purchase decisions and is generally pretty reserved when commenting on things that folks already own. (I conceptualize this as the "What do you think of my new boyfriend?" vs. "What do you think of my new husband?" scenario -- two different types of answers.) That said, they are stylish, substantial, wearable, and high-visibility, imo. You should wear them proudly.

It is telling that they do not represent the stone quality on any item (that I could see). And when they show the same chain in yellow, white, rose, or black gold, it is just PhotoShop -- the links never move and the images (in each color gold) are completely superimposable.

I was able to find the Dua Lipa connection -- yes, that was some well-played marketing. That "halo effect" would work on me but then I have a bit of a thing for her .

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Thank you
I will try to reach out to them

Honestly, it does make me feel sad. I used to really love those pieces of jewelry, and now I feel like the enjoyment of them has been stripped away by this whole experience. I found myself wondering if they are even earth-mined diamonds and 18k gold. Who knows at this point. They most likely are, and that's being paranoid, but after a company that I spent so much money with over a span of seven years would feel it's ok to send me the wrong product twice, and hope I wouldn't notice, I honestly don't know what else they are capable of. It seems they were intentionally lying just to increase their profits and that's so incredibly beyond disturbing. They lost a loyal customer that would have continued being a loyal customer for many more years to come just to make more of a profit on this one bracelet. It seriously doesn't make any sense, unless this is what they do with all of their pieces and somehow no one has noticed until now?? I guess there's still a chance it could be a one-off mistake, but....I just don't see how, when they messed up so many times with this bracelet. They knew they weren't sending me a 15ct bracelet and they also knew they weren't sending me a bracelet made with G color diamonds. There's no way they didn't know.

This is turning out to be one of the saddest jewlery related threads we have had for ages

 

[glitterbomb]

I am confident they are genuine.

I am sorry that I (and others) have stolen some of your joy. You did ask and we try to be "helpful." This forum is much more unleashed during pre-purchase decisions and is generally pretty reserved when commenting on things that folks already own. (I conceptualize this as the "What do you think of my new boyfriend?" vs. "What do you think of my new husband?" scenario -- two different types of answers.) That said, they are stylish, substantial, wearable, and high-visibility, imo. You should wear them proudly.

It is telling that they do not represent the stone quality on any item (that I could see). And when they show the same chain in yellow, white, rose, or black gold, it is just PhotoShop -- the links never move and the images (in each color gold) are completely superimposable.

I was able to find the Dua Lipa connection -- yes, that was some well-played marketing. That "halo effect" would work on me but then I have a bit of a thing for her .

No one here has stolen any of my joy at all! I really appreciate everyone's comments and suggestions, advice, and thoughts. The brand is the only one who has stolen my joy in regards to these pieces, because of what they did.

 

[glitterbomb]

Also, yes, for most pieces they don't mention the color / clarity of the diamonds in the description but if you use the chat feature on their website, they will answer and tell you the color / clarity.

 

[LilAlex]

I grew up around lawyers - a case like this you could hire a lawyer on a contingency basis and pay them a chunk of the settlement once the case settles. It just is a lot of energy and effort and I honestly don't know if it is something I want to go through. I'm sure they have their own legal team on board. They probably would want to settle out of court with a NDA as not to ruin their reputation.

I think they know exactly what they are doing and they are pushing it up to -- but not beyond -- the threshold of legality. Do you have written proof that these items were misrepresented -- as opposed to just being disappointing or not a good value? You went back to them over and over so there is a years-long track record of your satisfaction with their stuff. All mall jewelry, for example, is horribly overpriced, imo -- stones treated beyond recognition and featherweight metal content. That alone does not make it fraud.

DO NOT SELL THEM ON THE CHEAP RIGHT AWAY -- give it six months and see how you feel. Maybe talk to The RealReal and a few others who specialize in consigning commoditized name-brand jewelry.

 

[glitterbomb]

I think they know exactly what they are doing and they are pushing it up to -- but not beyond -- the threshold of legality. Do you have written proof that these items were misrepresented -- as opposed to just being disappointing or not a good value? You went back to them over and over so there is a years-long track record of your satisfaction with their stuff. All mall jewelry, for example, is horribly overpriced, imo -- stones treated beyond recognition and featherweight metal content. That alone does not make it fraud.

DO NOT SELL THEM ON THE CHEAP RIGHT AWAY -- give it six months and see how you feel. Maybe talk to The RealReal and a few others who specialize in consigning commoditized name-brand jewelry.

Unfortunately I didn't take screenshots of the color / clarity diamonds they would tell me the pieces were made of via the chat feature on their website. But if you go to their site on Monday and ask via the chat feature, I'm sure they will answer and say F / G and VS quality for nearly all of their diamond pieces.

 

[LilAlex]

This is turning out to be one of the saddest jewlery related threads we have had for ages

No! Sad is missing an opportunity (the long-sought piece that got away) or losing or breaking a beloved piece of jewelry. This is just disappointment and frustration. We have all similarly "invested" in cars, houses, relationships (!) that were not what they seemed at first.

I suspect the OP lost more in the stock market this past week than she stood to lose from these purchases. But it is maddening to feel taken advantage of.

And to be clear, I am not 100% convinced that that is the case. Others like @yssie know a lot more than I do about branded jewelry and chains and diamonds. I am more of a colored-stones person with an interest in one-offs.

 

[glitterbomb]

No! Sad is missing an opportunity (the long-sought piece that got away) or losing or breaking a beloved piece of jewelry. This is just disappointment and frustration. We have all similarly "invested" in cars, houses, relationships (!) that were not what they seemed at first.

I suspect the OP lost more in the stock market this past week than she stood to lose from these purchases. But it is maddening to feel taken advantage of.

And to be clear, I am not 100% convinced that that is the case. Others like @yssie know a lot more than I do about branded jewelry and chains and diamonds. I am more of a colored-stones person with an interest in one-offs.

I don't have any stocks actually But yes, it is very upsetting to feel they were purposely trying to deceive me. I don't see how they couldn't be. A jewelry company knows the difference between G and M color diamonds.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

No! Sad is missing an opportunity (the long-sought piece that got away) or losing or breaking a beloved piece of jewelry. This is just disappointment and frustration. We have all similarly "invested" in cars, houses, relationships (!) that were not what they seemed at first.

I suspect the OP lost more in the stock market this past week than she stood to lose from these purchases. But it is maddening to feel taken advantage of.

And to be clear, I am not 100% convinced that that is the case. Others like @yssie know a lot more than I do about branded jewelry and chains and diamonds. I am more of a colored-stones person with an interest in one-offs.

Yes,
I just feel sad to read her previously loved pieces have lost their joy due to this latest c*ck up of a braclete

this week i received some gemstone beads in the mail, while happily playing with them on my bead board i had them sitting in my cap (so i wouldn't drop them)
when i tidied up to go to bed my cap had blue dye residue in it

now that purchase was under $100 but my heart just sank because 10 seconds earlier i loved my (Italian) lamair beads and now i probably have dyed quartz

The French vendor came back and said i had misinterpreted due to something being lost in translation
I assumed Italian refurred to the beads being made from Dominican republic rough - but in Italy - not a different stone -( ive read most larmair rough is procced outside of the DR)
Unlike the OP i did not except nor pay for top notch quality

I think @glitterbomb must be feeling more like 1000 times worse than me so i just feel dreadful for her

Ive learn a valuable lesson as im just learning so only making much smaller much less valuable purchases

But Glitterbomb spent more than my house is worth and from a vendor she had happy history wish

 

[junebug17]

I grew up around lawyers - a case like this you could hire a lawyer on a contingency basis and pay them a chunk of the settlement once the case settles. It just is a lot of energy and effort and I honestly don't know if it is something I want to go through. I'm sure they have their own legal team on board. They probably would want to settle out of court with a NDA as not to ruin their reputation.

This whole situation has been so stressful and I just want to be done with it. I'm thinking of selling all of it to a pawn shop after I get it appraised, just to be rid of it all.

I know it's doable, I'm just thinking the time and energy you'd have to devote to a case like this might take a toll on you but I guess you are the only one that can answer that. You already sound so betrayed and upset. I am not saying you shouldn't pursue legal action, just trying to look at it from another viewpoint. But who knows, maybe taking a stand against this company if it comes to that will bring you peace. Getting them appraised is the first step anyway. You can decide what you want to do after you have more information.

edited to slightly reword a sentence.

So sorry for all of this!