Complaints lead to police investigation of jeweler

MOORESVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — Mooresville police said they are investigating a jeweler after taking multiple complaints about the business. 

People are accusing Iconic Brilliance at 1 E. Main St. of trying to sell fake diamonds and misleading customers. 

The story of Rachel Blacklidge and her ring started in the fall. She asked Iconic Brilliance to turn a large cluster ring, a family heirloom, into two smaller rings. 

“Whenever I went back, the diamonds that I had in the ring did not match the diamonds that I had originally given to her,” Blacklidge said. 

Blacklidge said another jeweler tested the ring and found that two of the diamonds were fake. 

She said she brought it back to Iconic Brilliance and they agreed to redo the ring. 

But when she asked Iconic Brilliance to test what she thought was the finished product, she learned the ring still contained fake diamonds. 

“She (the owner) blamed it on everyone. She blamed it on the supplier giving her the wrong diamonds,” Blacklidge said. 

Blacklidge said she returned two more times and the diamonds still did not pass the test. 

She said she did not go to police at the time because, in late October, the store finally gave her a ring with real diamonds. 

A Mooresville Police Department detective said more than six people have reached out to police with similar stories. The detective said he has been investigating the business for months and he believes the jeweler broke the law. 

The owner, Lora Richards, said she has never knowingly given anyone fake diamonds and she is cooperating with police. 

“Some of the times, during the time of the ring that they were wearing, it would lose a diamond and then they would go and have it replaced. So not all of the stones in that cluster ring were real to begin with,” Richards said. 

Not all of the cases being investigated deal with cluster rings. 

In a Facebook post, a central Indiana man said he bought an engagement ring from the store this month. He said he left Iconic Brilliance, had another jeweler test the diamond, and found that it was fake. So he brought it back to Iconic Brilliance. 

Richards said she gave him a refund. 

“I don’t believe that he (the customer) switched the ring. I don’t believe that he did anything and I truly believe that he thinks we sold him a fake ring, but, wherever he went, I don’t know where that was, but something in the hour (since he left Iconic Brilliance), there was a different ring brought back to us,” Richards said. 

Kelly Addair said her husband brought in her wedding ring to have a matching necklace made for Valentine’s Day in 2018. 

“We went back to pick up the ring. It was a completely different ring,” Addair said. “I’ve never seen my ring since then.” 

The Addairs said they told Richards not the put the delicate ring under heat. Richards claimed she was not told that, and the stone wound up discolored so she had to replace it. 

“I mean it’s ridiculous how somebody can do that,” Addair said. “Especially in a small town where people talk. It’s insane.”

Richards said she also refunded the Addairs any money they spent with her. 

Iconic Brilliance has also been taken to court twice with people who were unhappy with their service. Richards said she settled both cases. 

She said many of the stories about her are not true. 

The detective who spoke with News 8 said he will forward the case to the prosecutor, who will decide if Richards will face any charges.