I wrote about this a long time ago when I was making silver jewelry. There is a problem when, for example, a bracelet is being sold for the same amount of money it costs to buy just one of the 30+ stones that are part of the bracelet...and you are in the business buying from the suppliers that are accredited by highly respected organizations, like the GIA. Many fraudulent brands, like the one I speak of, take poor quality/worthless gemstones and artificially enhance them by pumping them with glass and color to make them appear like the real deal. To make matters worse, while this brand was giving its speech on the cruise, they were talking about fake gemstones on the market. They spoke about the various treatments, how many jewelers aren't selling the real deal, and how theirs are authentic...but the reality is they were talking about themselves. I remember they stated you get a certificate of authenticity with the jewelry as well, but it isn't from any reputable organization, it is stated to make them sound/look good. One person actually wrote on the BBB website that they had their piece appraised after they received it, but the actual cost was less than half the price and the gemstones were discovered to be fakes. For the majority of consumers, there were multiple reviews as well with the BBB on how stones fell out almost immediately upon purchase. I can't say what I know about the gold they are supposedly selling, but fake metal is commonplace as well on the market. There are a few brands that pop up now and again online. It is bad when you have the exact wire size and stone for a ring that a store is selling, but you can't even buy the materials for the price that the ring is being sold for. I recorded myself a long time ago melting "sterling silver" jewelry. Yes, it was labeled as such, but there was no silver at all in any of the pieces.