S'pore elderly couple spends S$7,093 on jewelry in China, including 'black jade' Buddha pendant, daughter gets it tested, finds it's worth less than S$100

A woman, surnamed Liu (transliteration), told Shin Min Daily News (Shin Min) about how her parents spent over S$7,000 on what they thought was jade and black jade, only to realise they were worth much less.

Liu’s parents had joined a six-day-five-night tour to Guizhou on Sep. 8. The group consisted of about 20 people, a majority of which were elderly.

On the last day of the tour, the guide took the group to a place that sells gemstones.

Her parents did not know where they were exactly, but they were brought to a room to shop.

Although Liu’s mother only intended to buy a jade accessory for herself, her parents ended up buying about 16 pieces of jewelry as the shop assistant kept showing them products.

The jewelry they bought included zodiac ornaments, beaded bracelets, Pixiu, dragon and phoenix pendants, and a "black jade" Buddha pendant. Their total expenditure came to RMB37,240 (S$7,093). Some of the jewelry such as the jade Buddha pendant and the dragon and phoenix pendants came with certificates of authenticity.

Jewelry not made of expensive jade

When Liu’s parents returned from China, they showed her the jewelry they had purchased, and she noticed that "black jade" Buddha pendant seemed unusual.

The 37-year-old said that she had a strong interest in jade since young and had basic knowledge to identify them. To confirm her suspicion, Liu contacted Nanyang Gemological Institute to have two of the jewelry pieces appraised.

The "black jade" Buddha pendant was found to be made of inexpensive serpentine stone, and not of black jadeite as claimed. This means the Buddha pendant was worth less than S$100.

Awaiting a refund

Liu turned to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) for help and was advised to inquire with her bank if she could request a refund for the relevant credit card transaction.

She contacted her bank on Sep. 25, and was told that the process could take 12 to 16 weeks.

Shin Min also reached out to the tour agency and spoke to the trip's guide.

The guide confirmed that the company has received this complaint and is verifying with its partner in Guizhou.

If the complaint is found to be valid, the tour agency will assist with a refund.

He emphasised that the company will provide Liu and her parents with an explanation.

Liu updated Shin Min that the guide contacted her on Sep. 28 and offered to bring the disputed jade products back to Guizhou for a refund.

She preferred to hold on to the jade products until the completion of the bank refund.

Liu hopes that her parents’ experience will remind other tourists to be cautious when shopping overseas.

It's difficult to determine the authenticity of gemstones and jewelry with naked eyes and she encourages the public to do some prior research before purchasing them.