My husband purchased a diamond heart necklace for me a number of years ago at a jewelry store that is no longer in our area. Subsequently, after a few years, the chain broke where it met the clasp. We took it to BH HOBART JEWELERS (www.HobartDiamonds) in the Grand Traverse Mall in Traverse City, Michigan to have it soldered. It didn't hold. Took it back for a second time; didn't work again. We were charged for the second soldering too. Frustrated, I put the chain and diamond heart away, and decided to wait until I could afford to purchase a new chain.
Unbeknownst to me, my husband took the original chain and heart back to Hobart Jewelers just before Christmas. Brian Hobart, the owner (who appears to be a sole proprietor) told him the chain (of which he'd tried to solder) was only plated, and he gave him a mere $12.00 for it. Then he sold him a new chain that was too short and too thick for the heart.
Imagine my horror when I found out my husband had sold the jeweler the original chain, which was 14K white gold, for only $12.00. The jeweler had clearly lied to my husband.
The original chain, by the way, was purchased at a highly reputable jewelry store chain. I contacted their headquarters in Illinois and they sent me paperwork from when we'd purchased the necklace to prove that it was indeed 14K gold. They also told me that Hobart had deceived us, that he should have given my husband at least $80.00 for the chain.
When we went in a few days after Christmas to confront the jeweler, he denied having told my husband that he said it was "plated" and that because he'd weighed the gold that was all it was worth. As of this date, gold is currently going for $1,500 per ounce.
Then the jeweler denied that the new chain we were returning was the one he'd sold to my husband.
When my husband called him a liar to his face, using a cuss word at the same (which I didn't approve of, by the way), the jeweler called Mall Security. Other than the cuss word, we were being very calm in demanding our money back, and satisfaction on the return of the original chain.
Unfortunately, my husband, who doesn't know stainless steel from real gold was duped. The jeweler did not give him any paperwork for the original chain, and of course, the chain wasn't recovered.
I would never recommend anyone do business with BH Hobart. He clearly is not an ethical businessman, in addition to doing shoddy jewelry repair.
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