Roberto Coin Sues Dealer After Retailers Pull Jade Line

The new supplier also sent a sample of its black jade to NGTC in April 2018, after Goldstein started approaching the retailers, and the lab confirmed that the stones are amphibole jade, the brand said in its lawsuit.

“RCI always has conducted its business in accordance with the highest standards. It strongly disputes the claims by Joseph Goldstein and Kings Stone,” attorney Gayle Pollack of Morrison Cohen said in a statement provided to National Jeweler.

“In fact, RCI filed a lawsuit against them to stop them from continuing their false advertising campaign. Rather than try this case in the media, RCI looks forward to being vindicated in court.”

Goldstein filed a counterclaim in August 2018, alleging the jewelry brand has engaged in fraud regarding the marketing and sales of its black jade jewelry.

The claim states that Kings Stone is the only supplier of NGTC-certified black amphibole jade and that Roberto Coin misrepresented the black jade it sold. 

Goldstein also claims the NGTC has confirmed that no other suppliers have received certification for black amphibole jade prior to April 2018, when CaterG sent its material to the lab to be certified black amphibole jade, meaning any use of vocabluary around NGTC certification by Roberto Coin between the time the company terminated its relationship with Kings Stone and April 2018 would have been unlawful.

The counterclaim also notes that when Goldstein asked the retailers to provide proof of NGTC certification, they could not, instead sending a pamphlet from Roberto Coin describing the certification.

The NGTC did not respond to an email asking for clarification about the certification by press time.

Goldstein gave the following statement to National Jeweler: “In all of the legal paperwork filed, not once did Roberto Coin refute the fact that they had used the NGTC for four years straight for their black jade without it actually being certified by the NGTC.

“Roberto Coin could easily settle this allegation very simply—by just producing the NGTC certs used for four years on his black jade and the lawsuit would disappear. Instead, they continue to avoid the fraud issue itself and claim that they are above reproach due to their stellar reputation. No one is above the law—not even Roberto Coin.”

Kings Stone is seeking a permanent injunction prohibiting Roberto Coin from marketing its black jade jewelry with “false representations” that it has obtained certificates from the NGTC, “unless and until (it) has obtained NGTC certifications.”

In addition to monetary damages, Roberto Coin is seeking a permanent injunction preventing Goldstein and his company from “attacking the ‘authenticity’ of the jade” in its jewelry, and wants him to be required to provide “corrective” advertising to each of its retail customers he has contacted.