By Michael Reeves
Published: March 28, 2025
Location: New York City, NY

Two weeks ago, I watched a customer drop $2,500 on an iced-out watch in our showroom...

The diamonds in that watch? 

SI clarity stones worth just $35 wholesale on Alibaba.

The setting labor? 

A mere $60 for 2 hours of work.

I've spent 22 years in the Diamond District watching this play out.

People emptying their bank accounts for jewelry containing stones worth less than what they spent on dinner that night. 

Last Wednesday, I finally confronted my boss about these markups. 

By that afternoon, I was forced to sign an NDA and escorted out of the building.

Today, I'm breaking that silence…

And exposing exactly how jewelry stores use psychological tricks to charge you 25x what your diamonds are actually worth.

Did you know that Drake's diamond-studded watch he's flexing on IG costs him 500x more than it should? 

What if I told you that you could get the exact same visual impact for less than your phone bill…

With pieces so similar that 96% of people can't tell the difference?

You see… celebrity "VVS diamonds" are rarely what jewelers claim. 

They're often just standard stones that look identical to everyone except experts with specialized equipment.

The "exclusive craftsmanship" with the $50,000+ price tag? 

In reality, it's just a few hours of basic setting work done by the same technicians who handle everyday jewelry.

And after 20 years watching this scam from inside the industry's highest levels…

I'm finally breaking my silence to reveal what I've witnessed firsthand… 

A truth so explosive that jewelry store owners are already threatening legal action to keep it hidden...

I’ll be 100% honest with you…

You're being lied to about what you're getting.

Those "diamond" watches in jewelry stores? 

The stones cost as little as $2-5 per point (0.01 carat) when bought in bulk from Chinese suppliers on Alibaba. 

A typical "iced-out" watch might contain 50-75 points total - about $100-150 in actual diamond cost.

But here's what's really shocking…

Despite this massive price difference, most people can't tell expensive watches apart from affordable ones.

To prove this even further, I once conducted a blind test with 50 people from all walks of life, both men and women. 

I showed them three seemingly identical watches at dramatically different price points. 

The results? 

Only two people, both jewelry professionals, could correctly identify which was which. 

The other 48 had no clue.

The blind test gets even more disturbing when you understand exactly what you're paying for.

When I showed those 48 people the three watches…

They were shocked to learn the truth behind the price tags. 

And this robbery doesn't just happen to everyday customers. 

Even celebrities with millions to spend are getting hustled – just in a different price bracket.

Remember when 50 Cent called out Floyd Mayweather for wearing "fake" diamond jewelry? 

The truth was worse... 

Mayweather paid for VVS but likely got SI clarity stones no one could tell apart.

Let me break down what that means:

• VVS diamonds: Super expensive, tiny flaws only experts can see
• SI diamonds: Much cheaper, flaws no human eye can spot without tools

And here's the thing…

In a club, at a party, on Instagram, LITERALLY NO ONE can spot the difference. 

Not your friends, not potential partners, not even most jewelry store employees without their special tools.

The only thing people notice is the shine and sparkle, which comes from how the diamonds are arranged…

Not from expensive technical grades nobody can see.

After witnessing this industry-wide deception for over two decades, I couldn't stay silent anymore. 

I became determined to find a solution.

A brand that offered genuine quality without the predatory markups.

For months, I secretly tested dozens of jewelry brands. 

Most disappointed me…

Cheap materials, shoddy craftsmanship, or stones that wouldn't pass basic tests.

Then something unexpected happened.

During a routine lunch meeting with my most trusted diamond supplier, an expert whose family has been in the diamond business for over 50 years, things took a turn.

We were discussing current industry trends when he suddenly said… 

'Bro, I've been working with this new brand that's completely different,' he told me.

'They're called Zotic, and they're doing what everyone else just talks about.

Selling premium-looking pieces without the ridiculous markups.'"

I was skeptical. 

Too many brands promise this but fail to deliver.

So when I got home, I ordered a few pieces anonymously, preparing for disappointment. 

When they arrived, I put them through the same rigorous testing we use for our $2,500+ pieces.

What I discovered was shocking.

Under my professional loupe, I could spot some differences in diamond quality…

But to the naked eye? 

They looked virtually identical to pieces we'd sell for 5-10x more.

Even more impressive: 

They passed diamond testers. 

To my surprise, the materials weren't fake… 

They were just priced fairly without the insane markups.

The jewelry industry's worst nightmare had become reality: 

Someone was offering the same visual impact at a fraction of the price.

The jewelry establishment fears companies like Zotic because they expose the industry's massive markups. 

That's why many top jewelers are quietly trying to shut them down.

And just like Drake paid $400,000 for his custom piece when similar quality was available for 1/10th the price…

You're being charged 5-10X what mall jewelry actually costs. 

That's why Zotic's Buy 1 Get 1 FREE deal is sending shockwaves through the industry…

It reveals just how overpriced traditional jewelry really is.

If you want the same head-turning shine that typically costs hundreds or thousands…

This limited-time offer provides what industry insiders would never tell you about. 

TWO watches for the price of ONE, plus 1 FREE CHAIN & 1 FREE BRACELET with best-sellers.

That’s literally legal theft.

And in any real-world setting, like clubs, dates or social media…

Zotic pieces create identical impact as jewelry costing 5-10 times more.

Why spend your hard-earned money on overpriced mall jewelry when you can get the exact same reaction for less than your gas money?

Flex smarter, not harder.

This account is based on Michael Reeves's 22 years in New York's Diamond District. After leaving the industry in 2025, he now works as an independent jewelry consultant. He has received no compensation from any jewelry company for this story. All price comparisons reflect current industry standards.