Woman can pursue claim that jeweler replaced diamond in wedding ring

Victoria Harris sued J.B. Robinson Jewelers, alleging that when she took her diamond wedding in for repair, the jewelers replaced her original stone with an inferior stone.  Although she didn't have expert documentation of any change in the stone, she provided affidavits from herself and other witnesses, alleging that the stone was not the same after it  came back from the jeweler. The trial court determined that this proof was inadequate to go to the jury and dismissed her claim.  The Sixth Circuit disagreed and returned the case to the lower court for trial.  It noted that the "lay opinions" of the several witnesses were admissible to prove that the stone had changed.  Proving the diminution of value in the ring may be a more difficult story, however, without expert opinion support.