Maker responds to fake diamond allegations over Vietnam’s $114,000 pageant crown

A representative from a domestic jewelry brand, the maker of the crown, said that the claims lack sufficient evidence, emphasizing that the crown underwent professional appraisal before it was presented to the winner.

The controversy emerged after a video surfaced online showing the crown being examined at a gemstone inspection facility.

In the clip, an individual conducting the examination claims that the stones mounted on the crown are not diamonds, the frame is not made of gold, and the piece has no material value.

The communications director of the jewelry company told Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper that the footage does not identify the inspection location, the organization conducting the examination, or the appraiser involved.

Also, it does not include any official appraisal report or certification from a competent authority.

As a result, he said that the conclusions presented in the video cannot be considered conclusive evidence regarding the crown’s composition.

The crown maker also pointed to information released by the pageant organizer at the time of the competition, noting that the 2023 Miss Business Global crown was never officially described as being encrusted with natural diamonds or crafted entirely from gold.

The announced valuation of VND3 billion represented the overall value of the product, taking into account its design concept, symbolic significance, craftsmanship, and other associated factors, rather than the market value of its raw materials alone.

“If a crown weighing more than half a kilogram were made entirely of gold and natural diamonds, its value would reach tens of billions of Vietnamese dong, not around VND3 billion as announced,” the representative said.

The director also said that the crown was submitted for appraisal by a specialized gemstone assessment organization before it was awarded.

According to the maker, the appraisal certificate was handed over to the pageant organizer along with the crown and later transferred to the winner as part of the competition’s standard procedures.

The maker stands ready to cooperate with authorities if requested in order to protect both its reputation and the accuracy of previously disclosed information, said the director.

Dispute over title precedes crown controversy

Nguyen Thi Thao, from the former Binh Dinh Province, which was merged with the old Gia Lai Province to form the current Gia Lai Province in July last year, won the 2023 Miss Business Global title at the competition held in the Central Highlands region in March 2023.

At the time, the organizing board announced that a set of three crowns and one tiara for the winner and runners-up had a combined value exceeding VND8 billion ($304,000), with the winner’s crown alone valued at around VND3 billion.

Approximately four months after her victory, the pageant organizer announced that Thao’s title had been revoked, citing her alleged failure to fulfill her responsibilities and cooperate with the organization.

Thao disputed the decision, arguing that the reasons given for revoking her title were unconvincing.

She shared that after the dispute, she did not return the crown, but had it independently examined.

Although the video was reportedly recorded in 2023, it has been released publicly.