Latest news with #EmpressFineJewels
Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
The Indo Daily: The bankrupt Dublin Jeweller, the fake gems and the missing diamonds
Shuwan Li, who ran Empress Fine Jewels on Johnson's Court off Grafton Street, was being pursued for debts of €1.5m when she went bankrupt in March. The Sunday Independent recently revealed that another customer took legal action against Empress Fine Jewels, which was ordered to pay her nearly €35,000, after diamond rings she entrusted to the store were reported stolen while being taken by a pensioner to another location to be cleaned. She received a call the next day from the jeweller, telling her the rings had been stolen from the pensioner on a Dublin Bus. In the aftermath of publicity surrounding this case, another woman decided to have her triple diamond emerald cluster ring — which she bought from the jewellery shop in December 2023 — tested. An independent valuer examined the ring using specialist technology and has in recent days confirmed the woman's suspicions that the stones are fake. Today on The Indo Daily, Kevin Doyle is joined by Ali Bracken, News Journalist with the Sunday Independent, to find out why all that glitters, may not necessarily be gold.
Sunday World
6 days ago
- Business
- Sunday World
Woman who bought €3,000 ring from Dublin jeweller discovers it's a fake
Independent goldsmith inspected ring bought from Shuwan Li's Empress Fine Jewels off Dublin's Grafton Street A customer of a Dublin-based jeweller who has filed for bankruptcy is 'disappointed but not surprised' to learn that a €3,000 emerald and diamond ring she purchased contains fake gemstones. Shuwan Li, who ran Empress Fine Jewels on Johnson's Court off Grafton Street, was being pursued for debts of €1.5m when she went bankrupt in March. The Sunday World recently revealed that another customer took legal action against Empress Fine Jewels, which was ordered to pay her nearly €35,000, after diamond rings she entrusted to the store were reported stolen while being taken by a pensioner on a bus to another location to be cleaned. In the aftermath of publicity surrounding this case, another woman decided to have her triple diamond emerald cluster ring — which she bought from the jewellery shop in December 2023 — tested. An independent valuer examined the ring using specialist technology and has in recent days confirmed the woman's suspicions that the stones are fake. This customer, who does not wish to be identified, said she visited a number of jewellers in search of an emerald ring before attending Empress Fine Jewels in mid-December 2023. If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is 'The initial price I was quoted was €4,200 but I got the price down to €3,000. That was the red flag I didn't see. As they saying goes, 'if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is,'' she said. The woman said she did not expect to be sold fake emeralds from the jewellery shop on Johnson's Court, near more established jewellers in the Grafton Street area. She said she was provided with a valuation report from Empress Fine Jewels upon purchase, which stated that the '18ct gold triple diamond emerald cluster ring' had a 'market value' of €4,200. This document, as well as the woman's €3,000 invoice, have been seen by this newspaper. However, in recent weeks, the woman decided to have her emerald and diamond ring tested by a Dublin valuer to establish the authenticity of the gemstones. The independent goldsmith has now confirmed that the gemstones are not emeralds and the diamonds are also fake. Shuwan Li Sources familiar with the case say it is likely that the ring is in fact only worth a couple of hundred euro. The customer has not made a complaint to An Garda Síochána. She feels it 'might not be worthwhile' as it would be highly unlikely she would get her money back given that Ms Li has filed for bankruptcy. When she bought the piece of jewellery, the ring needed to be resized, so it took a few weeks for her to receive it. 'When I did get it, I always felt it wasn't the same ring I had chosen in the shop. It was too shiny. I always had concerns about it and now it is confirmed that it is fake. It was a wicked thing to happen but at the same time, there are far worse things going on in the world,' she said. 'You live and learn. I was duped. I had decided to treat myself and I wanted an emerald ring. Of course, I wish it didn't happen. I will probably still wear it on the odd occasion. I've accepted that it is fake and decided to just move on, because there's nothing that can be done now. 'I just hope it hasn't happened to too many other people and I would like people to be aware,' she added. An independent valuer confirmed the ring's emeralds and diamonds were not real Efforts were made to contact Ms Li for comment. Court filings show Ms Li had just €100 in cash and €21.88 in her bank account when she sought to have her €1.5m debts wiped out. Her only personal assets were a €3,000 engagement ring and a €900 wedding ring. The Sunday World reported in recent weeks that another Dublin woman obtained a judgment of almost €35,000 against Empress Fine Jewels and Ms Li earlier this year after four rings she left in for cleaning were reportedly stolen. She took a civil case against the business and a Circuit Court judgment seen by this newspaper ordered that Shuwan Li, trading as Empress Fine Jewels and Empress Fine Jewels Ltd, reimburse her €34,180. However, court documents also reveal that Ms Li filed for bankruptcy on March 3 this year, so the woman who sued her is unlikely to be compensated. Shuwan Li Mooney ran a jewellery shop in Dublin city centre On May 8, 2024, the woman left four rings worth around €35,000 into the store to be cleaned. They included her wedding and engagement rings, and two other pieces with rare stones. She received a call the next day from the jeweller, telling her the rings had been stolen from a person travelling on a Dublin Bus. She was told a pensioner had been entrusted to take the jewellery to another premises to be cleaned by a specialist and used a bus to get there. Gardaí were told the alleged robbery took place on the pensioner's return journey. This is not the first time Empress Fine Jewels has been before the courts The customer said she had no idea that her rings were to leave the premises for cleaning. She said she was 'flabbergasted' that the items would be taken elsewhere, and also that they would be transported on a bus by a pensioner, who appeared frail, given his use of a walking aid. Gardaí have obtained CCTV of the man on the bus and later took a preliminary statement from him. The customer has also given gardaí a formal statement. The investigation remains open, but there have been no arrests and no significant developments in terms of recovering the missing rings. This is not the first time Empress Fine Jewels has been before the courts. Last year, an agreement was reached to resolve a High Court row between the business and an Italian jewellery distributor over €500,000 worth of jewels. World Diamond Group (WDG) sued Shuwan Li and Empress Fine Jewels. Among the claims were that Shuwan Li made an alleged threat to 'put people in the river' in the midst of the fallout between the diamond sellers.
Sunday World
6 days ago
- Business
- Sunday World
Woman who bought €3,000 emerald and ring from Dublin jeweller discovers it's a fake
Independent goldsmith inspected ring bought from Shuwan Li's Empress Fine Jewels off Dublin's Grafton Street A customer of a Dublin-based jeweller who has filed for bankruptcy is 'disappointed but not surprised' to learn that a €3,000 emerald and diamond ring she purchased contains fake gemstones. Shuwan Li, who ran Empress Fine Jewels on Johnson's Court off Grafton Street, was being pursued for debts of €1.5m when she went bankrupt in March. The Sunday World recently revealed that another customer took legal action against Empress Fine Jewels, which was ordered to pay her nearly €35,000, after diamond rings she entrusted to the store were reported stolen while being taken by a pensioner on a bus to another location to be cleaned. In the aftermath of publicity surrounding this case, another woman decided to have her triple diamond emerald cluster ring — which she bought from the jewellery shop in December 2023 — tested. An independent valuer examined the ring using specialist technology and has in recent days confirmed the woman's suspicions that the stones are fake. This customer, who does not wish to be identified, said she visited a number of jewellers in search of an emerald ring before attending Empress Fine Jewels in mid-December 2023. If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is 'The initial price I was quoted was €4,200 but I got the price down to €3,000. That was the red flag I didn't see. As they saying goes, 'if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is,'' she said. The woman said she did not expect to be sold fake emeralds from the jewellery shop on Johnson's Court, near more established jewellers in the Grafton Street area. She said she was provided with a valuation report from Empress Fine Jewels upon purchase, which stated that the '18ct gold triple diamond emerald cluster ring' had a 'market value' of €4,200. This document, as well as the woman's €3,000 invoice, have been seen by this newspaper. However, in recent weeks, the woman decided to have her emerald and diamond ring tested by a Dublin valuer to establish the authenticity of the gemstones. The independent goldsmith has now confirmed that the gemstones are not emeralds and the diamonds are also fake. Shuwan Li Sources familiar with the case say it is likely that the ring is in fact only worth a couple of hundred euro. The customer has not made a complaint to An Garda Síochána. She feels it 'might not be worthwhile' as it would be highly unlikely she would get her money back given that Ms Li has filed for bankruptcy. When she bought the piece of jewellery, the ring needed to be resized, so it took a few weeks for her to receive it. 'When I did get it, I always felt it wasn't the same ring I had chosen in the shop. It was too shiny. I always had concerns about it and now it is confirmed that it is fake. It was a wicked thing to happen but at the same time, there are far worse things going on in the world,' she said. 'You live and learn. I was duped. I had decided to treat myself and I wanted an emerald ring. Of course, I wish it didn't happen. I will probably still wear it on the odd occasion. I've accepted that it is fake and decided to just move on, because there's nothing that can be done now. 'I just hope it hasn't happened to too many other people and I would like people to be aware,' she added. An independent valuer confirmed the ring's emeralds and diamonds were not real Efforts were made to contact Ms Li for comment. Court filings show Ms Li had just €100 in cash and €21.88 in her bank account when she sought to have her €1.5m debts wiped out. Her only personal assets were a €3,000 engagement ring and a €900 wedding ring. The Sunday World reported in recent weeks that another Dublin woman obtained a judgment of almost €35,000 against Empress Fine Jewels and Ms Li earlier this year after four rings she left in for cleaning were reportedly stolen. She took a civil case against the business and a Circuit Court judgment seen by this newspaper ordered that Shuwan Li, trading as Empress Fine Jewels and Empress Fine Jewels Ltd, reimburse her €34,180. However, court documents also reveal that Ms Li filed for bankruptcy on March 3 this year, so the woman who sued her is unlikely to be compensated. Shuwan Li Mooney ran a jewellery shop in Dublin city centre On May 8, 2024, the woman left four rings worth around €35,000 into the store to be cleaned. They included her wedding and engagement rings, and two other pieces with rare stones. She received a call the next day from the jeweller, telling her the rings had been stolen from a person travelling on a Dublin Bus. She was told a pensioner had been entrusted to take the jewellery to another premises to be cleaned by a specialist and used a bus to get there. Gardaí were told the alleged robbery took place on the pensioner's return journey. This is not the first time Empress Fine Jewels has been before the courts The customer said she had no idea that her rings were to leave the premises for cleaning. She said she was 'flabbergasted' that the items would be taken elsewhere, and also that they would be transported on a bus by a pensioner, who appeared frail, given his use of a walking aid. Gardaí have obtained CCTV of the man on the bus and later took a preliminary statement from him. The customer has also given gardaí a formal statement. The investigation remains open, but there have been no arrests and no significant developments in terms of recovering the missing rings. This is not the first time Empress Fine Jewels has been before the courts. Last year, an agreement was reached to resolve a High Court row between the business and an Italian jewellery distributor over €500,000 worth of jewels. World Diamond Group (WDG) sued Shuwan Li and Empress Fine Jewels. Among the claims were that Shuwan Li made an alleged threat to 'put people in the river' in the midst of the fallout between the diamond sellers.
Sunday World
23-06-2025
- Business
- Sunday World
Dublin jeweller was being pursued over €1.5m debts when she filed for bankruptcy
Shuwan Li had just €21.88 in her bank account and €100 in cash when she sought to have her debts wiped out A woman who ran a jewellery shop just off Grafton Street was being pursued for debts of €1.5m when she went bankrupt in March. Court filings show Shuwan Li had just €100 in cash and €21.88 in her bank account when she sought to have her debts wiped out. Her only personal assets were a €3,000 engagement ring a €900 wedding ring. Ms Li, who is also known as Shuwan Li Mooney, owned and ran Empress Fine Jewels which was located on Johnson's Court, near more established jewellers in the area. Shuwan Li Mooney ran a jewellery shop in Dublin city centre The Sunday World reported last week that a Dublin woman obtained a judgment of almost €35,000 against Empress Fine Jewels and Ms Li earlier this year after four rings she left in for cleaning were reportedly stolen. The woman was told by the jeweller that the rings were stolen from a pensioner travelling on Dublin Bus who was bringing them to be cleaned in another location. The rings included the woman's wedding and engagement rings and two other pieces with rare stones. This woman, who was represented by solicitor David Harrington of Harringtons LLP, was listed as a creditor in Ms Li's bankruptcy filings as being owed just over €34,000. A Dublin woman obtained a judgment against Ms Li after rings were reportedly stolen. Stock image: Getty In her bankruptcy filings, Ms Li listed the Revenue Commissioner as her biggest creditor with an 'outstanding tax bill' of €969,000. The shop was shuttered when the Sunday World went to the premises recently, and the name above the door had changed. Ms Li (42) last provided an address in Rathgar in Dublin 14, based on company records. World Diamond Group (WDG), an Italian company which took a High Court action against Empress Fine Jewels and Ms Li, was listed as being owed €119,928. Among the claims made in that case was that Ms Li made an alleged threat to 'put people in the river' amid fallout between the diamond sellers. Castrenze Giuliano, chief executive of WDG, outlined in an affidavit how his business relationship with Ms Li had 'irretrievably broken down'. He also alleged she had sent 'semi-intimate' pictures of him to high-ranking employees of WDG and threatened 'to make false allegations about a personal relationship' between them. Ms Li stated in her affidavit that Mr Giuliano ended their romantic relationship 'suddenly' because he had begun a new relationship. Empress Fine Jewels on Johnson's Court, off Grafton Street in Dublin She claimed the breakdown of a romantic relationship was what caused Mr Giuliano to initiate the High Court case. Lawyers for WDG said it was accepted that Mr Giuliano had an intimate relationship with Ms Li, but claimed it was not of the nature depicted by her. In her bankruptcy filing, Ms Li accepted she owed the Italian firm just over €119,000. Orsini Gioielli, another Italian jewellery company, is listed as being owed €10,333. Ernest Weisz, a jewellery trader in Manchester, was owed €20,000. Two money lenders, both with addresses in Dublin 8, are listed as being owed €50,000 each. RE Morrish, a Birmingham-based jewellery provider, was owed €24,000. Jonathan Lynne, a vintage jewellery supplier based in England, was listed as being owed €26,000. However, last month this company obtained a High Court judgment of €108,782 against Ms Li and her company over unpaid bills, records obtained by the Sunday World show. Court records show Jonathan Collins, a director in the English jewellery company which specialises in 'classic and vintage-style jewellery', said the debt had been owed since 2022. He said Ms Li had sent two cheques that 'bounced'. He said Ms Li and her company acted wrongfully and in breach of contract Mr Collins said Ms Li opened a credit account with his firm in October 2016. He said that in May 2017, Jonathan Lynne Ltd began to sell and deliver jewellery to Ms Li. He said Ms Li began to fall into arrears in April 2019 and that by March 2022 arrears were €108,782. The two bounced cheques Lee sent in late 2019 and early 2020 were for €6,344 and €11,344. He said Ms Li and her company acted wrongfully and in breach of contract by failing or neglecting to pay the invoices issued to her. Judgment in favour of Jonathan Lynne Ltd was granted against Ms Li and her Empress Fine Jewels on May 27. Company filings show that although Empress Fine Jewels was incorporated in 2019, it never filed annual returns or accounts over the following six years, as is required under company law. Shuwan Li News in 90 Seconds - Monday June 23 In the bankruptcy filings, AIB is listed as being owed €15,000 from Ms Li's overdraft facility. The Dublin city sheriff is listed as being owed €15,000 over Ms Li's Revenue bill and the sheriff's costs. Dublin City Council was owed just under €10,000 from unpaid commercial rates. The total unsecured debt listed by Ms Li was €1.487m. She also listed BMW Finance as being owed €10,000 secured debt based on a hire purchase agreement for her car. Ms Li listed her business's tenancy leases in Johnson's Court as being valued at €210,000. She recorded herself as unemployed and her income as 'nil'. The 'set costs' of her living expenses were €1,580 a month. Her declaration of bankruptcy was signed and verified using her Chinese passport on January 20.
