(Anchorage, AK) – Alaska Attorney General Taylor Thursday announced a lawsuit against Soni Inc. and one of its corporate officers Sunita Lakhwani. Soni Inc. sells Alaska-themed jewelry in Ketchikan under the names “Soni Jewelry” and “Colors Fine Jewelry.” Through a series of undercover purchases and subsequent laboratory testing, the State of Alaska has obtained significant evidence that Soni Inc. sells man-made “gold quartz” and “gold nuggets” it obtained from out-of-state suppliers as natural stones and nuggets that were mined in Alaska and manufactured into jewelry in Alaska by Soni Inc. Soni Inc.’s salespeople also misrepresented to undercover investigators that natural gold quartz only occurs in Alaska and can only be legally purchased in Alaska.
Soni Inc.’s salespeople repeatedly told undercover investigators that the “gold nuggets” were remarkably pure 24 karat gold. These “nuggets” were actually 14 karat imitations shaped to look like a natural gold nugget. The golden veins of the “gold quartz” were either low-purity alloys of roughly half gold or contained no gold at all.
“Misrepresenting imitation goods originating from outside as authentic and locally made souvenirs to people who just want a genuine keepsake from their trip to Alaska is intolerable,” said Attorney General Treg Taylor. “It hurts trusting tourists, and it hurts Alaskan communities. Every dollar earned through deceit could have gone to an honest business. Every fake takes up room in the market that could be filled by the actual Alaskan artisans people believed they were supporting.”
People who believe they have purchased imitation jewelry that was misrepresented to them as authentic should file a complaint with the Department of Law’s Consumer Protection Unit. More information and the complaint form can be found at the Consumer Protection Unit – File a Consumer Complaint.
The State has asked the Superior Court in Ketchikan to enter a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to prevent Soni Inc. from continuing to misrepresent its imitation jewelry. You can read the State’s Complaint and Motion for Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction through the links below.
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