Acting Attorney General Mills Settles with Miner’s Gems over Fake Gold Quartz

June 2, 2026

(Fairbanks, AK) - Today, Acting Attorney General Cori Mills announced a settlement over fake gold quartz that was advertised as both from Alaska (false) and gold quartz (false). Acting Attorney General Mills emphasized that these types of actions are not only bad for consumers who believe they are getting an authentic Alaskan product but it is also unfair to other businesses. The settlement is with SAI Investments, LLC, a jewelry retail business currently doing business in Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway as "Miner's Gems."

In 2025, the State launched an undercover investigation into the sale of gold quartz and gold nugget jewelry in Southeast Alaska. During that investigation, Miner's Gems employees misrepresented jewelry containing artificial imitations of gold quartz to undercover investigators. On two separate occasions, Miner's Gems employees told undercover investigators that the gold quartz was natural and found in Alaskan glaciers, but the gold quartz was man-made outside the state, not mined in Alaska.

"It is dishonest and illegal to market fake gold made outside Alaska as naturally occurring Alaska gold," said Acting Alaska Attorney General Cori Mills. "This settlement protects tourists, supports honest businesses, and upholds the integrity of Alaskan gold jewelry, a product that has long showcased the natural wonders of Alaska. It is also a warning to other companies that try to market non-Alaska made products in a dishonest manner-we will use the enforcement tools available to us."

Under this settlement agreement, the defendants will pay a $20,000 penalty. Additionally, the settlement allows state investigators to conduct on-the-spot audits to verify that the business is truthfully representing the origin and nature of their products.

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Department Media Contact: Information Officer Sam Curtis at [email protected] or (907) 269-6269.

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