Got diamonds? Get a refund!

If you have diamond jewelry -- or jewelry with a diamond in it -- purchased between Jan. 1, 1994, and March 31, 2006, you may be eligible for a refund as part of a recent settlement of a class-action lawsuit alleging that De Beers, the big South African diamond company, had cornered the market for diamonds for decades, keeping prices artificially high.

Seriously! The refund calculations are listed below:

	Purchase price	Maximum claim
Mixed-stones jewelry	Less than $200	6% of the retail price
Mixed-stones jewelry	$200 or more	14.5% of the retail price
Diamonds-only jewelry	Less than $200	10.5% of the retail price
Diamonds-only jewelry	$200 to $999	27.5% of the retail price
Diamonds-only jewelry	$1,000 to $5,499	32% of the retail price
Diamonds-only jewelry	$5,500 to $9,999	38.5% of the retail price
Diamonds-only jewelry	$10,000 or more	45% of the retail price
Loose diamonds	Any and all	59% of the retail price

The details of the lawsuit indicate that consumers may not get that much money back (or any at all), but it's worth filing a claim just in case. And if your diamond is valued at $10,000 or less you don't need a receipt to file the claim.

You have until May 19 to make a claim. Go online to the settlement site to file a claim online. Or download a .pdf claim form to mail it to the address on the form.