Why did the jeweler seem so mad when i asked if it was real 14k?

i went to a jewelry store in the mall & when i asked if it was real he seemed pissed & very rude to me. He told me yeah. its real. i asked how much its worth & he told me like $15-$30. is 14k white gold stud earings really that cheap? is he rude because he thinks its cheap? My bf got me the studs and they were $90.. and it wasnt just one jeweler guy that was rude i asked 2 of them & they both responded very rudely to me. one even made a comment saying "its illegal selling 14k fake jewelry here. This isnt china." i was very offended by his comments. Why do jewelry workers get so mean when you ask if things are real?