Disagreement with a Pricescope vendor about stones

[kenny]

Still pink.
Get a refund.

 

[kenny]

Too pink to be rubies.
Ask for a refund because the vendor did not, and apparently can not, provide what he/she agreed to provide.

If vendor refuses dispute the charge with your CC Company ASAP since they have time limits.
In fact I'd call them today and ask what the time limit is ... just in case the vendor stalls.

 

[T L]

Another thing I would worry about is treatment because even if you may not be concerned about it, lead glass filled rubies are very prone to chipping and breaking. If they're diffused, they'll be much more durable. As an eternity band especially, you do have to worry about durability. With rubies, pink sapphires, I would always probably assume some treatment, especially diffusion, on a lot of perfectly matched stones like that.

 

[chrono]

Here are pictures of ruby melees from reputable sources for comparison. As you can see, due to the size, it is difficult to source high quality red ruby melees unless they have been diffused. You have to decide whether you are okay with dark pink, willing to accept diffused rubies or skip it altogether. I think I might know a vendor or two who might be able to find you redder looking ruby melee but I'm not 100% sure. In any case, I know the person you are using will not allow the use of "outside" melees so that's moot point.

 

[Tourmaline]

I have spent some more time with these samples in morning daylight and the color is ok (reddish pink rather than purplish pink), but I am concerned about the cut. They don't sparkle like the purplish pink original ones. I wish the jeweler were more responsive and communicative than he is. There's a lot of waiting involved.

 

[ccuheartnurse]

I've been following this thread for almost a week now. The ring looks pink to me, & the new stones also look pink. The vendor is not communicating with you in a timely manner & as Kenny mentioned, contact your CC company to inquire about time limits. The vendor may already know this & is stalling on purpose. There's a lot of money at stake here & he doesn't want to give it back. Protect yourself.


Hope this works out for you.

Judy

 

[HopeDream]

I'm sorry that the rubies in your new ring are the wrong color.

Maybe this is a stupid question, but If you like the color of lab rubies (based on your picture of the large stone on which you are basing your color expectations), why not just have the vendor source you some lab rubies in the perfect color?

I know that the folks at CS would eat me alive for suggesting it, but it seems like such a simple solution to your problem (and you could get a refund for a price difference?).

 

[chrono]

I know that the folks at CS would eat me alive for suggesting it, but it seems like such a simple solution to your problem (and you could get a refund for a price difference?).

No, CSers aren't that horrible and aren't into cannibalism. Nothing wrong at all with synthetics as long as it is disclosed and the buyer is aware of it (fair price paid). The issue with synthetics is all about being "mind clean" (out of the ground versus lab made).

 

[Tourmaline]

I have spent more time with the samples and I like them. They are not the color I had envisioned originally, but they are dark reddish pink rather than medium purplish pink, and I will be happy with that as long as they are well cut. I have heard from the jeweler and have been assured that, in their proper size in a line, they will sparkle more, as the first pink ones do.

I did call my credit card company and I have plenty of time. But I think and hope that the new ring will be one that I will love.

Thank you all for your support. This has been frustrating, but I think I'll be ok with the outcome. I will be able to update the thread when I receive the new ring.

 

[FrekeChild]

One thing to think about Tourmaline, is that they aren't going to be cut to, say, diamond standards. Colored stones are about color first, everything else second. So just keep that in mind.

Fingers crossed you love the outcome! Will the new ring be completed by the time you have to file with your CC company?

 

[Tourmaline]

Yes, I know. I would like them to be as well cut as the first pink ones. They're very sparkly.

Yes, it will be done in time for me to file with my cc company, but I don't think that will be necessary.

 

[LetItShine]

The eternity that the vendor made is pretty BUT it's pink. The sample stones that were sent still look pink to me. I would just caution you to be absolutely certain that you like them. Right now you have recourse for a refund. If you accept the new sample you'll be committing to the ring and I would be afraid that they aren't going to be as red as you want them.

 

[pyramid]

Maybe I am wrong, so maybe a vendor could comment here, but the 'pigeon blood red' color is I have read supposed to be like
the old Burma rubies which apparently are no longer available, but the reason I am writing, I think I have read before they are supposed to have a blue tint or purple tint to them. (Now maybe I am mixing this up with the Argyle Pink diamonds I am thinking as they are purplish). Hope a jeweler would know?

When I saw your new stones, on my monitor, I thought they looked at first a bit orange and I believe that is a color which comes into rubies too, being near red on the color wheel. I have a ruby ring from about 20 years ago, which was a chain store buy and I always think it looks good compared to some of the rubies we see now, it is pretty good clarity wise, I do think though it has some orange to it, which is probably why it was sold there.

I have not voted on your poll, because I don't know, I veer towards that they are too pink to be rubies, but I do see the blue/purplish color in them reminiscent of burma rubies more than I see it in the new stones you have just got. Of course this also depends on someone saying I am remembering correctly about the color of Burma ruby (being pigeon blood red).

The ring is beautiful though.

 

[kenny]

Tourmaline, I'm glad to hear the outlook for your project as improved!

I don't like to see unhappy customers, or shamed vendors ... unless they deserve it.

 

[pyramid]

Just thinking, there was a thread not long ago about pink melee diamonds and I think it was mentioned there that it was difficult to get them very deep colored due to the stones being so small, wonder if that transfers over to rubies too~?

 

[GliderPoss]

Glad you are happier with the new stones but both old and new still definitely look pink to me...

Personally I would have gone down refund road and started afresh. One thing I've learnt from PS is don't "just settle" coz it's hard - you will always wonder/wish if that stone was perfect. I wasted far too much money, time & effort settling for almost right instead of taking the time and money to get it perfect the first time! This is important to you - make the jeweller deliver what you asked for.

When I think ruby eternity bands this is the sort of thing I think of...

 

[Tourmaline]

Thanks, everyone. I don't mind reddish pink. I like the color of the replacement stones even though they aren't what I had planned. I was wanting pinkish red and I'll be getting reddish pink, which goes with my diamond much better than purplish pink. I really do feel ok about it. I would have strongly preferred if the jeweler had taken responsibility, which he hasn't, and I would have preferred much more attention and communication from him, but it didn't get really ugly, and I think I'll love the result.

 

[AGBF]

Just thinking, there was a thread not long ago about pink melee diamonds and I think it was mentioned there that it was difficult to get them very deep colored due to the stones being so small, wonder if that transfers over to rubies too~?

No, it doesn't. I have three ruby Sheldon Speyer mini-mania stacking rings that are very deep red. The stones are truly tiny, far tinier than the ones shown in the band here. I am fairly certain that the rubies came from Burma before the embargo, but they are so tiny that they have almost no value anyway!

Deb/AGBF

 

[me&myboys]

Still pink.
Get a refund.

+1

 

[Acinom]

Tourmaline: you seem like such a nice and friendly person and I would hate that you would settle just to avoid drama. You stated that this is not what you envisioned when you started this project, so...

Please think about it carefully. Sometimes things can be absolutely stunning, but just not what you are hoping for or fitting with your taste/personality.

I settled in the past (being almost sure and ignoring my inner voice) and wasted a lot of money. Please don't go there.

 

[Tourmaline]

Thank you, Acinom. If I had known that what I was envisioning was not possible, I would have settled for the stones I'll end up with anyway. I do feel misled by the jeweler. I was offered similar stones from a different jeweler and I probably would have gone with him, as he was more attentive, and his price was a bit lower.

It's ok. I'll get my head around it. Thank you for your support.

 

[AGBF]

Tourmaline: you seem like such a nice and friendly person and I would hate that you would settle just to avoid drama. You stated that this is not what you envisioned when you started this project, so...

Please think about it carefully. Sometimes things can be absolutely stunning, but just not what you are hoping for or fitting with your taste/personality.

I settled in the past (being almost sure and ignoring my inner voice) and wasted a lot of money. Please don't go there.

Tourmaline-

I was going to drop this out of courtesy since you had made up your mind, but I had the same experience as Acinom. I replaced a fire engine red spinel with inclusions with a red spinel with pinkish tones. I was never really happy with it, but the vendor and the jeweler who set it each blamed the other for worsening the natural inclusions in a fine Mogok Tract spinel that was prone to them anyway. I settled for a stone with which I was never completely satisfied. The result was that years later I made up another red spinel ring at enormous expense!

Please, please do not go down that path. Unlike Acinom and me, you are still in time to stop and to get to get your dream band this time around!

Best wishes,
Deb/AGBF

 

[AprilBaby]

Those stones still look pink. Get the refund!

 

[chrono]

Tourmaline, please do not settle. If these are not red enough, please see if you can get your money back. You asked for red rubies, not pink sapphires, which if the vendor is unable to provide, he should have been upfront with you. It is a lot of money and I'm sure you've thought about it a lot. I've said my 2 cents and will respect your final decision even if it doesn't agree with mine.

 

[Tourmaline]

Update: I have received the second ring and I am happy with it, even though it isn't the color I had envisioned originally. It is FAR better than the first one. I have a thread in Show Me The Bling about it.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/steven-kirsch-ruby-eternity-band.208580/#post-3794509

Here is a comparison in similar lighting. The first ring is on the left and the second is on the right. There are a lot more pictures of the second ring in the SMTB thread.

 

[junebug17]

Thank you for the update Tourmaline, I was just thinking about this situation! I can see a difference in color, I'm so glad you're happy with it. It's gorgeous!

I just want to say I'm impressed by how your handled all of this - yeah, you were upset and this was obviously stressful for you, but you remained calm, reasonable, and fair throughout the episode and didn't let your emotions get the better of you. I admire that and I'm glad things worked out!

 

[Tourmaline]

Thanks, Junebug! <3

 

[theredspinel]

I really want to know, who was this vendor?

What's the point of having a consumer based forum, which you rightly reached out to for support but whom you are not willing to support back; I think we have a right to know who this vendor is

When I'm deciding who to go with on a custom project isn't it only fairI go in, informed from the start who I will have difficulty getting a refund from if anything were to go wrong.

It's a massive disservice to this place to come for help but not give everyone else a heads up either. We are all adult here and you "outing" the vendor won't make the entire community boycott him; but it will help people like me that would prefer to steer clear (as I'm so nervous anyway when it comes to custom projects)!

 

[gm89uk]

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/steven-kirsch-ruby-eternity-band.208580/#post-3794509']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/steven-kirsch-ruby-eternity-band.208580/#post-3794509[/URL]

The vendor was revealed in this thread

 

[Tourmaline]

I really want to know, who was this vendor?

What's the point of having a consumer based forum, which you rightly reached out to for support but whom you are not willing to support back; I think we have a right to know who this vendor is

When I'm deciding who to go with on a custom project isn't it only fairI go in, informed from the start who I will have difficulty getting a refund from if anything were to go wrong.

It's a massive disservice to this place to come for help but not give everyone else a heads up either. We are all adult here and you "outing" the vendor won't make the entire community boycott him; but it will help people like me that would prefer to steer clear (as I'm so nervous anyway when it comes to custom projects)!

Uh, three posts above yours, I provided a link to the thread that outed Steven Kirsch.