Having some buyer''s remorse on an opal/diamond ring

[opaluvr]

I was at a Gem and Jewelry show recently and bought an opal and diamond ring from one of the vendors there. The opal is oval, 2.5 carets. The ring is 18k white gold. There are small diamonds surrounding the opal, and more small diamonds about 3/4 of the way down each side of the band. There is no "gallery" around the underside of the ring, so there isn''t much workmanship involved (that''s the one thing about the ring I don''t love -- no "gallery" on the ring)

I have some other opal jewelry, so I know what to look for....but this opal was different and really caught my eye. It''s semi-transparent with rolling bright flashes of color (blues, greens, and some orange/red). The setting was almost exactly what I had been looking for, for years. I love the way the diamonds surround the opal in such a delicate and elegant way.

The problem is -- I fear that I paid way too much forthis ring -- just under 2 K (and that was the reduced price after some bargaining). I also fear that the opal was misrepresented. Since I bought it I did more research on opals. The vendor told me that it was from the Australian Lightening Ridge mine, but it seems to me that it is probably a Mexican Jelly/Crystal opal. The vendor didn''t seem to know too much about opals. At first they tried to tell me it was a black opal, but I knew better than that! They had mainly sapphires, tourmalines, etc in their showcases. I have a receipt which describes the ring, and the vendor said they''d mail me the paperwork with the detailed descriptions (for insurance purposes).

The vendor''s store is in a city about 20 miles away from my house.

I plan to take the ring to a local jeweler close to home for an appraisal. If it appraises for less than I paid for it...and if I find out that the opal didn''t come from Australia (is there a way to tell??), what recourse do I have with the vendor? I put this purchase on a credit card, so at least I have that protection! I feel "like a schnook" -- that I paid a lot of money for something that is actually worth less money.

On the flip side, I love almost everything about this ring and I think the opal is lovely.

I have taken photos of the ring but haven''t uploaded them to my computer yet. I''ll post a picture if you think it would help.

Thank you!

 

[Indylady]

Is there a return policy?

 

[Indylady]

If it was grossly misrepresented, and they don''t want to refund your money, you might have a shot at a return, but if its simply that you overpaid for something that you misunderstood...I think there isn''t much you can do except learn from the experience.

 

[glitterata]

Look on the bright side: You love the ring, and (presumably) you didn''t spend more than you could afford. So at worst you bought a ring you love for more money than someone else who loved it less might have agreed to pay.

Get it appraised, preferably by an independent appraiser, and if it turns out not to be as represented have a conversation about it with the seller.

 

[ma re]

Not much else to add, except that opals are some of the trickiest stones to valuate because of the numerous variables involved in forming the price so it''s really important to buy from opal experts with good reputation and customer service.

 

[chrono]

Do you have any option for a return? Do you have any method of contacting the vendor to make him aware of your concerns?

 

[LD]

Okey dokey from one opal lover to another ..............

What colour is the Opal - the body colour I mean? You've said they tried to sell it as Lightning Ridge (and as a Black Opal) but you say the body colour is more like Mexican Jelly/Crystal Opal. That suggests that the body colour is a warm white/yellow/orange transparent type? So I'm at a loss to know why they were trying to sell it as a black opal????? This worries me (and I think has probably worried you also?) because you have to wonder what else they didn't know about the stone?

Ok, next issue - you say there is no gallery. Can you actually see the sides/bottom of the opal? Is there a chance it's a doublet or a triplet?

$2k for a 2.5ct opal is a large amount of money. To give you an indication, I have a stunning Jelly/Crystal Opal opal of just 2.5ct and I paid £400 (around $600). Even if the colour play showed tons of red or had a harlequin pattern or or or or, it's still quite a lot. If the Opal is beyond stunning and isn't a doublet or triplet and a good size, then you may be ok. Like everybody else has said, investigate their returns policy and perhaps check out some websites to check prices. It's not easy to do with Opals but you should get a gut feeling.

When you can please post up photos won't you?

 

[Sagebrush]

Lightning Ridge produces a range of opals. You can find crystal, black, semi-black and even white. To say the stone is from the Ridge, is not the same as saying it is a black opal. There is no universally accepted, scientifically valid, gemological test that will establish the point of origin of an opal.

Sounds like good ole buyer''s remorse. The legal principle, going back to Old English and Roman common law can be summed up as follows: "a deal is a deal." Assuming that there was no fraud involved, most jewelers and dealers will hold you to that.

Best,

 

[opaluvr]

The opal is definitely a total natural stone, not a doublet or triplet. You can see right through it, and it has a decent amount of thickness. The main color of the stone is a semi-transparent "sunset" orangy-yellow, with rolling flashes of blue and green and a small amount of red.

When looking at other opals online, I would say that this opal could be classified as a "really nice" jelly/crystal opal, but not as amazing as some I've seen in online photos or videos. I was speaking to an Australian opal dealer at the gem show, and she showed me an amazing stone that was a bit larger and had an unbelievalbe amount of color and flash. It was more than $10k! Why didn't I buy an opal from that dealer? Well, I didn't want to have a ring made, I wanted to buy a finished ring.

I do have the address and phone number of the store. They are located in the "Jewlery Mart" which houses a lot of other similar vendors. On the receipt, the return policy is basically "final sale." I didn't even notice that when I was buying it (shame on me!)

When I receive the ring's paperwork from the vendor, I plan to have the ring appraised by a local jeweler. If it appraises for a LOT less than I paid for it, I will have a conversation with the vendor. I understand that jewelers need to make a profit, but if it's not worth somewhere in the ballpark of what I paid, it is not acceptable IMO. The original asking price was $2,500 and I was able to get him down to $1,900, and even then I still felt that I was paying too much. But I loved the ring too much to walk away from it. The setting (aside from the missing gallery) was exactly what I'd been searching for, for several years.

Because the vendor didn't seem to know a lot about opals, I don't have a lot of confidence in what he told me, so I feel very unsure about what I bought, and whether I grossly overpaid.

 

[LD]

I''m sorry to hear your story. It''s horrible buying something and then regretting it. If the sales receipt says "final sale", it''s highly unlikely, even if your ring is valued at a lot less, that they''ll give you a discount or some money back.

This maybe silly advice but as you like the look of the opal and apart from the gallery on the ring you love the design, why don''t you just wear it and love it? Don''t have it appraised or even try to speak to the Vendor. The risk, if you do, is (a) you find out the ring is worth less and (b) the Vendor won''t budge. You''re could then be left with a ring you have an even more sour taste about.

 

[GliderPoss]

Australia produces a wide variety of opals of differing colours, black, white, red etc. They also come from different parts of Australia such as South Australia or Queensland. Your opal may not actually come from Lightening Ridge but somewhere else.

However I''d be pretty peeved if I were you if it turns out to be a triplet or a jelly opal which is not what the buyer represented.

I agree with taking it to an expert to get assessed, at least you''ll know how much to insure it for!

Please post pics!

 

[movie zombie]

let the buyer beware: buyers have a responsibility to do their own research before purchasing to avoid situations like this.

you loved it and couldn''t walk away from it. you negotiated a lower price. apparently, you did not ask about a return policy. now after doing some research you think you over paid.

it sounds like the dealer was upfront about not knowing much about opals....and the receipt is clearly marked.

if you over paid, you over paid. not the dealer''s problem if an appraiser says its worth less than what you bought it for. its a learning lesson.

mz

 

[Liane]

I''m inclined to go with the majority opinion on this one: a deal''s a deal, and it is what it is. Try not to feel too bad about it.

I go through this experience fairly often, since a) I hate bargaining with a passion and will either pay what''s asked or walk away altogether; b) I''m still developing my eye for stones and sometimes miss inclusions and other issues that jump out at me later after I''ve learned more; and c) when I love something, I grab it (too many times have I dithered and missed out on something that I loved and think about months afterward with regret!). This is a poisonous combination for overpaying, although I''m getting better very quickly. Even when I end up loving something wholeheartedly in the end, there''s usually a period of buyer''s remorse that hits me when I buy anything pricey. It''s just some weird phase of doubt that I go through every. single. time. and even though I know it''s a phase it''s still really annoying.

So here''s my take on it: you loved the ring. Therefore you should focus on what you love about it and enjoy it. Don''t worry about the market value; you weren''t planning to resell it anyway. Money is money. It comes and goes and it is all the same. The ring you have is unique and beautiful and even if you did pay more than another buyer might have, it''s worth it for the happiness you derive from the gem.

 

[opaluvr]

I uploaded some photos of the ring to my computer, so here are a few views:

 

[opaluvr]

Here's a side view. Sorry about the blur. It's hard to take photos of jewelry!

 

[opaluvr]

The ring from the underside.

 

[opaluvr]

From the side.

 

[opaluvr]

Liane,

I''m glad to hear that I''m not alone in my after-purchase doubt phase. I don''t usually buy jewelry that costs this much. Maybe that''s why I am feeling this way!

 

[LD]

What a very pretty ring and I actually like it without a gallery - it would allow for maximum light to the opal! Actually in your photos (and I know they''re soooooo difficult to photograph), the background does look grey!

Wear it in good health and forget the cost. Concentrate on watching the colours dance all over the opal!

 

[Indylady]

Its beautiful!!

 

[Snicklefritz]

It''s really beautiful! Enjoy it and wear it often!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Oh that''s looks lovely!

 

[Lady_Disdain]

It is gorgeous! The colour play seems very nice and the ring is well balanced.

Since you were happy with the ring before the valuation and aren''t planning on selling it, I think you should just forget about the valuation and enjoy your beauty.

 

[movie zombie]

18k gold, diamonds and an opal: time to start enjoying this! quit 2nd guessing your purchase! hand shots?

mz

 

[opaluvr]

I don''t have a good hand shot because it''s sized for the hand I use to operate the camera! But here it is on a different finger. There''s a lot of blue-green fire when you move it side to side.

 

[movie zombie]

finger shot does nicely, thank you!

are you starting to enjoy the ring?

mz

 

[glitterata]

Beautiful ring, wear it in health and happiness.

 

[Largosmom]

I think that is a beautiful opal! It looks like modern art in a gorgeous frame.

Laura

edited to add...the upper photo with the blue and green flashes almost look like a city skyline with water or hills rolling away from it.

 

[RockHugger]

I normally hate opals, but that stone looks beautiful. Looks like the aurora lights!

 

[chrono]

Sounds like you have no recourse, but the setting and opal is quite pretty! I prefer the open gallery like the others and the colour play of the opal is quite good. It also appears to have a dark coloured base.