My ring is done but...

[alene]

It's so not what I expected. Picked it up today and I'm just so disappointed. It was not an expensive ring, so perhaps my expectations were just too high but the craftsmanship just looks awful to me. It's just completely crooked. The diamonds on the side are uneven. Instead of delicate double prongs, I have, not sure what that covers most of the stone . Oh and the jeweler is leaving for vacation tomorrow and won't be back until August. The woman at the store told me I can come back then if I need any adjustments. What do you guys think? Can this even be fixed? On the bright side, the stone looks great now that it's set!

 

[alene]

On my hand

 

[alene]

Another hand shot. These prongs just make me want to cry.

 

[alene]

At least the side view is nice, I think.

 

[redhead02]

Awww, alene I am so so sorry that you''re disappointed. I know how it feels to pick up a custom job and have that let-down feeling that they didn''t get something right.

Those prongs are certainly very unique, and I wouldn''t have been surprised to see the pics and hear the person saying they loved them. But if it''s not what you wanted, that can be crushing - what did you and he talk about? Did he give you any sketches? Did he show you any examples of what he was thinking of in existing rings or photos?

 

[alene]

Thanks, Redhead! Yes, we talked specifically about doing small double prongs. I showed the jeweler a ring in his store, made by him, with just the kind of prongs I wanted. He made a sketch of the ring with those prongs. When I came to pick up the ring, he wasn''t there and the woman who works there told me he decided "to improvise." But what bothers me even more is how uneven and crooked it is. The prongs are all uneven, the little diamonds, one is noticably higher than the other. I don''t know, it''s possible that I''m just completely spoiled by the craftsmanship of my wedding rings and am just expecting too much. But then I''ve looked at so many other rings at that store, the quality was absolutely better.

 

[cemrn]

If what you got was different than what was discussed or sketched then I do not think you are being unreasonable!!! You can tell that one diamond is set higher. That would drive me nuts. It seems a little sloppy and I would certainly have it fixed

 

[marcy]

Sorry your ring isn''t what you expected. It is very pretty. I hope they fix it to your satisfaction.

 

[jenbuggy85]

You are NOT being unreasonable at all!

I just had my ring worked on. See here..... https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/oh-crap-miscommunication-with-the-jeweler-leads-to-this-pics.144885/

I didn't ask for it! LOL!

Although I LOVE how it's set... its sloppy. I know he'll fix it for free. But if he already worked on it once, and it wasn't a fab job...what about the second time??
I don't want to butcher my ring

I wish I could get better pics of what's wrong with it. My cam just isn't that great.

Are you still wanting to work with him or are you thinking of going somewhere else to have it fixed? I think it's a lovely ring. The stone is beautiful!

 

[cellentani]

Oh Alene, I''m so sorry about your ring! The general design is lovely, but it''s so poorly executed that all I see are the flaws. Not only are the side diamonds wonky, but is that supposed to be milgrain around them, or are those tool marks from setting the stones? Also, is the culet extending below the bottom of the setting so that it touches your finger when you wear it? If you saw well-made rings in the store, then I''m a little skeptical that the same jeweler really made them. I could understand possibly setting a stone slightly crooked, or having a prong a little wonky - those things happen sometimes. But all of these things put together? Yikes!

I swear, the second he gets back, I''d march in there and ask him to remove his paperclip prongs from my stone and politely but firmly request a full refund. Your stone is beautiful, and both of you deserve better!

 

[Agnesg]

so much room for improvement...the paper clip claws in particular. On the bight side of it, it has a good looking side profile + gorgeous stone

 

[FrekeChild]

Date: 6/17/2010 11:27:46 PM
Author: cellentani
Oh Alene, I''m so sorry about your ring! The general design is lovely, but it''s so poorly executed that all I see are the flaws. Not only are the side diamonds wonky, but is that supposed to be milgrain around them, or are those tool marks from setting the stones? Also, is the culet extending below the bottom of the setting so that it touches your finger when you wear it? If you saw well-made rings in the store, then I''m a little skeptical that the same jeweler really made them. I could understand possibly setting a stone slightly crooked, or having a prong a little wonky - those things happen sometimes. But all of these things put together? Yikes!

I swear, the second he gets back, I''d march in there and ask him to remove his paperclip prongs from my stone and politely but firmly request a full refund. Your stone is beautiful, and both of you deserve better!

I agree entirely with cellentani. I would not stand for this workmanship. It is really truly unacceptable. It is so bad that I would also go back and ask for my stone to be removed, and for a full refund. I''m so sorry.

 

[Arkteia]

It is sad. The ring was meant to be beautiful, and the design is very interesting. The stone is amazing. But poor workmanship made it all look slipshod. Hopefully, things can be improved/redone.

 

[chictomato]

Hi alene I understand how you feel when things do not turn out the way it should be (trust me, it always happen to me). However, it can only get better! CHEER UP

 

[Lovinggems]

It''s interesting indeed, I don''t know what came over your jeweller when he was setting your stone.

 

[chrono]

I have to agree that the setting job is not up to par. One set of prongs is lopsided and yes, the side diamonds are not level with each other. From the side view, I also see some questionable workmanship issues. I’ve never seen prongs like that before (U shaped). It doesn’t sound like this is what you requested and expected. I’m so sorry but I would not accept the ring as it is. I’d let the store know this and have them fix it as soon as the jeweller comes hack from vacation. While sometimes improvisation is great, unfortunately, it isn’t to your taste. I have to admit his version is very unique but he should have consulted with you before making any changes. If it really bothers you that much, I’ll return the ring and go elsewhere. I wonder if the jeweller was in a rush as it was completed right before his vacation. Not trying to make excuses for him but it’s just a thought, not that it’s the right thing to do.

 

[StonieGrl]

Alene, its so hard when you 'invest' yourself in the gemstone and then in the design process and you pay for custom work and then you get: Something awful.

I love the stone, the design but you are right, this is a problem.

There are a lot of approaches around PS to what to do when this happens. Personally, I don't return to the scene of the original crime for repairs or redo (why wasn't it right the first time?), only for refund.

It bothers me that the jeweler was not there when you showed up and left this to his staff to foist on you. Wrong/wrong/wrong. He should have picked up the phone and told you it was going to take longer than specified due to requiring re-do.

I'm sorry it went this way for you. I recently had a custom ring develop problems and I know what this feels like, it just stinks.

I have thought about a thread here regarding custom work and the aspect of it going wrong. It seems to me that one of the good points of purchasing jewelry already made from a custom-jeweler-type establishment is that you pay a lot less and you see the finished product and its relative quality before you lay your money down.

My experience buying gemstones and then trying to have them set has been mixed, whereas walking into a good jeweler's, for example, The Collector (Pala's storefront), and picking out an item, has always been excellent.

 

[Laila619]

I''m so sorry, I definitely can see the issues. It can be fixed though!

 

[agatha.nl]

yes, you are right: this is not what you want to see but this doesn''t have to be the end of it and indeed; the stone looks gorgeous on your finger!!!

 

[Michael_E]

Date: 6/17/2010 10:05:48 PM
Author:alene
What do you guys think? Can this even be fixed? On the bright side, the stone looks great now that it''s set!

Well, there''s another bright side in that those prongs are probably the most protective things I''ve ever seen on a ring...kind of like a face mask on a football helmet. This obviously has to be redone and it would probably be best if the entire center section was removed and replaced. When you discuss this with the jeweler I would also consider getting that stone raised up a bit since it looks awfully close to the finger and exposed to being damaged by anyone doing future work on this piece.

 

[alene]

I just wanted to thank everyone who responded. It''s good to know I''m not the only one who sees issues with the ring and even better to hear that they can be fixed. I too wonder if he was in such a rush to get this done before vacation, as I mentioned before, the quality is not even comparable to his other work. At this point, I''m not sure he would give me a refund since it''s custom work but I certainly do expect him to fix it. It sucks that I have to wait over a month but it''ll give me plenty of time to make a list of all the issues so I''m prepared for my meeting with the jeweler. You guys have noticed things I didn''t even see, so this is going to be a long list!

 

[iLander]

I think you better write up a letter with a list of issues and what you want done and leave it with his store people RIGHT AWAY. Otherwise, they might be jerky about it and say "well you seemed fine with it, and now it's beyond the return date" or whatever. Write, sign and date the issue, go over it with the store person, say you are keeping the ring until after the vacation for safety and your own piece of mind and you expect a full refund.

Mention your Pricescope thread, it can't hurt. Also, say that you're going to post your story on Yelp or one of those other opinion sites. One of the few good things about this internet age is that a company's reputation is now globally accessible.

I'm sure the jeweler, if he owns the store, calls in every day to check in, even if he is on vacation. He needs to know you're not happy now, rather than later.

Make it very clear. Full refund.

Don't let him try and fix it, it won't get better after this. Start over elsewhere. With somebody that doesn't "improvise".

Then tell us all who and where the jeweler is so we don't end up going there by mistake.

 

[alene]

Just emailed the store to let them know that I"m not happy with the ring and would like it either remade or refunded. I figure this way I have something in writing. Hopefully, I''ll get this resolved.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I would not be happy with that nor would I trust them to fix it or do it again. I hope you get that refund!

 

[Souled In]

He knows it was crooked, he prob just figured he''d fix it later before he went on vacation, and didn''t want to deal with the hassle of telling you, getting yelled at, and having to spend an all nighter with no sleep fixing it before he left. Lol..

Until then, the prongs look antique, and the stone is fantastical. I didn''t even see or notice the prongs when I looked until you said something.. No one will notice it being crooked, and if you move your hand slightly around, it is all just optical illusions anyway..

hope that helped!

 

[alene]

Souled In, I think you''re right, he does know ! I got a very nice email from the store basically saying, that the jeweler had said that he would work with me until I"m 100% satisfied with the ring right after finishing the ring and before I even mentioned anything. It does seem he was in a rush, I just wish he''d told me he didn''t have enough time to work on it before his vacation. I''ve seen his other work and there''s just no comparison, so he must know! I don''t think a refund is really an option at this point since they don''t have refunds even on regular items, let alone custom-made ones. I''d be happy if he can remake it and it sounds like he''s willing to so I think this is what I''ll have to do.

 

[CharmyPoo]

I was going through my saved ring photos for ideas on a new project and came across one that reminded me of your ring. The prongs are similar (paper clips like) but this is done really nicely.

 

[chrono]

Charmy,
I actually like the paperclip prongs as they are unique as long as they do not extend that far down the stone like Alene’s. That’s a very pretty design and I am going to save it as well for a future large square shaped stone.