decodelighted
Super_Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2005
- Messages
- 11,534
Just got back from a lovely weekend but something terrible happened to a friend of mine & I wanted to warn other people in the hopes it saves people a lot of trouble & heartache!!!
A few of us were at an outlet mall & we went into a clearance center of a national jewelry chain. A nice guy offered to clean my ring but I declined because of the teensy bead-set pave. Then a few minutes later he offered to clean my friend''s gorgeous three stone emerald ring. She accepted & they started talking about how platinum patinas & he offered to buff it as well. First, he said, he''d check to see if all the stones were tight. (Keep in mind -- there are only three stones & they are all large ... not likely to drop out in an ultrasonic cleaner). He comes back, tells us the stones are all tight & a few minutes later presents the shiny new buffed e-ring & wedding band. They were brand new looking. We were so dazzled by the shine we didn''t notice anything else. He gave us his card re: some earrings I''d been asking about and we left.
This morning my friend noticed a chip on her center Emerald stone. Right near the prong. Right where he would have been "testing" the prongs. She took it to a jeweler in the Resort where we were staying, and they looked at w/loupe & microscope & told her it was probably chipped during the "prong test". That buffing machines are all velvet ... and that the ultrasonic couldn''t have done it. That it was probably human error. She came back to the room & told us the sad situation.
Don''t worry -- she has insurance on the ring ... but it''s her original engagement stone & very very nice ... VVS1 etc ... the chip wasn''t a preexisting flaw inside the stone. It''s a chip/scuff/cleave of a layer right off the table near the prong. AWFUL!!! I let her know what little I know about re-polishing stones or recutting if possible if she is so attached to it she can''t deal with replacement ...
SO -- WARNING WARNING WARNING ... "free" cleaning is really a stranger poking at your precious with metal objects. DON''T DO IT!!!!
p.s. -- I know I know you''ll all say to go back to the store & confront the guy etc .. but she chose not to do that. The lawyer in our group and I both URGED her to go & at least SEE what they''d offer to do for her -- seeing it has been less that twelve hours since the damage, and we were hours away from home on vacation - so it would be difficult to get back there in person. We know his name, we have his card, I was a witness to the entire transaction as was my sister ... perhaps her insurance company will pursue a settlement with the store. I''m just SICK about it! I even feel guilty because we''d never have been in that stupid store if I wasn''t checking out the diamond earrings for my new piercings.
A few of us were at an outlet mall & we went into a clearance center of a national jewelry chain. A nice guy offered to clean my ring but I declined because of the teensy bead-set pave. Then a few minutes later he offered to clean my friend''s gorgeous three stone emerald ring. She accepted & they started talking about how platinum patinas & he offered to buff it as well. First, he said, he''d check to see if all the stones were tight. (Keep in mind -- there are only three stones & they are all large ... not likely to drop out in an ultrasonic cleaner). He comes back, tells us the stones are all tight & a few minutes later presents the shiny new buffed e-ring & wedding band. They were brand new looking. We were so dazzled by the shine we didn''t notice anything else. He gave us his card re: some earrings I''d been asking about and we left.
This morning my friend noticed a chip on her center Emerald stone. Right near the prong. Right where he would have been "testing" the prongs. She took it to a jeweler in the Resort where we were staying, and they looked at w/loupe & microscope & told her it was probably chipped during the "prong test". That buffing machines are all velvet ... and that the ultrasonic couldn''t have done it. That it was probably human error. She came back to the room & told us the sad situation.
Don''t worry -- she has insurance on the ring ... but it''s her original engagement stone & very very nice ... VVS1 etc ... the chip wasn''t a preexisting flaw inside the stone. It''s a chip/scuff/cleave of a layer right off the table near the prong. AWFUL!!! I let her know what little I know about re-polishing stones or recutting if possible if she is so attached to it she can''t deal with replacement ...
SO -- WARNING WARNING WARNING ... "free" cleaning is really a stranger poking at your precious with metal objects. DON''T DO IT!!!!
p.s. -- I know I know you''ll all say to go back to the store & confront the guy etc .. but she chose not to do that. The lawyer in our group and I both URGED her to go & at least SEE what they''d offer to do for her -- seeing it has been less that twelve hours since the damage, and we were hours away from home on vacation - so it would be difficult to get back there in person. We know his name, we have his card, I was a witness to the entire transaction as was my sister ... perhaps her insurance company will pursue a settlement with the store. I''m just SICK about it! I even feel guilty because we''d never have been in that stupid store if I wasn''t checking out the diamond earrings for my new piercings.
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