Fiance notice diamond chipped Saturday night

[Maxine]

What will the insurance co. do , provided you are covered for breakage of some kind? Do they reset it? How bad of a break does it have to be for them to do ANYTHING? Just wondering/ how much does it cost to recut? I know you lose some size, but what about your original proportions?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Maxine it all gets back to size of loss.

A $5,000per carat 1.01ct diamond that can be repolished to 1.00ct looses $50 plus say $300 for repolishing and $100 for unsetting and resetting. Most people would be happy to have the same stone back and the bills paid.
The same stone that repolished to 0.90ct - the loss is far greater and the client might not accept the stone back.

 

[Maxine]

You make it sound so easy...do you end up with the same proportions/cut quality?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Of course it depends. I generally try for an improvement, but there are different factors each time.
Some clients want the smaller stone back and buy it back from the insurance company because it has sentimental attachment - then we will go all out for the best looking stone possible - then the loss of weight actually becomes the insurance company problem - I guess i am more loyal to my clients than the owners of city scyscrappers. But that is bad and naughty of me.

 

[PhillipSchmidt]

A prong will protect the girdle from impact. Despite being metal, it will absorb much more shock then you think.

I have been setting princess cut CZ''s, which love to chip, and used a hammer attachment on the corners. You would have to imagine they would break, but the metal takes the shock. Same goes with other types of settings and other even softer stones.

On that issue of stones with set points. They break at the prong, and are often weakened or chipped during setting. That withstanding, an exposed point would still be at risk, though I''d suggest the prong would help the corner take a direct knock, it could help a create fault if it were ripped one way or another.

Having an exposed stone in a 4 claw is a beautifull way to show off a good diamond if the claws are secure. I wouldn''t let worries over chipping affect you in such a decesion as they just don''t chip that easily. Be carefull what you put it with, but thats all...

I am with Garry on the direction of 6 claw settings. I usually mount the setting with the prong across the finger. That way you gain extra strength by having the shank mounted directly to a prong and the point of strength from the prong is nearer the girldle. You end up with two claws/prongs that won''t budge. I don''t know anybody who doesn''t? I am still visualising your reach-pull model Dave - never thought of that.

Can''t imagine what your going to do to fix this stone Rok Doc...

Cheers

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

When you say mammer set PM, you mean hammer drill attachment? In this case no single blow is probably violent enough to chip the diamond even if there was no gold or platinum between the stone and the tool head.

It is amazing watching metal move like plasticine under the guidance of a craftsperson hitting it with a hammer drill or a real hammer - watching as it flows over a gemstone.

 

[fire&ice]

I''m assuming that this talk about orientation is just about 6 prongs because this consumer has experienced just the opposite about 4 prongs being set with the NSEW orientation. I never noticed any pull on my NSEW set orig. e-ring. When I got my 3 c (set the traditional way), it (the prongs) got in the way much more. At first, I thought it was just bigger; but, I noticed this with my other trad. orientation rings. Yeah, the worst is putting hands in pockets/ tucking in shirts.

 

[RockDoc]

Date: 12/27/2004 9

1:27 PM
Author: Maxine
What will the insurance co. do , provided you are covered for breakage of some kind? Do they reset it? How bad of a break does it have to be for them to do ANYTHING? Just wondering/ how much does it cost to recut? I know you lose some size, but what about your original proportions?

Hi Maxine....

READ YOUR POLICY! It tells you what they will do if you have a claim.... ANY damage to the stone is covered under most policies.

I admit reading an insurance policy is about as interesting as shaving in the morning with a hang-over.But you need to do it.


Pay special attention to a section about "if you disagree with our settlement offer ( or similar wording)" .... some policies force you to binding arbitration. Still others have a setup where if their appraiser and your appraiser don''t agree - then you both hire a third ( called umpire appraiser ) appraiser who tries to get the other two to agree.

Different states have requisites for different policies terms and conditions, and every insurance company can differ too. Allstate Ins. has several different types of policies.... so you have to read and understand what they say. If you do have a claim, regardless of what anyone says, the insurance company will adhere to what is written in the policy ( it''s a contract).

Hope this helps...

Rockdoc

 

[RockDoc]

Date: 12/28/2004 2:21:12 AM
Author: Platinumsmith
A prong will protect the girdle from impact. Despite being metal, it will absorb much more shock then you think.

I have been setting princess cut CZ''s, which love to chip, and used a hammer attachment on the corners. You would have to imagine they would break, but the metal takes the shock. Same goes with other types of settings and other even softer stones.

On that issue of stones with set points. They break at the prong, and are often weakened or chipped during setting. That withstanding, an exposed point would still be at risk, though I''d suggest the prong would help the corner take a direct knock, it could help a create fault if it were ripped one way or another.

Having an exposed stone in a 4 claw is a beautifull way to show off a good diamond if the claws are secure. I wouldn''t let worries over chipping affect you in such a decesion as they just don''t chip that easily. Be carefull what you put it with, but thats all...

I am with Garry on the direction of 6 claw settings. I usually mount the setting with the prong across the finger. That way you gain extra strength by having the shank mounted directly to a prong and the point of strength from the prong is nearer the girldle. You end up with two claws/prongs that won''t budge. I don''t know anybody who doesn''t? I am still visualising your reach-pull model Dave - never thought of that.

Can''t imagine what your going to do to fix this stone Rok Doc...

Cheers

FIX IT?

Don''t remember saying I could FIX it. Can you be clearer about this?

Thanks

Rockdoc

 

[RockDoc]

Are you talking about my offer to examine the stone, to see if it can be determined as to WHY it was damaged...???

I didn''t offer to fix the problem, after all I haven''t seen it and don''t know what is pertinent to doing that.

Rockdoc

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Date: 12/28/2004 7:47

5 AM
Author: Feydakin
I would never, unless under direct instruction from the customer - and even then I would complain, set a 6 prong head east west.. For two reasons..

1. The thing you do most in life is put your hands in your pockets, purse, desk, etc... The first part of your diamond to enter those spaces will be the north face.. With a prong there you have some protection.. Without a prong the first thing to hit is the girdle of the stone.. This can never be a good thing..

2. It looks awful.. All jewelry is a trade off between beauty and safety.. In this case I will take the trade of north south over east west every time.. If all we were interested in was safety, all diamonds would be flush set with massive beads pulled over them..

Re 2. I agree Steve.

Re 1. check out the wear patterns on the prongs on every ring you see for the next week or 2 and you will note that the bulk of wear 9therefore damage) occurs on the EW side of the ring.
If you consider the way we move our forearms from side to side, this is the reason why the sides present the most risk of damage.

To move in the N-S direction - you must move the upper part of your arm from the shoulder.

I am sure you have noticed that the prongs most frequently re-tipped on a clauster ring are the shoulder side prongs.

 

[ziti1]

I found this thread while reseaching what to do about a chip we found on a diamond we''ve had just over one year. It begins at the girdle ("medium") and runs down the side of the pavilion looking like the top layer of one facet sheared off. The stone is GIA 3.01 carat, SI2, I color. While we can wonder forever how the chip happened, I am trying to learn about repair vs. trying to work with our insurance for a replacement. I guess I''d like to apply that old question - "Does size matter" when trying to determine the best course of action. Based on the way the unusual modern setting is designed (girdle exposed on 1/3 of circumference; wrapped by setting on 2/3), it would be possible to turn the stone 180 degrees and the chip would no longer be visible. All advice much welcomed and greatly appreciated!!