LONG, SOOOOO upset ...need REAL jewelers opinion PIC HEAVY

[ooeemusic]

Re: LONG, SOOOOO upset ...need REAL jewelers opinion PIC HEA

... the head is not nearly as unsupported as it looks. This is a very thick, sturdy ring, while the channels aren't actually attached to the head, they are practically touching it, that is what I find so appealing about it, it almost gives you a free standing look, without actually being free standing. The head itself is very sturdy.

I'm sorry but the head is as unsupported as it looks, and "the head itself being very sturdy" actually contributed to what happened to your ring.

The bending is happening at the solder joint where the head is soldered to the ring.
The head itself being very sturdy does not make that solder joint any stronger, in fact the more rigid the head is the more it just transfers ALL of the bending force down to the solder joint.
There is an old saying that illustrates this, "bend like a willow or you'll break like an oak."

It is too bad the channels were not attached/soldered to the head.
That would have provided additional support for the head, which you have proven is needed, and you may not have been in this predicament.

It is not personal so please don't be offended but physics trumps aesthetics here.
How much you like it does not suspend the laws of physics and mechanics.
A tall rigid beefy head like that is a solder joint disaster waiting to happen.
If you get it remade please consider designs with better mechanical integrity.

You have already stated going to a chain jewelry store is a mistake.
I suspect a more reputable jeweler would be less likely to carry such a mechanically-risky design.
Nobody likes rework.

Ok. I mean clearly you know more about it than I do, so I believe when you say it's not as supported as it should be, and I know it's not personal at all. Thank you for the explanation of the physics. But, the head is not what started all of this, it was the improper repair of the side stone. The head being so sturdy has nothing to do with them messing up the repair of the side stone, The head was perfectly fine, until they messed up the rest of the ring and started messing with the head. What you are basically saying, if I understand it correctly, is that if the ring had been made differently from the start in terms of how the channels hold the head, it might be easier to duplicate the previous look, which, yes, makes sense, you could be right. I guess if it had been better made to begin with, it might be easier to duplicate, but at this point, it's to late to worry about that.

I'm not sure why it is needed to continue to drive home the point that I've said "going to a chain jewelry store is a mistake". I have said repeatedly that I think private is better, but it wasn't an option for us. continuing to point out I've said "it was a mistake" to me, feels like someone saying "you should have known this would happen". Clearly if we could have afforded it, or foreseen this, I would have gone private, but again, it's a little late for that, and continuing to remind me "it was a mistake" is just rubbing salt in a wound.

 

[kenny]

Re: LONG, SOOOOO upset ...need REAL jewelers opinion PIC HEA

Sorry, don't mean to rub salt in a wound.
I have decades of engineering background so I notice things that the general public would not notice. It's a curse.
I'm not from the government, but I'm here to help.

The side stones are also supported by tall walls ... another poor mechanical design because tall walls are more suseptable to bending than shorter walls.

I see pointing these things out as a PSA for others, future shoppers, and the community so they can pass the word.
I'm sorry you are the person who presented such a good example of things to avoid.
Nothing personal.
Not your fault.

I understand this common perspective, "They sell it so it must be safe."
I just encourage a higher level of skepticism to protect against the heartache you have gone through.

I also started a long thread titled, "Are rings too thin these days?".
I imagine zillions of owners of those rings didn't like me starting that thread either.
Unfortunately some people misinterpret such useful discussions as a personal attack.

I think alerting the public about concerns some that some jewelers would rather keep quiet is a good thing.
Sellers want to reduce your fears, not fan them.
They want to sell everything in their cases.

 

[ooeemusic]

Re: LONG, SOOOOO upset ...need REAL jewelers opinion PIC HEA

I totally agree with you. The quality of just about everything has gone down. I used to look at my grandmothers wedding and engagement ring, and just marvel how, after 50 years of marriage, they were still impeccable. I can't imagine most things that I see on people fingers lasting a lifetime. But I also think it's a cultural shift. It's what I think of as the "10 year upgrade" curse. I think the most, if not all, of the non-private jeweleries are just assuming that 10 years from now, you are going to upgrade your ring, so why should they make it last anyway? What difference does it make if every time you take it in to be polished or cleaned a little of it is lost. You were going to get something bigger and better in 10 or 15 or 20 years anyway, right? wrong.

I would not dream of every "upgrading" the ring I was married with. My husband is well aware that if, at some point, he would like to get me something different/bigger, it doesn't mean replacing my ring. But now a days, that is exactly what people do. Big must be better...right? Not in my opinion.

 

[pyramid]

Re: LONG, SOOOOO upset ...need REAL jewelers opinion PIC HEA

I had a ring once I got from a chain store, although one of the better ones, it had to be sized as I had quite small finger, three times, I tried with them but they could not seem to see that I wanted it to look like the original ring had. Then one day the manager told me they were going to send it to another man, a jeweller, who would be able to fix it, he worked on his own and was not part of the outsourced benchwork. It came back perfect, it looked brand new, like the original, the shape was totally different than the squashed looking ring and it had the perfect straight edges and all. They had said before they had burnished the ring, but it still had not looked right. So I am convinced that a ring can be made back to its original ..but only... with the right person working at it. I know you know but as people said, don't expect them to be able to do it, unless they know someone like my chain store did.

Now the second part of my answer, may not be what this is, but someone like Wink (who posts here and is a real jeweller would know). I read and saw pictures before where they have started now casting rings with the diamonds in place, I have a feeling those side stones in channels when they are small stones like you have may be this very manufacturing process your ring was put through originally when the mount was made. If that is the case then the diamonds probably cannot be set evenly by hand in such a thick channel. I wonder if it is tension setting rather than channel setting. As I said Wink would probably be able to advise. Also Kenny made very good points about the ring design. I know you like the design and it is pretty but I would not feel comfortable with those little diamonds hanging in there like that. I would go for another setting, even if I had to wear a stand in ring and keep the parts in the box until I had enough saved for it.

Another thing is, this is horrible for you to go through with your sentimental ring, but at least they have not damaged your main diamond, I would get things away from them before they chip the diamond. Amateurs can cause a lot of damage to a ring with tools.

I would not even give a second chance now after all I have been through with jewellery, if it is not right the first time I am out of there.

With my ring, the problem was they cast the ring in three sizes and then adjusted it to all the other sizes. Things in chain stores are not made to measure. Garry Holloway wrote on this forum another good piece of advice I took on
board when I was getting frustrated with mine before they did fix it, and that was that I saw I had too large ideals for what I was buying. I know it is a lot of money for any ring so we tend to not see the big picture. What he said was
something to the effect of 'you don't get museum quality at jewellery store prices'. I don't buy from chain stores now unless it is a design I can't live without, but then I make allowances now, because I can only expect to get what I am paying for. I know it sounds stupid and I should have known this and deep down I did but I got so intense into my jewellery because of sentimental and emotional things that I did not stop to think that the jeweller was not going to be particular about the ring the way I was, I mean if it looked good to an onlooker that is as far as I think they go. It is not made for a museum under 40x magnification.

I like the design of your ring but would not go with it because I think Kenny is right it is too hard to fix and it is not being fixed by a top designer who has the inclination and money in it to do so. By fix I mean to maintain, in the future, should those tiny stones come out. It is like if you were selling something you would only do so much for the money and gold and diamonds cost a good lot of the total price.

I wish you good luck with whatever you decide because reading your whole post is like reliving what I went through. You are definitely better off to make a decision and stick with it, instead of hoping, hoping, hoping, I know that from experience and from reading other posts here including Circes which was a thread of about 10 pages. Go and read it and see what we mean.

 

[distracts]

Re: LONG, SOOOOO upset ...need REAL jewelers opinion PIC HEA

What I would try to do is to get not only your original setting back but ALSO a refund. I would push for both your original setting and a full refund of the price. I don't know how realistic it is that you'll get that, but even if you get your setting and a partial refund, it puts you in a much better position to be able to fix it/get a replacement at another jeweler.

 

[ooeemusic]

Re: LONG, SOOOOO upset ...need REAL jewelers opinion PIC HEA

What I would try to do is to get not only your original setting back but ALSO a refund. I would push for both your original setting and a full refund of the price. I don't know how realistic it is that you'll get that, but even if you get your setting and a partial refund, it puts you in a much better position to be able to fix it/get a replacement at another jeweler.

Hi Distracts that is exactly my plan. Just giving me my original back, with a new head, so I can have it fixed or remade elsewhere is 100% not acceptable, and I will climb the corporate ladder until someone compensates me sufficiently for the time and stress of this as well as the cost of at the very least having it fixed. They have demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are 100% incapable of fixing or replacing my ring, and they are 100% incompetent at even putting out a "new" ring that is made with any type of quality.

 

[Karl_K]

Re: LONG, SOOOOO upset ...need REAL jewelers opinion PIC HEA

I am a little late replying.
I don't see a huge structural issue with the original ring except that due to the design it is very hard to properly fix the side stones if something happens or they are not put in right. Which is what happened.
A very skilled bench could have done it.
The deep grove under the sides does weaken the ring but it is massive and tank like.

The second try they put the head into a base made for a larger diamond/head.
The third they used a base to small for the head.
The forth they used a base to large again.
If they had used a base properly sized for the head like the original in the rebuilds it would have been more like the original.

More than anything else it shows no one there gives a rats rear about the customers jewelery.

 

[ooeemusic]

Re: LONG, SOOOOO upset ...need REAL jewelers opinion PIC HEA

Hi Karl, the first and second tries are actually the same band. They just took the head back out, but the ring where the head sits cut out a portion and mashed it all together. The problem to me with all these attempts is that they are allegedly ordering the same setting they got me 3 years ago, clearly it's not the same, they have either changed the design all together, or they have added another sitting just like mine but to hold a bigger stone. The other real issue is they seem to think u shouldn't care that it's clearly not the same setting. Does it resemble the setting? Yes, but when the reason my needs replaced is because they damaged it, resembling mine isn't going to cut it. Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[Karl_K]

Re: LONG, SOOOOO upset ...need REAL jewelers opinion PIC HEA

Hi Karl, the first and second tries are actually the same band. They just took the head back out, but the ring where the head sits cut out a portion and mashed it all together. same effect the area is too narrow for the head. The problem to me with all these attempts is that they are allegedly ordering the same setting they got me 3 years ago, clearly it's not the same, they have either changed the design all together, or they have added another sitting just like mine but to hold a bigger stone.they are ordering one for a larger stone no way to know if they make the size you need still. The other real issue is they seem to think u shouldn't care that it's clearly not the same setting.They don't care is the problem. Does it resemble the setting? Yes, but when the reason my needs replaced is because they damaged it, resembling mine isn't going to cut it.It is totally unacceptable, keep after them and keep them accountable. Thanks for your thoughts!