The jewler broke my stone....

[Garnet Gimlet]

Hi P.S.ers,

So I bought a beautiful sphene from Jason Brim just a little while ago. I had figured I'd hold off on setting it for a while, but there was a great opportunity to set it, so I went ahead. There is a local jewler, whose shop I had walked by a million times in the past decade who is liquidating his stock so he can retire. I had just bought a lovely little ring from this jeweler, and he had a beautiful pendant setting in 14K that was a great price. So I went for it.

I went back to pick up my pendant, and the setting was lovely. No chips around the edges of the stone. It looked beautiful. I got to my car, looked at it closer without a two year old struggling in my arms, and noticed what looked like a bubble in it. I turned it over and found a bit of goop on the back. I scraped some of it off, figuring maybe it was a weird apoxy that got stuck, and I realized that it was covering a huge, irregular chip on the cutlet.

I went back in, talked to the jewler, and he acted surprised the chip was there. I told him that the stone certainly didn't look like that when I dropped it off. He said if it really bothered me, he'd take it down to a local lapidary and put some facets where the chip was.

So now what do I do? I don't have a problem with him trying to fix the stone, but how? Cut is so important, especially on a sphene. Will he have to cut down the whole thing to make the dimensions right? And if he doesn't, will it just look bad? Im afraid it will come back looking much worse than when I gave it to him. What is fair to ask in terms of making it right? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[gingercurls]

Hi Eyre,

First of all, I am very sorry that this has happened to you. My best suggestion is to ask the jeweler pay for a replacement stone (if that will make you happy) or to send the stone to someone like Jerry Newman to see if the stone can be recut without much loss to carat weight or face up size or both. If you like what Jerry has to say and you want to go ahead with a recut, ask the jeweler to pay for the recut and the shipping both ways.

 

[Arcadian]

First, let me say I'm sorry that your stone is broken. That always sucks and disappointing. But (and I have to say it) you had him set a sphene. Did you explain to him that its a soft stone? I've only had one set, the guy who did knew exactly what he was dealing with and, with him knowing that, he told me if it broke, it was not covered by his warranty. He didn't break it but he told me NEVER again. The 4ct in my avatar will never be set because I would be heartbroken if it were destroyed.

for soft stones you really have to be sure that the bench how soft they are. A bench that sets diamonds, sapphires, and maybe garnets, may not have the soft touch needed for setting a sphene.

Next, did you ask if he would insure the stone while its being set? This is a very important question. I always ask it because setting a stone is risky. Some will only say they're accountable for the stone they source, some will cover it while setting. Its important to ask though especially for soft stones.

You CAN ask if he would pay for the stone to be fixed but don't be surprised that he will say no. When you had him do the work, did you get a receipt or did you have to sign anything that had some terms on it?

 

[katharath]

Arcadian - great post, dead on.

It's unfortunate for the customer, but generally when a jeweler sets a customer's personal gem, the customer has no recourse if a problem occurs. Most jewelers will tell you up front, or ask you to sign something stating that they don't accept responsibility for loss or breakage during setting.

If you buy a gem and then have the person that you purchased from set it, you can generally expect that the jeweler will be responsible if a problem occurs - not so if a different person sets the gem.

Sphene can be a pretty inexpensive stone, so it may not be worth sending to Jerry for a recut (expect to pay $75-100).

I would definitely be upset, especially bc the jeweler seemed to be somewhat deceptive, trying to act as though the stone wasn't damaged in setting. That's ridiculous. I do wonder if he had any idea what gem he was setting, and just how soft it is.

Sorry this happened . I only trust the setting of colored stones to certain vendors for this exact reason.

 

[Garnet Gimlet]

First, let me say I'm sorry that your stone is broken. That always sucks and disappointing. But (and I have to say it) you had him set a sphene. Did you explain to him that its a soft stone? I've only had one set, the guy who did knew exactly what he was dealing with and, with him knowing that, he told me if it broke, it was not covered by his warranty. He didn't break it but he told me NEVER again. The 4ct in my avatar will never be set because I would be heartbroken if it were destroyed.

for soft stones you really have to be sure that the bench how soft they are. A bench that sets diamonds, sapphires, and maybe garnets, may not have the soft touch needed for setting a sphene.

Next, did you ask if he would insure the stone while its being set? This is a very important question. I always ask it because setting a stone is risky. Some will only say they're accountable for the stone they source, some will cover it while setting. Its important to ask though especially for soft stones.

You CAN ask if he would pay for the stone to be fixed but don't be surprised that he will say no. When you had him do the work, did you get a receipt or did you have to sign anything that had some terms on it?

Thanks, Arcadian, Gingercurls, and Katharath.

I do understand that I may just be out of luck.

Gingercurls, I don't think insisting that the jeweler send it to the lapidary of my choice, at his cost, after he offered to have it fixed by his own contact will be very viable. It's a great suggestion, but I don't think it will work.

Arcadian, I completely understand why you will never set your avatar. It is breathtaking, and looks completely irreplaceable. But yes, I did tell him that it was a soft stone. In fact, we had quite a conversation about it. He did not mention any reservations about setting it. He also had years of experience as a jeweler under his belt. I took that into the equation when asking him to set it. I guess he didn't have the right experience.

I didn't think to ask about insurance. That is a good thing to know for next time. Particularly with a really valuable stone.

As for paperwork, I simply got a reciept for the setting saying all sales are final. Nothing about guarantees or policies is anywhere on it.

I'm just looking for him to make it right, but I don't know if that will happen. I didn't pay an arm and a leg for that stone, but it is still upsetting. I'd even take a replacement stone of equivalent value from the stock he is trying to liquidate, but I don't know if I can trust him after what he pulled in trying to cover up his error.

 

[iLander]

Lord, that sucks!

You have my sympathies.

 

[Arcadian]

First, let me say I'm sorry that your stone is broken. That always sucks and disappointing. But (and I have to say it) you had him set a sphene. Did you explain to him that its a soft stone? I've only had one set, the guy who did knew exactly what he was dealing with and, with him knowing that, he told me if it broke, it was not covered by his warranty. He didn't break it but he told me NEVER again. The 4ct in my avatar will never be set because I would be heartbroken if it were destroyed.

for soft stones you really have to be sure that the bench how soft they are. A bench that sets diamonds, sapphires, and maybe garnets, may not have the soft touch needed for setting a sphene.

Next, did you ask if he would insure the stone while its being set? This is a very important question. I always ask it because setting a stone is risky. Some will only say they're accountable for the stone they source, some will cover it while setting. Its important to ask though especially for soft stones.

You CAN ask if he would pay for the stone to be fixed but don't be surprised that he will say no. When you had him do the work, did you get a receipt or did you have to sign anything that had some terms on it?

Thanks, Arcadian, Gingercurls, and Katharath.

I do understand that I may just be out of luck.

Gingercurls, I don't think insisting that the jeweler send it to the lapidary of my choice, at his cost, after he offered to have it fixed by his own contact will be very viable. It's a great suggestion, but I don't think it will work.

Arcadian, I completely understand why you will never set your avatar. It is breathtaking, and looks completely irreplaceable. But yes, I did tell him that it was a soft stone. In fact, we had quite a conversation about it. He did not mention any reservations about setting it. He also had years of experience as a jeweler under his belt. I took that into the equation when asking him to set it. I guess he didn't have the right experience.

I didn't think to ask about insurance. That is a good thing to know for next time. Particularly with a really valuable stone.

As for paperwork, I simply got a reciept for the setting saying all sales are final. Nothing about guarantees or policies is anywhere on it.

I'm just looking for him to make it right, but I don't know if that will happen. I didn't pay an arm and a leg for that stone, but it is still upsetting. I'd even take a replacement stone of equivalent value from the stock he is trying to liquidate, but I don't know if I can trust him after what he pulled in trying to cover up his error.

Again, I'm so sorry to hear about what happened. The reason why I asked about the receipt is sometimes they have terms on there. Most of the local jewelers I deal with have their terms there but it varies. The sphene I had set was a small lemon/lime colored stone. still pretty but not as expensive as the one in my avatar. The ring it was set into he rebuilt the prongs so that he wouldn't end up breaking the stone.

Keep in mind that some of these guys will never set something like that in their lifetimes. My guy said pearls were way easier...lol

I agree that trust, once broken, is hard to win back, but if he offers to make it right, see if you can come to an agreement. Pretty sure he won't have anything that soft in his inventory.

 

[minousbijoux]

Like everyone else who responded, I am so sorry this happened. At the same time, I'm not surprised, unfortunately. Due to the reputation of sphene and the stories I've read here on PS, I wouldn't have the courage to set a sphene unless it was something I thought I could find again, like small rounds for earrings.

Still, you have every right to be disappointed and feel betrayed. It would have been one thing if he had contacted you to explain - or even volunteered it when you went in to pick it up. I don't know what would bother me more, losing the stone or the jeweler's actions.

 

[Marlow]

Sad story!!

There are custom cutter and there are "cutter"... same with jewellers and specialised for gem setting.

Here in Germany most jewellers here have a very low knowledge about gems - so they don't know how to work with a sphene or for example Tanzanite pear or marquise.

A sad story !!

 

[Acinom]

So sorry to hear this. Hopefully it can be solved to your satisfaction.

 

[chrono]

Eyre,
I am sorry about your stone; Arcadian is correct on all points regarding the sphene, setting it and benches who aren't skilled enough to set them. Not only that, the cost to recut is oftentimes more expensive than buying another sphene, unless you are talking about a large pure green sphene. It may be that to fix the sphene, you will probably loose about half the carat weight and face up size, which means it will not longer fit the setting. Damage around the culet is tricky, depending on the location and size. I hope not but that is the worst case scenario. Again, I do not know how skilled his contact is and you could very well end up with bit and pieces of sphene. When evaluating benches, I do not just take their word of it - I want to see example stones set, talk to people who've had such work done and more. Insurance is generally on your own. Setting insurance can be tricky for CS because some stones are cheaper than the insurance and some stones cannot be easily replaced/re-purchased/found.

 

[Garnet Gimlet]

Thanks everyone. It's nice to know everyone shares my pain.

Chrono, thanks for the input. You confirmed what I thought. The recut fix is kind of a pipe dream. Whatever I get back is either going to look subpar or will be much smaller. If the lapidary can even cut it.

The nice thing is, that when push comes to shove, this is the ultimate first world problem. No one got hurt, the house is still standing, the sun will shine tomorrow. It is a disappointment, but as much as I really liked the stone, I didn't break the bank to buy it. It was more than I'd like to pay for a learning experience, but what can you do?

If I have learned anything, it is that a jeweler who is competent, honest and knowledgable about colored stones is a rare find indeed. Whatever I buy next to replace my pretty little sphene in my brand new setting will be far less exotic and far more durable.

Thanks again for all your support everyone! Hopefully this will be resolved, but I won't hold my breath.

 

[Marlow]

Sphene is a beautiful gem set in a pendant - you "only" need a good jeweller!!!

A Paraiba, an emerald or a Tanzanite with a difficult shape ( long pear or marquise) is also a challenge...
Maybe some here can help you...

 

[Lady_Disdain]

I agree with previous posters on damage but I must add that I am not impressed by the fact that he tried to hide the damage. He should have been upfront about his damage policies when you dropped off the stone to be set and upfront about the damage that did occur.

 

[EvangelineG]

You must have just been heartsick when you saw that it was broken! And terrible that the jeweler wasn't up front about it.

I have a sphene pendant, which I love and wear a lot. I knew it was soft and that there were risks involved in getting it set, but didn't really understand how soft or how risky, so luckily ignorance cushioned me from a lot of worry during setting. I love sphene and if I ever get another piece set, I will be much more anxious!

 

[Garnet Gimlet]

Well, I got my stone back today. It's in one piece. Which is good.

It has the weirdest, most bizarre facet where the chip was. It makes the stone look much cleaner. The giant bubble like blemish is gone. It doesn't sparkle with the beautiful red and green like it did. It flashed well under the jewelers lights of course, but I didn't see much sparkle when I was wearing it today. Though to be fair, it has been overcast. Maybe tomorrow will be better. I could have gone back in and fought it, but after listening to everyone's input, I figured this was about as good of a conclusion as I could hope for. I still have the stone, and I can get it recut later should I chose to. Even if I lose carat weight, it will perform like it should. Though I don't think I'd want to go through the ordeal of setting it again.

It's still pretty. I like the honey color, even if I've lost some flash. Though this whole experience has soured me on it a little. Evangeline, if you have a jeweler who set your sphene well, hold on to him/her for dear life! That is one amazing find. Much like Minous and Lady Disdain said, the most upsetting part is that this jeweler didn't own up to his error and tried to cover it up. Putting some goop on the back and pretending like nothing ever happened isn't fixing a problem. At least I won't be going back there for any other reason.

And Marlow, thanks for the warning about the other tricky stones. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be setting a Pariaba or emerald any time soon. Though I wish! The bank account has a long way to go before that happens!

 

[chrono]

This sounds like the best end result for you given the circumstances. You have your stone back and it looks pretty much the same, except maybe a bit less in the sparkle performance, which in the grand scheme of things, is quite minor compared to the potential loss of the entire stone.

 

[minousbijoux]

So am I missing something? Did the jeweler have his lapidary polish the chip out, is that what you mean by the facet where the chip was? In any case, I'm happy you got your stone back. If it were me, I'd be tempted to write a negative review, but then I wouldn't be sure enough whether he purposely covered the stone or whether it was an honest mistake, though I have a strong feeling...

 

[LD]

First, let me say I'm sorry that your stone is broken. That always sucks and disappointing. But (and I have to say it) you had him set a sphene. Did you explain to him that its a soft stone? I've only had one set, the guy who did knew exactly what he was dealing with and, with him knowing that, he told me if it broke, it was not covered by his warranty. He didn't break it but he told me NEVER again. The 4ct in my avatar will never be set because I would be heartbroken if it were destroyed.

for soft stones you really have to be sure that the bench how soft they are. A bench that sets diamonds, sapphires, and maybe garnets, may not have the soft touch needed for setting a sphene.

Next, did you ask if he would insure the stone while its being set? This is a very important question. I always ask it because setting a stone is risky. Some will only say they're accountable for the stone they source, some will cover it while setting. Its important to ask though especially for soft stones.

You CAN ask if he would pay for the stone to be fixed but don't be surprised that he will say no. When you had him do the work, did you get a receipt or did you have to sign anything that had some terms on it?

+1

Something I would add. I wouldn't trust a jeweller who possibly knew he had damaged a stone and then acted surprised! The goop on the underside of the stone sounds like he tried to hide it. SO I would ask him whether he would be prepared to pay a lapidary OF YOUR CHOICE to fix the stone. I would NOT trust it to somebody he recommends because (a) you don't know them and (b) sphenes are very very very soft stones and there are a large number of jewellers who will not even set them.

 

[Garnet Gimlet]

Hi all,

Thanks for the responses. Sorry I haven't been around to reply quicker.

I agree with both Minous Bijoux and LD. While you are both too classy to say it, I will say it flat out: This jeweler was unscrupulous and dishonest. There is no doubt in my mind that the junk on the back of my stone was a deliberate attempt to conceal the damage he did.

The biggest problem I foresaw was that I had absolutely no real recourse in getting things put right. The jeweler is retiring in six months. A poor review would have very little impact. I also paid cash for the setting. Which is atypical for me, as I usually use a card for everything. If I had, I could have tried to contest the charges until something was worked out. But it is what it is. Short of threatening legal action, which would have been more costly than the stone itself, I really had no leverage.

While I am not happy with the resolution, it seems as though it is the best I can reasonably expect. Particularly, given that the consensus from the forum was that it was a major fault of mine allowing him to set it. Hopefully, in time I can have it recut to show the beautiful potential it has. For right now, it is an unfortunate lesson learned.

If a can get a picture of the weird facet, I'll post it. Perhaps it will help someone learn from my mistake.

 

[LD]

Hi all,

Thanks for the responses. Sorry I haven't been around to reply quicker.

I agree with both Minous Bijoux and LD. While you are both too classy to say it, I will say it flat out: This jeweler was unscrupulous and dishonest. There is no doubt in my mind that the junk on the back of my stone was a deliberate attempt to conceal the damage he did.

The biggest problem I foresaw was that I had absolutely no real recourse in getting things put right. The jeweler is retiring in six months. A poor review would have very little impact. I also paid cash for the setting. Which is atypical for me, as I usually use a card for everything. If I had, I could have tried to contest the charges until something was worked out. But it is what it is. Short of threatening legal action, which would have been more costly than the stone itself, I really had no leverage.

While I am not happy with the resolution, it seems as though it is the best I can reasonably expect. Particularly, given that the consensus from the forum was that it was a major fault of mine allowing him to set it. Hopefully, in time I can have it recut to show the beautiful potential it has. For right now, it is an unfortunate lesson learned.

If a can get a picture of the weird facet, I'll post it. Perhaps it will help someone learn from my mistake.

The major problem you will face in the future is that very very very few lapidaries/jewellers will insure their work when setting stones. In fact, many won't do it unless you've purchased the stone from them (and then you are covered by their insurance). It's a horrible learning curve BUT at least you know now. Having a weird facet makes it unique so try to love it's uniqueness I've never forgiven my local jeweller for chipping a blue diamond I had given him to set so I know your pain.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Eyre I am so sorry that happened. Can I suggest for your next stone that you inquire with David Klass for the setting? Unfortunately stones can get chipped when setting. I had a stone (not sourced by David) that was chipped in the process of setting it. David did not have to assume any liability but he went above and beyond to make it right. He gave me three options. They were to let him get the stone repaired, send it to the cutter of my choice to be repaired, or I find a replacement stone and he would pay for it. That type of service is above and beyond. In the we agreed that he would have the stone repaired. He did and he shipped it back to me within two days (no cost to me) and made sure I was happy with it. He treated me like I was his only customer and made me feel like I deserved special treatment. I want you to have a jeweler like that.