Just noticed a chip or cutting flaw! Please help!

[michela002]

I want to cry ...

We have had my e-ring for probably 2+ months. My fiance it from a jeweler that a friend of his uses all the time, and brought that friend with him to help him out when buying. She looked at it with a loupe etc, but I don''t know how knowledgable she is (and he''s not at all.) Unfortunately that jeweler is in California and I''m in Australia - so I can''t just go and see them.

The centre stone is a round stone in a four-prong setting. Today while looking at my ring I noticed what is (I think) a chip!

It stradles the girdle and the pavilion, right next to a prong. It is on the side of the ring. While not noticeable immediately unless you know to look for it, it is visible to the naked eye. (I''ve attached a pic where I''ve tried to show where the chip is.)

I went into a jeweler I pass on the way home from work and looked at it with their loupe. The women there said they didn''t know for sure whether it was a chip, or possibly just a poorly cut bit of the stone - i.e. someone might have "nicked" the stone while cutting it. It is fairly smooth to the touch - i.e. not too rough or jagged-y compared to the rest of the girdle. How do I know which it is?

I am so upset, because I don''t know if *I* chipped it (although I don''t work with my hands, have only had it for two months, and it is close to a prong so it would be a hard area to get at to chip!) or whether they sold it to my fiance chipped/with the cutting flaw. It is so close to the prong perhaps it was chipped when being set and they didn''t say anything??

And even if they did sell it to him like that, we can''t prove it and I''m sure they will just say "Oh you chipped it." It doesn''t have a certificate (yes, I know, stupid ... he was so proud of himself and it seemed like he''d done good and so I just didn''t push the issue like perhaps I should have) so there''s nothing to prove that I didn''t do it.

It is not yet insured (again, stupid - I was getting a valuation on Monday, but now the valuation will say it is chipped!!!) and I am just so upset by this. I don''t know how this will affect its value, if it means my fiance was royally taken for a ride, whether it will make it more likely that it will further chip or break again ...

I''m just so scared to wear my ring now and that breaks my heart ...

What do I do?!

 

[Richard Sherwood]

Hi Decisive. There''s a good possibility that it is what''s called a "natural", which is a patch of the outer "skin" of the original diamond crystal, intentionally left on the diamond''s outer surface (usually the girdle) for finishing reasons. They''re quite common.

Did the diamond come with a lab report when you bought it? If so, the natural should be diagrammed on the "plot", and mentioned in the "key to characteristics". If not, the appraiser you''re going to will be able to identify it for you.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Sounds very much like Rich has said.

It is very common, maybe 1 in 10 >1/2 ct stones has a bit of the original rough left on the stone. A polite setter puts them under a prong.

If you are in Melbourne I would be happy to examine it for you
FoC

www.preciousmetals.com.au
Canterbury is where I am, along with 1 and a half other Diamond Technologists, and Alan is also a Dip.D.T. in the brighton Store.

 

[michela002]

Oh it would make me so happy if it wasn''t a chip ... I will definitely get it checked out and hopefully it is okay. If it''s a "natural" perhaps I can get it moved under the prong.

Garry, I''ll call you, lol!

 

[Kaleigh]

Good luck and let us know what you find out!!!!!

 

[mrssalvo]

and get that thing insured

 

[michela002]

Can I wear it in the meantime?? Guesses?

 

[Lynn B]

Rich or Garry,

Why would a cutter intentionally leave a bit of rough on a diamond? And when they do, wouldn''t it look/feel more like a "bump" than a "chip"?

Lynn