Bought Stone Online but Setting at a Local Jeweler?

[esguy27]

I recently bought a center stone from Whiteflash that will be delivered tomorrow. As far as the setting goes, I am getting a micro pave setting by Ritani from Bailey, Banks, and Biddle. My question is, if you buy the stone online and then take it to the jeweler who you''re getting the setting from, do they normally charge you to set the stone? If so, how much is customary? Will most jewelers guarantee the stone in case it falls out of the setting despite the fact you did not purchase the stone from them? BBB wants to charge me $100 for their Jewelry Protection Program which covers setting the stone, cleaning, and guarantees the setting (but not the stone) for 3 years. I''m just trying to figure out if this is typical.

 

[belle]

hey esguy, congrats on your purchase!

as far as the setting, that varies. my experience has been that the jewelers DO charge a fee regardless of whether or not the setting was purchased from them. i would say that you could expect the fee to be anywhere from $25-$50 but of course that could vary greatly depending on the jeweler and your locale. i don''t think there is any jeweler that would take responsibilty of a stone falling out of the setting. that''s what your insurance is for. most people recommend having the prongs checked every so often to make sure the stone is still secure. the $100 jewelry protection plan price is reasonable, if that is something you are interested in and if that is where you want to take your jewelry, i would definetly consider it.

 

[perry]

What happens is totally dependent on the jeweler in question.

Some jewelers will refuse to set the stone (or any stone that was not purchased from them).

Some will set it as part of the deal with the purchase of the setting.

Some will charge to set the stone.

I hope you have discussed this up front with the jeweler who is supplying the setting so that they are not surprised when you walk in with a diamond from another vendor.

A hidden issue you should be aware of: Who is responsible if the stone is chipped or broken during setting? There have been several post on this issue. Many jewelers do not want to accept the liability for the stone (there is no way that there is enough profit in a setting to pay for a damaged diamond). Yet, unless the stone has a flaw in it (or excessive strain) - things that can be determined in advance - poor workmanship on the part of the setter can chip or crack a diamond (why should you pay for someone "learning" how to do things). I have no problem with concept that the store inspect the diamond and tell you up front that you have a "high risk" diamond and they will not take any responsibility for damage in the setting.

Should the jeweler not specifically state that they will not accept liability (and have you sign something to that effect) - then by default they have accepted the liability: getting them to settle should something really go wrong is of course an entirely different subject (some will, some won''t without a fight, etc).

Bottom line: You need to discuss things with the jeweler up front to find out what their policies are.

Perry

 

[esguy27]

Good points. I have already spoken with BBB and they are aware that I have already bought a stone and will be bringing it to them to set, so there will be no surprise there.

I just wanted to see what the standard cost for setting a stone, etc was, if there is a standard.

 

[glamgirl]

Hi! I had a diamond set two times this year. The first time I was charged $135! The Second
time (different Jeweler in Different part of Town), $120. Two me it seemed pretty high to just set a stone, but it obviously is over $100 in my area(I Live in Calif)

 

[Regular Guy]

That BBB is already aware the diamond is from elsewhere doesn''t, to my mind, necessarily put them on the hook for damage to the diamond, in the unlikely event it happens, so you may want to pay heed to Perry''s cautions. Not sure if you want to press them on that or not. But, if it becomes clear they''re on for that, tell us, since as reviewed above, this is talked about frequently, and knowing BBB -- widely available -- is available for this resource, I personally think paying $100 for the both the safety issues, and having a place to go to in good conscience for ongoing maintenance, is a pretty good value.