Eternity ring "only worth scrap" to original vendor?!

[Ally T]

My full eternity ring (princess cut, 1.75ctw, platinum shared claw setting) has misshapen. This is the 4th time in under 4 years. My fab local Jeweller has re-shaped & tightened it 3 times, but this time we sent it back to where it came from.

After an independent assessment from the London Assay Office, they concluded that yes, it was misshapen but the claws were tight & the diamonds secure. It was then sent back to the vendor. They have phoned me today to say that it has come down from director level that they are not prepared to touch it, reset it, help in anyway, because a third party has since "tampered" with it. Whilst they have concluded that the reason it went out if shape originally might have been a manufacture error or weakness, because it wasn't returned to them immediately there is now nothing they are prepared to do. I understand this, I really do, but surely that can't just be it??? This ring cost several thousand pounds!!

The conclusion of the call was that whilst their bench would be prepared to re-shape it, they would not be liable for the considerably weakened platinum structure snapping, or the chipping of any girdles. I told them to just send it straight back to me as it is, which they are doing, with an 'advisory' that the ring is weak & any more damage will result in the loss of diamonds. Does this sound reasonable??? And is this the end if the line from my treasured ring, that I now will feel frightened to wear??

Any UK experts out there? I am utterly devastated. I am not a Jeweller. I thought I was doing the right thing by popping it to my Jeweller to straighten out. It bent on my flipping finger, for goodness sake! It has never been dropped, never been bashed, never been trapped in a door!

 

[thecat]

Take the diamonds out and get another jeweler who would stand behind their products to make a setting. Trade the gold for scrap towards the new setting. I think that's the best course of action.

 

[Ally T]

Thanks, thecat.

The vendor today had the face to say when I suggested it was re-set, that it would be HIGHLY unlikely to be able to get the diamonds out safely. He said the claws are so chunky that they would need considerable heat, which risks scorching the diamonds, plus the prising back of said claws would chip girdles. I honestly believe he was taking the proverbial out of me, like I had no clue what he was talking about!

 

[Kab03]

I'd agree with thecat as I had a similar experience with an eternity and just decided it wasn't worth it to me to have it remade again (mine cost several thousand and the jeweler I'd used disappeared so no recourse there...)

when I was investigating how I could resolve this I was recommended looking into the link below - not sure it will be of help but might get the vendor's attention a bit more...?

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/consumer_e/consumer_common_problems_with_products_e/faulty_goods_e/faulty_goods.htm

 

[Karl_K]

I am not sure of UK laws but there is case law in most if not all states in the US that if you have someone else work on a ring it can legally void the warranty.
With cars interestingly it is federal law that it does not.

 

[Ally T]

Thank you all.

Karl - their website does actually state in the teeny tiny fine print that any third party intervention, even as far as having a ring sized by an outside resource, will void any warranty. I am gutted. I planned to send them a nasty email this evening when my husband got home, but he thinks it will be a waste of effort & energy. It looks like I shall be saving for a new setting

 

[Karl_K]

Thank you all.

Karl - their website does actually state in the teeny tiny fine print that any third party intervention, even as far as having a ring sized by an outside resource, will void any warranty. I am gutted. I planned to send them a nasty email this evening when my husband got home, but he thinks it will be a waste of effort & energy. It looks like I shall be saving for a new setting

I am sorry for your situation, sadly it is not uncommon.
I do thank you for posting this so others may learn from it.

 

[diamondhoarder]

I'm in the UK and had a similar problem with a platinum half eternity ring. It was an online purchase from a vendor who sells rings in one size and you then pay to have them re-sized. You are supposed to use their recommended repair service but they often quote 4 - 6 weeks for the re-sizing. So I took it to a trusted local jeweller instead and they did a lovely job. However, within 2 months of wearing the ring (and i wear my rings very lightly) it had the same problem as yours - bent out of shape. The platinum seemed to be overly soft. I spoke to the assay office and they told me that some platinum alloys can have this problem, and that it is a manufacturing fault.

I went back to the vendor (a UK vendor) and explained what had happened. They initially tried to fob me off saying that it must be the fault of the jeweller who did the re-sizing. But once I started to mention my calls to the assay office, as well as the possibility of taking it up with the BJA and trading standards, they provided me with a refund.

You could try that route - you have nothing to lose!

Good luck with getting it resolved.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

Is it insured? If so and it gets so bent out of round that it cannot be safely repaired maybe a claim is in order? Then you could start over...

 

[Ally T]

Thanks for the info diamondhoarder. It was actually the London Assay Office who inspected it. I have made a billion calls today & it really does seem like there is nothing I can do. Because it has been straightened 3 times by another Jeweller, and now its bent again, I seemingly don't have a leg to stand on. I could claim on the insurance, but I'm more tempted just to arrange my own reset with the lovely chap who made my pear setting

 

[TitanCi]

Re: Eternity ring "only worth scrap" to original vendor?!

Take the diamonds out and get another jeweler who would stand behind their products to make a setting. Trade the gold for scrap towards the new setting. I think that's the best course of action.

Good plan, ANY good manufacturer should and would stand behind their product no matter what...if they want your loyal business that is.

That company is scrap.

 

[Rhea]

Re: Eternity ring

Take the diamonds out and get another jeweler who would stand behind their products to make a setting. Trade the gold for scrap towards the new setting. I think that's the best course of action.

Good plan, ANY good manufacturer should and would stand behind their product no matter what...if they want your loyal business that is.

That company is scrap.

I don't know. I feel for Alex, but it's been nearly 4 years since it was originally sold and it's been worked on a few times by another jeweller. Would any jeweller take it back under those conditions? I understand the disappointment but I highly doubt even the big boys on this forum would be willing to do anything under those circumstances. They have no way of knowing what the other jeweller did to it.

 

[Ally T]

Thanks Rhea - you're absolutely right.

And I hope others see this thread & take note. Always go back to the original Jeweller! Argghhh!!!!

 

[Karl_K]

Re: Eternity ring

I don't know. I feel for Alex, but it's been nearly 4 years since it was originally sold and it's been worked on a few times by another jeweller. Would any jeweller take it back under those conditions? I understand the disappointment but I highly doubt even the big boys on this forum would be willing to do anything under those circumstances. They have no way of knowing what the other jeweller did to it.

As far as I know every PS vendor has that disclaimer on their website.
Someone else works on it, warranty is void.
That is not to say some of them might offer at least something on a case by case basis for the PR.
There have been cases where they have offered a replacement at cost for example.
I do recall once where one did replace it free but in that case it was not 4 years later and the ring was clearly defective but only maybe fixable until the other jeweler messed it up beyond repair.
They may have figured that if they had worked on it there was a good chance they would have had to replace it so they went ahead and replaced it even if they did not legally have too.
In other cases they have enforced their policy so it is a case by case basis and depending on specifics but they do have that policy in place.

 

[Coralfish]

it would be HIGHLY unlikely to be able to get the diamonds out safely. He said the claws are so chunky that they would need considerable heat, which risks scorching the diamonds, plus the prising back of said claws would chip girdles. I honestly believe he was taking the proverbial out of me, like I had no clue what he was talking about!

Sorry, but this sounds like total rubbish. I cannot see that any half-competent jeweller would be unable to safely take diamonds out of a claw-set eternity ring. Perhaps the metal of the ring would ultimately be compromised beyond the point of being able to put the diamonds back in, but to suggest they cannot be taken out in the first place without damaging the diamonds?? Total rubbish.

However. Regarding platinum diamond eternities changing shape. I can only speak to full eternities, but I have experience of more than one, from different vendors, becoming 'oval' or 'off-round' over a number of years without a problem - I suppose something to do with the shape of one's hands and fingers, and the other rings that are worn on that finger. I am talking about rings that are 30 years old and are still fine. Oval when taken off, yes, but fine, and appear 'round'/perfectly normal when worn/seen on the hand. Generally it shouldn't be too much of a problem unless the change of shape causes the diamonds to become loose. But I don't think it speaks to the integrity of the metal as such (though this is possible).

As it's a consumer forum, I think you would be within your rights to name the vendor. I see people have seen both sides - yes the metal will become brittle if re-worked a few times, but I am very wary of that line the original jeweller fed you about removing the stones, as above.

 

[Coralfish]

Just to add, the type of ring I am referencing has the square ajoure-type gallery as below. I couldn't find an exact picture of what I am looking for, but in addition to this, there isn't a solid 'wall' bordering the diamonds on each side as per the picture, as the ring you have and the ones I am talking about have a shared prong setting, so there is a notch in the 'wall' gouged for each diamond (to provide the claws for the shared prongs).

All this may add to the fact that this type of ring tends to go 'out of round'.

If the diamonds are safe, I can reassure you that this type of ring will 'settle' into its ovalness and give you many years of service.
However I know it has been worked on a few times now, plus there is this issue with the vendor, plus you may not want an oval-ish ring! So this all may colour how you wish to proceed.

 

[Karl_K]

Sorry, but this sounds like total rubbish. I cannot see that any half-competent jeweller would be unable to safely take diamonds out of a claw-set eternity ring. Perhaps the metal of the ring would ultimately be compromised beyond the point of being able to put the diamonds back in, but to suggest they cannot be taken out in the first place without damaging the diamonds?? Total rubbish.

Life is not always that easy.
Anytime you use force or cuttings tools around diamonds you risk damaging them.
Also the labor cost of removing small diamonds often exceeds their value.
They are often burned out when the material is refined rather than removing them from scrap metal.
If they are removed they are sent to low wage countries in bulk for removal.

 

[Coralfish]

Sorry, but this sounds like total rubbish. I cannot see that any half-competent jeweller would be unable to safely take diamonds out of a claw-set eternity ring. Perhaps the metal of the ring would ultimately be compromised beyond the point of being able to put the diamonds back in, but to suggest they cannot be taken out in the first place without damaging the diamonds?? Total rubbish.

Life is not always that easy.
Anytime you use force or cuttings tools around diamonds you risk damaging them.
Also the labor cost of removing small diamonds often exceeds their value.
They are often burned out when the material is refined rather than removing them from scrap metal.
If they are removed they are sent to low wage countries in bulk for removal.

Clearly there is always a risk in removing stones, some moreso than others - princesses riskier than rounds, bezel settings riskier than claw settings, and so on. However the risk assessment given and vernacular used:

it would be HIGHLY unlikely to be able to get the diamonds out safely. He said the claws are so chunky that they would need considerable heat, which risks scorching the diamonds, plus the prising back of said claws would chip girdles.

Is, in my opinion, considerably OTT.

 

[Ally T]

UPDATE Re: Eternity ring "only worth scrap" to original vend

Hi all,

After much distress over the original vendor providing me zero options on my bent ring, which now has cracks between diamonds where the were none & is too vulnerable to wear, I have progress.

A Jeweller friend of mine in London, a top secret chap who works on commissions to the elite & famous, (and who I would need a Lottery win to afford him to make ANYTHING for me - i DROOL at the pictures he sends through but they are copy written & I cannot share them here ), has graciously come to the rescue out of the goodness of his heart & our friendship. I sent the ring to him yesterday & he will call me later to discuss designs. He is going to re-make my ring completely by hand, in a design that will (with a bit of luck) withstand the test if time, and all for "mates rates" Assuming he can salvage all the diamonds & I'm fine with his ideas (which I will be as he is AMAZING & really, I could just trust him with the whole project with no input & know I would be blown away by the results), we will be good to go in the morning with the work.

I know he us super busy & is having disgusting amounts of money thrown at him for his craftsmanship, so I am truly honored & lucky that he is giving me the time of day from a professional point of view. Here's to the true friends, the Hero's & the Knights in Shining Armor of the Jewellery world out there

 

[Rena7]

That sounds wonderful. I hope it turns out beautifully for you.

 

[ame]

That sounds amazing, and I can't wait to see the finished product!