Lost a stone

[allycat0303]

Hey everyone,

Demelza: I''m not that far from the border, only about 1 hour. So its fine. I will ask the gemologist for references. He was booked solid until Tuesday so he does see a lot of rings. As for Leon he said about 1-1 1/2 hours. He''s going to put the stone back in and check all of the stones individually for me. Honestly, I think everyone was right about this being the best way. Once the ring has been checked I think I''m going to be able to loosen up and worry less (i.e not take any insane precautions).

Stretch4: That''s too cute. The US customs agent probably knew that diamonds in Canada aren''t a good buy. So hopefully all goes well with the shipping. I estimate I''ll have it by friday.

By the way, off topic, but my boyfriend and I went wedding band shopping. And we found one that kind of matched mine. Although he REALLY wants a Leon Mege wedding band. (To match mine) I think that would be really cute. Although I don''t know if Leon would make a wedding band.

Thanks for all the wonderful advice and support. You all rule!

 

[mrssalvo]

i'm glad you feeling so much better. about your wedding band...i asked leon about a wedding band when I was thinking of having him make my ring and he said he would make one but didn't recommend wearing it everyday b/c the diamonds would rub each other. he said a plain plat. band would be fine. if you won't be wearing your set all the time I would go ahead and get the band and then wear your set when your not working..

 

[Jelly]

I''m so sorry to hear about your experience at the snobby jewelry store. I was once yelled at by a local jeweler when I asked if they would set an outside diamond in his setting. He swore I would never find any diamonds better than "his" and that he would sell me the ring but don''t dare bring it back to HIM to work on. The diamond in the setting was $1000 more what I paid for my ACA, smaller, less in color and clarity and had no certificate!

What a jerk. I couldn''t get out of there fast enough!

 

[valeria101]

Date: 9/14/2005 9:28:34 PM
Author: allycat0303

I just realized I have an inconvienent ring!!

No you don''t !

It is just begging you to stop by Leon''s shop and browse the goodies ...

 

[Audrey Hepburn]

Oh, Ally -
Good luck with everything! I''m sure it will all work out.

As for wearing your ring in medical school.... I''m an intern this year, and trust me - people wear their rings. Because, while washing your hands is important, and you will do it all the time, it''s not a big deal - my friends and I wore our rings all the time (except in surgery - then you can''t wear rings at all, you have to scrub. But surgery was not what I wanted to do.) DON"T pin your ring to your scrubs and DON"T wear a chain. The ring will get lost. The medical school administrators and professors will try to scare you with their hyped- up rhetoric - my best advice would be to ignore most of what they say. Wear your ring any time you can, wash your hands (or here at my hospital in the states we use an alcohol-based hand gel sanitizer - no water! It''s supposedly better than washing hands for killing microbes. Downside - you have to clean your ring more often.) I''m in anesthesiology, and I wear my 2 carat ring and diamond eternity wedding band every day. I wash my hands, I examine patients, it doesn''t rip through gloves, it doesn''t cause problems, and when all the world is dark, and patients are dying, and you''ve been in the hospital for 30 hours straight, and it could be snowing or steaming outside and you wouldn''t know the difference, and you haven''t seen your husband in days, and your desire for sleep trumps food, sex, everything...... you''ll look down at that beautiful, sparkly ring, and you''ll smile.

An engagement ring is a symbol - wear it, enjoy it, love it, insure it, and then don''t worry about it too much - Yes it sucks that the diamond fell out, but I''m sure it still looks amazing.

Good luck with everything!

AH

 

[Patty]

Awww, Audrey, that''s so sweet!

If I had a two carat ring, I''d feel the same about mine.

 

[icekid]

Audrey-

Thanks for posting that! I''m a med student as well, and I just figured I would wear my rings too. All of the doctors that I know of wear those, so why not..?? Maybe the sparkles will help keep me awake

Are you an intern now, or in your first year of anesthesia residency? As of right now (I am a second year), I am planning to go into anesthesiology as well!

 

[ame]

Date: 9/17/2005 4:28:20 PM
Author: Patty
Awww, Audrey, that''s so sweet!


If I had a two carat ring, I''d feel the same about mine.

HAHA!

 

[Rebemdee]

I completely agree about not wearing your rings tied to your scrubs, on a chain, or at all when you are doing your surgery rotation. A friend lost her beautiful sapphire/diamond ering and band, and she isn''t sure if she left them on the counter when she washed her hands, or tied them to her scrubs and they fell off. You also may not want to wear them during your peds rotation. If there are any pokey edges you can scratch a little one while you are wrestling to look in an ear.

I do the C-L service for psych, so I''m in the hospital every day, gloving when I go into MRSA rooms and washing my hands constantly. I haven''t had any problems at all. I need to clean my rings more often, though, because the alcohol rub leaves a filmy ick on them. And, as a hint, for your psych rotations, wear your ring, better with a band. Patients tend to be less intrusive with married women, or women they perceive as married.

 

[allycat0303]

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to give everyone a quick update. Had the appraisal done today (the man had GIA certificates hanging all over his walls, and works for Canada customs

) so I think he was credible. He told me that he could replace the stone for me, but that he highly reccommended the original jeweler that made the setting. He also commented that Birks was full of poopie about saying they could make this ring, and that it was incredible work (and that he would be willing to bet that no one in Canada could do such a fine job

). So I spoke to Leon, and he said it would only be ready for next weekend, but he was going to pay for shipping both ways so I''m not really out anything except a short trip to the US and a bit of worry while UPS delivers it.

So appraisal was $46, very little I think for peace of mind, and he said that having this paper would solve 99.9% of any problems I could encounter at the border. Since he works for customs, I''m going to trust his judgment. Diamond checked out as WF''s stats indicated. He said the cut was really exceptionally beautiful

. SO all around good.

Now the only question is, do I need this thing sized??? Leon said he would do it.

My eternity band (I''ve had for 4 years) is the EXACT same size, fit etc. However, if I shake my hand vigourously for about 30 seconds, the ring WILL slip off. I''ve always worn my rings like this except the e-ring is more heavy so I''m more aware of it. Funny thing is, the e-ring NEVER spins. I had a 4.25 eternity band once (Jeweler made it by mistake) and I found it constricting and my boyfriend returned it for the 4.5. I''m thinking my size is a 4.25 full. However, 4.5 never gave me a problem before. I''m also considering ring guards (snuggies???) but haven''t located any in Montreal yet. Or maybe just stay with 4.5?

But overall, I''m super happy with the developements. The appraisal (which Oldminer suggested did the job).

Thanks everyone for your support!

 

[mrssalvo]

Ally,
That is terrific news. I think everything will go smoothly for here on out. i''m glad leon is willing to pay the shipping costs and take care of it for you. as for the sizing thing, i like my rings a bit loose, but if you can shake it off your finger that might be a little "too" loose. i would probably opt to have him size it down just a touch, not a full 1/2 size but maybe just a 1/4, to make it fit. it''s summer and your rings will probalby only become looser in the winter. you could always try to find the snuggies too but i like my rings to fit all by themselves

that''s awesome what the appraiser said about your stone and the quality of leon''s work

 

[radiantlover]

That''s great news Ally! I just PM''ed you for the name and number of the appraiser you used. I should be receiving my ring from WF on Thursday (my BF will drive down to Plattsburgh on Saturday to pick it up...keep your fingers crossed for me!!!)

 

[icekid]

ally- I am so glad everything is working out with your ring now! I definitely know how frustrating it is to deal with problems so soon after getting your new ring... I just sent mine back to wf today

Leon will do a wonderful job, of course! And here''s to hoping that you won''t lose anymore stones for a long time

 

[allycat0303]

Ok I had to tell someone. My ring is ready! It''s going to be arriving tomorrow afternoon, I''m picking it up in Plattsburgh!

I''m so excited!

I also had it sized (as per Mrsalvo''s advice) I''m a bit worried, because I don''t know if it''s going to fit. I told Leon to reduce the size by 1/8 of a size. I don''t know if he understood. He also checked all the stones individually for me. It''s going to be ok. No more worrying about losing a stone.

Thanks for all the advice ladies!

 

[shelly1170]

I''m only a newbie but when you got your ring I thought "WOW!". And then I read that you had lost a stone and my heart broke for you.

Glad to hear it will be back on your finger and perfect once again!

 

[cute330xigrl]

Date: 9/28/2005 7:12:55 PM
Author: allycat0303
Ok I had to tell someone. My ring is ready! It''s going to be arriving tomorrow afternoon, I''m picking it up in Plattsburgh!

I''m so excited!

I also had it sized (as per Mrsalvo''s advice) I''m a bit worried, because I don''t know if it''s going to fit. I told Leon to reduce the size by 1/8 of a size. I don''t know if he understood. He also checked all the stones individually for me. It''s going to be ok. No more worrying about losing a stone.

Thanks for all the advice ladies!

SWEET! Congrats lady. It needs to get back to you right away. I''m sure you''ve missed it.

 

[Jelly]

YAY Ally! I love happy endings!

 

[FireGoddess]

Drive carefully on the way home!!!!!

 

[radiantlover]

Congrats Ally! Good to hear that the ring is fixed and good luck at the border!

 

[fountainfairfax]

Yeahhhhh Alley- more pictures when it gets back (I know its still the same ring but we can never have too many pics!)

 

[Tacori E-ring]

 

[soulsis]

Honestly, to me the answer is really cut and dry. First of all you live in Canada and must have thought through owning a piece of jewelry like this. For the rest of your life while owning this ring you will need to have some kind of backup. This isn''t the first thing that is going to go wrong. So, unless you want to spend all of your time and money flying your ring back and forth...there is only one answer. Resource a very good jeweler here that can do these types of repairs. I have seen Leon''s work in person and to be honest it is quite detailed, but nothing that a EXCELLENT jeweler cannot fix or do himself. Sure Leon''s work is great but just the same, there are others that are just as talented. I hope that you don''t take that the wrong way, but that would be like saying that Hondas are the only good cars. Mind you....there are alot of Kias out there

Find a very good jeweler. One that has made rings for Canadian hockey stars or celebrities. There is a guy in Edmonton who made the Stanley Cup rings, so I imagine he knows someone or something. I know for a fact that my jeweler replicated several Simon G rings and Tacori and they are beautiful. That just seems like the only option for this.

 

[soulsis]

Sorry...posted a litle late. No more problem

 

[Shay37]

Ally, I am so glad that you went back to Leon for this problem. I knew you would be taken care of. Glad to hear it''s coming home.

Shay