Advice, please? Crooked trellis...

[alli_esq]

Okay, sorry for the novel, but I really need some advice...

Please don''t flame me--I wasn''t the one who picked out my stone or my ring...I simply told my mom what I wanted and she was to go with my now-FI to pick it out for me...I initially thought she would be going to her jeweler, but after speaking with a friend of hers who is a regular to the NY Diamond District, my mom, her friend and my now-FI went there to pick out my ring.

I love my stone. I love my ring. It''s sort of a Lucida-replica (which is what I wanted) and it''s WG. HOWever, I''m sure he paid next to nothing for the setting, and it looks like it. I could live with most things about it--but what drives me crazy is the trellis (I attached a picture so you can see how bad it is).

Now, anyone on PS would have seen that the trellis is crooked and asymmetrical, and I noticed it in a split second after my DF proposed...but apparently, my mom and her friend were not so eagle-eyed (and it''s not like anyone else would notice, but I''m the one who wears it everyday!), and didn''t see that it''s just a poorly made setting.

I brought it to the store when my FI purchased it, and they said they would fix it. I''m not really sure how they''re going to do that...but this is my concern:
This is a Diamond District hole-in-the-wall, and I don''t know how honest they are. It''s not like I have any kind of relationship with the jeweler. I''m scared that they will take my ring and not give me the same diamond back. Likewise, I''m afraid that the stone I have isn''t the stone on the GIA report (though I have no real reason to think that''s true, it got me to thinking, and the whole thing makes me nervous).

What would you do? Please keep in mind that I am terribly broke and trying to save for a wedding, so I don''t want to take it to another jeweler and have to pay for a new setting, when all I care about is that the trellis sits correctly and this jeweler says she can do it.

Thanks in advance for any advice

 

[geckodani]

I''m so sorry that that happened to you! My suggestion:

1. Get the diamond insured. Use the GIA report/appraisal that came with your ring.
2. Go back to the jewler and let them try to fix it.
3. Ask them to show you the GIA laser inscription under the microscope when you get it back.

 

[LostieLovesBling]

I have no advice, but I just wanted to say I am sorry this happened to you! Big Hugs.

 

[alli_esq]

Date: 9/9/2008 1:22:33 PM
Author: geckodani
I''m so sorry that that happened to you! My suggestion:

1. Get the diamond insured. Use the GIA report/appraisal that came with your ring.
2. Go back to the jewler and let them try to fix it.
3. Ask them to show you the GIA laser inscription under the microscope when you get it back.

thank you for your sympathy

1. yes, DF insured it before he even gave it to me (smart man!)
2. okay...
3. do you mean they can show me an inscription after it has been re-set? and what will the inscription say? I really know nothing about this...

 

[JulieN]

not all diamonds are inscribed. it would say if it is under GIA comments.

before you give it to them, have them map the inclusions and verify that it is the GIA stone. Try to find and identify the birthmarks yourself. When it comes back, have them verify it's the same stone to you using the map.

 

[alli_esq]

Date: 9/9/2008 2:06:17 PM
Author: JulieN
not all diamonds are inscribed. it would say if it is under GIA comments.

before you give it to them, have them map the inclusions and verify that it is the GIA stone. Try to find and identify the birthmarks yourself. When it comes back, have them verify it''s the same stone to you using the map.

I''m sorry, what do you mean by "map"? Will they actually put it on paper?

I feel dumb...

Also, although I usually don''t have a problem speaking up for myself, I''m afraid that if I act like I don''t trust them, they might get offended and do something bad

 

[robh505]

You can always use an indepenant appraisor to do that work for you. He/she can confirm that the diamond in your ring is the diamond described on the certificate. Furthermore, if you take the ring back in to be worked on, they can verify that the work has been done correctly and that the diamond remains the same as the original.

 

[girlie-girl]

So sorry to hear of this, it is such a pretty ring but I do see what you're talking about. I hope you're able to get it fixed quickly and painlessly.

Date: 9/9/2008 2:14:54 PM
Author: alli_esq

I'm sorry, what do you mean by 'map'? Will they actually put it on paper?

I feel dumb...

Also, although I usually don't have a problem speaking up for myself, I'm afraid that if I act like I don't trust them, they might get offended and do something bad

Don't feel dumb. Everyone has to start somewhere.

The more recent GIA reports have a diagram where they show or 'map' the inclusions etc. found in the stone. Here's an example for you of a princess. The red markings are the inclusions and the key below indicates which shape belongs to which type of inclusion.

 

[alli_esq]

thank you, girlie-girl!

ahhh, I remember seeing the map on my GIA report...are you saying that they will mark one up for me in the store? Or that I should bring the GIA report with me to the store both when I drop it off and when I pick it up and look at the stone under the loupe?

 

[girlie-girl]

The inclusion mapping for a diamond is like a fingerprint for you and me. It''s extremely unlikely any two diamonds will have all the same inclusions in all of the same places, so it''s a really good way to make sure you have the stone in the certificate.

I''d look at the stone through a loupe against the GIA report both when you drop it off and when you pick it up if you''re concerned it could be switched.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 9/9/2008 2:33:32 PM
Author: alli_esq
thank you, girlie-girl!


ahhh, I remember seeing the map on my GIA report...are you saying that they will mark one up for me in the store? Or that I should bring the GIA report with me to the store both when I drop it off and when I pick it up and look at the stone under the loupe?

It is better that the jeweler do a map of the most prominent inclusions then point them out to you on the actual stone.
The gia plots can be hard to match up.
All you really need is say one inclusion near a feature of the diamond that you can identify you don't need to find them all.

but...
imho that setting is not fixable.

 

[alli_esq]

Date: 9/9/2008 2:52:57 PM
Author: strmrdr

Date: 9/9/2008 2:33:32 PM
Author: alli_esq
thank you, girlie-girl!


ahhh, I remember seeing the map on my GIA report...are you saying that they will mark one up for me in the store? Or that I should bring the GIA report with me to the store both when I drop it off and when I pick it up and look at the stone under the loupe?

It is better that the jeweler do a map of the most prominent inclusions then point them out to you on the actual stone.
The gia plots can be hard to match up.
All you really need is say one inclusion near a feature of the diamond that you can identify you don''t need to find them all.

but...
imho that setting is not fixable.

yeah, I had a feeling it might not be. I guess my only other option is to buy a new setting, huh?

any suggestions? money is so very tight for me

 

[strmrdr]

stuff in red is fixable, the area circled in blue isn''t.
The holes can not be cut to match and the contour is off.
It was bad wax when it was cast.

 

[strmrdr]

woops forgot the image....

I would try and make the jeweler replace the setting for free.
Was it paid for with a credit card?

 

[strmrdr]

Sorry for the number of posts but im doing 3 things at once....

You can see in the image that the setter tried to compensate for the setting and set the diamond flat with the finger but because the entire setting is wonked he created more problems.
I see tons of settings like that around and people have been wearing them that way for years and years and never minded.
But it is not right to let something like that out the door and if it bugs you try and make him replace it.

 

[alli_esq]

Date: 9/9/2008 3:03:50 PM
Author: strmrdr
woops forgot the image....

I would try and make the jeweler fix replace the setting for free.
Was it paid for with a credit card?

To be honest, I don''t know how he paid fori t, but I think it was a debit sort of situation.

I don''t even know what he paid for the setting, but I have a rough idea as to how much he spent and a basic idea of how much the stone was, so I''m sure he didn''t spend more than a few hundred on the setting...which sort of leads me to believe they are going to say "you get what you pay for"...know what I mean? They said they would try and repair it, although I didn''t ask them if they would replace it (because they said it could be fixed, and I am not a jeweler!)...but for a few hundred dollars, I doubt they would be replace it with a newer, better setting. I get the feeling it was so cheap because...well...it kind of sucks.

 

[Fly Girl]

My jeweler replaced a setting they cast incorrectly the first time, and I paid less than $200 for it. So, don''t worry about the cost of the setting. You guys paid for it and it needs to be more correct than that. Still, you are right in that it won''t look absolutely, entirely perfect under the loupe, but you shouldn''t be able to see obvious the flaws which it has now.

 

[LGK]

A few hundred or a few thousand, a setting should be made properly. Cheap ones should be plain but well made. I have a 14K 6 prong Tiffany knife edge replica setting that I paid $100ish for and it''s made very well. Cheap shouldn''t equal cr@p! Sorry you''re dealing with this, that''s annoying. Good luck! I hope they make a new one for you.

 

[AprilBaby]

So sorry you are having this problem!

 

[alli_esq]

Thank you all for responding--I clearly went to the right place to garner sympathy!

So, I spoke with my mother''s [wealthy] friend who is a very frequent customer of the store in which my DF purchased my ring (she told me that she has spent upwards of $100k there), and she assures me that they are good people and that if I use her name, they will be more than happy to accommodate me. So, I ran over to the store, and sure enough, when I asked for the owner, he told me he was terribly sorry, that it looked like a structural problem, and that they will make me happy. The jeweler was not in, but he told me to come in another day, and if they can''t repair it, they will replace it.

I feel so much better--thank you all for your support. People I''ve shown have told me that I was crazy, and that there wasn''t really anything noticeably wrong with it (yeah right). I''ll be sure to post when the situation is resolved

 

[alli_esq]

Just wanted to update again (I will post pictures when I get home)--I got a new setting today!! It''s certainly not LM workmanship, but it''s CONSIDERABLY better, and I am SO much happier. The trellis is far more curved, and although it''s still not 100% symmetrical, it''s MUCH closer. The owner showed me the wax of the other model I have (which apparently he stocks!!!! ugh!) and it was DEFINITELY crooked, even on that. Tsk.

The new setting is actually a tiny bit thicker than my first setting, which I really like--my initial setting was about 3mm, and this is approximately 3.5mm...I''m sure no one else would notice (I''m kind of surprised that I can tell the difference!), but I''m really diggin it!

Thanks to all who encouraged me to have it changed!!!

 

[Dee*Jay]

I''m so glad this turned out well for you! Please post pics for us to admire!

 

[alli_esq]

Thank you, Dee*Jay!!

Here it is...

It''s really not perfect--one of the prongs is a little crooked, and when I took pictures, I saw that there''s like a little bubble in the gold on the side...but I don''t really want to keep complaining...and it''s SO much better IMO...

 

[alli_esq]

overview

 

[alli_esq]

It is a little thicker (trust me!)

 

[alli_esq]

here you can see the bubble

 

[alli_esq]

Anyway, I''m much happier than I was before...thanks for all your input!!

 

[Dee*Jay]

I does look so much better -- enjoy your beautiful ring!

 

[glitterata]

Yeah, that's much, much, much better. The first version looked like a kid drew it with crayons. This version looks like a competent jeweler made it. Also, you have a very pretty hand.

 

[astraea]

Vast improvement! I''m by no means an expert, but maybe the "bubble" could be polished off? Or it might just go down with wear. Anyways, gorgeous ring and I really like the trellis style.