Advice please? Surface-reaching feather inclusion?

[ABloom]

I bought a Namibian demantoid garnet earlier this year. It was sold as eye clean. I received the garnet, and it was as described, and I really loved it, so I sent it back to the vendor to be set.

I originally set the demantoid in a ring, but I didn't like how it turned out, so I had it reset into a pendant. I received the pendant and noticed what looked like a scratch on one of the facets, which hadn't been there before.

I contacted the vendor with a photo and video and they said that it looked like a tiny bit of the original feather may have popped open in transit to me. They said while it might be possible to repair that, they're not 100% sure they can without having to slightly alter the stone. They said it should be fine long term in the necklace as it won’t get banged around unlike in a ring. Their suggestion would be to just leave it as is rather than risk removing it and trying to fix it, unless it really bothers me. If so, they can fix it with probably a slight loss in weight. Alternatively, they can give me a $200 credit for any future order if I want to just leave it like it is now.

What do you think I should do? I have attached a photo and screenshots from the video, since I can't upload a video.

 

[musicloveranthony]

I've had that happen to me before. That looks deep enough that fixing it would visually alter the size of the stone. I'd probably just recommend to live with it. I've had stone repairs done before and always end up realizing I was happier with the original size and the chip than I was with the repaired stone

 

[musicloveranthony]

As an aside, that looks like a REALLY nice demantoid!

 

[ABloom]

As an aside, that looks like a REALLY nice demantoid!

Thank you for your advice! It helps to know that it's happened to you before.

And thank you! I love it a lot. It's bright minty green outdoors, and more olive-toned indoors. I love how much fire it has.

 

[ABloom]

Here's another screenshot.

 

[ABloom]

I bought a Namibian demantoid garnet earlier this year. It was sold as eye clean. I received the garnet, and it was as described, and I really loved it, so I sent it back to the vendor to be set.

I originally set the demantoid in a ring, but I didn't like how it turned out, so I had it reset into a pendant. I received the pendant and noticed what looked like a scratch on one of the facets, which hadn't been there before.

I contacted the vendor with a photo and video and they said that it looked like a tiny bit of the original feather may have popped open in transit to me. They said while it might be possible to repair that, they're not 100% sure they can without having to slightly alter the stone. They said it should be fine long term in the necklace as it won’t get banged around unlike in a ring. Their suggestion would be to just leave it as is rather than risk removing it and trying to fix it, unless it really bothers me. If so, they can fix it with probably a slight loss in weight. Alternatively, they can give me a $200 credit for any future order if I want to just leave it like it is now.

What do you think I should do? I have attached a photo and screenshots from the video, since I can't upload a video.

Update: They're saying that they think it’s best left alone as it should be just fine in a pendant. They say risks go up with unsetting and resetting it—that’s probably why this happened between the transfer from ring to pendant, for example. They say that it will be perfectly fine and it will be fine to clean and wear it.

So, they originally told me that it was a surface-reaching inclusion that was there all along, then they said that a feather probably popped open during transit, and now are they saying that maybe it happened because of transferring the gemstone from a ring to a pendant? What does that mean? Do you think that it could've been damaged when it was reset? I don't know what to think.

Any thoughts?

 

[T L]

I’m not an expert, but that looks like a chip, not a surface crack, due to an internal inclusion. Can we see a picture of the stone face?

 

[Avondale]

I’m not an expert, but that looks like a chip, not a surface crack, due to an internal inclusion.

My thoughts as well. A surface crack should present like a thin line across the surface. Unless the pictures are deceiving me, this seems more like a thick scratch on the surface of the stone. I don't see how something like that would happen during shipping but it could definitely occur during setting.

 

[ABloom]

I’m not an expert, but that looks like a chip, not a surface crack, due to an internal inclusion. Can we see a picture of the stone face?

That is what I was worried about too, but I am also not an expert.

I have attached a photo of the garnet face-up. You can see the chip/feather at about the 10 o'clock position. There is an inclusion a little bit to the right of it, at the edge of the table, that is under the surface, that you can also see in the photo..

 

[musicloveranthony]

That is what I was worried about too, but I am also not an expert.

I have attached a photo of the garnet face-up. You can see the chip/feather at about the 10 o'clock position. There is an inclusion a little bit to the right of it, at the edge of the table, that is under the surface, that you can also see in the photo..

Looking at this view, I'd personally leave it as is and take the discount on next purchase. It still looks very lovely In a ring it might be at risk of breaking down farther, but it shouldn't in a pendant

 

[ABloom]

My thoughts as well. A surface crack should present like a thin line across the surface. Unless the pictures are deceiving me, this seems more like a thick scratch on the surface of the stone. I don't see how something like that would happen during shipping but it could definitely occur during setting.

Hmm, ok. Thank you! I was wondering how a surface-reaching inclusion would present differently from a scratch made while setting, and if there was a way to tell.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Sorry this happened to you. It is a beautiful garnet. I suspect it was chipped during setting. I have had 3 gemstones chipped during setting using recommended vendors and it is disappointing but it happens. You could get the chip polished out but then you run the same risk when setting it again.

 

[T L]

I would leave it alone. If the chip were on the table, it would be a different story, but it’s relatively small and on a crown facet near a prong. Its location makes me suspect it got chipped during setting, due to its proximity to the prong, but I could be wrong. Demantoids are the softest of the garnets after all.

Very pretty stone!

 

[ABloom]

Looking at this view, I'd personally leave it as is and take the discount on next purchase. It still looks very lovely In a ring it might be at risk of breaking down farther, but it shouldn't in a pendant

I probably will leave it as is because I don't want to risk damaging it further. Thank you for your kind words! I'm just sad to have spent a lot of money on something that arrived damaged.

 

[ABloom]

Sorry this happened to you. It is a beautiful garnet. I suspect it was chipped during setting. I have had 3 gemstones chipped during setting using recommended vendors and it is disappointing but it happens. You could get the chip polished out but then you run the same risk when setting it again.

Thank you, I appreciate it! I'm sorry you've had that happen too. Did the vendors admit it when it happened? Yeah, I think I'll leave it as is for now; I don't want to risk it getting damaged further.

 

[ABloom]

I would leave it alone. If the chip were on the table, it would be a different story, but it’s relatively small and on a crown facet near a prong. Its location makes me suspect it got chipped during setting, due to its proximity to the prong, but I could be wrong. Demantoids are the softest of the garnets after all.

Very pretty stone!

Thank you, I will probably leave it alone. That's reassuring that the location and size means it shouldn't be a big problem in the future.

 

[ABloom]

Does the $200 store credit offer seem fair?

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Thank you, I appreciate it! I'm sorry you've had that happen too. Did the vendors admit it when it happened? Yeah, I think I'll leave it as is for now; I don't want to risk it getting damaged further.

Yes the vendors admitted fault and offered to fix the issues which I appreciated. But by then I had kind of lost confidence. I did learn from this though when I commissioned a spessartite garnet and setting. I let the vendor know (a recommended PS vendor) from the start that if the stone was damaged during setting I would not accept the finished piece. It was damaged and the vendor admitted this and wanted to send the ring to me to see if I would change my mind. I respectfully declined. That was the last attempted colored stone purchase for me. I haven't bought any since.

 

[Rfisher]

Does the $200 store credit offer seem fair?

if they have no policy in place that covers insurance for customer owned stones, most likely stating somewhere in their policies that they specifically don’t -
then this is probably not intended to be fair. its intended as a goodwill gesture.

this does suck and I’m sorry it happened.
I agree with leaning it alone and in the current setting. And still wearing it. It’s a pretty stone! I absolutely understand your frustration.

 

[ABloom]

if they have no policy in place that covers insurance for customer owned stones, most likely stating somewhere in their policies that they specifically don’t -
then this is probably not intended to be fair. its intended as a goodwill gesture.

this does suck and I’m sorry it happened.
I agree with leaning it alone and in the current setting. And still wearing it. It’s a pretty stone! I absolutely understand your frustration.

I bought the garnet from the same vendor who set the stone. Their product page says "All pendants are delivered in a custom wooden gift box and a lifetime warranty against any manufacturing defect."

Thank you, I appreciate your sympathy.

 

[ABloom]

Yes the vendors admitted fault and offered to fix the issues which I appreciated. But by then I had kind of lost confidence. I did learn from this though when I commissioned a spessartite garnet and setting. I let the vendor know (a recommended PS vendor) from the start that if the stone was damaged during setting I would not accept the finished piece. It was damaged and the vendor admitted this and wanted to send the ring to me to see if I would change my mind. I respectfully declined. That was the last attempted colored stone purchase for me. I haven't bought any since.

That is nice that they admitted it. I'm sorry you lost confidence, but it makes sense since you had multiple bad experiences. I love spessartite garnets and it's high on my wish list; I'm sorry yours was damaged.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

That is nice that they admitted it. I'm sorry you lost confidence, but it makes sense since you had multiple bad experiences. I love spessartite garnets and it's high on my wish list; I'm sorry yours was damaged.

Thank you- that is so nice of you.

 

[Rfisher]

I bought the garnet from the same vendor who set the stone. Their product page says "All pendants are delivered in a custom wooden gift box and a lifetime warranty against any manufacturing defect."

Thank you, I appreciate your sympathy.

Yeah- that isn’t a mfg defect, so sure thats not relevant. I don’t see anything in their website that states they guarantee their stones after you buy them if they are setting them, but also don’t see where all the risk is on the customer. I don’t think that’s rare tho.


did you pay anything for the 1st setting as well? if you didn’t - maybe that’s part of what they are taking into consideration. maybe.

hard to give advice on whether or not to accept their offer for the credit on a future purchase (that they may again damage while setting???!?)
or to tell them you want a full refund? Be prepared for them to ask for you to pay all shipping and labor charges for the two settings tho.

Best wishes.

 

[ABloom]

Yeah- that isn’t a mfg defect, so sure thats not relevant. I don’t see anything in their website that states they guarantee their stones after you buy them if they are setting them, but also don’t see where all the risk is on the customer. I don’t think that’s rare tho.


did you pay anything for the 1st setting as well? if you didn’t - maybe that’s part of what they are taking into consideration. maybe.

hard to give advice on whether or not to accept their offer for the credit on a future purchase (that they may again damage while setting???!?)
or to tell them you want a full refund? Be prepared for them to ask for you to pay all shipping and labor charges for the two settings tho.

Best wishes.

Ok, I wasn't sure what counted as a manufacturing defect. And you're right, their website doesn't seem to say anything about them guaranteeing their stones when setting.

I did pay for the first setting as well. They let me to use the scrap value of the platinum from the first setting toward the pendant. The scrap value was about 10% of the total price of the first setting. That's especially why it's disappointing, because I paid for both settings, and neither really turned out how I wanted them to. Let's just say I won't be buying jewelry for awhile-- both from a financial standpoint and from a disappointment standpoint.

Thank you for your well wishes, and thank you for your advice. You've been really helpful, and I appreciate it.

 

[ABloom]

I wanted to thank everyone again for your well-wishes, sympathy, and advice. I'm feeling better, or at least more philosophical, about the situation, and am planning to keep the demantoid in its setting. Maybe I'll use the store credit to buy a relatively inexpensive, but pretty, gemstone.

Thanks, again!