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Akward Question: Should i return the engagement ring?

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boilerfan1509

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jul 15, 2011
Messages
19
I know this is an akward question. See this post (at the end) https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/never-bought-a-diamond-need-advice-updated.163469/ for the diamond and ring that I purchased from Union diamond.

It is a .93 ct, F color, SI2, with Excellent cut & Very Good Polish & Symmetry. I was looking to purchase Jewelers Mutual Insurance, but their policy specifically states that they do not cover normal wear and tear.

I bought it, got it, she said yes and LOVES it!!!!


The dilemma is we went looking for some place where she will clean it and get it checked out periodically because since we purchased online, then to have them do it we would have to pay for insured shipping and lose the ring for about a week, each time. Most places (Zales, Robbins Brothers, & Helzberg) we found would charge about $30 - $40 to clean and inspect and another $30 to polish (it is platinum).

When we went to Robbins Brothers, they had me sold on their policy of when you buy from them EVERYTHING except loss/theft is warranted (by quality and not price) for LIFE!!! This would include cleaning, inspections, any damage for whatever reason to either the ring OR the diamond, & replacement if the diamond fell out of the ring.....all for free, for life.

So i asked what they could offer me in comparison to what I had purchased and he came back with a .90 ct, G color, SI2 with VG cut, polish, & symmetry. The biggest difference was that the ring was white gold and not platinum. It was about $300 more (maybe about $1000 more if you swapped the white gold with platinum), but it seemed worth it for their warranty and service.

So the question is (and my fiancee and I are both on the same page), should we return (because it is still within 30 days) the ring we purchased online and look into getting from Robbins Brothers for the peace of mind with the warranty and Service? Or is there "fine print" that i am missing and should stick with the one we bought?

The pros and cons (to switching) that we have thought about are as follows:

Pros:
Service & repairs at no cost and not needing to involve insurance....just go in and get it taken care of
Have ring loss/theft covered in renter's insurance (meaning save money by not having Jewlers Mutal)
Save money in long run from Repairs, cleaning, & insurance
Peace of Mind
Involve Fiancee in selecting the Ring & Diamond (before was all me and all surprise)

Cons:
Not the ring i actually proposed with (but now the surprise is over)
Diamond might not be as good of value as the one purchased online (but i am not sure i would be able to notice the difference with my own eyes)


I know this is a very wierd question, but i am leaning more towards the returning the online ring and going with Robbins Brothers.

What are your thoughts?
 
I don't have any sort of warranty for my ring. It was custom made by a jeweler out of state. But I have a very nice high-end jewelry store that does my cleaning and repairs. I've developed a good relationship with them, have purchased other pieces and they know me. So whenever I come in to browse they do a courtesy cleaning. Periodically, to keep my insurance up to date, I have them take a real good look under the microscope for any damage or wear.

If you love the ring and your finance loves the ring, heavens no, don't return it just for a warranty. You probably won't get anything out of a warranty because if you read the fine print it may not cover as much as you think. Cleaning should be free at any decent jeweler. Repairs? From damage or normal wear, you would need to know what they would do free of charge.

Keep the ring. Skip the warranty.
 
So, to recap: a slightly smaller, near-colorless instead of colorless, worse cut stone in a white gold instead of platinum setting for more money? No, no no! Those warranties are not worth it in general. You pay a lot more up front and they have a lot of restrictions like you have to get inspected ever 6 months or your warranty is voided, etc. Also the lack of replacement for loss or theft is lousy. Just insure it instead and voila, you're covered for all those things their warranty covers PLUS loss or theft. Insurance, for example through Jeweler's Mutual, is not that much really.

Cut is super important- a GIA excellent is going to be at very least quite a pretty stone, and some of them are even comparable to super-ideals that PSers tend to go for. A GIA VG cut can be a LOT less attractive depending. And, for that matter,all SI2s are not created equal- very few are eyeclean and if you have one already do not assume that the next one is going to be eyelean. *Most* SI2s are not eyeclean.

And the color change- from F to G- is going from colorless (D, E, & F) to near colorless (G, H, I, & J) and that's a big price drop point from what I understand anyway.

Just insure what you have.
 
Which lab graded their replacement stone? It could have the same specs but not be GIA or AGS. In which case, you're not getting the same thing.
 
Ditto - read the fine print on that lifetime repair/replace policy, I am quite sure there are some interesting clauses that didn't make the brochure - there always are.

I wouldn't do it, certainly. From everything I have heard the best repair/replace policies usually come from independent insurance providers - though you should read the fine print on those, too! Independent policies cover things like theft, outright loss, owner stupidity as well, and you are not locked into getting your replacement from that one vendor...
 
Jared will clean and inspect for free?
 
A good independent jeweler will clean and inspect free- I've never heard of that being a "charged" service. Polishing is not something you'll do often- maybe every 2-3 years? Even if you do it yearly at first it would be like 30 years to make up the $1000 more you'll pay. You've got a beautiful well cut stone in a quality setting. Don't go to RB. And find a trusted independent jeweler that isn't in a maul :).
 
I think you should keep the ring for all the reasons stated above. Jewelers Mutual Insurance is the company I use, and many people seem to be happy with them.
 
Sounds like you got a great stone and I would stick with it. Get her an ultrasonic and jewel jet so she can do a lot of cleaning at home (most people here clean weekly or even daily but we are nutty) then find a locally owned jeweler who actually has a skilled benchman for the checkups and cleaning which generally complementary. Most will charge a small fee for polishing and rhodium plating but I don't think the lifetime cost would ever approach the price difference your considering. Stay away from the mall!
 
Definitely keep what you have and find a reputable jeweler who will do courtesy cleanings for free (I've never been charged anywhere I've asked to have my jewelry cleaned!).
 
AprilBaby|1313290990|2990400 said:
Jared will clean and inspect for free?
Click to expand...

yes, if you purchase through them and add the "metal/diamond" protection for a small fee.
 
Boilerfan- I feel fairly certain that the stone they are talking about is not GIA or AGS graded, and if I am correct- then expect the actual grading of the stone to be lower than they tell you if you were to send it to one of those labs. Also- I am confident in saying that you will not be getting a better stone....
 
I have an independent jewely that will clean my rings and check the prongs for free (hey, they want your future business).
I also bought a steam cleaner (not just for my ring but for all my jewelry) so ususally I just clean at home.

I say just get it insured through your renters insurance. Those warrantys ususally arent that good.

BTW - Congratulations on your engagement!
 
JM does not cover "normal wear and tear" but I have asked and that does not exclude chips or damage to your ring. All it excludes really is polishing platinum, or replating wg. Those cost about $50 to do, and for most people, only need to be done once every 6months to a year (less if you like patina and the color of wg). I have been wearing rings for five years and have actually not needed any repairs from wear and tear! It is not a reason, in my opinion, to select or not select a vendor.
 
Does Robbins have a repair shop on the premises to do polishing and such? If they don't and send it out, ask them what their turn around time is on polishing. Most of those jewelers do not have someone on site to do polishing and such and their turn around time is not quick.

Buy the stone - not the store policy. You'll have a much better chance of damaging the stone rather than losing the whole stone. Whatever you do, obtain a stand alone policy for the ring. Their guarantees in no way replace private insurance - think about total loss of a ring or being robbed at the gym or at home. Many sad stories here about just such circumstances. You want to have insurance to cover you for ALL loss - not just their strictly prescribed coverage.
 
I would definitely not return the Union Diamond ring and get one from RB instead. As others have said, you should be able to find a local jewelry store (likely not a chain store but a local independent jeweler) who can do those upkeep things for the ring. Also, have you gotten a quote from Jeweler's Mutual? My e-ring and both our wedding bands are insured for I think $30 a year. Also, search Robbins Bros. on here and see how many people come her after purchasing from RB and are disappointed.
 
My rings we purchased online (rings @ Facets/Signed Pieces and diamond through GOG). Jared ALWAYS inspects, cleans, and polishes polishes my set for free...
 
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