Apparently diamond specs are not important in Canada!

[Shawna13]

Hi everyone!
I just had an upsetting experience with my jeweller. Keep in mind, this is before I really got educated by Pricescope in the last couple months (and for many more months probably!)

Here''s a quick background
Back in December 2005 we had an e-ring designed (fiance and I) and made at a local jeweller here in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Yes, it''s very cold in the winters, and yes, there are lots of mosquitos in the summer... why do we live here? Beats me!) Anyways, we were really impressed with the owner and their policies and how she basically said she''d do anything to make us happy and does resizing on the spot, only takes your e-ring for 2 days when making the w-band, etc, etc....

We got it made it 14K white gold (not plated) because she (owner) assured me that it would be very "white" looking and that she didn''t plate rhodium plate white gold (unless specifically requested) but non-plated (natural) was easier to polish out scratches. As well, we picked out a beautiful Canada diamond (Eskimo Arctic Ice diamond from the Ekati mine).

The diamond comes only with a GEM SCAN certificate of appraisal with the following specs:
Measurements: 5.85 X 5.78 X 3.54mm
Weight: 0.74
Clarity: VS-2
Colour: F
Cut: Very Good
Replacement Value: $10,400

We were engaged December 24th and I got my ring. Very pretty, but over the next week or two I started noticing a few things.
1. The diamond was off-centre looking in all directions.
2. The band looked yellow-looking in natural light. Otherwise, it looks like plated white gold.
3. The diamond looked very blue in certain lights. This made the band look even more yellow because there was a higher contrast.

The jeweller was on vacation during January, so we didn''t get to see her until today.

Today''s story
Fiance and I went to see the owner. After describing the situation first thing she said was "Well.. when we start getting machines to make the rings then maybe they''ll be perfect". Okay...

Then she got our her eyeglasses and looked some more and could kind of see what I was talking about. She acknowledged it, but said that I "was asking for way beyond perfection" and that when making a ring by hand and centering it between 2 bars, you''ll never get it perfect. I agreed with her, but for the $6,000 plus tax fiance paid, they could re-do it so that I''m happy with it. I was not happy with it as is.

Then we discussed the band. I advised her that it was not white looking in natural light like she said. She asked if I wanted it plated and I said yes, so she huffed a bit and wrote down on her order to have it plated. She reminded me of why it''s better not to and that I''d have to live with it, etc, etc...

Then I asked her about the blue tint to the diamond and whether there was flourescence, and asked if all the rest of the specs were available for the diamond. She said that all there is is in the appraisal certificate. I said that I would have liked to know whether the diamond had flourescense (as I would have preferred less) or a large girdle, etc, etc... and she basically told me that it''s just not done and that all those specs don''t matter and that I can pay big bucks to have it shipped and appraised in the U.S. if I want. She said she doesn''t even know all the specs of her diamonds and really doesn''t care. She said that people get all caught up in all the specs and she thinks it''s silly and not important and doesn''t even know why I care to know, etc, etc...

I told her that I had educated myself on diamonds since I last talked to her and that these things were important to me, just like having a ring that makes me happy. She was not happy with anything I said, didn''t like my questions on the specs, and definitely was not happy that I brought in the ring to be fixed.

I am definitely ticked off by this whole experience. I just want to pick up my ring next week and never deal with them again. (This would probably mean selling the ring to another jeweller (she doesn''t accept returns on custom work) and re-starting from scratch with a new jeweller...)

Just thought I''d share my story. Anyone have any comments or similar experiences?

 

[CdnBlingGal]

Sorry to hear about your experience.

"Apparently diamond specs are not important in Canada" - I wouldn''t say that statement is true. I guess it really depends on the jeweler. I think most jewelers pry on the uneducated and inexperience. Obviously this jeweler doesn''t much care about customer service.

I just wanted to say your ring is beautiful nevertheless.

Unless your band is rhodium plated, it will have a yellow tint to it.

I hope they will have fixed your ring to your satisfaction when you pick it up. Please do let us know the outcome.

 

[Rod]

Sorry to hear about your jeweler''s lack of appreciation for your newfound knowlege. The reason it''s usually good to Rhodium plate white gold is for the very reason you have mentioned. That''s why many prefer platinum. That said, you can have a white gold ring plated often and it will look good as new.

What I wanted to comment on is the diamond in the picture. You may not have all the specs, but that diamond sure looks good. You can see the arrows and from this shot appears to be a nicely cut stone.

Perhaps to give you some piece of mind, it might be a good idea to have it appraised by a good independent appraiser. Maybe, even without having the numbers to evaluate prior to your purchase, you managed to buy a really nice diamond.

Good Luck...........

 

[Shawna13]

Thanks you so much for both of your comments! It was definitely a disappointing experience since we spent so much time deciding on a jeweller.
I am definitely happy with the stone itself. Even so, we are bringing it to an appraiser (basically the only truly certified one in Winnipeg) to take a look at once we get it back. At least his eyes won't glaze over when I start talking "diamond talk".

I'll definitely share my outcome of this whole experience once I get the ring back!

 

[ladykemma]

I''m on the jeweler''s side. sorry hunney but there ain''t nuthin wrong with your ring or your stone.

what a gorgeous cut! colorless diamonds can appear blue in certain light. fluorescence is pretty. white gold has a yellowish appearance. I don''t know what you mean by it looks crooked.

It is exactly what you ordered.

 

[MissGotRocks]

While I understand the little things that can just drive us crazy, I have to say that you have a beautiful ring. The stone looks very pretty as does the mounting.

I think that having the stone appraised may put your mind at ease - just knowing what you have can be reassuring. I wouldn''t expect any big bad surprises with that stone. It looks stunning!

Let us know how things look when you get the ring back. I hope that once she makes a few adjustments you will be happy!

 

[Shawna13]

Date: 2/25/2006 8:00:45 AM
Author: ladykemma
I''m on the jeweler''s side. sorry hunney but there ain''t nuthin wrong with your ring or your stone.

what a gorgeous cut! colorless diamonds can appear blue in certain light. fluorescence is pretty. white gold has a yellowish appearance. I don''t know what you mean by it looks crooked.

It is exactly what you ordered.

Yeah... it is hard to tell by the picture, but it was the most close-up one I have. If you saw it in "real life" it would appear more crooked. Plus, if I wear the ring "upside down" it looks very crooked. I don''t want to have to always look at how I put on the ring you know? Plus the ring definitely needs to be rhodium plated. She should have told me that it wouldn''t look white in natural light without the plating. I made sure 10 times that it would appear very white even without the plating and she said yes. And then when I went back yesterday she said "Oh... yes, it will look yellowish in natural light". Maybe she just wanted to avoid the cost or effort or something of plating it... who knows, I won''t assume anything.

I think the whole issue here was how the jeweller handled the situation. She was very rude about the whole thing. Instead of calling me down, she could have really taken a look at it and told me that she understood my concern and that she really wants me to be happy with the ring, but that she felt that they could not feasibly improve on that very much (and then take my ring and try to anyways). Plus the way she handled my questions about the diamond specs was not professional at all. She made me feel bad for asking about the diamond specs, like I had no right to or something. It is a beautiful stone, I won''t argue that, but with a larger purchase like this, I would expect customer service. That''s like me buying a new car (which I did back in September) and bringing it back cause there''s a small flaw in the steering wheel stitching, or one of the radio buttons is a bit crooked. It may seem like nothing to many people and they''ll put up with it, but if it''s a good auto dealer, they''ll get it fixed for you. Plain and simple.

 

[Rod]

Again, that ring looks stunning. It''s a shame your jeweler didn''t treat you with the courtesy she should have. And it''s likely that your newfound knowledge was a bit of a surprise to her. None-the-less, if this was a custom setting (was it?), it''s not that unusual for the stone to be a smidge crooked, though it''s certainly not noticible from the picture. Nor is it likely noticible to anyone other than you. We PS''ers are an obsessive lot. Not that you shouldn''t have a perfect ring, but custome isn''t always 100% perfect. Your jeweler should do whatever she can to correct the tilt of the stone on the setting and make you happy.

It''s too bad she told you white gold looks white without plating. There is a white gold, made with paladium (a member of the platinum family) and if the white gold includes this metal, it typically does not need rhodium plating. But them paladium is expensive, so I would imagine for the price difference, Platinum would make more sense.

It''s not difficult to rhodium plate a ring. The ring should be polished, then dropped in a electroplating solution and the ring comes out plated and completely white. Perhaps I''m making it oversimplistic, but it''s not a big deal. Many jewelers offer free rhodium plating for the life of the ring. It''s not expensive at all.

I hope you find happiness with that ring. You may not know all the specs, but you can tell that it''s a beautiful stone and we hope you wear it good health and happiness for many decades to come.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

You are definetly being unreasonable.
Every one knows everything - diamonds and white metals- looks pristine white in Canada because of all the snow. And the sun is at such a low angle the regular diamond proportions only count when you lie on your back and look at the diamond upside down. (actully that works in Australia too because we really are upside down, and since we drink a lot we are blind drunk most of the time.)

Really some of you customers give jewelers such a hard time asking questions - there should be a limit of 1 ? per client per $10k spent.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 2/25/2006 1:45:55 PM
Author: Shawna13


Maybe she just wanted to avoid the cost or effort or something of plating it... who knows, I won''t assume anything.

I''d bet that what they wanted to prevent is your returning the ring three weeks down the road when the plating wears away!

I am quite convinced that at least some types of WG do not get yellow, it sounds like that is not what was used in your ring.

The thing about handwork being crooked doesn''t sound right either - it surely doesn''t have to be.

And I can''t understand why they never looked for fluorescence: maybe GemScan doesn''t give that, but the person handling GemScan surely can (and as far as I know, has to - as routine part of proper GemScan use).

These guys must really hate what they are doing

What can I say, it is hard to hold on to an unpleasant job.

 

[pyramid]

Your ring looks absolutely perfect to me. The gold will not be white white if it is not rhodium plated. The diamond has beautiful arrows. You could have done much worse, even for the money your fiance spent.

 

[Lorelei]

Shawna - do you know what my first impressions are of your diamond? What a lovely cut!

Maybe you threw your jeweller for a loop with your new found knowledge and she took it the wrong way? It is easy to obsess over minor details of a new ring, may of us have been there

as I know! Do what you feel necessary to get the ring the way you want, but also remember the reality doesn''t often live up to the dream, beauty isn''t always perfect and enjoy your ring, secure in the knowledge that your diamond is far better cut and more beautiful than most you will see out there! Hope this helps!

 

[strmrdr]

The people who are telling you the diamond is a top cut are right on.
The diamond is drop dead gorgeous.
Id be willing to bet that it is ags0 and top end one at that.
h&a with nice angles.
It dont get better than that.
It sounds like the seats may have been cut a little crooked hopefully they will fix that right up.
As far as the yellow tint... well thats white gold for ya....

 

[Sundial]

Shawna I'm so sorry you had such a frustrating experience with your jeweler, but your diamond really is stunning and I LOVE the setting (much like my Claude Thibaudeau right hand ring)! It is easy to become obsessed with details and perfection (especially with everything we learn on Pricescope), but you do have a gorgeous ring. You can still have it rhodium plated by someone else. I don't think it is very expensive. Don't let this experience ruin your enjoyment of that incredible ring!

 

[Shawna13]

Hello everyone!
I just got my ring back yesterday (which was some good news for me after watching my grandma pass away on Tuesday).
It looks like they tweeked it just a wee little bit which made a bit of difference. It's funny how the eye can see just the tiniest little difference... like the difference between size of the stone in fractions of a millimeter, or difference in colour between F and H/I colour. Plus they rhodium plated the ring. It looks a little bit "whiter" in natural light than it did before. So I'm happy with the changes...enough that I am satisfied (I'm really not expecting perfection).

Unfortunately, the owner was not working when I came in to pick up the ring (they called me to pick it up on her one day off this week). As well, the 2 salesladies who are normally super friendly and helpful were a tad snotty and I did not get very many smiles from them. It was a bit uncomfortable. Perhaps they were having a really bad day (I will not assume).

Here's some updated pictures! I think we'll hang on to the ring and go somewhere else to have a matching wedding band made. She is definitely not getting any more of our business in the future.

Thanks for listening! (reading)

 

[Shawna13]

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[Shawna13]

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[Rod]

I''m glad they "tweaked" it enough for you to be satisfied. Too bad they treated you any less enthusiastically. But, I had to comment on the stone again..............

WOW....... That Stone Rocks!!!

 

[allycat0303]

well I'm Canadian, and that's a drop dead to die for stone, uncerted or certed!

 

[Incisor]

Hello fellow Canuck,

It''s funny I had a similar ring done by a jeweller (it was a copy of Thibaudeau) and had the same snotty attitude when I told them about the diamond not been centered, the ring not being symetrical, etc. I must say mine is a lot worst than yours.

The ring

He tried to fix it, but I think it''s more my attitude than the ring that changed. On my fiance''s hand, it looks just fine. Looking at it with my microscope at my work, it looks done by a drunk 6 year old with a hammer!!!
I know the dissappointment of spending a few grands and getting less than you expected, but in the long run, you have a gorgeous ring and a sparkling diamond with great arrows. Good choice.
Good luck for your wedding,
Dom

 

[anchor31]

I''m Canadian too

, and most of the stones I''ve seen in stores were crappy, and ridiculously overpriced. There was one jeweler my boyfriend and I enjoyed talking with, he was knowledgeable and appreciated that I was too, and it makes me a little sad to not deal with him, but his rings are just too expensive and I know I could get much better prices with online vendors.

I''m sorry you had such a frustrating experience. I''d be furious if I was treated this way too. That said, your diamond is gorgeous and I''m glad you like your ring better now. It''s beautiful!!

 

[Shawna13]

Thanks again Rod, fellow Canadians, and others!
I am learning to ignore the imperfections in the ring and concentrating on the beautiful stone and the overall look. I would rather have the imperfections in the setting than in the stone anyways!

Now it''s time for the wedding band designing adventure! (why am I more interested in designing the rings than planning the wedding??)

 

[BigToque]

Hey Shawna,

I''m also from Winnipeg. I''m very interested to know which shop you went to?

To be honest, there is only 1 shop I''ve been to that had anyone know anything about diamonds. The shop is called Epsilon Creations on Corydon Ave. (right by Stafford St.) The people are very friendly, and I have not been pressured to buy anything in the few visits I''ve had to their shop.

I will not buy a stone here in Winnipeg, I''m buying online and getting a custom setting from Epsilon.

 

[Jensia]

I would love to see a side shot of your ring

 

[Cathers]

Greeting from Saskatchewan, fellow Canadians and American Neighbors! Incisor, I was just wondering where you are from? Toque, have you tried pricing anything from this site?
http://www.canadian-diamonds-wholesale.com/

I am doing a LOT of looking, PS has be totally obsessed with diamonds now!!! I was leaning towards a Birks, but, with the advice of some ppl on here, am looking at going instead thru an independant jeweller. I am considering buying a diamond online, if he can''t come close to some of the prices I have seen. My only real concern is that he lives 4 hours away if something goes wrong with claws etc. Here is a pic(I just HAPPEN to have one) of the ring I would dearly love to own. It''s called "Fredricton". I posted the link to these guys in a different thread, but no one really seems to have heard of them...Just some food for thought, eh?

~Cathers

 

[Cathers]

Sorry bout that, lets try this again.

 

[Shawna13]

Date: 3/8/2006 1:18:46 PM
Author: BigToque
Hey Shawna,

I''m also from Winnipeg. I''m very interested to know which shop you went to?

To be honest, there is only 1 shop I''ve been to that had anyone know anything about diamonds. The shop is called Epsilon Creations on Corydon Ave. (right by Stafford St.) The people are very friendly, and I have not been pressured to buy anything in the few visits I''ve had to their shop.

I will not buy a stone here in Winnipeg, I''m buying online and getting a custom setting from Epsilon.

Hey there! I checked out Epsilon Creations and wasn''t very impressed. I went there cause my fiance''s friend ordered a ring from there. But the guy helping me was less than enthusiastic, didn''t seem to want to talk about diamonds, the shop was very dark, and he smelled of heavy cigarette smoke which made my stomach turn. I just didn''t get that "wow" feeling.

I''m glad that you were more impressed with them. I have never heard of a jeweller in Winnipeg taking a stone bought somewhere else and putting it into a custom setting. Usually they''ll only set a stone bought at their store. That is awesome!

I really enjoyed my experience at Diamond Gallery (Corydon Ave towards Kenaston). Allan really knew his stuff (he''s the only real appraiser in the city) and had beautiful selection. He was a close 2nd, but ended up going with this jeweller instead cause she seemed so accommodating and a bit cheaper. Looking back, I should have gone with Diamond Gallery.

I went to Maureen Dunn Jewellers on Pembina Highway (at Grant Ave.).

 

[Shawna13]

Date: 3/8/2006 1:50:20 PM
Author: Jensia
I would love to see a side shot of your ring

This is all I have right now!

 

[Shawna13]

Date: 3/8/2006 1:50:20 PM
Author: Jensia
I would love to see a side shot of your ring

And this one too.....

 

[Shawna13]

Date: 3/8/2006 3:24:39 PM
Author: Çã†hër§
Sorry bout that, lets try this again.

Nice ring!
I love your Cyril Sneer avatar and quote. hahaha...