Appraiser''s comments on Princess Fragility !

[Johnny Mo]

Wow.

I''ve just spent 4 months looking for really ideal, colorless princess stones (shape my lady wants, with my pricescope forum pickiness injected

), only to have one of the most respected appraisers in the world tell me he doesn''t recommend them to buyers due to corner fragility!

How often has the pricescope crew seen this as an issue with princess cuts, either in insurance claims or otherwise? My girl isn''t the *most gentle* with jewelry, and now I''m losing sleep...

Please help,
Johnny Mo

 

[oldminer]

A princess cut can fracture at one of the four pointed cornes, especially when it is being set. I rarely see one broken after it has been successfully set, or broken when it is being worn. If you dont' get a diamond with a super thin girdle or very low crown height, you probably won't have any trouble.

If it was my purchase, I'd only allow the seller of the diamond to mount it for me. Then, if breakage does happen, you are not holding the bag. The seller of the diamond will cover the problem. If you buy a diamond from one vendor and have another set it, then the responsibility may pass to you. Generally the consumer is not well prepared to be the responsible party.... Select a diamond and have the seller completely set it for you.

 

[DavidEmslie]

I agree with oldminer, There can be the possibility of chipping when set. Setting them requires someone who does it all the time or at least knows a few little tricks, not that its that hard if you know what your doing but lets put it this way, if I can pass on setting one, I will. Simply for the risk of breakage, have who ever sold you the stone set it if there is concern. Anything can break, a jeweler I worked with when I started learning broke the top off of a 3/4 carat round by bending one prong over...it just so happened there was a crack in the stone that was not visble and the stone split down the girdle, ended up with a half carat cone and a 20pt disk.
Its not common, but it can happen.

 

[strmrdr]

There was an article posted here not long ago about insurance companies not insuring princess diamonds with less than a med. girdle because the claims on them were well above everything else.

It is a real concern but as oldtimer and David pointed out not all that common.
My advice insure it and sleep well at night.

 

[oldminer]

Be mindful that insuring a diamond will not cover damage done to the stone in a setting procedure. Insurance will cover damage in use by the wearer, but not by a craftsperson. Insurance should cover most problems incurred with diamonds, but it does not cover repairs or setting procedures.

 

[Johnny Mo]

Oldminer

If that's true, then who the heck covers when it's being set? Why wouldn't a jeweler who is setting the stone have to cover for damage to the stone whether or not you bought the rock there (say someone like yourself or Marty have looked at the stone and said med girdle, shouldn't present any problems...)?

JM

 

[oldminer]

NO ONE COVERS SUCH A CRAFT SITUATION. A diamond, left in the hands of the one who sold it, is generally covered by the integrity of the seller's good reputation alone. I have never been able to purchase coverage on items a workman might damage, whether I sold it or not. Once you ask a different vendor, one who sells mountings, to set your already purchased diamonds, one you bought elsewhere, no one will have insurance coverage for DAMAGE and very few sellers of mountings make enough to assure total coverage for damage in setting. If a tiny chip is created, a good guy will have it repaired at no cost to you, but if the diamond suffers a loss in weight or large loss in value, it is up to you to swallow it or get a lawyer. Whether you can PROVE negligence is questionable. A truly accidental damage may not a be recoverable claim in a lawsuit. besides, in Pennsylvania, a major lawsuit will cost thousands. Most jewelry claims are for the "principle" of who is right and never make up their cost of prosecution.