Bangle Clasp Really Loose

[Ally T]

My Tiffany oval hinge bangle keeps popping open & a couple of times I have caught it as it’s fallen off. It has a box tongue catch & after looking online, I found that you just need to gently prise the tongue section a little higher to provide more resistance inside the female part of the clasp. This worked for a few months & the bangle was rock solid & impossible to remove without 2 hands when I took it off to use the polishing cloth.

But now it feels like the tension on the tongue has gone, almost as if the fold over at the V-end of the tongue is beginning to fracture & no longer has any strength. Please note I don’t remove this bangle & I wear it 24/7, so there has been zero excessive wear on the clasp.

According to the internet this is a common issue with this T2 hinge bangle model & first came to light late last year. Tiffany will refurb the clasp & add a small figure of 8 catch at the side here in the UK for around £300. My local jeweller will do exactly the same for an awful lot less money.

Have you had this problem with your Tiff bangle? How did you resolve it? I am tempted to drop it to my local & very fabulous bench rather than send it away for essentially the same work. I never intend to sell this piece so I am not concerned about Tiff’s not doing the work. I would be devastated if I lost it.

 

[MissGotRocks]

I don't have this bangle but did look for it on Tiffany's site awhile back. They only had one size and seemed to be phasing it out. Perhaps this is why? I am sorry you are having this issue and maybe your local jeweler is the fastest way to insure no loss of the bangle. I am always sad to see many former pieces discontinued and particularly those in yellow gold. Seems to have made a resurgence in popularity and yet they have discontinued some of those iconic pieces. I assume it is changes made in the buyout process but it is disappointing nonetheless. Best of luck with finding the best fix for your lovely bracelet!

 

[Lookinagain]

I would have my local jeweler do the work since you say they have an excellent bench. It also seems to me that Tiffany should stand behind their product as it seems to be a design flaw so charging you 300 Pounds seems high to me.

 

[Mrsz1ppy]

I vote local bench. You can always remove the clasp if you want to sell it.

 

[Ally T]

Thanks for your replies. I muted to Tiffany in Manchester this afternoon that I will take it to a local bench & save some pennies, at which point they offered me an appointment to go in, have them examine it & then carry out any repairs & remedial work for free. Hopefully I’ll get some bubbles too! I am booked in on Thursday evening.

 

[MissGotRocks]

Thanks for your replies. I muted to Tiffany in Manchester this afternoon that I will take it to a local bench & save some pennies, at which point they offered me an appointment to go in, have them examine it & then carry out any repairs & remedial work for free. Hopefully I’ll get some bubbles too! I am booked in on Thursday evening.

That is great! Honestly, they should do this for free as it is clearly a design flaw on their end. Hats off for great customer service! Let us know how it goes!

 

[canuk-gal]

That is great! Honestly, they should do this for free as it is clearly a design flaw on their end. Hats off for great customer service! Let us know how it goes!

+ a billion

 

[yssie]

Ally So can I just say, they probably took one glance at your profile and said “no way we let this gal go unhappy with us!!” - if you want bubbly you’ll get bubbly

I hope your bangle comes back good as new!! And I’m sure it will!

 

[Lookinagain]

Thanks for your replies. I muted to Tiffany in Manchester this afternoon that I will take it to a local bench & save some pennies, at which point they offered me an appointment to go in, have them examine it & then carry out any repairs & remedial work for free. Hopefully I’ll get some bubbles too! I am booked in on Thursday evening.

That's great news, but honestly they should be doing that for anyone with the same issue for the same piece, since it is a design flaw. Most wouldn't even know to handle it the way you did. I'm glad it worked out for you but sorry for those who are paying for the repair when they shouldn't have to.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

We now put 2 fig 8 clasps (or a concealed saftey) on every bracelet / bangle.
The problem is possibly the button sticking our too far and bumping open.
Some close up photos would help.

 

[Ally T]

We now put 2 fig 8 clasps (or a concealed saftey) on every bracelet / bangle.
The problem is possibly the button sticking our too far and bumping open.
Some close up photos would help.

Thanks for replying, Garry. I don’t currently have the bracelet with me to take pics, but the button is the opposite of that & hardly protrudes at all, hence a firm sweep over it will unlatch it. When I have tried to lift the tongue to rise the button, as soon as it’s fastened again the button goes back to being really low. This didn’t happen the first time I raised the button & it stayed sticking up & was too difficult for me to open with one hand, hence I think there is a weakness in the tongue now. Will let you know what Tiffany says, but I’m certainly not adverse to having security clasps added.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Thanks for replying, Garry. I don’t currently have the bracelet with me to take pics, but the button is the opposite of that & hardly protrudes at all, hence a firm sweep over it will unlatch it. When I have tried to lift the tongue to rise the button, as soon as it’s fastened again the button goes back to being really low. This didn’t happen the first time I raised the button & it stayed sticking up & was too difficult for me to open with one hand, hence I think there is a weakness in the tongue now. Will let you know what Tiffany says, but I’m certainly not adverse to having security clasps added.

It must be a boy one. No tongue strength!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

How did it go? Any bubbles????

cheers--Sharon

 

[Ally T]

HI:

How did it go? Any bubbles????

cheers--Sharon

No!

So they examined the clasp & said it had a lot of wear & tear (it hasn’t - I have literally removed it once a month for buffing prior to it starting to randomly fall off) & that they’ll have to send it to the workshop in London for refurbing, plus they would add a small figure of 8 clasp to one side. And the turn around time is around 12 weeks currently. And the repairs would NOT be free after all.

So I left the store with my bangle back in its box & this morning I took it over to my local bench. He is also going to refurb the catch & add TWO small figure of 8 clasps for extra security, for a third of the price. He will also have it back to me before we leave for holiday in 2 weeks.

If Tiffany had their hallmarks on the figure of 8 or anything like that which would affect integrity, I would have left it with them. But they were clear the clasps were too small for full T marking, so there’s absolutely no point in letting them fix it.

Very annoying for a bangle that cost so much money.

 

[yssie]

No!

So they examined the clasp & said it had a lot of wear & tear (it hasn’t - I have literally removed it once a month for buffing prior to it starting to randomly fall off) & that they’ll have to send it to the workshop in London for refurbing, plus they would add a small figure of 8 clasp to one side. And the turn around time is around 12 weeks currently. And the repairs would NOT be free after all.

So I left the store with my bangle back in its box & this morning I took it over to my local bench. He is also going to refurb the catch & add TWO small figure of 8 clasps for extra security, for a third of the price. He will also have it back to me before we leave for holiday in 2 weeks.

If Tiffany had their hallmarks on the figure of 8 or anything like that which would affect integrity, I would have left it with them. But they were clear the clasps were too small for full T marking, so there’s absolutely no point in letting them fix it.

Very annoying for a bangle that cost so much money.

Oh wow. Not at all the update I was expecting. That’s appalling service. What the heck!?

They told you it’d be complimentary, backtracking on that is a very bad look! I’m sorry. Glad you have a local jeweller you trust to deal with this instead!

 

[empliau]

Tiffany should be ashamed. But I would do exactly as you did. I am sorry they haven't stood behind their work.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Rob bates posted this yesterday:

'They still made a profit of me buying it for $20': Former Tiffany & Co worker says stuff is cheaply made, company still profited after extreme employee discount

'100% paying for that little blue box.'

www.dailydot.com

 

[yssie]

And yet every single person in the world - PS members included! - who buys a Tiffany solitaire lookalike would choose the original mount (and have Tiffany set their choice of diamond) if they could

But the amount of money you’d need to spend to have that option… I can’t even fathom it…

Those who make the choice to buy branded are buying for the name and design. (And history, convenience, aftercare - Ally’s experience is shamefully far from what’s expected!). Point being - value for money on labour and materials isn’t a primary decision-maker for buyers of branded goods, so it’s kind of a soggy strawman argument

 

[Ibrakeforpossums]

weasels.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

And yet every single person in the world - PS members included! - who buys a Tiffany solitaire lookalike would choose the original mount (and have Tiffany set their choice of diamond) if they could

But the amount of money you’d need to spend to have that option… I can’t even fathom it…

Those who make the choice to buy branded are buying for the name and design. (And history, convenience, aftercare - Ally’s experience is shamefully far from what’s expected!). Point being - value for money on labour and materials isn’t a primary decision-maker for buyers of branded goods, so it’s kind of a soggy strawman argument

And status.
Men are expected to overpay to show their love.
The blue box sends that signal.
But we are not allowed to say stuff like that!

 

[yssie]

And status.
Men are expected to overpay to show their love.
The blue box sends that signal.
But we are not allowed to say stuff like that!

So did a big unbranded diamond Until Lightbox happened!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Rob bates posted this yesterday:

'They still made a profit of me buying it for $20': Former Tiffany & Co worker says stuff is cheaply made, company still profited after extreme employee discount

'100% paying for that little blue box.'

www.dailydot.com

thanks Gary
i feel a bit better about my Micheal Hill pieces now

 

[Ally T]

thanks Gary
i feel a bit better about my Micheal Hill pieces now

I had a few things from Michael Hill when i lived in Wellington & it was nice stuff! I sold it to help fund the deposit on our first house back here. Along with the ring I had from Partridges on Lambton Quay, which I regret to this day because it was exquisite.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I had a few things from Michael Hill when i lived in Wellington & it was nice stuff! I sold it to help fund the deposit on our first house back here. Along with the ring I had from Partridges on Lambton Quay, which I regret to this day because it was exquisite.

my nose prints are all over the window of Partridges

 

[Ally T]

Bangle is all sorted for a third of the price of Tiffany’s. It isn’t going anywhere now! I couldn’t even undo the catches to get it on & they had to do it for me & then snap them closed Feels SO nice to have it back & just in time, as we leave for holiday tomorrow. I missed the weight of it on my wrist so much.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Great.. you can always use a knife blade to pop them open.
And gold looses it's spring so they only get looser

 

[Ally T]

Great.. you can always use a knife blade to pop them open.
And gold looses it's spring so they only get looser

Good tip, thank you! Although this was a never to be removed piece, so to have it locked securely in place works for me, as opposed to it dropping off every time I removed something with a long sleeve. Shoddy.