BGD Repair Problems. Ring isn’t worth repairing after its very first repair.

[Paxonator]

So I had sent my wife’s wedding ring in to get the center stone tightened. I had originally asked here first and posted my issues with how the first repair went here (https://www.pricescope.com/communit...-repairs-worn-down-claws.251985/#post-4627050). Had a few glitches but the ring looked great. One thing to note is that I had wedding bands soldered to the ring at a local jeweler, not BGD.

Under a month later my wife noticed one of the side micro pave diamonds was missing. A similar thing happened to my moms ring after having the claws fixed at another jeweler oddly enough. So no big deal I call up BGD to see how to proceed. I initially talked to a new person who then transferred me to the same employee that I didn’t jive with last time. She must have known it was me on the phone as this time the conversation went much better. She apologized and said they would take care of it. I said sounds good, and if you aren’t aware BGD will send you an email with kind of a summery of the call.

After our call ended, I realized that I assumed they would pay the shipping back to them which is $170usd (we live in Canada). I felt I better check, so after I received their email I replied assuring there would be no cost to myself for the repair. I also sent a photo of the ring stating if there would be a cost we would wait until its next required service to have it repaired. My wife didn’t feel it was worth it to pay the shipping to fix such a small issue.

I believe it was the next morning Lesley called me stating they could not cover the cost of shipping but the actual repair would be free. She starts discussing the possible causes of the side stones falling out. Starting with someone else soldering the wedding bands onto the ring causing damage to the ring. I’m not an expert in metallurgy but it’s an easy scapegoat none the less. Then proceeds to say if we’re going to have to fix this ring all the time maybe I should look into my insurance coverage to replace the ring. I felt this was pretty aggressive as the ring had only been fixed once in it’s lifetime. How can she make that call after not even seeing the ring a second time to see what caused the micro pave stone to fall out. I just said I’ll think about it and get back to them with what we are going to do. Lesley sent me a follow up summary later.

Here’s the main body of the reply from Lesley
“Thank you so much for taking my call this morning to discuss the loss of another diamond from your wife's setting.

As discussed, the ring is 7 years old and has had outside work done on it in the interim. We have just repaired the ring and to have another stone fall out so soon after is disconcerting. It could be that the soldering process may have weakened the metal and this may impact how it holds up moving forward. We can get it back here but there will be charges. At a certain point it may make sense to replace the ring rather than keep repairing, and I would check with your insurance as to what is covered. I also recommend that he go back to the local jeweler who soldered the rings and see what he suggests.

Please keep me posted.”


One correction is that Lesley states multiple diamonds lost when it was a small micro pave one. Also the insurance part is missing, not sure if that was intentional or not. The one part I don’t like is “replace the ring rather than keep repairing”
So first I was told by BGD I had the ring way to long without them inspecting and fixing any issues. Then I get it fixed the first time and small issue comes up. All of a sudden the ring isn’t salvageable and is just not worth it to fix anymore. So I’m not sure what they want me to do as a consumer saying they need to see the ring more often but then don’t bother fixing it because it “may” be to damaged from soldering wedding bands to it. So check your insurance to see if it’s covered.

Getting back to the wedding bands. I initially contacted Leslie about the matching wedding bands from them and here’s the link I got from Lesley http://www.hlevi.com/b622.html. I stated that this is too poor of a photo and I didn’t feel comfortable purchasing based on this one and only photo. Leslie agreed in her reply and welcomed me to shop locally for a band. So I did try and purchase the bands through BGD first in my defense. Although I did not send it back to have them solder the bands on.

Is this what I should expect in this industry? Are their reasons for going through insurance for a new ring reasonable? I just feel like they don’t want to deal with repairs and would rather upsell.

To be clear I’m not upset they wouldn’t pay the shipping as I stated in the email I would wait until it’s next service date if there was a cost to me. I’m just upset at how fast the ring went to not worth it to fix and you should look at replacing it.

*EDIT*
Also note I waited a while before posting this thread to let me gather my thoughts on the whole issue. Just in case you thought the timeline was off.

Would love to hear your thoughts on this.

 

[whitewave]

It’s pretty standard to have the jeweler inspect the ring once a year, and you are right that once you let another jeweler do work on the ring such as soldering, you are taking chances.

 

[Paxonator]

It’s pretty standard to have the jeweler inspect the ring once a year, and you are right that once you let another jeweler do work on the ring such as soldering, you are taking chances.

So without the company even seeing the ring they should just claim the ring isn't worth fixing? I wished Lesley would have mentioned this in our previous emails when I wanted bands. oh well

 

[whitewave]

Can we see a pic of the rings?

 

[Rfisher]

Can you post a picture of the rings soldered together?
Both straight top down and straight from the side?
Is there any chance the er is out of round?

 

[whitewave]

And did you have it sized when you had it melded together?

 

[Paxonator]

here's some quick photos. I can take better ones tomorrow. No resizing was done. The bands had a natural outward curvature to them and fit very well to my eye.

 

[Karl_K]

Having someone solder the rings together will void the warranty pretty much anywhere and has always been in their policies.
So any work they do for free is a gift.
Looking at the ring, yea she is right that type once they start dropping stones its not good.
There is a pretty good chance some of the other ones are loose also.
It is 7 years old also so its not a new ring so its pretty hard to validly claim its a defect.

 

[Bron357]

First of all you have to be able separate the damage from the effects of time and wear (not insurable and not normally a warranty issue) and unintended damage (insurance) or poor workmanship (warranty).
i Don’t know, does BGD offer a lifetime warranty against faulty workmanship but not “normal wear and tear”?
If the ring is 7 years old I imagine the issue they are referring to is “fixing” the melee prongs. Unlike proper prongs for the main diamond (s) melee is usually set by “nicking up” the metal band to create a prong. Because from the outset there isn’t a lot of metal holding the melee, especially if wee, over time the metal wears away and it’s difficult to repair (ie fiddly = lots of time= expensive = not worth it).
I think that’s what BGD is saying, they consider it a “wear and tear” issue as the ring is 7 years old AND it has been worked on by others (and this normally negates any warranty) so it’s not a free, under warranty repair. It’s a fiddly, time consuming repair and the cost of having it done (and keep in mind that probably more melee prongs are worn and headed towards needing repair) isnt cost effective. Especially if next month another one falls out.
this is an issue with wee melee set into the shank of rings. There isn’t a lot of metal prong holding them and over time they do wear down.
hope you can work out a satisfactory resolution.

 

[Paxonator]

Having someone solder the rings together will void the warranty pretty much anywhere and has always been in their policies.
So any work they do for free is a gift.
Looking at the ring, yea she is right that type once they start dropping stones its not good.
There is a pretty good chance some of the other ones are loose also.
It is 7 years old also so its not a new ring so its pretty hard to validly claim its a defect.

I understand the warranty claim. The ring was just in to be repaired so I'm assuming they checked all the stones but there wasn't much info on what was repaired. So you feel BGD should say the ring is a write off? Or is that a little extreme at this point?

 

[Rfisher]

Some people get excited in a positive way when a vendor mentions an upgrade or a new setting as a option/solution to them. Maybe she expected your reaction to be different?
Maybe she was premature in her suggestion.

Either way- I wouldn’t contact the local place that did the solder, asking for them to be responsible. I also wouldn’t make an insurance claim for a new setting. But then, I also wouldn’t have shipped it across country borders each year x7 for preventative maintenance, because if you did - I don’t see the current outcome being any different.

 

[Paxonator]

I should clarify this thread isn't about the warranty of the ring. It is about the fact they seem to be writing the ring off without a real assessment. Just to clarify

 

[whitewave]

It looks like the stone above the one that fell out is about to fall out... so yeah, I see her point.

 

[Paxonator]

First of all you have to be able separate the damage from the effects of time and wear (not insurable and not normally a warranty issue) and unintended damage (insurance) or poor workmanship (warranty).
i Don’t know, does BGD offer a lifetime warranty against faulty workmanship but not “normal wear and tear”?
If the ring is 7 years old I imagine the issue they are referring to is “fixing” the melee prongs. Unlike proper prongs for the main diamond (s) melee is usually set by “nicking up” the metal band to create a prong. Because from the outset there isn’t a lot of metal holding the melee, especially if wee, over time the metal wears away and it’s difficult to repair (ie fiddly = lots of time= expensive = not worth it).
I think that’s what BGD is saying, they consider it a “wear and tear” issue as the ring is 7 years old AND it has been worked on by others (and this normally negates any warranty) so it’s not a free, under warranty repair. It’s a fiddly, time consuming repair and the cost of having it done (and keep in mind that probably more melee prongs are worn and headed towards needing repair) isnt cost effective. Especially if next month another one falls out.
this is an issue with wee melee set into the shank of rings. There isn’t a lot of metal prong holding them and over time they do wear down.
hope you can work out a satisfactory resolution.

thank you for the detailed reply. The warranty isn't my issue. I just feel that BGD is making it seem like they've repaired this ring again and again and should just replace it. When it's only been repaired once. I feel BGD is exaggerating the amount of repairs done to justify a new purchase from me.

 

[Karl_K]

I understand the warranty claim. The ring was just in to be repaired so I'm assuming they checked all the stones but there wasn't much info on what was repaired. So you feel BGD should say the ring is a write off? Or is that a little extreme at this point?

I am going to say if it was mine knowing what I know I would consider replacement.
As far as the selling vendor saying it....it depends on exact wording and context. they used if its bad or good.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

This thread makes me very sad
a lot of brides wear their wedding ring with the intention of never upgrading or even taking it off

i hope you get a good outcome for your wife's ring

 

[whitewave]

Buy a loupe on eBay or amazon and check the other stones.... or bring to a jeweler to inspect. I sincerely thought a few look loose

 

[distracts]

I should clarify this thread isn't about the warranty of the ring. It is about the fact they seem to be writing the ring off without a real assessment. Just to clarify

With pave bands, generally once they start losing stones you don't need an assessment to know that it may be better to replace. Sometimes there is a sort of domino effect where one stone coming out results in others loosening, and when that happens it is better to just replace than to repair.

However, I would take the ring to an independent appraiser (one not associated with a jewelry store). I don't know if PS has a list for any in Canada. Ask them to assess the cause of the lost stone, and give you their opinion on whether a good repair or an average repair will result in something structurally sound and likely to hold for many more years, or whether it is significantly better to get a new ring. That way you'll have an unbiased person with no stake in the outcome examining your ring and telling you about your options.

I also think it's worth noting that BGD didn't tell you that you had to replace it, just that it may be worth doing. Most people here with pave repair experience will probably tell you the same thing.

I also think at this point it would be in your interest to find a good local jeweler who you trust to do repairs so you don't have to keep sending it back and forth.

 

[AV_]

New is better.

I would change model to one more wear proof.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I recommend finding a trusted local jeweller for maintenance in future. Shipping back and forth for repairs is not realistic, especially from Canada.

I also wonder if soldering the rings encouraged the damage through daily wear. I can only imagine all the competing forces torquing the center ring.

 

[MarionC]

I know that this is off topic, but It would bother me that the bands were not soldered on to align either with each other or the main stone.
Perhaps an upgraded setting would be nice.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Number of times I have taken my rings in to be inspected for no reason...0. If the rings all came from them and there were issues within the first couple of years, then yes, I might have sent them to BG. But for the most part, I would deal with an excellent local jeweler for needed maintenance unless we are talking about a custom ringmaker, and in that case, I'd send back to them for repairs.

Those rings look kind of beat up for having them only 7 years. It's a good idea in general to always take the rings off when you get home and not cook or anything else that might cause wear and tear.

 

[Paxonator]

This thread makes me very sad
a lot of brides wear their wedding ring with the intention of never upgrading or even taking it off

i hope you get a good outcome for your wife's ring

Yes this is my wife, she didn't take this ring off for anything. She now wears it less which is disappointing because she loves it so much.

 

[Paxonator]

Buy a loupe on eBay or amazon and check the other stones.... or bring to a jeweler to inspect. I sincerely thought a few look loose

I actually brought it to my local jeweler who said it looked great other than the two claws are missing that held the pave stone in. Claws is probably the wrong term sorry. His only thought was maybe it just got bumped. He quoted $140 to fix it and never with no mention of a compromised ring or selling me a new one.

 

[Paxonator]

There is some confusion on what the issue is, I wasn't upset to have to pay the shipping back to them. My wife felt it wasn't worth it as the shipping costs more than the fix. We would have waited to send it back for a checkup and have it fixed.

I'm not sure why BGD started to quickly into damaged ring and maybe it needs to be replaced. This is the real issue for us. Heck one of our kids could have pried it out with a screwdriver (they didn't). Yet without even seeing how or why the stone fell out it is now blamed on soldering when they didn't even look at it!

Maybe car manufacturers should do the same. someone else changed your oil and you have an oil leak now. Without even looking at your vehicle, say you should look at replacing it as they may have damaged it.

 

[Paxonator]

I know that this is off topic, but It would bother me that the bands were not soldered on to align either with each other or the main stone.
Perhaps an upgraded setting would be nice.

I noticed that right away and it bugged me. I never showed my wife and never brought it up. I figured if she brought it up then I'd take care of it. I didn't want to point something out that she may never notice. Good observation though.

 

[cokitty]

In the third picture the shanks looked warped out of round. I wear my rings 24/7 too and I know that can happen from all sorts of things, shoveling snow, gripping the steering wheel too hard, pipetting for too long etc.
It has been seven years and you stated that y'all are both aware that the rings have been worn all the time, which is great, but I can see why they would hesitate to put their bench on the line for what is likely to a be a series of repairs. To be honest once you had the local jeweler soldered them you gave up any expectation of having BGD work on them for free and/or pay for shipping etc. I am not sure why you expect them to do so.
If you trust the local guy have him fix it. If you don't send them back to BGD and follow their recommendations.

 

[Paxonator]

In the third picture the shanks looked warped out of round. I wear my rings 24/7 too and I know that can happen from all sorts of things, shoveling snow, gripping the steering wheel too hard, pipetting for too long etc.
It has been seven years and you stated that y'all are both aware that the rings have been worn all the time, which is great, but I can see why they would hesitate to put their bench on the line for what is likely to a be a series of repairs. To be honest once you had the local jeweler soldered them you gave up any expectation of having BGD work on them for free and/or pay for shipping etc. I am not sure why you expect them to do so.
If you trust the local guy have him fix it. If you don't send them back to BGD and follow their recommendations.

This post isn't about free repair or shipping. The line sentence right after that states if there is a cost we would have waited until its next service date to have the stone repaired.

It's about saying the ring isn't worth fixing without even an inspection as to why it came out.

 

[cokitty]

You said that at the end but it reads in a country fashion to the other things you wrote.
You seem to want people to agree with you. *shrugs* I don't. You had another jeweler who doesn't appear stellar based on the way they soldered the rings.
TBH it seems like they are giving you a very logical, "prepare for the worst, hope for the best" sort of outline.
What is your goal for this thread and the rings, what is the outcome you are hoping to attain?

 

[Paxonator]

You said that at the end but it reads in a country fashion to the other things you wrote.
You seem to want people to agree with you. *shrugs* I don't. You had another jeweler who doesn't appear stellar based on the way they soldered the rings.
TBH it seems like they are giving you a very logical, "prepare for the worst, hope for the best" sort of outline.
What is your goal for this thread and the rings, what is the outcome you are hoping to attain?

I was looking to see if others felt the same about BGD claiming having to fix a ring all the time, and now damaged forever prematurely. I feel many posts are looking at me wanting it fixed for free which is not the case so I just want to clear things up that is not about the cost of repair. It is about the statement that it may not be worth it as they have to keep repairing it, when they've only repaired the ring once.

That is what I would like to hear your stance on.