Calling all jewelers - is this normal?

[momhappy]

This is a handmade piece and as such, I would expect some variation. However, I noticed what I would consider some inconsistencies with the bezel (with the naked eye), which is what prompted me to take some pictures of the piece. Since I am not a jeweler, I wanted some opinions about what exactly is going on with the (handmade) bezel on this piece? I'm not asking questions about the actual diamond (it's dirty/dusty) and I was actually quite pleased with it, but it's the metalwork that is concerning to me. Thanks for any professional opinions.

 

[denverappraiser]

That's sloppy work. Really sloppy.

How big is this stone?

Have you complained? What did the jeweler have to say?

 

[momhappy]

Thanks for the reply. I was thinking sloppy work too, but I just wasn't sure what the "norm" is for handmade bezel work. I was trying to give the jeweler the benefit of the doubt. I love handmade pieces as they often have the "charm" that mass-produced pieces don't have and I'm ok with a certain amount of inconsistency. However, this seemed to be a quality issue to me, but I wanted the advice of other professionals in the industry before passing judgement.

 

[Confection10]

I'm not jeweler, but just want to show You mine. It is my custom, hand made bezel. I think it's perfect example of maker's skills. You just have to find right one. Sorry for You; You have beautiful stone.

 

[motownmama]

YOu say you contacted the seller, but she's not super cooperative? I didn't understand the part about returning it for a replacement. Will she replace the bezel or no?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Trust your eyes. No way would that be acceptable to me. But honestly, that is why we only recommend a few people to do handmade work because so many out there do work that is just not as good as it could be.

 

[Tekate]

This is my redesigned engagement ring.. I have to find the before pix.. it's a 1.66 carat, G/H color, VS2 stone, I've had it for 24 years, bought it at Roberts-Jeff jewelryboth in NYC at the diamond center in '88 (now I read you shouldn't buy from the floor).. it was 7,800$ (it was an upgrade for quitting smoking).. I've had this stone in 4 different settings, this last one was custom made.. I think when a setting is handmade it may be a little less like a mass produced setting but your setting should match on the sides I believe.. I had 8 baguettes with 2 that were tapered so mine looks a little 'strange' in 2 spots as the gold tapers in and a bit out there is nothing like the feel of a custom made setting though.. your stone is gorgeous.

 

[Tekate]

Here is a better picture I think. the setting cost me some old gold and
1,200$, orginally the sales guy said it would be 2,6K (my husband is sick of me resetting so I knew that wouldn't fly so we dealt on the gold, we always pay a premium I think)

 

[Enerchi]

Not a jeweller - but I totally agree with DenverAppraiser above - that is S L O P P Y work!! how could that pass QA?

A little wonk on a custom piece.. well... ok... but that's gone beyond 'a little wonk'. It is lopsided and off kilter and looks like it just needs to be tweaked a smidge and it would sit properly. That is not right.

Is this the pendant for your MIL? and are there vendor issues as well? I think you need to return and ask for money back or a remake, but that is not an acceptable attempt at bezelling.

I hope you can get this resolved quickly and to your satisfaction, Momhappy.

 

[distracts]

Sloppy.

I mean, acceptable if it's your first-ever bezel on an emerald cut, but otherwise? Especially if you're offering it for sale? lol no.

 

[momhappy]

Not a jeweller - but I totally agree with DenverAppraiser above - that is S L O P P Y work!! how could that pass QA?

A little wonk on a custom piece.. well... ok... but that's gone beyond 'a little wonk'. It is lopsided and off kilter and looks like it just needs to be tweaked a smidge and it would sit properly. That is not right.

Is this the pendant for your MIL? and are there vendor issues as well? I think you need to return and ask for money back or a remake, but that is not an acceptable attempt at bezelling.

I hope you can get this resolved quickly and to your satisfaction, Momhappy.

That's what I was thinking - a little wonk is ok, but this seemed to be much more. It even hangs a little wonky because the chain is attached to different places on each side of the bezel.
Yes, this was the gift for MIL. The seller told me to A.) give the existing necklace as a gift and then take it back so that I could send it in for repair/replacement or B.) send it back for repair or replacement, which was not an option because it would arrive AFTER the birthday. Who would give someone a gift, tell them that something is wrong with it, and then take it back again???? I thought that the return/refund was appropriate under the circumstances, but apparently not to the seller - she refuses to refund my money.

 

[Enerchi]

^^^^
Is there any paypal or etsy recourse available if there is an issue like this? I don't know enough about either, so just wondering.

What if there is a dispute - who can mediate to resolve this or is it just left up to the two of you to sort it out? Is there a return or refund policy on her site?

and I completely agree - who would give a gift then say 'oh, its not right, give it back and i'll return it?" That's dumb! What an odd suggestion from her and I don't see why she won't refund/return/replace it in the first place???

I feel for you going thru this - just another added stressor when I'm sure your life already has enough excitement in it!

 

[momhappy]

Yes, my recourse is PayPal - my case is being reviewed. It just sucks that it turned out this way. Worst case scenario is that PayPal rules in her favor. In which case, I would keep the necklace myself, which wouldn't bother me all that much actually. The diamond is gorgeous (I even complimented the seller on it). The craftsmanship/quality isn't what I would prefer, but it will work fine as a layering piece, so it won't hurt my feelings too terribly bad if I can't return it for a refund. The worst part was the birthday present part. My husband and I had to come up with an alternative gift (and pay for express shipping to get the alternate gift to MIL in time).

 

[WinkHPD]

This is a handmade piece and as such, I would expect some variation. However, I noticed what I would consider some inconsistencies with the bezel (with the naked eye), which is what prompted me to take some pictures of the piece. Since I am not a jeweler, I wanted some opinions about what exactly is going on with the (handmade) bezel on this piece? I'm not asking questions about the actual diamond (it's dirty/dusty) and I was actually quite pleased with it, but it's the metalwork that is concerning to me. Thanks for any professional opinions.

I am a jeweler. I have received pieces like that from benches that wanted my custom business.

They never got a chance to send me another piece.

That is not fixable, it needs to be completely redone with the hole for the diamond parallel to the sides of the pendant. The current hole is breaking the edge of the lower left hand corner of the pendant. The pendant is not symmetrical, the top right corner is different than any of the other corners. This is a piece that should never have been delivered and no way in heck would I ever send a client pictures of something like this. This item is screaming for a refund, not a redo. I sincerely hope the vendor is not one of the Pricescope regulars and would bet fairly good money that it is not.

Wink

 

[momhappy]

Thanks Wink. You've summed up my concerns much better than I could have.
The vendor/jeweler has temporarily convinced PayPal that my order was "custom" and therefore not eligible for protection/refund. However, I've got a call in with a manager there because I've got some new info.

 

[Victor Canera]

That definitely would be un-acceptable momhappy and I'm terribly sorry for the experience.
The bezel has a melted wax look to it which isn't normal for hand made jewelry. Would you possibly be able to take a photo of the back of the pendant?
Maybe you could place a dispute with the credit card company instead of Paypal or did you pay through your checking account?

 

[momhappy]

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That definitely would be un-acceptable momhappy and I'm terribly sorry for the experience.
The bezel has a melted wax look to it which isn't normal for hand made jewelry. Would you possibly be able to take a photo of the back of the pendant?
Maybe you could place a dispute with the credit card company instead of Paypal or did you pay through your checking account?

I must admit, I was very happily surprised to see you post in my thread I absolutely adore your work and I'm honored that you would offer your opinions here.
I will try to take some additional photos this afternoon and post them.

 

[denverappraiser]

Paypal is a scam. I agree with Victor, take it to the credit card company if there is one.

Even then, the dispute is going to have to do with 'proving' a misrepresentation. You need to show that they didn't do what they said they would. You CAN win with paypal but it's harder. Way harder. In either case it takes an independent appraisal spelling out the defects. A discussion from an internet forum isn't sufficient.

The first step though is to talk to the jeweler about it. I agree with Wink and Victor above that the remedy is to start over. They may or may not want to do this but the definitely won't if you don't ask and you will have no case with either Paypal or the CC company if you haven't taken this step.

Again, how big is the stone? The standards if this is a solitaire half carater are different than if this is a 3 pointer that's part of a 'diamonds by the yard' type of piece.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I feel like they do not have the skill to redo it if they did such a bad job the first time. If you love the diamond and can't get a refund, you'll just have to eat the cost of the bezel setting and have that part redone. The chain can be reused.

 

[WinkHPD]

I feel like they do not have the skill to redo it if they did such a bad job the first time. If you love the diamond and can't get a refund, you'll just have to eat the cost of the bezel setting and have that part redone. The chain can be reused.

You might be surprised. The jeweler may be horribly embarrassed when shown the pictures and if given a chance will have someone remake the piece rather than be exposed for a charlatan. Of course he may be an idiot and try to hide behind his small print, but if he does he is throwing a way tens of thousands of potential clients to save a few dollars.

It may be that the piece was shipped out without his personal inspection, or it may be that he did this and somehow thought it was worthy of being shipped. None of us has any way to know these things and Neil is totally correct that you must first give him the opportunity to right this sinking ship before pulling the plug.

My recommendation: Try to do as much of the negotiations as you can by email so that you have a "paper" trail. If it is all by phone, even though it is going to be, "I said, he said," take notes during the conversations and do a full write up of the conversation and save it so that you will have the documents to support your side. It is highly unlikely that he will be doing the same, so you will come across as being fully prepared to document your version of events. Make sure you include the date and the time of the discussion and how long it lasted.

If you have any, be sure to save any CAD or design photos that you may have, especially if you have an email discussion of what was to have been made.

It is my experience with both PayPal and credit card companies that they tend to almost automatically take the side of the customer rather than the vendor, so long as the customer is calm and collected and provides any kind of documentation. It is one of the reasons that so many of us Pricescope vendors offer a discount for wire transfer as it is not possible to claim that you did not receive an item that you have signed for. (Hint, never use wire transfer with someone you do not have reason to believe and trust. All of the Pricescope vendors have too much to lose to play games.)

Just some more of my thoughts.

Wink

 

[CharmyPoo]

I don't think paypal is a scam at all. Paypal favors the buyer and often rules in favor of the buyer - I have never had a problem with paypal dispute and I have paid for hundreds and hundreds of things through paypal so I had my share of disputes.

Handmade work doesn't always mean bad work or even wonky work. Take a look at Victor's work under a microscope .. it is handmade and near perfection. So I really think it is fair to attribute wonkiness just because it is handmade. If you are using handmade to describe "etsy" quality work than that is a different story. There are many people that make and sell jewelry through etsy that are far from being considered professional (but there are some superb ones too). I would expect such a wonky piece from someone that is just learning to make jewelry. The price of the work usually reflects the quality you are getting.

 

[momhappy]

Paypal is a scam. I agree with Victor, take it to the credit card company if there is one.

Even then, the dispute is going to have to do with 'proving' a misrepresentation. You need to show that they didn't do what they said they would. You CAN win with paypal but it's harder. Way harder. In either case it takes an independent appraisal spelling out the defects. A discussion from an internet forum isn't sufficient.

The first step though is to talk to the jeweler about it. I agree with Wink and Victor above that the remedy is to start over. They may or may not want to do this but the definitely won't if you don't ask and you will have no case with either Paypal or the CC company if you haven't taken this step.

Again, how big is the stone? The standards if this is a solitaire half carater are different than if this is a 3 pointer that's part of a 'diamonds by the yard' type of piece.

The diamond is about a .30 emerald cut diamond

 

[Tekate]

Paypal - our account was 'hacked' at paypal several years ago, we were immediately billed for 5K worth of computer equipment in Belgium! glasses galore in Chattanoga TN and Vuitton pocketbook in Bangkok.. within minutes, our CC stopped all payments since there was also a 2 gasoline charges on our card here in Austin at the same time as the others, huge red flag.. paypal said oops, oops them, we refuse to use paypal, don't use them or beware.

 

[yssie]

I feel like they do not have the skill to redo it if they did such a bad job the first time. If you love the diamond and can't get a refund, you'll just have to eat the cost of the bezel setting and have that part redone. The chain can be reused.

I wouldn't necessarily agree with that, DS. I had an Etsy vendor bezel a stone a few months ago and the first iteration was a disaster, but they were quick to acknowledge the problems and unlike momhappy I didn't have a deadline so I sent it back for a remake - and the second iteration is lovely. It IS possible that this particular project just fell through the cracks... which is NOT acceptable, and it's a poor excuse, but if momhappy decides to have them redo I do think there's a non-zero chance that the second one will turn out okay...

Well that's a rousing endorsement, no? What really rubs me the wrong way about this situation actually isn't that wretched bezel, it's the fact that the vendor apparently isn't embarrassed and apologetic and bending over backwards to fix it. If momhappy requested a refund it should've been in her account by the end of the day. If she requested a redo she should've been sent a shipping label. No discussion and definitely no argument!!

 

[momhappy]

^Not only is she not apologetic, but you should see what she wrote me today! I am floored by this woman's unprofessionalism. She not only told me that PayPal won't help me out (which they won't because she's convinced them that it was a "custom" order), but she basically laughed in my face. When I let her know that I had the ability to open a case with Etsy, the BBB, or leave appropriate (negative) feedback, she replied, "Honestly what would you post?? Amazing quality diamond and gold, but awful at polishing! That's hilarious, no?"
She continues to maintain that the bezel was simply "over polished" by someone other than herself. I don't care who did the crappy bezel, but at the end of the day, SHE owns the darn business and it's her fault for letting something that crappy slip through quality control. I was really trying to work it out with her and be polite, but now, I'm done. I will put it whatever effort it takes to make this right for me somehow.

 

[momhappy]

double post

 

[missy]

That's just awful momhappy! I am sorry you are dealing with this very unpleasant situation that began as such a lovely and thoughtful project for your MIL. I cannot understand why this vendor would be so rude and unprofessional. That is upsetting on a few different levels. It's one thing to make a mistake but quite another to be unapologetic and then taunt you about not being able to get a refund. I am not sure if you mentioned in another thread who this etsy vendor is but I would like to know if you don't mind sharing so I can make sure I never give her any business.

 

[Enerchi]

Oh, Momhappy, that totally SUCKS!! she is being just rude and nasty. I think the best advice is to follow the recommendation by someone above, to have it examined by an independent appraiser (if you don't mind the additional cost) then follow up with all possible means of recourse, including your credit card company.

I hope it ends well, but unfortunately, it won't be in time for your MIL's birthday.

 

[momhappy]

^Thanks Missy. The whole thing turned sour when I told her the quality was not what I was expecting. She got very defensive, but only offered to repair/replace the necklace at that time. I replied that I would prefer a refund because the repaired/replaced necklace would not arrive in time for the birthday (figuring that she would understand). At which time, she refused the refund. I replied that I had the ability to open a claim with Etsy, PayPal, and leave feedback accordingly and she took those as "threats" and the whole thing has gone downhill since then. She keeps telling me that all I want is my money back (like I can't afford the necklace, have buyers remorse, or something like that). Her emails are quite unprofessional and argumentative - certainly nothing that I've dealt with on Etsy before.

 

[momhappy]

Oh, Momhappy, that totally SUCKS!! she is being just rude and nasty. I think the best advice is to follow the recommendation by someone above, to have it examined by an independent appraiser (if you don't mind the additional cost) then follow up with all possible means of recourse, including your credit card company.

I hope it ends well, but unfortunately, it won't be in time for your MIL's birthday.

Thank you! MIL present has already been replaced with something even more awesome!!! She plays guitar (it had been a dream of hers to learn how to play and a few years ago, we bought her guitar lessons for part of her Christmas present) and we found her an autographed guitar by one of her favorite jazz musicians). I will likely end up having the necklace replaced and will keep it for myself.