Can a diamond be damaged in shipment (asking trade members to weigh in svp)

[Mreader]

I am starting a new thread about this but without the name of the vendor in hopes that some people in the trade may weigh in because now I am second guessing myself. I got these side stones and the packaging was really bad as they shipped in an envelope used for documents so nothing was padded or boxed. The envelope underwent some major stress as you can see from the pics. There was some pressure as you see holes in the diamond paper, envelope, and even the cardboard Fedex envelope. The vendor was shocked about the packaging (the person I spoke to didn't package it) but said that if there was real damage to the stones that I would be able to very easily see it under a loupe. They are emerald cut diamonds 5 x 3 mm and vendor said it was lucky it wasn't rounds because they would be more susceptible. I just wondered if this is true. I can't see anything under my 10x loupe but I'm not a jeweler. I don't live near a good jeweler either. So as of now I'm planning on sending them back to exchange. But I was curious about what some of you think because the size is perfect for what I am looking for and it is a headache. So with diamonds - can you put a bunch of heavy boxes on top of them (that is what look like may have happened)? Jump up and down on them? Use a rolling pin on them? Run them over? I haven't worked with most of the people I am tagging for this, but I have seen their names pop us often enough that they may offer some insight. @Garry H (Cut Nut) @Rhino @Rockdiamond @denverappraiser @Karl_K

You can see the outline of the little envelope through the FedEx cardboard envelope



Holes in paper (below) and this is the view inside FedEx envelope with holes that the stones made. Luckily they didn't poke out and get lost.

 

[rainydaze]

Holy moly! By the looks of the holes in the paper, I am shocked the emeralds aren't dust! They are not a particularly hearty stone to begin with, as I understand it. I have no valuable insight to offer, but I hope it all works out one way or the other.

ETA: oh, are they emerald cut diamonds, or emerald? I thought it was the latter, hence my comment about them turning to dust. If they are diamonds then I can better wrap my brain around them surviving despite the damage to their surroundings.

 

[Mreader]

Holy moly! By the looks of the holes in the paper, I am shocked the emeralds aren't dust! They are not a particularly hearty stone to begin with, as I understand it. I have no valuable insight to offer, but I hope it all works out one way or the other.

ETA: oh, are they emerald cut diamonds, or emerald? I thought it was the latter, hence my comment about them turning to dust. If they are diamonds then I can better wrap my brain around them surviving despite the damage to their surroundings.

Yes sorry I realize that was unclear - emerald cut diamonds! I know sometimes we say emerald for short whoops! I edited the post.

 

[PreRaphaelite]

I think you would be better off returning them and letting the vendor consider making a claim - it's their problem, then, and you can be sure not to take any loss.

I hope it works out! It's shocking.

 

[Karl_K]

yes they can be damaged.
I'm sure trade members have seen worse where the stones were fine.
Diamonds when they get broke its usually from a shock they are able to hold up to incredible pressure.
They are used in hardness testers for the hardest metal because of that.
You should be able to pick up any damage with a loupe but if your not comfortable then return them.

 

[rainydaze]

Yes sorry I realize that was unclear - emerald cut diamonds! I know sometimes we say emerald for short whoops! I edited the post.

Ah, ok! Still... that packaging leaves me speechless! I am thinking maybe you return them to the vendor (preferably at their cost since their poor packaging led to this problem), have them check them thoroughly, and if they are ok send them back to you in much better packaging. If they are not ok, then choose another pair.

That works only if you trust the vendor's word on the diamonds' conditions. Maybe it's just better - more mind clean - to start afresh? I suppose it also depends upon how difficult it is to find what you are looking for... are these a rare pair or fairly easy to replicate?

 

[Rfisher]

Ugh.
-Another not whom you asked to hear from -
If looking under a loupe yourself doesn’t give you mind clean confidence there is no damage (and really unless you have lab report with plots it’d still might be hard to determine if it was preexisting)
Exchange and hopefully the vendor picks up all relative expenses in doing so.
And hopefully they don’t ship like this again, and they help you find another pair to suit your parameters.

 

[Rhino]

Oy... we've got some rough looking packages in the past too so I relate. Nothing frustrates me more than when vendors send via envelopes for diamonds. Double boxed is *always* the way to go. Considering they're what you want you may want to bring to a local appraiser or someone with a microscope to confirm their condition.

 

[Rockdiamond]

vendor said it was lucky it wasn't rounds because they would be more susceptible

Horrendous packing job- and like Jon- we've gotten packages like this...generally from consumers ( we try to choose vendors that actually have a working brain

About rounds being more susceptible.....um, no.
It's likely the diamonds weren't damaged and likely that you would spot damage if it had occurred...still not good on the shipper's part.

 

[Mreader]

This reminds me of a story a friend told me once - he worked for Dell dealing with customers who send their laptops back for repair. Once person sent their laptop in just a basic padded envelope. A laptop!

 

[Rfisher]

I just wanted to come back and add this.
I received a ring packaged very similar to what you described.
The prongs poked through the tiny clear ziploc baggie AND through the paper envelope that was inside the shipping company’s envelope.


Sounds like the vendor you used cared a bit, though.
~sigh~

 

[Mreader]

I just wanted to come back and add this.
I received a ring packaged very similar to what you described.
The prongs poked through the tiny clear ziploc baggie AND through the paper envelope that was inside the shipping company’s envelope.


Sounds like the vendor you used cared a bit, though.
~sigh~

Egad. Was the ring damaged?? And your vendor reacted badly? Mine was ok but then trying to say the stones were fine once I asked about an exchange...

 

[Texas Leaguer]

Chances are the diamonds are undamaged. They are incredibly durable. The idea that rounds might have been more likely to sustain damage is presumably because they have a point on the pavilion, so some truth to that. Emerald cuts have keels on the bottom - you can see the linear holes where the keels poked through the packaging. In general keels are a bit less less susceptible to damage than points.

But if the stones are damaged it will likely be on the keel. I would inspect both keels very carefully. Any damage would be visible under a 10x loupe.

 

[Mreader]

Ah, ok! Still... that packaging leaves me speechless! I am thinking maybe you return them to the vendor (preferably at their cost since their poor packaging led to this problem), have them check them thoroughly, and if they are ok send them back to you in much better packaging. If they are not ok, then choose another pair.

That works only if you trust the vendor's word on the diamonds' conditions. Maybe it's just better - more mind clean - to start afresh? I suppose it also depends upon how difficult it is to find what you are looking for... are these a rare pair or fairly easy to replicate?

I don’t think they are rare. I went ahead and requested an exchange and shipped them out today. Better to be mind clean.

 

[rainydaze]

I just wanted to come back and add this.
I received a ring packaged very similar to what you described.
The prongs poked through the tiny clear ziploc baggie AND through the paper envelope that was inside the shipping company’s envelope.


Sounds like the vendor you used cared a bit, though.
~sigh~

Yikes! @Rfisher I am getting nauseous looking at that! No joke! Was your ring okay or was it damaged?

Who in their right mind would send someone a ring - or diamonds - packaged so poorly? I package the heck out of my jewelry whenever I have to send something somewhere. I'm sure my packaging is laughable... for the opposite reasons as those posted here. But I think jewels qualify under 'better extra, extra safe than sorry'!

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Wow! Must have been driven over.
We have had a few rings driven (not in a box) over during my decades and most were fixable.
If a culet was road side down then the ashfalt would damage it, but not the tire side.
Emerald cuts generally have easy to break cleavage plane sides.

 

[headlight]

Were they able to,touch one another?

***“Only diamond can scratch diamond....”***

 

[Rfisher]

Egad. Was the ring damaged?? And your vendor reacted badly? Mine was ok but then trying to say the stones were fine once I asked about an exchange...

Yikes! @Rfisher I am getting nauseous looking at that! No joke! Was your ring okay or was it damaged?

Who in their right mind would send someone a ring - or diamonds - packaged so poorly? I package the heck out of my jewelry whenever I have to send something somewhere. I'm sure my packaging is laughable... for the opposite reasons as those posted here. But I think jewels qualify under 'better extra, extra safe than sorry'!

I don’t believe there was actual damage. Hard to say for sure if the prongs/seatings weren’t a bit wonky already before it shipped. No stones were loose so I didn’t press the issue. I wouldn’t say the vendor acted badly. It was just a non issue for them, they really had nothing at all to say about it.

same here. I think I go overboard on what I package to go out..

 

[strawrose]

Yeesh! When I get a paper parcel, it’s always shipped in a box.

 

[LightBright]

I once had a diamond chipped by something unexpected (I don’t know what). The chip was not there before I had the diamond unmounted by an experienced setter in front of me, and before a diamond expert accidentally dropped it onto a glass counter, bouncing it. So one of those two things made an obvious (to me), but tiny, chip at a table facet on the top of the table of my diamond. I was very surprised. Now I am very paranoid.

I don’t know what to advise you. To me, a vendor that sends diamonds in packages like that needs to endure the inconvenience of you sending the stones back. Maybe the vendor will recall the PITA factor and not do that again.

OTOH, if the stones are not damaged why go through the hassle. The problem is you don’t have a free expert with a high powered loupe and expertise to help you determine potential damage if any.

I guess if it was me, if the stones are easy to replace and not rare, I’d return them.

 

[Mreader]

@LightBright I did decide to return; sent them back yesterday!

 

[yssie]

That is obscene.

Glad you decided to exchange @Mreader. I would have too. I don't need to discover later on that I didn't catch something under 10x that would have been clear under higher magnification that I didn't have access to.

 

[La2020]

To be safe, I will send it back. The micro damage sustained might affect the diamond value since certificate is not reflective of the diamond any more.

Here is mine when my order arrived....but thankfully the vendor had my order packed in a double box and it was not damaged.

 

[Mreader]

I thought I would update. I sent the stones back and vendor said they were fine but is sending me new ones anyway. They are just a hair wider. So as long as these are shipped well I’ll be happy with the outcome.