Can a round brilliant diamond be damaged during setting?

[darknezx]

Hi, sorry for the different threads, as I want to separate the topics/questions I have. I will be buying online a round brilliant H&A diamond (either from Whiteflash or Brian Gavin), and relying on a local jeweller to set the loose diamond. Reason being that I don't know my girlfriend's ring size, and it's much preferred to bring her down to the jeweller when it comes to resizing. Is there a chance that my H&A diamond could be damaged during setting? I am a lay person, and it scares me that a diamond I painstakingly chose and paid for could be damaged. I'm from Singapore, and it seems I'm not eligible for a Jewelers Mutual policy.

Appreciate the advice!

 

[distracts]

Yes, any diamond can be damaged during setting. It's unlikely, but it happens. I'm not familiar with what insurance options you may have in Singapore, but I'm sure there is something. I'd ask your jeweler whether they insure the stone during setting and if not what options you would have and what would happen if the stone were to be chipped.

 

[darknezx]

What typically happens if it is chipped? Does the setter pay the full cost of the diamond?

 

[arkieb1]

Generally it's a very very small percentage change increased by things like thin girdles, not very good jewellers and so on. Antique stones are more likely to be or get damaged. With modern cuts it doesn't happen very often but it can happen.

And no generally a good jeweller will offer to repolish the chip out for you they do not generally replace the whole stone. I've seen cases on here of bad jewellers that deny everything.

 

[denverappraiser]

It varies with each setter. Ask. In the US, they usually do NOT take breakage liability on a stone they didn't sell and almost never if they didn't at least sell the mounting. Again in the US, insurance is available that covers this although there's an extra charge.

Most jewelers, including the ones you mentioned, will guarantee the work if they sold the stone. Depending on what your design plans are, consider having it set by the folks you're buying from.

There is one qualifier. As I recall, there's a considerable import tax in Singapore and it's different for finished jewelry and unmounted diamonds. As I recall, jewelry is higher (by quite a bit). Talk to the tax man before you ship but there may be a financial incentive to have it set there.