Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please help

[tenniz23]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

Were you able to resolve anything today?

I feel terrible recommending this stone to you on the other thread. It definitely looked like a winner, and I don't believe the price was discounted due to anyone knowing about the chip. This thread (and those great pictures) should serve as a warning to anyone buying princess stones online or in-person.

I hope you can get the right stone on short notice.

I really appreciate your concern and the concern that everyone in this thread has shown. It really helps to have such a great community that genuinely wants to help. In terms of updates, there isn't a whole lot. I spoke with the jeweler making the setting and he said that it would be fine to have a new stone as long as the dimensions are within 0.2mm on each side. James Allen won't be able to send a return label until Monday, which means the earliest that they will receive it is on Tuesday. If I want another diamond from them, they can exchange it and have it delivered by Wednesday. However, that means there won't be any Sarin reports, ASET photos, or gemologist's review. I also contacted a few local jewelers that I had worked with earlier to see if they can bring in some more diamonds but none of them had stones that were within my parameters on hand and can't get any in until late Monday or Tuesday. At this point I'm preparing for postponing the proposal and have a backup planned for her birthday. I'll just have to regroup and propose on a different day and probably in a different way. Oh well, improvise and overcome I guess. I would rather take the time to get the right dismond that both she and I will be happy with instead of getting one in a mad rush and hoping I don't regret it later. If I do postpone the proposal, I'm hoping that the jeweler making the setting will be able to adjust to the dimensions of the new stone without having the 0.2mm restriction. So far, he's only done the CAD and I am not sure if he started the wax mold before I told him about my predicament. I don't know much about the custom ring design process so I don't know how big of a deal it would be to redo the CAD and wax mold if needed.

Also, no worries about recommending this stone to me from my other thread. Out of the 3 stones I had selected for review by James Allen, one was lifeless (according to their gemologist), another one had chips on the corners (as found by their gemologist but still recommended to me as a good buy by the gemologist and sales rep), and this stone. I must really know how to pick them seeing as how I went 0/3.

 

[tenniz23]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

They need to send you an overnight return label now, today, so they will have it back on Monday.

OP, this exactly what I was thinking... JA should make this right -- maybe you should speak with a supervisor? If it means putting a "rush" on deliveries and inspections/repairs, then so be it. JA should everything in their power to fix this as soon as possible. I agree with everyone else to return the diamond. Otherwise, you are going to be worrying about it constantly.

I asked about getting the return shipping label when I spoke to the manager on Friday. It was about 4:30-4:45 pm EST when i called and he said that their shipping department had left for the day "considering that it was Friday" and won't return until Monday. I asked if he or any of the customer service reps would be able to generate a shipping label and his response was that no one outside of the shipping department knows how to do that. I didn't really believe him, but what can you really say when someone flat out tells you that they don't know how to do it...

 

[GoSounders]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

I might just return the JA stone outright, get your refund, and turn your search elsewhere. I don't think they've handled your situation well enough to earn your business.

The good news is, there are other sites out there that ASET all their in-house stones. They do seem to be a bit more pricey than JA. How important is size to you?

Here's a WF ACA that's more expensive, but better cut and color than your original:
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-2978541.htm

Another ACA that's not as expensive, but smaller
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/princess-cut-loose-diamond-2948342.htm

And one 1.5ct from GOG under 10k
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/10643/

 

[SophiesDream]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

I'm going to suggest looking for a white flash ACA diamond in your budget and dimensions they have an excellent return policy and buy back / upgrade policy and all of their ACA diamonds are garunteed maximum light performance. Also when buying a loose stone of them they have same day shipping. If you call them and let them know your situation they can get it to you over night.

 

[SophiesDream]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

http://www.whiteflash.com/about-diamonds/diamond-education/whiteflash-aca-princess-cut-diamonds.htm

ACA princess information.
Also they have all the certificates sarin reports images etc that you would need listed on each diamond so you don't have to stress about chasing up the images

 

[denverappraiser]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

They need to send you an overnight return label now, today, so they will have it back on Monday.

"considering that it was Friday"

Two things here.
Friday sundown is important to Jewish merchants and many diamond dealers will close early on Friday for that reason.
Many of the shippers of this sort of thing prefer NOT to overnight Friday for Monday delivery because the package spends the weekend parked somewhere. Monday for Tuesday is a more direct delivery.

 

[Laila619]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

Can you switch to a round, or does she really want a princess cut? A round would be much easier to buy without ASET.

 

[WinkHPD]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

Can you switch to a round, or does she really want a princess cut? A round would be much easier to buy without ASET.

Neil is quite correct, weekends are when bad things tend to happen with Fedex. Even if you had shipped Sat for Monday you still have that day of parking somewhere.

Laila6191, I would respectfully disagree with you about rounds being easier to buy without ASET. The ASET is probably the single best tool the layman has for seeing how a diamond handles light, and a good ASET will tell you instantly if a stone is worth seeing with your own eyes. If you show me a stone with perfect numbers and a bad ASET, I will NOT waste my postage money shipping it in.

I will grant you that if you are a numbers shopper you are going to get a good start by looking at the numbers, but an ASET image will go a LONG way towards telling you if the numbers are telling the truth, or are there hidden flaws in those numbers. You will still need to see the diamond to see if your eyes like it, but you can eliminate a lot of chaff whether round or princess or what ever with a good ASET image and some practice in reading them.

Wink

 

[tenniz23]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

Thanks for the suggestions on the diamonds. I know my girlfriend really prefers the princess cut. The White Flash diamonds are beautiful but I would really like to stay with 1.7 ct and the ACA stones are out of my budget. I called James Allen about returning the diamond this morning and they sent over a return shipping label. I noticed that the return label is for 2-day shipping and it will only arrive at their office on Wednesday at the earliest. When i spoke to the manager on Friday, he said the return shipping would be overnight and that they would receive it on Tuesday. I called JA again to request an overnight shipping label and was told that 2-day return shipping is standard and they don't see any notes on my order to confirm what the manager told me. I asked to speak with the manager and was told that he was out at lunch (3pm EST). I'm now waiting for him to call me back. In the return confirmation that they sent, it also states that the return process will take up to 2 weeks, which is again different from what I was told on Friday. I'll have to ask the manager when I speak to him. In terms of buying a new diamond while the return is being processed, I just don't have the cash available to do that. I recently bought a house and currently don't have enough cash to drop on two diamonds simultaneously. I also want to wait and see that the return is approved and goes through successfully before buying another one. Let's just say that my faith in JA isn't very high at this point.

I also spoke with my jeweler who is working on the ring setting. He said that he might be able to make it work with a new diamond, but if not, he would have to charge an extra $200 to make the necessary adjustments.

On a more positive note, I do have a backup plan for her brithday in place and have come up with a new idea for proposing at a later date.

 

[momma2boys]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

That really rubs me the wrong way that your jeweler is going to charge you $200 if the new diamond doesn't fit the setting he is currently making. He's only gotten as far as the CADs, correct? In addition, he said that he "might" be able to make it work with the new diamond. That doesn't sound promising. To find a diamond that fits into that setting that fulfills your requirements for what you want in this new diamond isn't going to be easy.

I understand that this jeweler has to make a living, but seriously.....

What I want you to do is to go find a new jeweler....but that's just my opinion.

 

[WinkHPD]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

That really rubs me the wrong way that your jeweler is going to charge you $200 if the new diamond doesn't fit the setting he is currently making. He's only gotten as far as the CADs, correct? In addition, he said that he "might" be able to make it work with the new diamond. That doesn't sound promising. To find a diamond that fits into that setting that fulfills your requirements for what you want in this new diamond isn't going to be easy.

I understand that this jeweler has to make a living, but seriously.....

What I want you to do is to go find a new jeweler....but that's just my opinion.

I wish to respectfully disagree with you.

The jeweler did what he was requested to do. It is not his fault that the diamond from JA was chipped prior to his receiving it. If they can get a new diamond that fits what was built, fine, but if not, why should the jeweler have to pay the change order costs?

That seems a little unfair to me.

Now, if he has not made the ring yet, that is a different thing, but if the ring is made, then I do not think it is fair for him to have to pay.

Wink who as a jeweler admits to being biased...

 

[momma2boys]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

That really rubs me the wrong way that your jeweler is going to charge you $200 if the new diamond doesn't fit the setting he is currently making. He's only gotten as far as the CADs, correct? In addition, he said that he "might" be able to make it work with the new diamond. That doesn't sound promising. To find a diamond that fits into that setting that fulfills your requirements for what you want in this new diamond isn't going to be easy.

I understand that this jeweler has to make a living, but seriously.....

What I want you to do is to go find a new jeweler....but that's just my opinion.

I wish to respectfully disagree with you.

The jeweler did what he was requested to do. It is not his fault that the diamond from JA was chipped prior to his receiving it. If they can get a new diamond that fits what was built, fine, but if not, why should the jeweler have to pay the change order costs?

That seems a little unfair to me.

Now, if he has not made the ring yet, that is a different thing, but if the ring is made, then I do not think it is fair for him to have to pay.

Wink who as a jeweler admits to being biased...

If the ring is already made, then I agree with you. I was under the impression that just the CADs were made, not the actual ring...

 

[WinkHPD]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

That seems fair. I guess I was thinking that since the proposal was scheduled for only a day or three from now that the ring had been made. I want to respectfully say that I am in complete accord with you now.

Wink

 

[tenniz23]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

That really rubs me the wrong way that your jeweler is going to charge you $200 if the new diamond doesn't fit the setting he is currently making. He's only gotten as far as the CADs, correct? In addition, he said that he "might" be able to make it work with the new diamond. That doesn't sound promising. To find a diamond that fits into that setting that fulfills your requirements for what you want in this new diamond isn't going to be easy.

I understand that this jeweler has to make a living, but seriously.....

What I want you to do is to go find a new jeweler....but that's just my opinion.

I wish to respectfully disagree with you.

The jeweler did what he was requested to do. It is not his fault that the diamond from JA was chipped prior to his receiving it. If they can get a new diamond that fits what was built, fine, but if not, why should the jeweler have to pay the change order costs?

That seems a little unfair to me.

Now, if he has not made the ring yet, that is a different thing, but if the ring is made, then I do not think it is fair for him to have to pay.

Wink who as a jeweler admits to being biased...

If the ring is already made, then I agree with you. I was under the impression that just the CADs were made, not the actual ring...

To clarify, the jeweler updated me on Saturday (he out on Friday afternoon) that he had started to grow two wax models for the ring on Friday in order to meet the Wednesday deadline. If the new diamond does not fit, he would have to redo the models and charge $200 for that.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

I am surprised Jim Allen hasn't seen this thread. He is really good about correcting problems like this.

 

[WinkHPD]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

That really rubs me the wrong way that your jeweler is going to charge you $200 if the new diamond doesn't fit the setting he is currently making. He's only gotten as far as the CADs, correct? In addition, he said that he "might" be able to make it work with the new diamond. That doesn't sound promising. To find a diamond that fits into that setting that fulfills your requirements for what you want in this new diamond isn't going to be easy.

I understand that this jeweler has to make a living, but seriously.....

What I want you to do is to go find a new jeweler....but that's just my opinion.

I wish to respectfully disagree with you.

The jeweler did what he was requested to do. It is not his fault that the diamond from JA was chipped prior to his receiving it. If they can get a new diamond that fits what was built, fine, but if not, why should the jeweler have to pay the change order costs?

That seems a little unfair to me.

Now, if he has not made the ring yet, that is a different thing, but if the ring is made, then I do not think it is fair for him to have to pay.

Wink who as a jeweler admits to being biased...

If the ring is already made, then I agree with you. I was under the impression that just the CADs were made, not the actual ring...

To clarify, the jeweler updated me on Saturday (he out on Friday afternoon) that he had started to grow two wax models for the ring on Friday in order to meet the Wednesday deadline. If the new diamond does not fit, he would have to redo the models and charge $200 for that.

I have to admit, I like the way he did that, growing two waxes. Working on a short time fuse he went the extra mile to make TWO waxes so that if any thing went wrong with the first one he had the back up. It shows that he was thinking about YOUR needs and not trying to save the cost to tie up his wax growing machine for an extra wax. These are the types of little things that add up to a good experience for his clients.

Wink

 

[tenniz23]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

I called the JA manager directly earlier in the afternoon (4:30 pm EST) and requested the overnight return shipping label. He was able to get that processed right away and I actually just got back from dropping it off at FedEx. It should go out tonight by 5pm PST so JA should get it by tomorrow.

The JA manager also told me that both he and James Allen himself are active members of the Pricescope community. They have been tracking this thread through the weekend and had a conversation about it as well. The manager explained that there was probably a misunderstanding when we spoke on Friday. He said that he was trying to speak to me as one friend might speak to another and that he never meant to suggest that I should not return the diamond. He admitted that he should have just simply told me to return the diamond. To his credit, he did suggest that I can return the diamond, but that means missing my original proposal date and at the time I was still hopeful for an alternative that would allow me to keep the date. At the very least, it's good to know that he and James Allen are both fully aware of my situation and have stated that they will try to make things right.

It's been a very stressful weekend and I have given up hope of keeping my original proposal plans. At this point, I'm just hoping for a smooth and timely refund so that I can find another diamond that's within my parameters and budget. It would also be nice to not have to incur any additional charges with the jeweler who is making the setting, but I'm going to focus on finding the right diamond instead of trying to avoid the additional charge. It's unfortunate that I have to scrap my original plans and postpone the proposal, but I've already got an idea for a new plan and I believe all's well that ends well. In any case, I'll keep you guys posted.

 

[Laila619]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

Oy, what a mess. I really hope James Allen steps up for you. Did they say they would expedite your return?

ETA: Oh good, I just saw your update!

 

[nowicanseethemoon]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

I'm really glad JA has stepped up and are doing what they can at this point to help remedy this situation. And I doubt they would have done anything deliberately to send you a chipped stone. It's wise to take your time and find the right replacement, a week or two won't make a huge difference in the rest of your lives.

 

[GoSounders]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

Any update on your return and replacement stone search?

 

[tenniz23]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

Any update on your return and replacement stone search?

This morning I got a call from the JA manager that I spoke with before. He informed me that they received the diamond, had it reviewed by their senior gemologist, and approved the return. Now it's just a matter of waiting for the return to be reflected on my credit card and bank accounts. He also briefed me on the gemologist's findings. The gemologist was able to find the chip as described by the appraiser when reviewing the diamond at a higher (than 10x) magnification. She assessed that the chip has no effect on the diamond's clarity (which I agree considering that clarity is graded only at 10x), structural integrity (I would say that's a judgement call), or value (that seems to contradict many of the opinions expressed in this thread, but I guess it's all subjective anyways). JA gemologists typically only inspect diamonds at 10x magnification and since this chip was only found using higher magnification, it is still considered as passing their quality control. In any case, they approved the return.

Regarding a replacement diamond, I asked the manager to have the senior gemologist review my next diamond selection at a higher magnification so that there would be less chance of a surprise when I get it appraised later. The manager agreed and said that it would be arranged once I let him know my selection. I think that going forward, it would definitely be a good idea to request inspections at higher magnifications especially if you plan to have it reviewed by an appraiser who will put it through a higher level of scrutiny. Since seems like JA is serious about making things right, I'm willing to give them another chance and see how it goes.

 

[Kawfee]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

Please keep us updated on your new ring and the proposal. I can't offer any words of comfort but I'm sure it'll be all worth it.

I am too in the process of searching for an engagement ring and that stuff is no joke...it's like a whole new language to learn.

I will also be searching through WF and JA for potential rings and it's good to know they're taking care of situations like the one you have.

 

[tenniz23]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

Just to give an update, James Allen himself has stepped in to help me find a replacement diamond. I think that's really cool of him to take the time to help out one single customer. We've found one that looks very promising. It meets all of my parameters in terms of the 4c's and has a pretty good ASET image. The only reason that I'm on the fence about it is because it has an AGA grade of 3A due to a thick-very thick girdle. I posted a separate thread to seek some advice regarding that specific diamond. I also have to check with my jeweler to see whether the dimensions of the new diamond will work with the setting for which he has done the wax molds since the new diamond is smaller than the original by 0.3mm in both length and width.

 

[momma2boys]

Re: Chip found on diamond 5 days before proposal - please he

Thanks for the update!! That's awesome that James Allen is helping you! Wishing you continued luck with this new search and hope you find THE diamond soon! And hope your setting works with it as well!