Confessions of pre-Pricescope Stupidity-- long

[Gypsy]

So... as some of you know I am about to send my asscher into Quest to get it re-set. I was literally a block away from the post office (ring in three boxes mumified in bubble wrap and popcorn) when my fiance asks... so, how will we know if this diamond is the same one we''ll get back. And I said, "we''ll have it checked against the certificate, silly."

... at which point both of us remembered that we never got the diamond appraised (or added to our home owners insurance-- just one of those things we never got around to) after it was set... and therefore never verified that it was the correct diamond (not casting any aspersions on our jeweler... just a fact) especially since my fiance-- who didn''t look at the ring when he picked it up-- in fact didn''t look at it until it was on my finger (don''t you love nerves) remarked a couple of times how different the diamond looked set.

AND since making the decision to have it reset I''ve been staring at my diamond thinking-- hmm the color looks warmer than an F to me.

Of course I made an appointment with an appraiser ASAP... who cancelled on me this morning (just emailed another after running a search for NJ appraisers on here)... and if, god forbid, this diamond doesn''t match the one on the cert-- after three years I won''t know when it was switched as I think once or twice jewelers I asked to clean my diamond went into a room with a closed door to clean it.

And... did I mention it''s not insured.

So um... yeah. I haven''t sent it in to Quest yet... not wanting to involve them in this until I know that my diamond is, in fact, my diamond.

Now, should I have this thing taken out of the setting before the appraisal just to make things as easy for the appraiser as possible?

 

[strmrdr]

Depends on what info your looking for.
Just a cert match can usually be done set if you want more info than that then if your having it reset anyway go ahead and have it unset.

No jeweler is going to have an asscher in stock to switch with it if its off it came that way.
Asschers are too rare and different from one another to get switched easily.
Its not really impossible i suppose but its very very very very unlikely.

 

[Mara]

chances are jewelers you have asked to clean your diamond would not have had the time to get the diamond out and another in without there being some detriment to the setting or the stone...it's not a 5 minute operation to unset a stone and reset another into your setting. also, i know it's everyone's fear but in reality, only a really idiotic jeweler would bother to do that, they'd be risking so much on the off chance that you found out and it could cost them everything...so chances are that a jeweler with a real store, overhead, inventory etc would never take that risk.

so if the stone is not the same as when you bought it, chances are it happened at time of purchase or similar but even that seems far fetched too...why would someone sell you something only to switch it out.

a great way to identify your ring is to have a jeweler or appraiser point out an inclusion to you under a 10x loupe or similar so that you can see for yourself in the future that it is there.

 

[windowshopper]

well said Mara and Strmdr!

 

[GossamerAngel]

oh Gypsy

this makes me so sad to read. hopefully you''ll know why.

 

[mrssalvo]

Gypsy, I seriously wouldn''t worry too much about it. stones look differently once they are set and even the color can look different which is why appraiser like to see the stones unset. I agree with Mara and Storm. if you bought from a reputable jeweler, they are not going to risk jail time to switch out your stone. Definitely get it checked out and verified before you send it to Quest but I''m sure all will be just find and it''s a good thing you remembered because you can not get insurance on you bauble asap.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Gypsy, I would think the chances of it not being the same stone are pretty slim. But I wouldn't even leave the house with that thing again until it was insured!

 

[AndyRosse]

Date: 5/14/2006 4:58:12 PM
Author: Dee*Jay
Gypsy, I would think the chances of it not being the same stone are pretty slim. But I wouldn''t even leave the house with that thing again until it was insured!

Ditto!!

 

[Gypsy]

I know why honey. I'm just feeling paranoid. I genuinely don't think my jeweler would do anything... but I did have to cleaned a few times at strange jewelers... but I think Strm is right... and asscher is hard to switch out.


I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to imply anything about anyone I trust. And I do trust you, and Will.


To anyone else reading this... Gossamer is my friend in real life... and the person who recommended my jeweler to me. And I've been very happy with them... it's just was afraid as it's been three years, and I know now, that no matter how much I trust my jeweler mistakes do happen and that I should have gotten it appraised and added to my homeowners insurance ASAP. I would NEVER (and did not imply in my post that I did) think it was intentional.

I promise, honey. Never crossed my mind.

 

[Gypsy]

Oh, no. My store was very reputable. But there were other stones that he had in for me... I'm not saying it would be intentional at all. They've been there for ever-- and never had a BBB report, plus I've referred people to them who have had the stones appraised (for insurance purposes) and everything was fine. Just afraid that things could have gotten mixed up. Mistakes happen... and well, I'm paranoid, right now. Freaked about having it re-set.

 

[jcrow]

Date: 5/14/2006 12:54:58 AM
Author: strmrdr
Depends on what info your looking for.

Just a cert match can usually be done set if you want more info than that then if your having it reset anyway go ahead and have it unset.

No jeweler is going to have an asscher in stock to switch with it if its off it came that way.

Asschers are too rare and different from one another to get switched easily.

Its not really impossible i suppose but its very very very very unlikely.

that should definitely be added to the asscher thread pro list!

 

[GossamerAngel]

thanks for your response reading that made me feel so much better. *sigh* it''s such a shame that the .001% of truly BAD apples in the jewelry industry can cast a negative shadow on all the good ones.

I do understand your concern about your diamond, and can really relate to you on that level - I am SUCH a worrier! I drive dh NUTS sometimes... once I get my brain wrapped around some notion, I''ll make myself sick with worry - so from that perspective I can see how one small realization such as ''oh, I don''t have my ring insured'' can turn into ''OMG, what if some jeweler switched my diamond out!''. I saw a new freckle on my leg a few weeks ago, and by the end of the night, had literally convinced myself I had melanoma and I was going to drop dead in 6 months! Eek!

Anyway, you do have a very detailed appraisal on your e-ring, which gives not only exact gradings and measurements of your diamond, but refers to the GIA appraisal as well (I think your diamond is GIA?). These measurements, down to the hundredth of a mm, can be easily verified by nearly anyone with a mm gauge, and especially on an asscher, would be VERY difficult to duplicate with a ''swapped'' stone

And just for the record in general, on the off-off-OFF chance that your diamond had been switched out by an unscrupulous jeweler, you probably would be able to see scratches or tool marks on the prongs from where the jeweler had hurredly pulled the prongs back, and then tightened them again on the new stone. But gosh, the chances of chipping or cracking the diamond, especially at the girdle or points, are huge -- especially if the jeweler was working under that kind of pressure and that quickly so as not to alert the customer. There just isn''t enough money to be made in diamonds anymore to warrant that kind of criminal activity....it''s simple economics!

Shoot, with gold at $700+/oz, you''d stand a much more real chance of the jeweler ''losing'' your heavy gold bracelet and sending it off to the refinery to get a nice fat check!

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 5/14/2006 8:19:05 PM
Author: GossamerAngel
thanks for your response reading that made me feel so much better. *sigh* it's such a shame that the .001% of truly BAD apples in the jewelry industry can cast a negative shadow on all the good ones.

I do understand your concern about your diamond, and can really relate to you on that level - I am SUCH a worrier! I drive dh NUTS sometimes... once I get my brain wrapped around some notion, I'll make myself sick with worry - so from that perspective I can see how one small realization such as 'oh, I don't have my ring insured' can turn into 'OMG, what if some jeweler switched my diamond out!'. I saw a new freckle on my leg a few weeks ago, and by the end of the night, had literally convinced myself I had melanoma and I was going to drop dead in 6 months! Eek!

Anyway, you do have a very detailed appraisal on your e-ring, which gives not only exact gradings and measurements of your diamond, but refers to the GIA appraisal as well (I think your diamond is GIA?). These measurements, down to the hundredth of a mm, can be easily verified by nearly anyone with a mm gauge, and especially on an asscher, would be VERY difficult to duplicate with a 'swapped' stone

And just for the record in general, on the off-off-OFF chance that your diamond had been switched out by an unscrupulous jeweler, you probably would be able to see scratches or tool marks on the prongs from where the jeweler had hurredly pulled the prongs back, and then tightened them again on the new stone. But gosh, the chances of chipping or cracking the diamond, especially at the girdle or points, are huge -- especially if the jeweler was working under that kind of pressure and that quickly so as not to alert the customer. There just isn't enough money to be made in diamonds anymore to warrant that kind of criminal activity....it's simple economics!

Shoot, with gold at $700+/oz, you'd stand a much more real chance of the jeweler 'losing' your heavy gold bracelet and sending it off to the refinery to get a nice fat check!

I have an appraisal? Where? Is this something J forgot about??? Seriously honey, what are you referring to? (Yes mine is GIA, but the cert is all I have. As far as I know....). Email me.

And I just remembered that Will checked my setting last time I was there to see if the prongs were tight... and he didn't see anything strange, at all.


So, I'm definitely just going to keep it at home until we add it to the homeowners insurance. Wish that I had the Zircon now though. My finger is going to feel empty. THANKS MARA, STRM, AND EVERYONE WHO REPLIED.

 

[GossamerAngel]

oh jeez! yes, yes!

you have a lovely, detailed appraisal on file, in addition to your GiA cert!

I'm back on tuesday..... we should definitely have it updated to current market prices anyway

 

[Gypsy]

I have a WHAT!

Yeah... okay, Tuesday. Will call you at a break. *Whew*

Umm... for conversations sake ONLY... IF I were to want a different diamond-- you know, something a little bigger (only talking here)... what would be the procedure for upgrading... or some such thing?