Cracked diamond = upset me.

[Ara Ann]

This is a a quick follow up to previous posts about my new e-ring project and sad to say, it''s not good! I haven''t posted here in a while because I am terribly disappointed. ..I ordered a LOGR split shank semi mount for my 5.9 mm champagne diamond...well...I knew the diamond had a ''slight'' feather inclusion, however, the seller said it was lower in the stone and "didn''t think it would be a problem" once it was set - well...he was wrong.

First off, my local jeweler did a crummy, really bad, job of setting the stone and I think it was because of the inclusion, maybe he was afraid to play with it too much or something...the diamond is too high in the setting, it''s off center and one prong is too short, so it''s topsy turvy. I wasn''t too pleased with his work (first time I''ve had him set a stone, he''s done other repairs for me and was great)...so I took it to another store for their re-set opinion and to get a quote, and they noticed the feather inclusion is a now hairline crack along the surface of the diamond. They said they could reset it and fix the prong problems, but there is no guarantee the diamond won''t crack all the way through if they do. It hasn''t cracked through the surface, it''s not noticeable to others, but I know it''s there. This hairline crack was not there before it was set...I looked at it a million times before it was set and I would have noticed it. So I am stuck with it now, the first jeweler won''t do anything and I can''t return it either. And insurance won''t cover it either.

I am wearing it, but disappointed...at least if it had been set properly, it wouldn''t look SO bad. For now, it will be a ''place holder'' until I can afford to buy a replacement diamond. This one didn''t cost a lot, but I LOVED the color, a really pretty subtle champagne, not too dark and loved the size, for the money I did spend...I can''t afford to get another one just yet, which is also a major bummer. We had a small budget to begin with, so it just stinks that I have to start over again.

I have a question too, for Lauren or TL...I know you both have this same LOGR split shank setting, and wondered how many mm''s your stones are? I''ve been poking around online and I haven''t found anything close to 5.9 mm, the semi mount holds up to a 6 mm, but I''d like my new diamond set lower into the opening and wondered how small I could go. Lauren, yours looks like it has an air line at the halo, around the diamond, mine is too big for that...so I''m wondering if I can go a bit smaller. It may help with the budget too.


At this point, I think I would like a warmer colored antique cut...even toward a champagne color (I LOVE warm colored diamonds)... I may be able to find something smaller that could work.


Thanks!

 

[Todd Gray]

Hi Ara,

I''m so sorry that you have experienced this tragedy! Obviously there is nothing that anybody here on the forum can do except for share in your disappointment

Feathers are by definition a minor fracture within the diamond and they can spread under the right conditions, although it is rare for them to do so. There are a lot of diamonds that I reject "off paper" based on the extent and location of the feathers indicated on the plotting diagram because I never want to have a client experience what you are experiencing right now. That said, there are a lot of feathers which are so minor that I don''t feel they present any sort of actual durability risk, each feather has to be considered on its own merit just like any other inclusion within a diamond. A forensic gemologist could provide you with some insight as to whether the feather spread due to a structural problem with the diamond itself or whether it was due to the amount of pressure placed upon the diamond while it was being set. This might be more of a headache than you''re looking to embrace at the moment, I only mention it as an option in case you need to know to get it out of your head if that makes sense. You might also explore the option of filing a claim with your insurance company if by chance you had the ring insured - I''m a big fan of letting insurance companies haggle it out and getting out of the way.

 

[kcoursolle]

Does your jeweler have any insurance to cover your stone and replace it?

 

[Ara Ann]

Thanks for the replies!

My insurance won''t cover it, I already tried that route...I hadn''t even had it appraised yet, so there is no way to prove when it cracked. I had it set a month after I bought it and noticed the crack the week after it was set.

And since the feather inclusion was already there, the jeweler will not take responsibility either...in fact, it may have happened after I got it home...I noticed it about a week after it was set, so there is no way to prove he caused it, but I know it wasn''t there prior to it being set. There''s no way to tell when it happened.


I guess I am most frustrated with the seller...I admit, I was not aware that a feather inclusion was a ''crack'' and the way he made it sound, it would not cause a problem (I bought this diamond BEFORE I found Pricescope!)...the inclusion is not even visible, the diamond is eyeclean, so I ''figured'' wrong, that it would be alright...the stone itself is REALLY pretty, has lots of fire and sparkles like crazy...it has no carbon or anything, so I am just really upset that it cracked. And I''m also disappointed because the seller knew I was using it for an e-ring, not a pendant or something that wouldn''t possibly get knocked around during wear... I know he wanted a sale, but told me after I contacted him about the new crack, that he "wouldn''t have sold it if he had thought it would have been a problem diamond," - well, obviously it was a problem...an exchange or some kind of discount would have been nice on his part...but of course it''s buyer beware...

Again, I am just disappointed over losing this particular stone. It didn''t matter that it wasn''t the most expensive diamond, but it was what I wanted...and I feel like I didn''t get what I THOUGHT I had paid for.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Wow, what a bummer Ara Ann!

I do have to agree with Todd though....it''s extremely rare for a feather to cause this kind of a problem. It''s possible for an Internally Flawless Diamond to break as well.
Remember, when a diamond is "cut", it''s actually polished. The amount of pressure and stress the stone undergoes during polishing is massive- so that it''s most likely that if part of the diamond is unstable, that''s where you''ll find out.

BUT- it did happen- which is really sad.....
And maybe it''s right to be angry with the seller.
I did not see the stone before, or after- I have no personal knowledge of what the diamond looked like them or now....but the majority of feathers never cause this type of problem.


You also mentioned that the setter did a horrible job- and that could also have contributed to this problem....

 

[diamondseeker2006]

You could get an inexpensive colored gemstone to put in your setting so you can enjoy it until you decide to replace it with another diamond.

 

[soycoffee]

Oh geez, that is just awful. I guess without insurance and without knowing how this happened, there''s so little you can do about it. But, take solace in the fact that most people won''t notice the crack or how it is set. Sure you should replace it when you can so that you LOVE it. But, for the time being, unless you can get the jeweler to re-set it and do a better job, just relax knowing that most people will just see the sparkle

 

[Ara Ann]

Thank you David, for your reply and explanation...something happened to this pretty diamond...not sure what or when, but it makes me sad. For the record, the second jeweler did seem to feel that the crack was related to the feather, so that's what I was going by.


Thanks for the gem stone suggestion Diamond Seeker! I had been wearing my birthstone ring for quite a while, as a substitute e-ring...I lost my e-ring over a year ago, but have no idea what really happened to it and my insurance policy wouldn't cover an 'unexplained disappearance' (I am sure it was stolen from my house when I had work done, but I can't prove it and the time has lapsed to file a police report)...anyway...my husband and I were going to be renewing our vows (next week!) and I really wanted a new diamond ring for our ceremony. But the vow renewal has been canceled as well, because I developed 'Bell's Palsy' on Christmas Day (it is facial paralysis, which is usually temporary, but can take months to heal)...I am at 3.5 months, but still can't smile or speak clearly, so I decided to postpone the vow renewal until our next anniversary, hopefully my face will be healed by then. So this cracked diamond is just the tip of the ice berg! LOL, it sounds like something from a bad soap opera, but I really am down about ALL of this right now. Maybe before our next anniversary I'll have a new diamond.

Thanks too, Soy Coffee...I am still searching for my 'keeper' diamond!! My poor hubby...ugh!


And one more question... If my semi mount calls for a 6 mm stone, how much smaller can I safely go? It is a pronged/halo style, it's this setting that Lauren has too: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/laurenthepartiers-67-ct-oec-set-in-logr-split-shank.96692/

If I could get something a tiny bit smaller than 6 mm, my choices increase vastly!


Thanks again for the support!

 

[denverappraiser]

Can you give more information about the ‘horrible job’ done by the setter? What was bad about it and what is your source of information in deciding that it was a deficient job?

Did you buy this with a credit card? Some cards offer an extended warranty type program that may cover you for a while after purchase. Some do nothing, some do 30 or 60 days, I’ve even seen 180 days. It may be worth looking into.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Goodness! I am sorry to hear about the Bell's palsy and having to postpone your vow renewal! I hope brighter days are ahead!

(Not sure about how much smaller you can go. I have some stones at 5.85mm and they are .75 each. I just don't know if that would work or not. I'd probably try to get as close to 6mm as possible.)

 

[Ara Ann]

Hi Neil,,

Well, the stone is off center in the halo...one prong is shorter than the others, so the diamond is lopsided and it sits way too high in the setting...and the prongs look horrible, there are 'cut'/groove marks all the way around the prongs. Basically it looks like the ring got smashed in a door and was knocked off center and the prong got bent. I think that sums it up!


We paid cash for the set job and Pay Pal for the diamond itself....so no recourse there that I am aware of either.

Thanks for the advice and your reply!

Ooops, 'DS', you sneaked in there when I was replying, thanks for the well wishes! And part of the big let down, was that working on the ring project and looking for a nice semi mount kept my mind occupied during my BP recovery...which is why I have a big emotional investment it in I guess! I had it pictured in my mind, the vow renewal, the whole shebang and now the diamond is a dud, the renewal is postponed...just not a fun time!

 

[MMT]

Ara Ann I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am that you are going through all this

 

[Ara Ann]

Thanks for your sweet reply MMT!!

It''s strange, it helps to talk about it to other jewelry lovers, LOL...my husband is upset for me, but he gets upset when I''m upset...he''d love to go out and get a replacement diamond, but he can''t...so I don''t like to talk to him about it too much... I guess I have to keep in mind, that I will be back on the hunt for a new diamond, at some point and will be all the wiser for this experience.

 

[trion.]

Date: 4/6/2009 6:40:42 PM
Author: Ara Ann
Thanks for your sweet reply MMT!!

It''s strange, it helps to talk about it to other jewelry lovers, LOL...my husband is upset for me, but he gets upset when I''m upset...he''d love to go out and get a replacement diamond, but he can''t...so I don''t like to talk to him about it too much... I guess I have to keep in mind, that I will be back on the hunt for a new diamond, at some point and will be all the wiser for this experience.

Sorry yo hear of your loss Ara Ann. I didn''t know a feather was a crack either.

I''m kinda paranoid by damage of diamonds that I''m having my diamond sent to the appraiser first and paying for him to inspect it first before finializing payment for it. This way I can also have it insured the day I pick it up.

I''m not sure why your insurance company wouldn''t cover your first ring that was loss though? Was it one of the major Insurers we here about on PS? If the insurance covers loss, it shouldn''t matter if you can''t explain when it was lost. Can anyone else chime in on this?

 

[Ara Ann]

Thanks for your reply trion...I can explain about the insurance! In my situation anyway...

I didn''t have a separate rider on it (long story) the diamond wasn''t that costly and the rider would have ended up costing more than the ring had in the first place, over the years (we''ve been married a long time!)... It was covered under my home owner''s insurance, but it''s only replaced in case of theft or if it had been damaged in a fire or something like that...now, I am positive someone took it...but I waited too long to report it...I didn''t realize it was missing right away, I had been wearing another ring (I was changing over to white gold and my old e-ring is yellow gold)...when I realized it was gone, I kept putting off calling the insurance company, hoping/thinking I had misplaced it and that it would turn up somewhere...but it never showed up...after I thought about it and when it must have disappeared, I had my suspicions as to who took it (one possibility was a ''friend of a friend'' of our teenage son who was here while we were out...the other, we had some work done on our house and one of the workers could have taken it).. By the time I faced the fact that someone took it (still don''t like to think someone STOLE from me)and called my insurance company to ask about reporting it, they said it was too late.

So now we have to start over...again...and again, with a new diamond!

 

[:)]

I am so sorry Ara Ann!

 

[Ara Ann]

Thank you!!

It will get better....that''s what I keep telling myself!