Hello. Thank you for your feedback. Well, I liked the look of Asschers so I was in the process of purchasing one at Union Diamond that was .78, E, VS1. To me it looked like a very good cut for a very good price. And I talked to Tony Rixom who was very nice to me at the time. They didn''t have any antique settings so I looked around at other sites. I ended up buying a setting from Oxford Diamond Company. I couldn''t afford a Tacori setting and so I bought an off make of one that looked like it.
Here was Oxford Diamond''s description "This PLATINUM Antique Hand Engraved Custom Ring is perfect for your Solitaire Round or Princess Cut Diamond ranging from .75CT to 1.25CT.....It truly has the look of a Antique Estate Ring." I had liked the look, but of couse it wasn''t Tacori. That didn''t bother me since they said it was hand engraved nonetheless, and they had a refund policy. My big question, and one that bothers me now, was if an Asscher cut diamond was appropriate for this setting since the owner, Steve, at Oxford Diamond said it could take "Solitaire Round or Princess Cut Diamond ranging from .75CT to 1.25CT." So I e-mailed Steve with my measurements for my Asscher which was 5.23X5.15X3.28 mm. and he said that it would be fine because this setting was made for circular stones as well as rectangular and emerald type stones.
Then I talked to Tony Rixom from Union Diamond who I considered my trusty jeweler and I sent them the forwarded e-mail from Oxford Diamond Company which they (Oxford Diamond Company) said that any good jeweler would have no problem making it look like it was custom fitted.
Wanting more than Oxford Diamond''s advice, I told Tony that I needed his expertise in the jewelry business because I had none and I valued his opinion. He agreed to look at it and tell me his thoughts of what could be done. I also told him that when I placed the diamond into the mounting, the circular basket had stuck out and I didn''t know if that could have been fixed. I told him that the diamond and setting looked "mismatched" as if the diamond was too small for the setting or the setting was too big for the diamond. I didn''t know if he could rework the platinum head mounting area, but I trusted that he would get back to me with his thoughts. That didn''t happen.
So for awhile I kept everyone that I worked with posted and I thought, "great, I''ll order that setting and the diamond." I got the setting first and then I got the diamond. When I got the diamond, I took it down to Professional Gem Sciences downtown Chicago to get it verified and everything came out like the G.I.A. certificate stated.
Long before purchasing the diamond, I did the DIY cut grading on David Atlas'' website and the online emerald diamond calculator gave it a 1A to 1B grading. I also e-mailed Robert Hensley from findmyjeweler.com to verify that the price was good which it was very good. I''ve read books on how to evaluate and purchase diamonds and so I knew with emerald type stones that color and clarity would be important. Of course, I also knew that cut was above everything else. I thought I had contacted all the important people and informed myself through all the websites and through books. I guess I didn''t do enough.
And do you do know what happened to me next. Tony at Union Diamond had mounted the stone onto the ring which voided the return policy on the ring mounting from Oxford Diamond Company. Oxford''s policy was that if the ring was altered in any way then they would not accept the return which is understandable. But before Union Diamond mounted my stone, I told Tony that I didn''t have a problem returning the mounting if things didn''t look right, but they mounted it regardless which voided out the return.
So Union Diamond sent the finished product back to me the next day, and I saw this big ugly circular intrusion surrounding a square stone. I called Tony about it and he pretty much told me that it was the ring company''s fault for selling that mounting to me to begin with since there were so many problems with it besides that one. (I don''t know why he didn''t tell me this before when I told them that I could have returned the ring for a refund, traded in the ring, or bought elsewhere since I didn''t like the circular intrusion and asked if anything could be done.) I thought something could be done by informing Tony of the circular intrusion, but if not then I would return the ring to the manufacturer to get a full refund. Too late, UD mounted it.
And when I told Tony about the circular intrusion still being visible. Tony proceeded to tell me that the mounting was not hand engraved but cast. Furthermore, he said that the ring wasn''t manufactured that well, and that the ring mounting sold me out because that setting was meant for circular diamonds. Then he told me that he could cut the ring apart and solder and file away to make the basket square or rectangular, but in another earlier e-mail he told me that this jeweler couldn''t make a square platinum basket from a round one. That''s where I was confused and frustrated and some of my trust was lost. Then I was told that if I wanted it to be mounted in one of their platinum settings then I would have to pay whatever that would cost.
So to make a long story shorter, Union Diamond gave me back my money for the diamond and they gave me back my altered ring. They told me that I should be expecting that FedEx sometime today. I had to eat the wire cost, ring cost, verification cost, and the cost to send them back the diamond via insured mail. Not counting the ring mounting, I spent about $150 to $200 on this process, and I can''t return the ring mounting because it has been altered. And I have this "Carte Blu" for the diamond that I don''t have anymore.
I was hoping that they would set the diamond in one of their settings for free because of what had happenend to me, but they wanted to charge me. When I told them I didn''t think I should pay again, they told me that I was being "silly and rediculous." I was balling to both Tony and Scott on two different occasions because I was so frustrated with what had happened.
I have to say that Tony Rixom did talk to his partner, Scott Anderson about this problem. After a few days of thinking about my situation, yesterday Scott finally offered me a ring mounting from their company to be set in one of their mountings for free which they also said they would of course keep my old ring mounting that I purchased from Oxford Diamond. I thought that was great and I thought I told them so, but they changed their minds yesterday evening. Last night and today, via e-mail, Scott Anderson at Union Diamond said that the money that I had spent for my diamond would be returned to me with my altered ring. What can I do? I think I just have to look at it as not being profitable to them for them to set my ring correctly in one of their settings for free. My frustration means nothing and I have to accept it.
Now I will have a ring mounting not meant for an Asscher. I guess nobody thought to tell me this until I saw how ugly the ring looked. Maybe everybody thought that I wouldn''t notice such an obvious intrustion. So my words of advice is not to buy a ring with a circular basket no matter who tells you that it''s meant for a rectangular or square stone. Maybe trusting your jeweler is one that is meant to develop over time and that sending products off to others relies on your expectations of what will be fully disclosed to you. There may be things that won''t be told to you until after the fact despite you wanting and asking for second opinions.
And as much as studying diamonds took me, I wish I studied the mountings more because nobody told me this wouldn''t work until after the fact, even when I told the jewelry experts that it didn''t look right to begin with. But again, I wanted a second opinion(s) and it cost me. Maybe I learned not to be so trustworthy from this transaction. Both diamond and ring parties have blamed each other for this mishap, but I think I feel the greatest loss of all. Maybe I shouldn''t ask so many questions because I might not be told the full story or things may not be disclosed to me even though I am the customer who is asking to be informed.
I guess second opinions even from the jewelry experts can be costly. So I''ve gotten over being frustrated. I guess I just thought I would inform newbies or people who think they''ve done everything possible that events such as this scernario like mine can happen. I would hope not for your sanity. And I guess I shouldn''t try to put together another ring again because things like this could happen even when you only deal with two vendors. What are your thoughts?
Here was Oxford Diamond''s description "This PLATINUM Antique Hand Engraved Custom Ring is perfect for your Solitaire Round or Princess Cut Diamond ranging from .75CT to 1.25CT.....It truly has the look of a Antique Estate Ring." I had liked the look, but of couse it wasn''t Tacori. That didn''t bother me since they said it was hand engraved nonetheless, and they had a refund policy. My big question, and one that bothers me now, was if an Asscher cut diamond was appropriate for this setting since the owner, Steve, at Oxford Diamond said it could take "Solitaire Round or Princess Cut Diamond ranging from .75CT to 1.25CT." So I e-mailed Steve with my measurements for my Asscher which was 5.23X5.15X3.28 mm. and he said that it would be fine because this setting was made for circular stones as well as rectangular and emerald type stones.
Then I talked to Tony Rixom from Union Diamond who I considered my trusty jeweler and I sent them the forwarded e-mail from Oxford Diamond Company which they (Oxford Diamond Company) said that any good jeweler would have no problem making it look like it was custom fitted.
Wanting more than Oxford Diamond''s advice, I told Tony that I needed his expertise in the jewelry business because I had none and I valued his opinion. He agreed to look at it and tell me his thoughts of what could be done. I also told him that when I placed the diamond into the mounting, the circular basket had stuck out and I didn''t know if that could have been fixed. I told him that the diamond and setting looked "mismatched" as if the diamond was too small for the setting or the setting was too big for the diamond. I didn''t know if he could rework the platinum head mounting area, but I trusted that he would get back to me with his thoughts. That didn''t happen.
So for awhile I kept everyone that I worked with posted and I thought, "great, I''ll order that setting and the diamond." I got the setting first and then I got the diamond. When I got the diamond, I took it down to Professional Gem Sciences downtown Chicago to get it verified and everything came out like the G.I.A. certificate stated.
Long before purchasing the diamond, I did the DIY cut grading on David Atlas'' website and the online emerald diamond calculator gave it a 1A to 1B grading. I also e-mailed Robert Hensley from findmyjeweler.com to verify that the price was good which it was very good. I''ve read books on how to evaluate and purchase diamonds and so I knew with emerald type stones that color and clarity would be important. Of course, I also knew that cut was above everything else. I thought I had contacted all the important people and informed myself through all the websites and through books. I guess I didn''t do enough.
And do you do know what happened to me next. Tony at Union Diamond had mounted the stone onto the ring which voided the return policy on the ring mounting from Oxford Diamond Company. Oxford''s policy was that if the ring was altered in any way then they would not accept the return which is understandable. But before Union Diamond mounted my stone, I told Tony that I didn''t have a problem returning the mounting if things didn''t look right, but they mounted it regardless which voided out the return.
So Union Diamond sent the finished product back to me the next day, and I saw this big ugly circular intrusion surrounding a square stone. I called Tony about it and he pretty much told me that it was the ring company''s fault for selling that mounting to me to begin with since there were so many problems with it besides that one. (I don''t know why he didn''t tell me this before when I told them that I could have returned the ring for a refund, traded in the ring, or bought elsewhere since I didn''t like the circular intrusion and asked if anything could be done.) I thought something could be done by informing Tony of the circular intrusion, but if not then I would return the ring to the manufacturer to get a full refund. Too late, UD mounted it.
And when I told Tony about the circular intrusion still being visible. Tony proceeded to tell me that the mounting was not hand engraved but cast. Furthermore, he said that the ring wasn''t manufactured that well, and that the ring mounting sold me out because that setting was meant for circular diamonds. Then he told me that he could cut the ring apart and solder and file away to make the basket square or rectangular, but in another earlier e-mail he told me that this jeweler couldn''t make a square platinum basket from a round one. That''s where I was confused and frustrated and some of my trust was lost. Then I was told that if I wanted it to be mounted in one of their platinum settings then I would have to pay whatever that would cost.
So to make a long story shorter, Union Diamond gave me back my money for the diamond and they gave me back my altered ring. They told me that I should be expecting that FedEx sometime today. I had to eat the wire cost, ring cost, verification cost, and the cost to send them back the diamond via insured mail. Not counting the ring mounting, I spent about $150 to $200 on this process, and I can''t return the ring mounting because it has been altered. And I have this "Carte Blu" for the diamond that I don''t have anymore.
I was hoping that they would set the diamond in one of their settings for free because of what had happenend to me, but they wanted to charge me. When I told them I didn''t think I should pay again, they told me that I was being "silly and rediculous." I was balling to both Tony and Scott on two different occasions because I was so frustrated with what had happened.
I have to say that Tony Rixom did talk to his partner, Scott Anderson about this problem. After a few days of thinking about my situation, yesterday Scott finally offered me a ring mounting from their company to be set in one of their mountings for free which they also said they would of course keep my old ring mounting that I purchased from Oxford Diamond. I thought that was great and I thought I told them so, but they changed their minds yesterday evening. Last night and today, via e-mail, Scott Anderson at Union Diamond said that the money that I had spent for my diamond would be returned to me with my altered ring. What can I do? I think I just have to look at it as not being profitable to them for them to set my ring correctly in one of their settings for free. My frustration means nothing and I have to accept it.
Now I will have a ring mounting not meant for an Asscher. I guess nobody thought to tell me this until I saw how ugly the ring looked. Maybe everybody thought that I wouldn''t notice such an obvious intrustion. So my words of advice is not to buy a ring with a circular basket no matter who tells you that it''s meant for a rectangular or square stone. Maybe trusting your jeweler is one that is meant to develop over time and that sending products off to others relies on your expectations of what will be fully disclosed to you. There may be things that won''t be told to you until after the fact despite you wanting and asking for second opinions.
And as much as studying diamonds took me, I wish I studied the mountings more because nobody told me this wouldn''t work until after the fact, even when I told the jewelry experts that it didn''t look right to begin with. But again, I wanted a second opinion(s) and it cost me. Maybe I learned not to be so trustworthy from this transaction. Both diamond and ring parties have blamed each other for this mishap, but I think I feel the greatest loss of all. Maybe I shouldn''t ask so many questions because I might not be told the full story or things may not be disclosed to me even though I am the customer who is asking to be informed.
I guess second opinions even from the jewelry experts can be costly. So I''ve gotten over being frustrated. I guess I just thought I would inform newbies or people who think they''ve done everything possible that events such as this scernario like mine can happen. I would hope not for your sanity. And I guess I shouldn''t try to put together another ring again because things like this could happen even when you only deal with two vendors. What are your thoughts?
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