Did Tiffany sell me a lemon?

[Johnson]

I purchased a 1.19k Brilliant VVS2 G diamond solitaire engagement ring from Tiffany several years ago. A few weeks ago, my wife discovered a chip in the diamond that was not previously there. I brought the ring into Tiffany, and they sent it to their facility for assessment. Their determination was that there is a chip between the prongs starting at the girdle and going down the pavilion, and it was likely caused by impact on the girdle. This implies a scenario that seems unlikely given that my wife doesn’t even sleep with the ring on, much less work out or other activities that might expose the stone to a force that somehow chipped the stone without leaving any traces on the prongs or anywhere else.

I don’t know anything about gems, however, so I’d like to know what more informed people think of this scenario. Approximately how much force would be required? Is it possible that there was an undetected flaw in the stone that manifested in this chip?

Tiffany has offered to re-cut the stone to remove the chip and subsequently make it symmetrical. I’m not happy with the carat loss inherent in that approach and would prefer to have the stone on the grounds that they sold me a lemon. Their response is that there are no such things as lemons when it comes to diamonds, and that this sort of chip necessarily happened subsequent to purchase. I’m not an unreasonable person; I’m just looking to validate what they are telling me and if I should simply accept their version of events.

I appreciate any expertise in the matter.

 

[Independent Gal]

Hi there! It is entirely possible to chip a diamond if you hit it in just the right way and it wouldn't necessarily require all THAT much force if it were hit at just the right angle. That is particularly true if the girdle was thin or if there was a feather near the girdle (which I'm guessing wasn't the case if it's a VVS? someone more knowledgable can chime in here!).

Is the ring insured?

 

[oldminer]

Unfortunately, Tiffany & Co sell diamonds cut properly and with high enough clarity that it would be very, very unusual for such a diamond to just break on its own. They make every effort to provide a correct product at the time of delivery, so in teory, your insurance policy covers you thereafter. You probably could get a full replacement from your insuror and they''d take the original for salvage instead of you getting it back recut. The loss may not be large, but if you have insurance, I''d suggest you file a damage claim before making up your mind on how to proceed.

Diamonds can break. They are very durable, but the right hit at the right angle will damage one.

 

[chrono]

Diamonds are hard but not indestructible. Knocked just the right way (without much force) can chip the diamond badly. This is why insurance is always recommended. There have been many posts about this this past few months here on Pricescope. I doubt Tiffany sold you a lemon. I''m sorry that it was somehow damaged over the years.

 

[FireGoddess]

I hope you have insurance on the ring...

I severely bent a platinum prong and didn't even know I had done it. So yes, of course it's possible to chip a stone and not realize it...it doesn't take the kind of force you might think, actually.

So...I don't think they sold you a lemon. I think the wearer chipped the stone accidentally at some point while wearing it, which is what insurance would cover. Do you have insurance on the ring?

 

[Beacon]

It is very unlikely that the VVS2 stone had a flaw that ultimately resulted in a chip.

It is unfortunate how often chips do happen. Just seach this forum and you will find all the war stories. Like you, many people do no know how they chipped their stone. Just looked down one day and, boooo, it''s there.

I think Tiffany is making you a very nice offer to recut the stone. Most retailers would never think of that, especially as you have had this stone several years. If the chip bothers your wife, recut it. Otherwise, that''s just how it goes, unfortunately.

 

[decodelighted]

No such thing as a Tiffany VVS2 lemon ... sorry! The chip is 99.9% likely to have been caused by an accidental blow to the stone that your wife might not even remember. Diamonds are HARD but BRITTLE. And the place they''re most vulnerable is BETWEEN PRONGS, exactly where your stone is chipped.

FWIW ... I bang my stone daily, accidentally. On faucets, on sinks, putting clothes in & out of the dryer, on doorways & doorhandles, lamps, getting in & out of the car. You''d realize how much "action" (abuse) a high-set Tiffany style stone gets if you were wearing it all day, everyday!

(And mine is much lower set & protected on two sides) SLEEP is probably the LEAST dangerous time to wear a stone. (Except for wood headboards & prong wear from fabric over time)

It''s a common misconception that diamonds are indestructable -- or require a "great force" to break them. That''s why they should always be insured ...

 

[february2003bride]

My stone is chipped and I have no idea HOW it got chipped! Infact, most people who chip their diamonds have no idea how it happened.

 

[Dogmom]

Here is an excellent article by Neil Beaty as to why diamonds are not immune to chipping.

 

[Diamond*Dana]

I have to agree, I don''t think that T&Co is at fault here. There have been so many posts on this very same thing, you could probably do a search and bring up several unfortunate posts of chipped diamonds. Hopefully it is insured, good luck to you.

 

[jewelerman]

This is one good post and senerio why it is important to keep up on cleaning and checking your diamonds on a regular basis so you can know when a chip may have occured.I am so sorry that a gem of this quality was damaged.I agree that the best thing to do is contact your insurance agent,but they might put up a fight when they find out what size and quality they have to replace.It will be a costly replacement on todays market.It was good customer service of Tiffanys to offer a repair at no charge.Good luck and let us know what you decide.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

We''ve had several people come here after discovering chipped diamonds and I don''t think any of them were aware of chipping the stones. As others have said, your best bet is to file a claim with your insurance and have Tiffany replace the whole diamond.

 

[KtIceRN]

I''m really sorry to hear about your chipped stone. I know from experience that it is very upsetting to see that your stone is chipped. I have to agree that Tiffany''s didn''t sell you a lemon. It is entirely possible that at some point it got hit in such a way that the chip occurred and you didn''t notice.

Hopefully you have insurance and can have the ring replaced. But if not it may be worth taking Tiffany''s up on the re-cutting. Even though you lose some weight, you will still have a stone. Then at some point you can decide if it is financially possible to get a new stone down the line if you want to.

Good luck.