Downsizing a ring by 5 sizes?

[BearFluff]

I tried on a vintage gold ring which was very pretty but about 5 sizes too big. The jeweler (a self-owned store which sells vintage and custom jewelry which she makes herself) said there would be no problem in sizing it down by 5 sizes to fit me, and she would do this for free as part of the purchase deal. So I paid for it and left it with her to be resized.

It's now nearly a week since I was supposed to pick it up, and she keeps giving reasons why the resizing hasn't been done yet. She told me it would be ready that afternoon, and then said it wasn't done because some equipment broke down, so it would take another five days until the ring was ready. She hasn't called me about it though - she didn't call to tell me her equipment broke down and the job would be delayed, not even when she knew I was driving there to collect it that afternoon and it wasn't ready. I have a feeling that it won't be ready five days from now either!

I asked another jeweler for his opinion, and he said it was virtually impossible to downsize a ring by 5 sizes without ruining it, or at the very least causing it to weaken and crack. Maybe she just wanted to sell the ring and didn't care about whether it was too hard to take it down to my size. Now I'm worried that I'll end up with a ring which is going to break, or maybe she's broken it already and is trying to get it fixed, which is why she keeps making excuses for why I can't pick it up.

Does anyone have any input or advice? If she has broken it, can I ask for a full refund of the purchase price? Do I have to accept it if it's been broken and repaired? If I ever manage to pick it up and it seems ok, should I take it to be appraised and would they be able to tell me if it was cracked or damaged by the resizing, or if it's been broken and repaired?

 

[marymm]

What is the store policy re: returns and sizing? Is there anything printed on your receipt about returns/sizing?

What kind of ring is it? I am guessing it is not a plain metal shank, which often can be safely resized several sizes larger/smaller, though I'm not sure about 5 sizes - I'd think even with a plain metal shank downsizing 5 sizes would make it go out-of-round.

Sorry you are going through this - I would be worried too. If you paid via credit card, you may have protection though.

 

[BearFluff]

I wasn't advised of any specific returns policy for the store. Generally if something has been resized or customized then it's non-returnable - but if the store has sold it to me on the basis that they can resize it to fit me, and then they've ruined it in the process of resizing it, before I even get my hands on it, then a refund seems fair.

It's a cocktail ring with a plain metal shank, the top part of the ring is flat with carved designs and stones set into it. The jeweler said the basket which supports the flat part on top is ok for my finger size, so she'd just make the shank smaller to make the ring fit. She's the expert so I assumed if she said she could do it, then it would be ok.

Fortunately I did pay by credit card, so hopefully I have some protection.