Had ring made, it''''s not exactly what I wanted. Now what?

[lavista]

I am a consumer.

A few months ago, I asked a jeweler to make a ring for me, consisting of diamonds and a very good quality colored stone set in platinum. I had very specific ideas about what I wanted the ring to look like. I had discussed the look of the ring several times in the preceding months (I was trying to decide exactly what I wanted, and he was helping me figure out the exact style).

Finally I made up my mind, and the jeweler told me that he would make a mold for me, and that I could try on the mold before he made the actual ring. I liked this idea, because if the ring wasn''''t exactly what I had in mind, I could have him change it and tweak it a little bit.

Well, much to my surprise, instead of doing this, he just went ahead and made the ring based on a crude drawing he had shown me. The ring is beautiful, but not exactly what I would have wanted. If I''''d had the opportunity, I would have change a couple of crucial things.

Now what do I do? I was so stunned and dumbfounded when I went to pick up the ring that I just paid for it, thanked him, and took it home to get used to it. But now it has been many months and I am still not happy. I thought that maybe it would "grow on me." Some things about the ring are lovely, and some things just aren''''t what I had in mind. It is causing me considerable angst, because every day I look at this ring on my finger and think "if it just had this or that, it would be perfect..."

I have been thinking about taking the ring to someone else to have it re-done. I feel very awkward about telling this jeweler that his work wasn''''t right and I''''m not sure that I totally trust him for any future work, even a re-do. I don''''t want to post a photo of the ring because I don''''t know if the jeweler reads online forums like this and I don''''t want to offend him...I run into him sometimes in town.

At the time I picked up the ring, I did wrench up the courage to say, "I thought you were going to make a mold first," and he replied something vague about not being able to do it that way. I found this weird, because he had told me, several times, that the next step would be the mold and the "fitting" before it was actually cast and set.

Do you have any advice for me? I feel like such a chump, paying thousands of dollars for something that wasn''''t done the way I envisioned. I don''''t buy jewelry like this very often, and have never had something designed before, so this was a big deal for me. I am extremely disappointed and upset about the way things turned out.

What can I do?

 

[Po10472]

Did you have a verbal agreement with the jeweller did you have something in writing?

 

[widget]

Date: 5/5/2007 9:41:19 AM
Author:lavista

I am extremely disappointed and upset about the way things turned out.

What can I do?

I''m just posting here to say how sorry I am you''re going through this...I do feel for you!

I hope others have some constructive ideas. As Po suggests, it would help if you had something in writing. I wonder if having had it for many months complicates things though.

I think you really should go back to this jeweler and tell him of your dissatisfaction. He promised you you''d see the mold first and failed. Maybe the least he could do is take the mounting back and give you some sort of refund for it.

I don''t blame you a bit for not trusting him to do another one...

I''m so sorry...I wish I could be more help.

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[MWG]

Please post some pictures of this ring.

 

[woobug02]

Oh you poor thing!! I had the same thing happen on my engagement ring. I can honestly tell you if you don''t like it ....you wont like it.... Can you get your money back

 

[lavista]

There was nothing in writing, it was just a casual verbal agreement, unfortunately.

Attached is a similar type of ring to the one I had made, except that my ring does not have two tiers like this one and has a different stone.

Notice the three larger side diamonds -- two on the sides of the ring and one centered beneath the main top setting. My ring has one diamond like that beneath the main top setting (but not the other two on the sides).

The problem is, the way he set it, you can see them when you look at the ring from top down. In other words, when you look at the ring from the top, you don't see a square, you see a blip where the diamond is set beneath, a square, then another blip (see the illustration in the next post...I couldn't seem to attach two files to this one).

I think that the proper way to make a ring like this would be to set those diamonds further inward, so that you can't see them from the top; only from the side. Am I right? This is what I would have changed if I'd had a mold first. Not to mention, I wanted more tiny diamonds set on the part of the ring that goes around your finger (he did some, but not enough IMO). The ring in the picture has a lot more diamonds "around the finger" than mine does. He did scroll work there (which is OK, but not exactly what I would have wanted).

 

[lavista]

To further help explain, this is what my ring looks like when you look at it from the top.

 

[surfgirl]

lavista, if it bothers you this much after several months, I''d go back and talk to the jeweler directly. Bring your man if you need moral support. IF you think he''ll be able to fix it and IF you trust him.

I had a similar situation several years ago with re-setting my grandmothers diamond. I bought two sapphires and had the ring set as a classic three-stone ring: diamond center, sapphire sides. How hard could that be, right? Well, my mistake. I told the bench jeweler at this particular shop that I wanted the EXACT copy of a ring they had in the window. He asked me if I wanted the prongs casted or added on and I said I wanted it "exactly as it was in the window". So he casted them and I noticed immediately that the prongs were a bit wonky precisely because he had casted them so he had to bend them to get them to set the stones. I later learned that most jewelers ADD the prongs afterwards so they can place them more exactly to the specs of the stones. Anyway, in the end I decided I didn''t want the first guy to fix it because I felt like he should have explained all this to me in the first place. So I took the ring to a small jeweler and explained my dilemma to him. He gave me three options:

1. Totally re do the setting
2. Try to cut off the wonky prongs and add new ones to straighten it all out.
3. Try to just straighten the existing prongs.

I chose the middle option since it didn''t cost as much as a new setting.

If you dont trust the guy, I''d get a few quotes from other jewelers and really TALK to them. Let them draw out - or you can draw out - what you really wanted and see what they say. Ask if there are options in fixing the existing setting so you dont have to start from scratch again. Good luck!

 

[pyramid]

Sorry to hear you do not like your ring.

Here is a post about that type of setting, another poster here did not like on her ring. I believe though that it is set correctly and is a setting style.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/surprise-diamonds-or-frankenstein-bolts.17678/

Here she sees the same as she termed them 'frankenstein' bolts on a Tiffany ring

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/tiffany-co-engagment-rings.20775/


Here is the thread where they remedied them

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-improved-surprise-stones.18308/


Here she decided to do away with them and change the head of the ring
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/bye-bye-surprise-stones.26645/

 

[lavista]

Thank you for posting those threads for me. I see that I''m not the only one who doesn''t like "bolts" sticking out of the side of her ring! Mine don''t stick out as much as that other womans, but I don''t like them, nonetheless. I love the idea of putting "surprise" diamonds there....but they should not be seen from the top of the ring, IMO, as it detracts from the pleasing cushion cut shape which I love. It''s good to see that these things can be changed. I have no knowledge of what is involved in making or changing a piece of jewelry.

Well, I suppose I have to decide whether I want to go back to the jeweler who made the ring, or take it to somebody else to fix it. The problem is, I don''t know any other jewelers who do that sort of "antique" style work. The jeweler who made the ring is very skilled in doing milgraining and engraving in that style. I feel very torn. On one hand, I believe that "the customer is always right", and on the other hand, I feel very uncomfortable about asking him to change his work...he seemed so proud of the piece when he presented it to me.

I don''t know...maybe I should pay him a visit and explain the situation to him. After all, I have lived with the ring for many months now and no matter how hard I try, I can''t love it because of this problem.

If he had made the mold for me as promised, I would have seen the problem immediatly and would have told him to change it!

I wanted this ring to be something I would look at and just constantly sigh over. Instead, I look at it and constantly think about how I want it to look different...."close, but no cigar..."

 

[pyramid]

lavista

I think you should go back to the jeweller. You said that he is skilled at doing this type of work and so many times people come on the forum about a problem but don''t want to go back to the jeweller because they think he will make their ring worse or he does not know how to do good repairs. You are lucky then if this jeweller is skilled. I am sure he will not be against changing it, if he is a good jeweller he will want to make it good for you and he probably sees things like this everyday, with people choosing rings saying ''oh I don''t like this bit or that bit, do you have anything similar?'' You just need to get up the nerve and go. Well that is what I have to do in situations I would rather not be in.

 

[lavista]

I''m not very comfortable with confrontations, even friendly ones. He is a very nice person and we have had very cordial dealings with each other, so maybe I''m just blowing this out of proportion because I feel so uncomfortable. After all, this was an expensive purchase, business is business, and this is very important to me.

I just have to get my nerve up. I suppose if he gets offended, I will just find somebody else.

On another note....he previously did a bit of work on my diamond solitaire engagement ring. It''s a one-carat diamond set in yellow gold. One of the prongs had broken. He didn''t just re-tip the prong, he reinforced all the prongs and set the diamond slightly higher to show off the stone better. It looks a lot nicer now...a subtle change, but very good. That''s one important thing he did do right for me.

 

[Linda W]

lavista,

I am so sorry to hear this. I hope your ring can be fixed. I imagine it is so frustrating to not have the ring you so want.

Linda

 

[pyramid]

Well he sounds like a good jeweller to know, not only probably selling jewellery but good at the benchwork too.

Maybe if you speak to him outside you could mention it in passing that something was bothering you about the design could you bring it in to discuss it or even give him a phone. That way when you come in he already knows what it is about so it would not seem so hard to start asking for changes. Either that or just go for it. As you said it is your ring and it is important to you. As he is skilled it is probably just a little thing to him and he probably would think nothing of it. You could praise up some other part of the ring you like to make him feel better if you think he is looking tense about you interfering with his design.

 

[kcoursolle]

I would get up the courage to go talk to him. I would say, this is how I feel, I tried to live with it and get used to it, but it''s still bothering me. Then I would say that originally you specified that I would have a chance to look at the design before got cast, and I never got this chance. Is there anything that we can do to make this right?

I would be firm, but also very nice when talking to him. Explain that you value his work and that he made a beautiful ring, but that it wasn''t as specified and you would like it changed.

 

[FireGoddess]

This happened to me as well with a local jeweler. I was expecting to see a wax (as agreed previously) and instead got a call telling me my ring was ready to pick up. Like you, stunned when I saw it, not quite right, sorta overwhelmed by the whole thing, paid and left.

Sat on it for a day or two, even had a thread about it on PS. I decided the ring was too much unlike what I wanted to be happy with it. I went back to the jeweler and just told them the truth - this ring is pretty and very nice but not what I wanted. I've tried to love it and it's just not right, and I haven't worn it which really tells me it's not right for me, because I have been waiting for this ring for awhile!! I would like it to be redone the way I intended, but this time with a wax intermediate so we can go over potential changes before it gets to a final product that is too unlike what I envisioned to be happy with it.

My jeweler said 'of course, if you're not happy, we will redo this.' It's what any good jeweler would do. Be honest and go back there. At least give them an opportunity to do the right thing.

Good luck!

 

[immi]

You could approach it as a type of "you know, I''m now wishing this was like this...." and tell him about what you wish was different, but also tell him you really can''t spend any more money...so were wondering if there was any way he would be able to fix this without charge? I know - some people just are not good with confrontation - there is nothing wrong with that, don''t feel bad!! Also, however, he is completely at fault and responsible for not sticking to the plan you had, so even if it does turn into a confrontation, you are in the right here!

So, my idea is sort of a way to get around being confrontational, not holding him responsible (even though he is) and perhaps you can get that perfect ring.

If you went somewhere else you would have to pay...decide how much it might cost you and see if you can perhaps get him to do that fix (by making it sound like this is something you have recently decided) for free or less than you would have to pay someone else to do it.

I''d say if there''s no way you are able to march in and now demand it be done the way you originally planned, perhaps quietly requesting a very specific change is the way to go.

 

[Circe]

Hmm ... most of the jewelers whom I know are fairly receptive to queries from their customers (especially reliable, repeat customers!): they know that making people happy is a top priority. Making something to a customer''s specifications is, after all, a bit different from having complete creative autonomy, as they''re well aware. So, maybe, don''t worry about hurting his feelings - odds are that he''d feel terrible if he knew that he''d failed to meet your expectations! And, frankly, lowering the depth of the surprise diamonds and adding additional melee isn''t the toughest thing in the world. It won''t, for example, necessitate remaking the entire ring ... just a bit of finicky benchwork (this is guesstimation from your description - it could, for all I know, be more complex than it sounds, but still worth discussing it with him). I''d suggest that before you take it to another jeweler, you discuss it with him, just to see if he''ll do the right thing and voluteer to fix it, either for free, or for a nominal fee covering bench-time ... good luck!

 

[KimberlyH]

I concur with everyone who suggested you return to the jeweler and share your disappointment with him. He can''t fix what he doesn''t know is wrong. I know it''s hard to be confrontational, but you aren''t confronting him so much as explaining your vision of the process and how it differs from what actually occured and the negative effects of the experience.

I hope you get this settled soon, so sorry you''re disappointed!

 

[lavista]

Well, I got up the nerve to see my jeweler....but guess what....he is not in the shop this week! He is away until Monday! So I am going to have to wait another week. However, I want to thank everyone for encouraging me to be brave and tell him what I really do want. I have been giving it a lot of thought, so when I do see him, I can tell him specifically what changes I want made to the ring. And this time I will insist on seeing a mold before it is cast and set.

After I finally speak to him, I''ll let you know how it turned out.

 

[kcoursolle]

Date: 5/8/2007 2:03:35 AM
Author: lavista
Well, I got up the nerve to see my jeweler....but guess what....he is not in the shop this week! He is away until Monday! So I am going to have to wait another week. However, I want to thank everyone for encouraging me to be brave and tell him what I really do want. I have been giving it a lot of thought, so when I do see him, I can tell him specifically what changes I want made to the ring. And this time I will insist on seeing a mold before it is cast and set.

After I finally speak to him, I''ll let you know how it turned out.

Good luck, you can do it!!! Be nice and friendly, but firm! Being mean doesn''t do any good, but neither does being easily pushed around.

Let us know how it turns out. I''ll cross my fingers he is response to making it right.