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help! Jeweler damaged my new Saturn setting!

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msmeimei

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 5, 2007
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Hi,


I''m a new user and this is my first post here. My boyfriend just purchased a gorgeous, vintage-style paltinum setting by Saturn at Barmakian in Natick, MA. My fiance and I are still shopping for a stone. We bought the setting last week. Yesterday, the saleperson was supposed to have had it sized for me, and we were also going to look at diamonds. Instead, she waited to have it sized, I think to push us into buying one of their stones first. She waited until the last minute when the jeweler was about to leave. (This annoyed me but I didn''t feel comfortable saying so at the time.)


When I tried on the ring in the store, which was literally closing at the time, it was more snug than the 4.5 I was fit for, but I figured maybe it was just me.


When I got the ring home last night and got a good look at it, I realized 2 additional issues: 1.) You can see where it was sized--it''s not a smooth, symmetric line, and 2) the whole setting is now "off"--the sides are no longer symmetric and it looks the the ring was bent out of shape during sizing! I am so sad, as this is a beautiful, and not cheap, setting. I don''t even want to tell my fiance as I don''t want him to be upset.


Barmakian said they will fix it, though I wonder if they can. What''s worse is that they are not close at all to my home, and another afternoon will be spent dealing with this ring issue.


My questions for the people on this board are: Is platinum very malleable, like 24K gold? Will this ring bend or dent easily? (I thought platinum was strong). Has this happened to anyone else? (I did see an old post about a Barkamian setting nightmare but to me it looked like the poster was sent the wrong ring altogether.) I wonder if I wil have any recourse if they have irrevocably damaged the ring. Adding to the confusion is the fact that we are likely to buy a stone tomorrow(not from them, now that I''m fuming). I wonder if they will fix the damage AND set a stone from an outside jeweler to save me from running between 2 stores.


Any advice here would be great.


Thanks in advance!
 
I am going setting shopping tomorrow and had Barmakian on my list . . . thank you for posting your experience . . . I will likely be careful about buying from them.

As far as your ring, ABSOLUTELY make certain they fix it . . . platinum is NOT easily bent like 24K gold and they should''ve done a more professional job. I would suggest you get them to fix their mistakes and then take the fixed setting to the place you buy the diamond and let them set it, instead of bringing the diamond to Barmakian.

Do you know where you are buying the diamond? Have you considered buying online or are you set on buying locally?

If you don''t buy online, the BEST local store for diamonds in my experience has been Joseph Gann in the Boston Jewelers Bulding at 387 Washington St. They had a beautiful collection and fair prices for a B&M. The close second for service was Hefez and Sons, though they were a little more salesy than Joseph Gann.

I decided in the end to take the online plunge myself and have been very happy with my choice. Good Luck with getting your ring fixed
 
Well, if you had come here first, I would have advised you to find the stone first. Then you''d have a jeweler order the Saturn setting in your size and with a head made for the exact measurements of the stone. Then either Saturn or the jeweler would set the stone.

To answer one question, yes, 95% platinum is somewhat soft and can be scratched or dinged. But I see no excuse for the ring not to be right at the start. I''d probably return it and insist that they order one in your size from Saturn rather than trying to size down a ring that is not your size. Some jewelers prefer not to set a stone not purchased from them for insurance reasons. So I''d probably have the person who sells you the stone set it, especially since there may be some conflict with this jeweler over the setting. If I were you, I''d hold off on the diamond until you decide what you''re doing about the setting. What size stone is this setting made for?
 
I think you''re right, I need to go to Barkmakian first and get the setting fixed. It''s too bad, we were hoping to get it all done tomorrow, but it''s worth the time to do it right.

We were working with Barmakian, who were great until this happened. We are also working with Santisi & Bove in the jeweler''s building, because a family member had good experiences with them. They seem like good people, and they have a small, modest store,so I know I''m not paying for a fancy storefront.

It''s funny, tonight a friend just suggested Gann--we may need to check them out. Thanks for the tip!
 
(replying to dimaondseeker)
I wasn''t even offered the option of having it ordered--I wihs I''d known.They said it is a final sale so I think we''re stuck withgetting them to fix what happened.

Thanks so much.
 
PS and it''s for stone 1-1.25, and we''re looking at 1-1.2, roughly
 
Are you in Boston? Was the Natick store closer to you? Because Barmakian has a store Downtown as well . . . we will be downtown tomorrow setting shopping . . . in case you are there too.

Yes, DEFINITELY check out Joseph Gann, ask for Steve if you can, he helped us and was VERY patient and VERY low key, he must have showed us about a dozen stones over 3 visits and was ALWAYS wonderful. If he''d had a diamond with the quality of the one we got from WF for even $500 more, we would have bought from him but as it turned out we got a great deal by deciding to buy online . . .

Anyway, if you are in Boston, definitely give J. Gann a try and if you decide to diamond shop downtown, I have a few more tips I can give you, mostly where NOT to go . . .

let us know how it turns out.
 
What are your other parameters for color and clarity and shape? Also, do you have a budget?
 
If I were you, I''d get a copy of any certificate of stones you''re looking at, then come back here and post the specs for comments before you make a commitment to purchase. Or at least check the prices from the price search feature on this site to be sure you''re getting fair prices. Also, look for a GIA Excellent cut or an AGS0 cut...if you''re looking for a round stone, that is!
 
We actually live within the city of Boston, but Barmakian in Boston doesn''t carry the same seting--and they don''t carry Saturn.
Getting to Natick is a tough drive due to post-holiday crowds at the nearby malls.

We will definitely check out Gann. In the end, who knows'' maybe we''ll buy online.

I''m new to this site--is there a way to email specific people without boring the whole board with a specific converation?
 
You know, it's funny, we did a LOT of research on diamonds to avoid getting taken. Sadly, I didn't put enough effort into educating myself about the setting since I figured it was pretty straighforward.

To answer hikerchick, we're looking for an ideal cut round, roughly 1-1.2 carat, F or better, "eye-clean" SI1 or VS2, VG/VG or Ex/Ex.

The prettiest, but not largest, stone we've seen was a 1.10 F, VS1 ideal, ex/ex stone. However, it is going for $8500 at Barmakian (and the same for a stone with similar specs online) and I think that's too much money! If we (I mean, he!) were to spend that much I'd rather drop the clarity to VS2 or SI1, VG/VG and get more stone for the buck. We've seen other stones that were very close in terms of brilliance but significantly cheaper, and I think that's the way to go.
 
Date: 1/5/2007 8:43:52 PM
Author: msmeimei
(replying to dimaondseeker)
I wasn''t even offered the option of having it ordered--I wihs I''d known.They said it is a final sale so I think we''re stuck withgetting them to fix what happened.

Thanks so much.
Click to expand...
I would not consider the sale final until they give you what you paid for -- a setting that looks new and fits properly. If they cannot fix it to your satisfaction, they should order a brand new setting or refund your money. Did you purchase the setting with a credit card?
 
Yes, thankfully he did use a credit card, so we do have some recourse. As I see it, we were paying for the ring, but also the service of sizing, which was rushed.
 
Just to give you an idea of what you could get online, I found a few. Of course, assuming all are eyeclean, and these are from very reputable vendors. I had a hard time finding your size range, with the lower color and clarity combined.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamond.asp?cid=53&item=939208


Don't let the color scare you, it would be fine.

http://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-183736.htm#


Or, if you really want to splurge, this is their own branded diamond, which you really can't go wrong with.

http://www.whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-179755.htm#
 
Hi again,

I think I read somewhere that we are not allowed to post our email addresses . . . this might be wrong . . . maybe someone else with more knowledge can clarify.

We were also looking for something between 1-1.25 ct and we saw a many nice stones at Gann''s and at Hefez and some mediocre stones at a few other places Downtown. We live in Brighton so I understand the post holiday crowds thing.

We were pretty nervous buying online but finally we took the plunge and bought the following stone from whiteflash . . .
http://www.whiteflash.com/round_ideal_cut/Round-Ideal-Cut-cut-diamond-183740.htm
The process has been amazingly simple . . . we took advantage of the wire transfer pricescope discount and got an amazing stone at a great price.

Consider the online thing but if you are still nervous about it, go to Joseph Gann, get them to show you a few diamonds, maybe 6 or so, write down the specs, including all the crown and pavilion numbers and table and depth info so you can use the Cut Advisor to narrow your choices. This is how we did it . . . finally, we didn''t buy from them, but about half their diamonds scored VERY well on the cut advisor and the other half didn''t so have them show you a bunch of them.
 
Ellen,

thanks so much!!!
 
That''s a nice rock, hikerchick. So, I take it you''re now looking for a setting? Goof luck with your search!
 
the one thing that really screams out at me to comment upon is that there''s no way I''d let a jeweler who can''t even size a ring set my diamond!! Can you have the place that is selling you your diamond set it? More likely they''ll take liability on it as well.
 
The first WF stone that Ellen posted above was one I was considering also . . . keep in mind that it has Strong Blue Fluor . . . which isn''t for everyone . . . the stone my BF just bought for me also has strong blue and I was nervous about it but I have ended up REALLY loving it . . .

If you like that stone but are nervous about the strong blue, take a look at my recent posts about my blue fluor and there are a LOT of pictures in there . . .

you should be able to find a REALLY nice diamond that is about 1.2 ct for about $7000 . . . easily online.
The nice thing about online is that you can window shop to your hearts content without any pressure to buy until you are ready.

I looked at a 1.23 H VS2 that was a GIA Excellent cut but wasn''t under an HCA of 2.0 and was $1000 more than what I got from WF . . . it was a pretty stone and priced well for a B&M so if you decide online isn''t for you, and you aren''t hung up on the "numbers" like me . . . go talk to Joe Hefez at Hefez and Sons and ask for that diamond. You can tell him Seema sent you.
 
Date: 1/5/2007 10:04:19 PM
Author: msmeimei
Ellen,

thanks so much!!!
Click to expand...
You''re welcome!
 
Yeah, I AM afraid to let them set the stone now. They have a great reputation, so I''m pretty surprised this happened, yet it clearly was a rush job at the end of the night.

I''m going to take the stone elseweher to be set-if I buy online, I wonder if it will be touch to find a B & M place to set it. . .

TY
 
Date: 1/5/2007 10:07:33 PM
Author: msmeimei
That''s a nice rock, hikerchick. So, I take it you''re now looking for a setting? Goof luck with your search!
Click to expand...
We are looking for a setting now . . . we will be in the downtown jewelers buildings, 387 Washington and 333 Washington tomorrow from about 9am to about 4 pm . . . in case you go to look at diamonds tomorrow . . . I am Indian with long black hair and my BF is a tall white guy . . . maybe we''ll catch up with each other.
 
Hikerchick,

Maybe I''ll see you there! (I''d love to see the fluro in person, too. BTW, I can''t believe 3 jewelers have tried to steer me against even faint fluoro--from the research I''ve done, faint fluoro shouldn''t be so noticeable.)
 
Date: 1/5/2007 10:17:11 PM
Author: msmeimei
Yeah, I AM afraid to let them set the stone now. They have a great reputation, so I''m pretty surprised this happened, yet it clearly was a rush job at the end of the night.

I''m going to take the stone elseweher to be set-if I buy online, I wonder if it will be touch to find a B & M place to set it. . .

TY
Click to expand...
I am shopping locally for a setting and if I find a setting here, I will buy it and ship it to Whiteflash who will set it for a setting charge of $75 . . . so you have that option.

You might have to pay a small fee for having the prongs checked every year or find a local jeweler who you can buy wedding bands from and if you are real nice to them, they might clean both rings for you and check prongs and stuff . . . these are the ideas I have come up with for dealing with maintainance because of buying online.
 
Date: 1/5/2007 10:20:30 PM
Author: msmeimei
Hikerchick,

Maybe I''ll see you there! (I''d love to see the fluro in person, too. BTW, I can''t believe 3 jewelers have tried to steer me against even faint fluoro--from the research I''ve done, faint fluoro shouldn''t be so noticeable.)
Click to expand...
I have found that many of the sales people say whatever thay want to make you buy the diamond they are pushing . . . faint blue will have no effect and you can always check that by taking the diamond to a window with sun shining through it and look for yourself.
 
I bought my setting at a B&M store in Chicago and my diamond at a different B&M store. The store where we got the diamond advised us to have them set the diamond. Their reasoning was that the store where we got the setting has no incentive to be careful with the diamond, because it''s not theirs. The store where we got the diamond is much more interested in keeping the diamond safe. I have had good luck staying with the diamond store for setting and for re-polishing, re-setting, etc. and would recommend this route to anyone in a similar situation.
 
Date: 1/5/2007 8:48:53 PM
Author: Skippy123
That is terrible. Blinkydoll just got a Saturn ring. Here is her post. https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/band-or-no-band-what-do-you-think.55407/

You might ask her if she liked her jewlery store.
Click to expand...


HI msmeimei,

Sorry to hear about your saturn ring
8.gif

is there anymore news?
I briefly talked to a salesperson at barmakians ab seeing more --selection or something from saturn..etc.. and they explained what happens is the saturn guy comes to them with a selection and then they pick what they want.. and thats it. They told me they don''t like to carry lots of "other" peoples brands bec they have to pay all these diff fees in order to carry other brands so they Try to push their own "Barmakian" jewelery. Its wierd bec you''d think they want to have customers buy from them? I had asked to see anything from "Beverly K" and he said they don''t have any catelogs etc... they will never carry that..and to try somewhere else.
So anywayyyy the reason i am telling you all this is maybe thats why instead of ordering your Correct size from saturn for you---They opt for resizing--
What was the size on the ring before sizing? (Also Barmakian''s price on saturn tends to be a little less than if you got it from direct from saturn --in some cases)-- The Saturn people are very nice if you wanted to contact them tho--their e-mail is on their site---
8.gif

Keep us updated! and best of Luck

saturn web
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Hi there,
Sorry this happened. I live in the area and have had quite a few problems with Barmakian. I have friends and neighbors with problems also. Most of the problems relate to service, prongs consistently loose, loosing smaller stones, going back for repeated fixes of the same problems. Needless to say, I no longer shop there!! Descenza diamonds in Framingham (they also have a Boston store) is very close and their service is excellent. I also found their diamond pricing to be very close to internet prices, although their inventory for larger stones was not very big. Cinthia Thomas is a very honest and nice sales associate there and Mike deals with diamond sales who is also honest, although you will probably be more knowlegdable than him. Descenza''s has set diamonds for me that I have not purchased from them. In fact, very recently, I was between a 3 carat diamond from them and one over the internet. I ended up buying the one over the internet, but they were very professional and are still going to set the diamond for me. I have had many things serviced by them and reset diamonds and NEVER had a problem. Just another recommendation if you are still looking. Good luck either way!
 
alamb

thanks for the info. i heard that Barmakian Bros have passed away, and the business has changed as a result.
it''s really too bad.
 
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