Help - my jeweler chipped my diamond!!!

[NorthwestGirl]

I will try to keep this as brief as possible, yet include enough details for people to give me their advice.

First, I was engaged on April 22, 2003. My fiance said I could have "whatever I wanted" for a ring and said "let''s go shopping." In 2003 I purchased a ring from an estate collection that has a square emerald center stone. I have always had a "vision" of how I would love to have that diamond set. My fiance was amenable having a custom ring created using my square emerald cut stone in a setting I designed with him buying the additional diamonds and paying for the rest of the ring. We went to work getting estimates and picked a jeweler. We bought six baguettes to go along with the square emerald in a channel setting.

Long story short...this whole thing has turned into a disaster and our wedding date is quickly approaching. June 6, 2004. After a very long process the ring was cast, the stone set, finished and delivered. I immediately noticed the center stone was not set straight and the channels were left open when I had requested that they be closed. After some negotiating with the jeweler, they said they would not recast the ring but a compromise solution was to add additional baguettes to fill the channels. So at a significant discount we purchased six additional baguettes. The person who was crafting my ring ended up being terminated from the jeweler we chose so now the jeweler has sent the ring out to have the additional stones set. After sending the ring to three different jewelers they all conclude that it''s not possible to add the additional stones.

So back to square one. They now have a new jeweler (in another state but who works for the company) who is going to carve a new wax and make a new ring for me. Okay fine, we still have time and I really want the ring to be exactly right -- it''s the whole reason we went with a custom ring right? So the carve a new wax. I viewed the wax with the diamonds set and it looks gorgeous. WAY better than the original ring by far. The jeweler called last week and said the new ring had been cast and they would have the ring to me this week.

Yesterday I received a call that when setting and polishing the ring for delivery one of the baguettes was loose, and when they went to tighten it my center stone chipped. They ordered in two brand new diamonds for me to look at today and neither of them appeared as nice to my naked eye as my diamond.

Some basic specs on my diamond purchased in 1993:

1.7 carat square emerald cut
Length: 6.81mm
Width: 6.63mm
Depth: 4.61mm
Color: F
Clarity: VS2
Cutlet: Medium
Girdle: Medium
Polish: Good
Symmetry: Good
Overall proportions: Good

When I bought the ring it was in a platinum setting along with two bezel set marquise brilliant cut diamonds so this is all the information contained in the appraisal.

So, here we are over a year into the process of having this "custom" ring made and less than three weeks away from our wedding date and I have no ring. I have read the various threads here that compare the Asscher cuts to the square emerald cuts. The thing I find (found?) particularly appealing about my diamond was that when you would look into it it was mesmerizing...sort of like looking into a pyramid made of mirrors, if that makes sense. The stones the jeweler had for me to look at today did not appear nearly as nice as my stone.

One question I have is whether the square emeralds are actually square (4 sided) or whether they are all octagonal (8 sided) to some degree?

Another question I have is does anyone have any words of advice on what my rights as a consumer might be under circumstances such as these? The jeweler is EXTREMELY apologetic and seems to be bending over backward to make me happy. I have asked that they get a couple more stones in for me to look at as well as get my stone back from the stone setter so I can look at it under the scope in comparison to the ones they are showing me because I feel I''m not comparing apples to apples if I don''t have mine side by side.

I do not want to be unreasonable in this process, but I also want to have the dream ring I set out to have created. Any thoughts or comments on this topic would be very much appreciated.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

If you have the ring insured under an all risks policy I would make a claim yourself, and then start again.


If you wish use the same jeweller, if not find someone else and demand a refund.


Cleaner and simpler.


Tell your ins Co the whole story and let them fight just as you would with a car crash.

 

[Daniela]

NorthwestGirl,

I don't have any strong advice as to what to do in this situation, but I just wanted to express my sincere sympathy regarding what happened to you. This whole experience should not have turned out the way it did, and I'm so sorry you had to go through this, especially with your wedding date coming up so quickly. This process was supposed to be fun, and it turned into a nightmare.

Whatever you do, do not settle for a stone that you do not love. This jeweller will have access to the same lists of diamonds that other jewellers do. He should be able to scare up a more Asscher-looking sqaure emerald and call it in.

If not, CutNut's right--this is unfortunately what insurance is for. That way you can replace the stone using someone else, someone who knows more about Asschers and what makes them beautiful, and start anew (even though it isn't fair).

 

[WinkHPD]

Fedaykin is correct, do not accept anything that does not make your heart happy.

Also, ask your jeweler to find out how significant the chip is. If it is a minor chip it can be repaired with your ring still looking incredible and he can reimburse you for the loss of value for the points lost. Then you have some money and the stone you are already attached to. Of course some chips can be repaired with no visual loss to the stone and some can not, so this must factor into the decision.

Wink

 

[verticalhorizon]

How likely is that to really happen though? A jeweler is really going to reinburse a client for the chip or lost value?

This seems like a big issue, in general. Not related to this in particular but, many insurance companies won't insure a loose stone. Homeowners/renters insurance usually only insures a small amount. What happens when a setter damages a stone prior to the completion of the ring and is insured?

 

[verticalhorizon]

That brings us to another item... how does a bench jeweler set a diamond or adjust a diamond? Does it require a torch of some kind? You mentioned a hammer?

What are the tools and methods a jeweler uses in setting?

 

[niceice]

Oh, Ack! We're so sorry to hear about your loss! What a terrible upset! Assuming that the diamond was insured, contact your insurance company and if nothing else they can step in and ensure that you receive a comparable diamond for replacement purposes. There is no reason to settle for anything less than you had, it is a tragic situation, but not one that you should suffer in terms of quality from...

 

[valeria101]

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On 5/19/2004 1:10:26 PM verticalhorizon wrote:



What are the tools and methods a jeweler uses in setting?----------------

Well... don't expect any gloves. Gems are hard enough to withstand all sorts: being hit, burnt, dipped in acid and liquid metal

... and it is the metal that folds in place next to the gem. It is sometimes funny to see how careful people are with their new rings after all that !

Actually, the important part seems to be that there are a few traditional ways to join precious stones and metal which work as well as any other technical process (which doesn't mean 100% fault proof!). There are a bunch of PS-like forums where you could get into details, if you so wish.

And... congratulations for the nice site (and daring avatar name) Feydakin

 

[NorthwestGirl]

Thank you, everyone for your comments. My diamond will be here tomorrow so I can better assess it in person. I will let you all know what happens.

I do have a question I am hoping someone here can answer though with regards to cut. Are there any square emerald cut diamonds that only have four sides or are they all eight sided? Hopefully I am articulating this in a way that makes sense.

 

[verticalhorizon]

Let's put it this way, the only perfectly square cut diamond, with pointy corners that is, is the Princess. All other squares, so far, have cut corners.

From what I've heard on PS is that those corners really only were part of a plan to maximize odd shaped diamond rough and the reason why you don't really see any other shapes with those pointy corners is that: 1.) they are prone to chipping; 2.) they tend to leak light; and 3.) they hold body color.

 

[valeria101]

You are likely to see a square baguette once in a blue moon, but they definitely exist.

The step cut octagon is a non-pattented cut, but didn't relaly catch - I included the picture trying to figure out what you mean by eight-sided emerald cut... The two pictures on the bottom of the picture are actual stones with more or less "clipped" corners (is this what you mean?). Up to a point, the little clips in the corners go under a prong and dissapear from view - but this is onbiously not the case with a stone with large corner sides (octagonal, as you say, I guess). Obviously, the pavilion of the stone is also cut differently when those other four sides get large - and in-keeping with the look of the Asscher (and the pattented Royal Asscher) the"eight-sided" seem to be "in" ! I could barely dig the other example. It is more common to see such small clips on the corners of non-square emerald cuts though

 

[verticalhorizon]

Well... I stand corrected. Excellent sleuthing!

I think what she means by 8-sides are the small cut corners. I never refer to cut corners as sides, really.

 

[NorthwestGirl]

Thank you so much for posting that diagram!!! If I am not mistaken, my diamond is actually a square baguette because looking at that photo, that is what my diamond looks like. As I mentioned earlier...it's been so long since I've seen my stone in person I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that's what it is! My appraisal says it's a square emerald, but when I looked at the square emeralds last night at the jeweler they didn't look anything like my stone. Gosh, tomorrow cannot get here fast enough for me. I wish I could view the photo of that square baguette in a larger size to get a better look at it...

Does anyone here know if there are any square baguettes in a 1.7 carat size? I bought my piece from an estate collection some time in 1992 or 1993 so I really have no idea how old it actually is.

 

[Hest88]

Oh, I'd seriously want to kill someone if they damaged my stone. Especially one that sounds as lovely as yours!

Are you sure it's a baguette? I'm no expert but it's hard to imagine wasting a stone of that size on a a baguette. A baguette has fewer facets.

 

[valeria101]

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On 5/19/2004 5:55:54 PM NorthwestGirl wrote:

Does anyone here know if there are any square baguettes in a 1.7 carat size? [...]I really have no idea how old it actually is.

----------------

I am not aware whether these are cut with any consistency - the only such stones I ever saw were in older jewelry.

I am farely sure that those brittle corners got this one out of business...

If looking for a cut like this, I would definitely drop an inquiry - if there is one available, I would not expect to be listed as "square emerald" but rather recut or kept in a sellers' drawer!

 

[NorthwestGirl]

Looking at the photos and diagram posted by valeria101, I would say that my diamond looks much more like the square baguette than it does the square emeralds I've looked at. In all honesty, when I saw the diamond in the early 90's I knew absolutely NOTHING about diamonds and I purchsed the setting because of its uniqueness. I have never seen another stone that looks like mine....ever. I have looked and always keep my eye open, but nothing has ever come close. Maybe that's because it really is the square baguette cut instead of square emerald. I'll find out tomorrow when I look at it under the scope next to the other stones. I've printed the diagram posted by valeria101 to take with me.

I would not say that for a stone of that size it is "wasted" as a square baguette (assuming that's what it truly is?). Trust me, this rock is mesmerizing. When you look into it, it's as though it steps down for eternity. I know I'm biased because it's "mine" but it truly is gorgeous.

 

[valeria101]

----------------
On 5/19/2004 6:08:09 PM Hest88 wrote:



Are you sure it's a baguette? A baguette has fewer facets.

----------------

"Baguette" or not, this is just a word, and this is precisely why I posted a picture to go with it

Since "step cut squares without cut corners" are not a comon cut, how should I call them in one word?

But your comment brings home a point, I would think.

Remember the old argument that "more facets do not more brilliance make" ? It works the other way arround too! Besides, the number of "steps" is the same for ECs and baguettes, only the corners are cut differently. Hence hearing of "hexagonal" square ECs sounded intriguing - it would be right though to call them this way in any geometry book...

Well, I hope this does not sound off

Tere were only good intentiuons at play

It is a nice little jeweler's ghimmick to show a larger and one tiny diamond and demonstrate to the amazed customer that both stones are cut the same! I find it quite cute. It's never done with baguettes and ECs though...

 

[WinkHPD]

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On 5/19/2004 12:42:17 PM verticalhorizon wrote:

How likely is that to really happen though? A jeweler is really going to reinburse a client for the chip or lost value?

Absolutely. Most often it is the jeweler who is eating it too, rarely do they have insurance for this particular dissaster, fortunately most of us get through a career with it only happening once or twice. (Only once for me in over thirty years with diamonds, two or three times with color.)

Wink

 

[Hest88]

----------------
Besides, the number of "steps" is the same for ECs and baguettes, only the corners are cut differently.
----------------

No, no, no. I could be wrong, but an EC has the same amount of facets as a RB but a baguette has something like half the amount (25 is the number that pops in my head, but not sure).

Either way, though, I suppose it doesn't really matter so much to the OP except that she's said she loves her stone because it looks so different from anything she's ever seen and may be difficult to get a baguette of that size without requesting it be specially cut. If it's indeed a baguette and she really wants the look of the fewer facets she HAS to confirm it so the jeweler DEFINITELY gets her exactly what she wants instead of just supplying one of the square emeralds that have become increasingly easy to find.

 

[NorthwestGirl]

Update: I went this evening to see my diamond and it really is a square emerald cut -- I just never noticed the cut corners before because of the prong setting it was in. It was interesting seeing the stone out of its setting and having the opportunity to compare it next to some other square emeral cuts of similar size and quality. I am waiting for the jeweler to get a couple more diamonds in before I make a decision about the replacement stone.

I want to thank each of you for your input, it has been very helpful to me.