HELP WITH TANZANITE PLEASE

[Linda W]

Hello all,

I am fairly new to this board and have read alot of your posts.

2 and 1/2 years ago my husband and I went to Mexico. I bought a beautiful Tanzanite ring and a Tanzanite stone to be set later on.

The stone is beautiful deep navy color with lots of red flashes. Well, I took the stone to a well known jeweler in our town, who has been in business with his sons for 40 years.

I head a ring made for my daughter for her 35 birthday, which is in a few months.

We picked up the ring the other night and we were thrilled. When we came home I looked at it with my loop and almost fainted. My stone was perfect when I bought it, no chips or scratches. When I had brought it in, the lady I delt with commented how perfect it was.

The stone has two scratches on top of the ring and a small chip. We turned right around and went back to the jeweler. She apologized and said the ring will have to be polished and perhaps re-cut for the chip, and I may loose carat weight.

I am not happy at all about that. My question is: Do I have any rights at all: Should they supply me with a new stone, same color and quality being it was their fault IF the ring has to be re-cut because of the chip?

Linda

 

[Stargazer]

Ohh, you poor thing thats dreadful.

If you are like me, you put so much ''love'' into these stones- especially gorgeous Tanzanites,( Its next on my wish list)- that to pass it to a jeweller who messes up (be it accidentally or negligently) is awful. Everytime I''ve put a ring in to be valued its been like giving a child away into the care of a ''respected'' stranger!! maybe I''m too soppy!!

I once bought some pretty diamond studs from a local jeweller with a good reputation but when I got them home and had a good look at them I noticed a chip off one. I took them back the next day but before going into the jewellers concerned I stopped off at another good jeweller to ask him to check them over for me- he agreed with me thankfully, as when I went to the one concerned he gave them a quick glance and said I was mistaken!!
He really gave off negative non-verbals and made me feel awful, he was very dismissive and only became interested when I said I''d just had them checked by the other jeweller who had seen the chip missing and voiced his surprise at them being sold in this condition.

They did give me an exchange, but there was a problem with those too!!, luckily the third set was great and I love them still. just go to say I''m not unreasonable, just expect to get the quality I pay for when going to a well respected company- anyone can make an error but what counts is how they deal with it and you afterwards! Sorry didn''t intend to waffle-on but the moment and topic of disappointment ''took'' me.

Sorry I cant help with your dilemma but I just wanted to sympathise and wish you the best of Good luck ,I''m sure you''ll get some good advice from people here soon.

 

[Linda W]

Stargazer,

Thank you so much for answering my post.

You are so right, it was hard for me to turn over the stone in the first place.

I haven''t heard from the jeweler yet, but should this week. I will definitely let you know on what they are going to do.

I am glad you finally received a great pair of diamond earrings.


thank you again,
Linda

 

[rubydick]

Linda,

Put down the revolver. Don't shoot yourself or your jeweler.

Colored stones are not diamonds. They are not made to be examined under loupes, they are designed to be viewed nude, naked, with just the bare ocular tools given us by the creators.

Your trepidation is understandable. Raised on a steady diet of diamond propaganda, most react in a similar fashion. You get scared seeing anything that possibly resembles a "flaw."

Colored stones are more sensitive, more delicate. Their beauty is an acquired taste. Yes, they are not as hard as diamond. Thus they are more easily scratched. But put any decent colored gem side-by-side next to a colored diamond and you will quickly begin singing the praises of the kinder, gentler, softer substance. It's about the color.

The lesson? When it comes to color, pick up the revolver... and shoot the loupe. Then allow your eyes and the organ that lies behind them to do what they are so good at. Believe me, you won't be disappointed.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 2/24/2006 10:17:07 AM
Author:Linda W


The stone has two scratches on top of the ring and a small chip. We turned right around and went back to the jeweler. She apologized and said the ring will have to be polished and perhaps re-cut for the chip, and I may loose carat weight.

If you can''t see the chip & scratches w/o mag, let them be... IMO. There will be many more returns if you wear the ring. It is the nature of the beast to get worn and worn out. Sure enough, this doesn''t lessen the quality or value of your rock, and whe there are enough dings and scratches to make you look away from the ring instead of towards (w/o loupe, of course), then it is time for a repolish.

The good news? since the price an d value is more about color and (internal) clarity rather than the last .2cts of weight or ''the cut'' down to the last .2 degree... that exercise may shave a bit of rock, but none of its dignity.


My 2c. Please don''t feel bad about the tanzanite... and let us see it when you may find time.

Shooting the loupe!

ROFL! Sometimes I wish I could draw good cartoons... this one deserves it!

 

[Richard M.]

Bravo Richard!

Deconstructing the diamond dogma is the greatest challenge to those who would sell or learn to truly appreciate colored gems! [Not a bad working title there, Hmmmm].

Richard M.

 

[Linda W]

LOL shoot the loupe, thank you Richard for making me laugh. Guess I did get overly upset ya think?

Valeria, thank you for your input also. It is greatly appreciated.


Linda

 

[MINE!!]

I agree 100% with Richard... I LOVE my Spess.. but first time I looked at it under a loupe was the last time I look at it under a loupe.. ewwww... I realized that I loved it much better with my real eyes and with my heart.

 

[widget]

Author: Richard Hughes
The lesson? When it comes to color, pick up the revolver... and shoot the loupe. .

LOL...Richard...that''s GREAT!!!!!!!

widget

 

[movie zombie]

i love to look at my spess with a loupe. i like knowing its ''character'' and getting sucked deep down into the richness of it all. its like eating a really delicious dark chocolate truffle....i admire its outside, then with the help of a loupe i dive into its inner orange....

i believe it was vincent that said he liked his stones to have inclusions which he believed gave the stone character....that stones with too much crystal were not as interesting to him.

each to their own!

movie zombie

 

[Slykat12]

Date: 2/28/2006 3:34:31 PM
Author: movie zombie
i love to look at my spess with a loupe. i like knowing its ''character'' and getting sucked deep down into the richness of it all. its like eating a really delicious dark chocolate truffle....i admire its outside, then with the help of a loupe i dive into its inner orange....

i believe it was vincent that said he liked his stones to have inclusions which he believed gave the stone character....that stones with too much crystal were not as interesting to him.

each to their own!

movie zombie

My god you love your Stone!! I want to feel that way about a stone too.

 

[Linda W]

Hi all,

Well I have good news. The Jeweler is sending my tanzanite ring out to be polished. Found out when he was setting the stone, his tool slipped and he made the two scratches. At least he admitted it.

I know I am being petty, but at least now I feel better. LOL LOL.

And yes I know. Shoot the loupe.

 

[rubydick]

Linda,

See, there is a god

Good things come to those who are patient. And speaking of patience, check out Ana's stuff. She did get round to her cartoon:

Shoot Your Loupe

 

[mogok]

Hi Linda,

Richard Hughes is right, please "shoot the loupe"... As Movie zombie said, I believe that inclusions give the stone a character.

Everybody can see the external beauty of your stone. With the naked eye, probably nobody will see these 2 little scratches. People will love your stone color, luster, size, brilliancy, proportions and will compliment you for them.
This is the same with my wife, people look at her and say: She is nice, clever, elegant, have a nice way to speak, to walk,...

Now thanks to your loupe and your close relationship with your stone, you know that it has may be this or that inclusions here or there. Some of these inclusions can be beautiful by their own, some others not...
On the same way I know many small secrets about my wife...

If you want to be happy with your wife or your stone, please take it from me: As you are the only one to know about it (or her) internal world, you have to find a way to be ok with that.
I love my stones and my wife because I know some small secrets that give her some character, that are our history, we have a real complicity...
You will be happy with your stones or your wife if you can accept their littles imperfections.

So in my opinion: "shoot your loupe"... and be happy!

All the best,

 

[movie zombie]

you are pure poetry, vincent!!!!!

that''s what i remember from posts from long ago in praise of inclusions poetic.

movie zombie

 

[pricescope]

Belle, i am sorry, it''s the last one,...Leave the loupe alone - she has relatives

 

[strmrdr]

Go ahead make my day!

 

[pricescope]

Storm, is it a liberal paper under the tracks?

 

[strmrdr]

yikes!
The loupe brought a big friend along.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 3/2/2006 5:01:18 PM
Author: Pricescope
Storm, is it a liberal paper under the tracks?

its British so its a tea biscuit wrapper
hehehehehe

 

[JohnQuixote]

...

 

[Linda W]

You guys are being soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo bad, I am going to tell Belle!!!!!!
LOL LOL LOL LOL.


Linda W

 

[belle]

i can''t fight it anymore...you guys are too funny

don''t you have work to do?

glad everything worked out with your stone linda. i hope we will get to see pics!

 

[conitta]

Date: 3/1/2006 10:56:38 PM
Author: Linda W
Hi all,

Well I have good news. The Jeweler is sending my tanzanite ring out to be polished. Found out when he was setting the stone, his tool slipped and he made the two scratches. At least he admitted it.

I know I am being petty, but at least now I feel better. LOL LOL.

And yes I know. Shoot the loupe.

Hi Linda,

I hope all goes well with your Tananite ring. I have one that I have had for a few yrs and it needs sizing. I am scared to let anyone here do it. Since then I have 2 others that need sizing and I am affraid of scratching of cracking. I posted a question about sizing a Tanzanite ring but there has not been any replies...Oh well. Good luck again and let us know how it comes out...Connie

 

[Linda W]

Hi Connie,

I don''t think they would hurt your Tanzanite by sizing a ring for you.

Mine was a stone set into a ring. That is where he damaged my stone. I pick it up next week and I heard it is perfect now and beautiful. I can''t wait to see it.

Linda

 

[TheDoctor]

Tanzanite is a very vulnerable stone. When we work with them, we cover the surfaces with masking tape, so that our rough skin won''t leave scratches. They can''t be subjected to any rapid change in temperature, so steam cleaning is an absolute no-no. The facet junctions can become smeared during regular ring polishing.
Imagine what can happen when you wear them.

Sorry about what happened to yours, but it sounds like the jeweller is being most reasonable about it, considering they didn''t sell you the stone. Treat is with great care when you get it back.

 

[conitta]

I knew you had to be careful with it.That is the reason I decided to keep the 12.53ct. in the safe and buy a ring to wear but it needs to be sized.If the stone has to be removed, I am scared it will be scratched like Linda''s. The jeweler said she had some kind of stuff you put on the stone to protect it from the heat. She sized an emerald ring for me and used this stuff.BUT...this is Tanzanite & a more expensive ring.Have any of you heard of this stuff she put son the stone????

That is great news on your ring Linda.I know you are happy. Hope it meets your expectations...

Connie

 

[conitta]

Date: 2/28/2006 3:34:31 PM
Author: movie zombie
i love to look at my spess with a loupe. i like knowing its ''character'' and getting sucked deep down into the richness of it all. its like eating a really delicious dark chocolate truffle....i admire its outside, then with the help of a loupe i dive into its inner orange....

i believe it was vincent that said he liked his stones to have inclusions which he believed gave the stone character....that stones with too much crystal were not as interesting to him.

each to their own!

movie zombie

-I love my Spessertite also. I understand that garnet is a type 2 gemstone, so inclusions are not so bad. If you have inclusions then you know it is real!!!

Connie