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I had my engagement ring sized and I think my diamond was cracked in the process.

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arikka26

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
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I recently became engaged, and my engagement ring was a size and a half too big. We had it sized where it was purchased. I have a pear shape diamond which is almost 2 carats (like 1.78) and I noticed the morning after picking it up, there looks like there are two or three small cracks, (they look like black lines) on the rounded end by a prong, which had never been there (Its a VVSII rated). I have tried cleaning it in the solution the jewelers gave me, as well as rinsing it in water and the marks are still there. Could my diamond have been cracked or damaged? I cant see any of the lines when looking at it from the top but when you look at it from the side you can see them at a few angles from the side. Anyone have any ideas?
 
I''d bring it straight back to them to check it out. If there''s any problems dealing with them I''d take it to an independent appraiser and get them to check it out. I hope that you get it sorted soon.
 
Take it to an *independent appraiser* ASAP. (Not back to the place that set the stone.)
 
Yes, go back and have it checked right away. Hopefully it''s just the polishing compound they use or something. That happened to me once with my old princess cut, a new black pinpoint that I had never seen in my diamond and I cleaned it and cleaned it with all of my means and was convinced they had hurt my diamond. Went back and they knew right away it was the buffing compound and they were able to clean it right away with the steamer.
 
Can you put up a picture of it? There are some really sharp, diamond educated minds here (excluding self, still new to this).

Best wishes.
 
Yeah, I can try to post a picture once I get home. Im actually at work, and picked up my ring last night and noticed it this morning. I read up on the girdle reflection topic in another thread, and didnt know if it could be that because its multiple lines from what looks like a similar starting point.
 
It could be "jewelers rouge" which is a compound they use to polish the metal after they resized it. I had that happen to a ring once when I came to pick it up, but the jeweler spotted it and cleaned it off.

I would go see them and explain the trouble. If they want you to leave the ring with them to examine, I would not, only let them examine it in your presence. If this does not work I would then take it away with me to an independent appraiser to document the problem and then try to negotiate a solution.

I am hoping for the best for you.
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Date: 1/16/2008 3:35:52 PM
Author: Dee*Jay
Take it to an *independent appraiser* ASAP. (Not back to the place that set the stone.)
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Ditto, but it is possible it is some sort of compound, in which case, often our home methods won''t get this stuff off and a pro clean may be needed.

Please keep us posted.
 
I cant get a picture close enough to actually be able to see what it is im talking about, but I am taking it to a friend of ours who owns a jewelry store. He fixes and appraises things on his own, so I''m going to have him take a look. Hopefully if it is only some of the polishing compound he''ll take it off. I can see the marks really clearly at one particular place on the stone, but as I said not from above or from many of the other sides. I''ll keep you filled in on how everything goes and try not to worry too much until I get it looked at.
 
Date: 1/17/2008 11:14:18 AM
Author: arikka26
I cant get a picture close enough to actually be able to see what it is im talking about, but I am taking it to a friend of ours who owns a jewelry store. He fixes and appraises things on his own, so I''m going to have him take a look. Hopefully if it is only some of the polishing compound he''ll take it off. I can see the marks really clearly at one particular place on the stone, but as I said not from above or from many of the other sides. I''ll keep you filled in on how everything goes and try not to worry too much until I get it looked at.
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Good idea. We''ll be anxious to hear!
 
ok so here''s the deal. My fiance and I took the ring to a friend who owns a jewelry business and he said it looked like an inclusion that had been popped out or something along those lines. We took it up to the jewelers that we bought it from and they actually didnt give us a hard time at all. What they said is that when the sizing was finished someone checked the setting to make sure none of the prongs were loose, they hit my diamond, and the pressure did make it break from the inclusion. The jewelers said they have to send it back to a diamond cutter to see if they can reshape the end and cut out where the inclusion is. We are not happy because if this doesnt work they have to replace our diamond. So now my question is what do we do? If they can''t keep the one we originally bought how can we make sure we''re getting an equal diamond to what we originally bought, and two how do we find a way to be compensated for the sentimental value? Also, if they dont have to replace it I feel we should be compensated for the amount of diamond they have to cut off since it''s their fault in the first place! Anyone have any ideas on how we accomplish these things?
 
What doesn''t sit well with me is that if they KNEW they cracked it or whatever...WHY DIDN''T THEY TELL YOU WHEN YOU PICKED IT UP?

I hope hope hope you get this sorted out the way you want!
 
Date: 1/19/2008 7:27:53 PM
Author: arikka26
ok so here''s the deal. My fiance and I took the ring to a friend who owns a jewelry business and he said it looked like an inclusion that had been popped out or something along those lines. We took it up to the jewelers that we bought it from and they actually didnt give us a hard time at all. What they said is that when the sizing was finished someone checked the setting to make sure none of the prongs were loose, they hit my diamond, and the pressure did make it break from the inclusion. The jewelers said they have to send it back to a diamond cutter to see if they can reshape the end and cut out where the inclusion is. We are not happy because if this doesnt work they have to replace our diamond. So now my question is what do we do? If they can''t keep the one we originally bought how can we make sure we''re getting an equal diamond to what we originally bought, and two how do we find a way to be compensated for the sentimental value? Also, if they dont have to replace it I feel we should be compensated for the amount of diamond they have to cut off since it''s their fault in the first place! Anyone have any ideas on how we accomplish these things?
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I''m sorry to hear the bad news arikka.

I know, firsthand, how disappointing it can be ... to answer some of your questions ... I think that it would be prudent to discuss your expectations with the jeweler. For a personal example ...
When Whiteflash was setting a diamond I purchased, it chipped while being set. They suggested that I search to see if I could find a suitable replacement via their website. I found a few but they were not what I had found in the first one. I voiced these concerns at not wanting to be forced to take a lesser stone and Whiteflash actually sourced out a stone with the exact same stats as the one that was chipped. I thought it was fantastic customer service and it took a lot of stress out of the process for me. If I had not have expressed my concern, I would have settled with taking what, in my estimation, was a lesser stone. Once Whiteflash knew my expectations, they rose to the challenge to meet them.

Unfortunately, I am uncertain as to how you would/could be compensated and how it would be calculated etc for any lost carat size, for example, however, it may be an important part of the communication process with the vendor to let them know that your expectation is that you will be compensated.

Please do let us know how it is going. Good luck!
 
My question is: why didn't they handle this right away? Why did they let you take the ring home if they knew they had damaged it? From what you've said, it sounds like when you took your ring back to them, they already knew what had happened during the re-sizing. If this is the case, it sounds pretty shady to me that they'd give you your ring back, not say anything, and wait for you to discover this on your own. So if this had happened with a less discerning customer, they never would have gotten "caught" and wouldn't have to pay to fix it? This whole thing sounds really shady to me, do you trust these jewelers?
 
I had another thought too. If it were me, I'd gather all my paperwork on the original diamond, and the receipt showing how much you paid, and then ask them to compensate you for that amount. Then, they can keep your stone and get it re-cut or whatever, and if they manage to fix it, they can re-sell it and re-coup some of their costs. I know this might be hard for you as far as the sentimental value, but personally, this is what I would want done. I wouldn't be satisfied with someone basically ruining my stone and then sending it away to "cut out where the inclusion is." I don't really like how any of your options sound, and it totally stinks that you're going through this.
 
Date: 1/19/2008 7:52:45 PM
Author: BriBee
I had another thought too. If it were me, I''d gather all my paperwork on the original diamond, and the receipt showing how much you paid, and then ask them to compensate you for that amount. Then, they can keep your stone and get it re-cut or whatever, and if they manage to fix it, they can re-sell it and re-coup some of their costs. I know this might be hard for you as far as the sentimental value, but personally, this is what I would want done. I wouldn''t be satisfied with someone basically ruining my stone and then sending it away to ''cut out where the inclusion is.'' I don''t really like how any of your options sound, and it totally stinks that you''re going through this.
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Agree ... Great points, Bribee. The whole scenario sounds very suspect from the jeweler''s side.
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No level of ownership or accountability at all!
I really hope these jewelers step up to the plate and fix what they have done, arikka.
 
Date: 1/19/2008 7:27:53 PM
Author: arikka26
ok so here's the deal. My fiance and I took the ring to a friend who owns a jewelry business and he said it looked like an inclusion that had been popped out or something along those lines. We took it up to the jewelers that we bought it from and they actually didnt give us a hard time at all. What they said is that when the sizing was finished someone checked the setting to make sure none of the prongs were loose, they hit my diamond, and the pressure did make it break from the inclusion. The jewelers said they have to send it back to a diamond cutter to see if they can reshape the end and cut out where the inclusion is. We are not happy because if this doesnt work they have to replace our diamond. So now my question is what do we do? If they can't keep the one we originally bought how can we make sure we're getting an equal diamond to what we originally bought, and two how do we find a way to be compensated for the sentimental value? Also, if they don't have to replace it I feel we should be compensated for the amount of diamond they have to cut off since it's their fault in the first place! Anyone have any ideas on how we accomplish these things?
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Get it appraised by an independent pronto. You need to document exactly what you have before they start messing with it. Do you have a thorough appraisal or at least a grading report from before the damage?

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver
 
That is horrible and I think it''s pretty tacky they didn''t tell you up front. I would try to get them to pay you the price you paid for the stone then you can take that money and buy a stone elsewhere. Good luck.
 
This story does not make sense to me.

You mentioned your stone was VVS2. It seems improbable that an inclusion on such a stone would "pop out" when under pressure from being set. Sounds like an excuse or is this even the same stone and is it correctly graded to start with?

They didn't tell you. That says it all for me. They claim they knew in advance yet gave you the ring and sent you on your way. Not too good.

I would not let them do anything to your stone until an independent appraiser removes it from it's mounting and compares it against the certificate you had (hopefully you have a good cert w/ detail) and tells you all about the stone in your possession.

Be careful and be defensive.
 
What a shame...my first thought on this has already been mentioned by others. if they knew that it had been damaged, why did they wait for you to come to them? They should have mentioned this to you immediately! I may be wrong, but it certainly sounds like they were hoping that you simply would not notice and they would not have to own up to anything. This just does not sit well with me.

I know that you mentioned that you are sentimentally attached to this stone, and I can understand this 100% (I still wear the same diamond that my DH picked out on his own and proposed with 12 years ago), but the stone that you have is now damaged, probably lessening the value all together making it not what you paid for. I really think that you should have them buy the damaged stone back at what you paid and go on your merry way.
 
Date: 1/19/2008 7:37:43 PM
Author: ang3199
What doesn't sit well with me is that if they KNEW they cracked it or whatever...WHY DIDN'T THEY TELL YOU WHEN YOU PICKED IT UP?

I hope hope hope you get this sorted out the way you want!
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Because, they were hoping she wouldn't notice.
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I agree with Neil to have it looked at by an IA. And Beacon raises a good point with the clarity/inclusion, same stone issue.

Things don't add up.
 
all good points and thanks for the concerns. We do have documented the condition of the diamond before the sizing and damage, but they already have the ring. We''re going back up to meet with the owner because we are really unhappy with how this has happened. We have it written out all of our concerns and request i guess you could call them because we are not just going to be ok with them downsizing our diamond and not compensating us. We dont know if they have to change out the diamond, but if they do we are going to request to pick the stone because we are not getting stuck with a low grade diamond when that is definately not what we paid for.

As far as why they let us take the ring home with the damage, it bothers me too, but there excuse for it was that it wasnt going in for anything specifically related to the diamond, it was going in for sizing and that is what they focused on if it was sized correctly, and was it polished nice, could the seams from the cutting be seen, etc. Nothing really about the diamond. They apologized constantly but they are working pretty well with us so far, which makes us happy.

The independent appraiser and friend did say it would be considered a vvs2 because of the size of the inclusions it just had them closer to the surface unfortunately.
 
Something sounds really wrong. Inclusions the cize of VVS1 or VVS2 just are not eye visible. If the stone is still VVS2 and the inclusions are visible to the naked eye, the story does not work with reality. You have to find someone independent AND fully competent to give you advice. Until you do, you are just not going to resolve the problem.
 
You will most likely be compensated by one of two ways.

1. The difference in price between your unchipped stone and your newely refaceted stone (including any costs of re-finsihing, shipping, etc.). Make sure your cut grade does not go down.

2. A new stone of the same make. Hopefully you consulted an independent appraiser before or after you bought OR have a grading report from the GIA or the AGS OR have detailed sales receipts.

YOU should be able do decide which route will best compensate you for your loss. The jeweler should have insurance, which they can use for the loss.

I agree that the jeweler should have immediately and openly confessed to the mistake. If I can say anything on his/her behalf, could you imagine chipping someones beloved engagement ring? There are no excuses for thier lack of disclisure, but youll have to forgive them for being human. As long as they handle this appropriately.

It is possible to chip a stone with less effort then you might think. There is one direction in diamonds structure that is easy to CLEAVE. A VVS2 inclusion will most like have nothing to do with a chip. Most likely, it is the tool, strength and direction in which it was hit.

Good luck.
 
Date: 1/19/2008 8:48:47 PM
Author: Beacon
This story does not make sense to me.


You mentioned your stone was VVS2. It seems improbable that an inclusion on such a stone would ''pop out'' when under pressure from being set. Sounds like an excuse or is this even the same stone and is it correctly graded to start with?


They didn''t tell you. That says it all for me. They claim they knew in advance yet gave you the ring and sent you on your way. Not too good.


I would not let them do anything to your stone until an independent appraiser removes it from it''s mounting and compares it against the certificate you had (hopefully you have a good cert w/ detail) and tells you all about the stone in your possession.


Be careful and be defensive.
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Totally agree-was just thinking the same thing about the VVS2. Is there any way that you can get the ring back so that you can send it to an independent appraiser before you let them try to fix it. I would be very wary of them, especially if they knew all that and didn''t tell you when you went in to collect it.
 
I am really sorry it turned out to be damaged, I was so hoping it wasn''t. I hope you can get it resolved quickly and easily.
 
How disappointing! I cannot freakin believe this happened...you must be so angry!

But, this is also a good lesson is why women should have their diamonds appraised and certified, even if they think it will ever matter!

I hope the store is stand up and actually heals your diamond...if not, I hope the over compensate you for your loss. But, I would speak with an attorney at this point simply to cross your "t''s" and dot your "i''s". I know that sounds awful...but at this point, you''re dealing with a jeweler that let you wear a broken diamond home and said nothing to you about it. At least, if the jeweler comes back and you''re uncomfortable with the proceedings or his actions, you can be honest and say "hey, I''ve consulted a lawyer...and while I would prefer it not come to that, I want this to be done right and in my favor, so do whatever it is you have to do...but make me happy!". I think it''ll be helpful in the long run.
 
** UPDATE***

Sorry for not responding right away. So as the story goes on we heard from the jeweler late last week that they were going to wind up replacing the diamond, because what happened is that when someone checked the prongs they broke out an area that was an inclusion. Two cutters have looked at it and they both said that they''d have to cut too much off to be able to save our diamond. They are currently searching for a replacement however we have the original ring and diamond while they look. They are buying a large selection of stones to show us and they are focusing on a stone that is the same pear shape, and proportion but upgrading to a larger size and better quality. I am happy with everything they have done and i have been in touch with our family friend who is the jewelery appraiser and he said that is exactly what they should do. They are even allowing us to choose the stone and have it appraised by him and change our mind so we can get an outside opinion. Unfortunately it has been a while without the ring but it is being taken care of. I really appreciate all the help and support you guys have given.

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Wow. This is the first time that I have seen this thread, and I am so sorry that this has happened to you.
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*hugs*

I am glad that the jeweller is going to replace the stone. Are you sure you wouldn''t feel more comfortable if they simply refunded you the money which you paid for the diamond, so that you can go away and choose your own replacement? I think that''s what I would want to do if it were me.

The only thought I had whilst reading your update post was that if your stone was AGS or GIA certed I would want to ensure the replacement stone was certed by one of these labs too, as being at least the same standard of cut/colour/clarity even if they do get you a bigger size.

I do hope that you find a new stone to love, and my heart really does go out to you.

x x x
 
I''m sorry to hear about your diamond and the fact that the jeweler said they knew when the crack occurred and didn''t tell you. But the good news is they are completely taking responsibility and working with you to replace it at their own expense. That''s all you can ask for, right? Accidents happen in life -- it''s just making up for it when it''s your fault that counts.

Best of luck choosing a new stone and post here with your pictures when you get it! :)
 
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