I''m so bummed - my recut stone got damaged in the mail!!

[cellentani]

Over 10 years ago, I purchased an over 3ct london blue topaz from ValueVision (anyone remember them - it's shopNBC now). I never did anything with it, and after getting my morganite from the eBay seller Vallejo, I arranged to have him recut the topaz. It arrived in the mail today, and much to my disappointment, it was not packaged well. The culet pierced through the the plastic zip top bag and through the paper mailer, and is completely crushed. I had mailed the stone to him in a glass-top gem jar with a padded envelope, and he returned it without the gem jar, and in a plain, unpadded paper envelope.

I think the recut would have been nice. The topaz was an oval 9x11mm, and it ended up as a 6.7mm cushion. It lost a lot of weight, but now it's brighter and more sparkly. So now I'm just really disappointed.

And that's the damaged packaging with the stone.

 

[cellentani]

Another of the casualty

 

[RubyCharm]

Oh, that''s so unfortunate!

Was the package insured?

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Aw, I''m sorry! That sucks

I had a stone where the cutlet got pretty crushed too, I was sad as well, but it was an accident so I got over it.

You should post some face up pics, it looks like it''s still a lovely guy! Any chance you can at least send it back to be repolished? Is it very noticeable face up?

 

[Kismet]

Ugh, that sucks. I can''t believe he packed it so carelessly.

 

[D&T]

oh no

I''m sorry to hear ...that''s terrible packing on his part back to you...

 

[cellentani]

Aww, thanks for commiserating with me guys. Here are a few pics anyway.

 

[cellentani]

I love the color!

 

[cellentani]

Sigh....

 

[cellentani]

So sad.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

It still looks gorgeous to me!
I bet if you set it, nobody would guess that it had an injury.

 

[cellentani]

Last one. I don''t think the package was insured, and the problem was not with USPS, it was just packaged poorly.

 

[Catmom]

It looks like such a gorgeous stone. I''m sorry it got damaged!

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 6/19/2009 4:45:13 PM
Author: Catmom
It looks like such a gorgeous stone. I'm sorry it got damaged!

Ditto. I am very sorry ....

 

[Barrett]

Man that sucks...poor packaging is something that is easily avoidable. Even though it still looks pretty good the fact that you know it''s damaged will bug you. You would think that the little guy would have held up better..it is topaz which is super super hard..must have took a real hit in the mail. Sorry

 

[T L]

He did a great job on the recut, but I've been meaning to tell him that he needs to pack the gems better. He just stuffs them in a little plastic baggie in the padded envelope. He probably doesn't want to waste the expense of using a gem jar, but use extra bubble wrap, SOMETHING, other than just a little plastic baggie. I'm so very sorry this happened to you.

If you tell him, and I think you should with these pictures, let us know what he says please.

Did you send it to him in a gem jar? If so, he should have reused it to send the recut stone back to you.

 

[brandy_z28]

Date: 6/19/2009 5:18:18 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover
He did a great job on the recut, but I''ve been meaning to tell him that he needs to pack the gems better. He just stuffs them in a little plastic baggie in the padded envelope. He probably doesn''t want to waste the expense of using a gem jar, but use extra bubble wrap, SOMETHING, other than just a little plastic baggie. I''m so very sorry this happened to you.

If you tell him, and I think you should with these pictures, let us know what he says please.

Did you send it to him in a gem jar? If so, he should have reused it to send the recut stone back to you.

I agree. You sent it to him in a gem jar, he should have returned it to you in the same jar. That really stinks! That is a gorgeous color! I definitely think you need to let him know about the damage.

 

[LD]

Oh no. Poor you.

Do you think if you emailed the cutter and told him what''s happened he may offer to repolish? It''s worth a try because it is his negligence that''s led to this. I hope you get it sorted.

 

[cellentani]

Okay, thanks everyone - I''m glad I''m not alone in thinking the packaging was ridiculous! He did use a small square of bubble wrap which he stapled to the baggie. I feel so lousy because it could have been so easily avoided, like amethystguy said. And I don''t think this is something that can just be polished out - it''s a significant crushing, and there''s absolutely no point left.

 

[T L]

Oh I see you did send him a gem jar. Why on earth didn''t he even use a padded envelope? I don''t understand why someone would take a long time to recut a stone, and pack his painstaking work like that. My only feeling is that he wanted to avoid insurance costs to send it to you, so he sent it as plain and "flat" as possible My goodness, even if it was sent in a cardboard box, it would have been more protected from crushing. I hope it didn''t cost to much to recut that stone.

 

[cellentani]

Okay, I sent him an email earlier, included the first 2 pics, and I just heard back from him. Apparently, the gem jar I sent arrived cracked, so he couldn''t use it, and the post office didn''t have proper mailing envelopes. He feels really bad, and has offered to cut me something else, and do whatever it takes to make things right. Problem is, I don''t need another morganite (which he offered), and I don''t know what else he has that would be of comparable size. At least he''s offered to make ammends, but TL, I agree that people should let him know how risky it is to send cut stones through the mail like that.

And what exactly is the best way to send cut stones? My gem jar was one of those hard plastic square ones with a glass top - not just the little acrylic ones. Maybe my jar was too deep, because I''ve gotten stones in flatter gem jars, and packed inside a padded envelope, it''s been fine.

 

[T L]

Date: 6/19/2009 6:06:44 PM
Author: cellentani
Okay, I sent him an email earlier, included the first 2 pics, and I just heard back from him. Apparently, the gem jar I sent arrived cracked, so he couldn''t use it, and the post office didn''t have proper mailing envelopes. He feels really bad, and has offered to cut me something else, and do whatever it takes to make things right. Problem is, I don''t need another morganite (which he offered), and I don''t know what else he has that would be of comparable size. At least he''s offered to make ammends, but TL, I agree that people should let him know how risky it is to send cut stones through the mail like that.

And what exactly is the best way to send cut stones? My gem jar was one of those hard plastic square ones with a glass top - not just the little acrylic ones. Maybe my jar was too deep, because I''ve gotten stones in flatter gem jars, and packed inside a padded envelope, it''s been fine.

I prefer how Barry Bridgestock sends gems, a gem jar in bubble wrap, anchored securely in a cardboard box. That way, the mail people can''t "feel for it," it doesn''t jump around in the shipping container, and it''s also protected more from crushing.

I''m glad he''s trying to make ammends. Maybe he can give you a store credit???

 

[Gypsy]

I recently shipped a peridot in a bandaid (a large knuckle bandaid, just taped it right around the stone) wrapped in tissue paper, with two business cards taped to either side of it, then in a fed ex envelope.

Between that and the Camo-soap inciident I think I'm qualifed to speak about creative packaging methods. And Vallejo needs a new one. That's not okay. Glad he's offered to make it right. I'd ask him to find you something nice in a good size. He has sources.

 

[CravingDiamonds]

This really stinks that this happened as the gem is absolutely beautiful. It is very professional of him though to offer to recut something for you and to make it right. Some people may just say "oh well" and not bother with you at all.

 

[Lovinggems]

Shame about the damaged culet but the recut looks good. Hope you get something nice to recompense the damage.

 

[arjunajane]

That is a really lazy way of packaging, I don''t know why he would purport to run his business that way..?

I agree with TL, I like the way Barry sends his gems..and I''ve started copying that whenever I send something valuable. I do gemjar, taped shut, inside bubble wrap, inside a padded bag, inside a larger padded bag or box.
I mean, it costs all of what, $2..?

I''m sorry this happened.maybe ask for a credit until he has something you''re interested in?

 

[icekid]

Date: 6/20/2009 6:59:25 AM
Author: arjunajane
That is a really lazy way of packaging, I don''t know why he would purport to run his business that way..?

Agree! That is pretty ridiculous.

 

[cellentani]

Thanks for all the sympathies, guys. We exchanged a few emails yesterday, so I''m feeling a lot better. And despite being disappointed and a llittle frustrated by the packaging, I really think this guy is a fantastic cutter, and he had been very generous with me with previous stones. I''d actually be willing to take a chance with him again, and maybe it will be "lesson learned" with the packaging materials (or lack thereof).

And Gypsy, I like your rather unconventional band-aid packaging idea. I went through the house yesterday, and all I could come up with were sanitary napkins. Not sure how Bob would react if I sent him a stone sandwiched between a couple of those! Apologies to the men-posters who are undoubtedly recoiling in horror right now.

 

[T L]

. . . or an unused baby diaper!!

Seriously, at least these things make good packing material - Ha!!

 

[cellentani]

LOL, TL!! Although I''m happy to say that after 11 years of changing a diaper every day, we no longer have those in the house!