Insurance Documentation From Jeweler?

[nclrgirl]

I have a gorgeous Simon G engagement ring that I recently had my stone set in. The prongs do not look at all like they did before and the stone is set crooked. I got some opinions on PS and at other jewelers and it turns out I''ll need to get a new basket for the ring. A local family owned jeweler (different than the one who set the diamond) deals with Simon G and they say:

1) I have to send the ring back to Simon G and AFTER they receive it they can provide an estimate that I can either accept (and get the work done) or reject. (I asked if I could send before and after pics and the local jeweler says that Simon G won''t work that way.)
2) Their (local jeweler) insurance covers my ring for shipping
3) Their (local jeweler) insurance covers my diamond during re-setting

So my questions are:

1) Does this sound right about having to send the ring away before getting even a rough estimate. All I''d like to know is if it will cost more or less than $500...
2) What kind of documentation should I get from the local jeweler concerning the claims that they''re making about their insurance coverage.
3) What should I look for in my insurance coverage (non-existant as of yet, but I definitely want to have it insured before sending away) specifically for this situation.

Thank you all so much for reading and possibly replying. I know that I sound suspicious, I''m just a little jaded after how mangled my ring is...

 

[surfgirl]

Is the store that mangled the setting job an authorized Simon G dealer too? If so, I dont see why you''d have to pay anything...?? Why dont you call Simon G directly and see what they say?

 

[nclrgirl]

Thanks for your reply surfgirl! Unfortunately, the store that I got the stone set at is not a Simon G dealer.

I made a bad decision there.

Does anyone know how to call Simon G directly? They have one of those form e-mail things on their website but that''s it. I will give that a try though.

Thank you again! (I feel like such a parasite here because I''m so uneducated when it comes to jewelry! You women are amazing, and I really appreciate all of your help more than I can express!)

 

[nclrgirl]

I''m bumping this to see if any of the daytime PSers have any idea about this one. Thank you!

 

[niceice]

Most jewelry stores have a "Jewelers Block" insurance policy which provides a designated amount of coverage for any repair items which are in their possession. Some insurance policies provide an additional rider which provides specific coverage for jewelry in transit, it is reasonable to assume that the jeweler you are working with has such a policy in place if they mentioned it to you, verifying the policy is as simple as asking them to show you the policy binder - however, it is also something which many jewelers will not be comfortable whipping out for just anybody because it contains information specific to the amount of inventory that they may be holding in the store... So you might activate the paranoid side of their personality, keep in mind that when it comes to security issues, many of us have a paranoid nature simply because of the type of business we''re involved in.

It is not unreasonable for Simon G. to want to evaluate the ring for themselves before issuing an estimate simply because a jeweler outside of their authorized network worked on the ring. Think of it as the mental equivalent of opening Pandora''s box, the people at Simon G. simply have no idea of what the other guy did to their work and what is going to be required to fix it. Perhaps the diamond can be straightened out by simply adjusting things here and there, or maybe the entire head needs to be removed, replaced, etc. However, I think that they should be able to provide an estimate for a "worst case scenario" so that you''re not shipping out the ring with the feeling of being completely at their mercy.