is this in *any* way acceptable?

[rainbowtrout]

We took my ring back to the store to get it sized today; figured that sizing is a simple operation and they can''t hurt the ring, right?

Wrong. I, like an idiot, didn''t take the time to carefully look over the ring in the store. The man used some sort of toothed pliers on it. There is a gouge on the plat on the inside of the ring, first of all. There is a line of toothmarks running down one part of the shank.

But the worst part is he crunched the pave-d, top part of the setting and I''m not sure it can be fixed. It looks like he held it too hard with the pliers and now the nice smooth curve of it is ruined. AND, the prong still isn''t touching the bloody stone, and there is a plat spur on one of the other prongs.

Gah!

I am not sure if I should just demand a refund and a new version of the setting, try letting them fix it, try taking it to someone else or what. We have an appt to get it appraised next week, and hopefully they will back us up on the fact that we did NOT cause this damage to the ring.

I''m not even sure if oldminer can recommend someone with a good bench jeweler though, isn''t that not part of the appariser''s job or somesuch?

I''ll post pictures in a bit, I''m a little upset right now and would rather not look at them. And we feel like idiots to boot....

I feel like B&M''s are impossible to judge. The desk people were very honest and very helpful and this bench jewler is just incompentant. We went in with a friend today, she asked to have her silver necklace cleaned and he gave it back to her---with the silver polish still ON!!! She pointed it out and he took it back and fixed it...

How can anyone BE so awful??? It''s easy, don''t crunch my new ering with your pliers, *&!#$!!!

OK, needed to vent..ufff.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Oh you poor thing -- I understand completely! When I got my upgrade they just jammed the bigger stone into the original setting (I think they must have had to change the head out because the old stone was much smaller), but the ring was mangled in a variety of other ways. I completely freaked out, but didn't take it back to them because I didn't want them messing with it any more. Plus, I plan on resetting the whole thing anyway, but I completely understand how crazy this is making you.

My advice (if it's possible) is to get a refund for whatever you were charged for this "work" and take it somewhere else.

1. Deep breath.
2. Big glass of wine.
3. Go get refund (let someone else drive if you follow my advice on #2!).

ETA - forgot to address your original question -- NO this is not in ANY WAY acceptable!!!

 

[rainbowtrout]

they didn''t charge us for the resizing, it was supposed to just be complementary with the ring. But we can''t afford another setting, so if they can''t fix this I feel as if they should give us a new setting...

 

[Kaleigh]

OMG, that''s terrible. I don''t know who you took it to but have a great bench jeweler that does work for me and isn''t far from the city. He''s listed on PS. Was just mentioned in Main Line Today magazine, May issue. Optima Jewelers, 610-668- 8676, on Mongomery Avenue in Bala Cynwyd. Ron Ly . But Oldminer can tell you more about how to proceed. My guy is awesome and does great work. He resotored my SIL''s antique ring and set her OEC that I found for her. Big HUGS. He''s closed on Sunday''s and Monday''s, BTW. Lisa

 

[rainbowtrout]

thank you! I don''t know if we can get there (no car) but I will look into it.

 

[crafftygrrl]

OH Rainbowtrout,

That''s awful... I hope you can get your ring fixed or get a new setting.

Your ring''s so pretty, too. Did you talk to the store manager or owner? They really should fix the problem at no cost to you.

Best of luck, and keep us posted.

 

[Kaleigh]

I''d talk to the store manager on Monday. That is poor workmanship to say the least. Then go from there. They should fix it for free, or give you a new setting. Ughh, I feel your pain.

 

[firebirdgold]

It is in *no* way acceptable. They should fix or replace for free and fire the bench jeweler! Was s/he the moron who let it get out the door with a prong not touching the stone? And I don''t understand how the desk people could have handed it back to you with giving it a look over first!

 

[widget]

Good grief....how awful!

I''d be wildly angry. If it couldn''t be returned to PERFECT condition I''d DEMAND a new mounting.

widget

 

[lilmaria]

any updates for us? did you talk to them? they should be able to either fix or replace it. good luck!!!!

 

[Shay37]

Absolutely UNACCEPTABLE!!!!!

They should fix it or replace it. There is no other option here. You did not cause this. Their bench man did. They are completely and wholly liable for that damage.

shay

 

[MissAva]

Oh RT, that is not good honey I am sorry. I dont know how they thought you would either not notice or not care. I hope they make it right.

 

[rainbowtrout]

thanks everyone. we are taking it into the shop on Monday and telling them what happened, and bringing pictures of the damage to boot. They are going to have to either replace it or fix it or refund us.

Haven''t talked to them much yet, we called to let them know we had seen the damage and the manager told us to bring the ring in and talk to the jeweler on Monday.

 

[rainbowtrout]

mostly I am just angry that the ring finally fits and now I can''t wear it! I''ve only had it a week. *breathes*

It''s going to be ok. We will just have to make it very clear what their options are.

 

[MissAva]

Date: 4/15/2006 6:46:26 PM
Author: rainbowtrout
mostly I am just angry that the ring finally fits and now I can''t wear it! I''ve only had it a week. *breathes*

It''s going to be ok. We will just have to make it very clear what their options are.

RT- I know how ya feel. I wish It could be better now. (hugs) Monday will be here soon, now go eat some easter candy with your fiance!

 

[Rhino]

...

 

[FireGoddess]

There sure ARE some stooges there...if only they knew it!

I hope everything is resolved on Monday, because this is in no way acceptable! If they''ve damaged your setting and can''t fix it...they need to replace it! (Though I''d personally be afraid to let them near it again...)

 

[rainbowtrout]

cute picture

I can''t decide if I should go with FI or let him go alone. He has pictures of all the damaged bits (7!) he is bringing in to show them that he''s documented it, and I''m not particularly needed. I''m not sure if two is better than one in this situation or not.

My only big fear is letting them unset the stone if the jewler is angry..what if he just scratches it out of spite or somesuch?

Also, the guy rhodium dipped it after he resized it. the ring is stamped plat...isn''t that a little odd?

 

[rainbowtrout]

here are some photos of the damage:

 

[rainbowtrout]

crunched pave

 

[denverappraiser]

Rainbow,

There’s no way for an appraiser to identify who caused a particular piece of damage and, unless they’ve seen the piece before, there’s no way for them to know if it was damaged before you got it. This is one of the primary reasons for getting appraisals on new items. It establishes a benchmark for defining the condition as of when you got it. That said, the marks on the side of the ring should be relatively easy to fix. Platinum is nicely malleable and this actually works better in Plat than with other metals. The metal spur on the prong is a little hard to guess about but it’s probably what’s known as ‘burr rag’ and is a leftover from the setting process. This too can also usually be easily fixed by a capable smith. The dent in the millgrain is the tough one and it’s a question for whoever made the ring. You may be right about this repair but you’d be surprised what’s possible with platinum, it’s a remarkable material in the right hands. Depending on who and how they made the piece, it may be easier to simply replace it and recycle the materials but this is a decision for the store and shop managers. This is a brand new ring, bought from this store and never worked on by a 3rd party, correct? Do you know who manufactured it? Who set the stone with the prong problems?

I would start with the store manager or owner. You are a valuable client and you are being treated badly by one of their employees. They have, in effect, sold you a defective ring as new. They may be completely unaware of the problem and when made aware of it, they may offer a swift and acceptable solution.

Recommending specific jewelers for service work is a touchy area for an appraiser because it treads closely to being a conflict of interest to recommend your friends, even the ones with great skills, and it can be a liability problem if they recommend against particular shops. Some appraisers will do it and others won’t. Ask about it during your appraisal. If they won’t give you a name, they should be able to assist you in designing a shopping strategy that will end in an appropriate shop.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[rainbowtrout]

I think you are totally right about the appraisal. I have been slowly coming to that conclusion, sadly. we are going in first thing in the morning to talk to the manager.

The store sold my FI the ring, set it, and told him to come back and they would size it for free. We came back, and the above damage resulted when they sized it.

 

[XChick03]

Oh rainbow, I''m so sorry this happened! This is actually why I haven''t gotten my ring sized yet, even though its about a half size too big. I would definitely talk to the manager and explain your situation to him/her. This is most certainly *not* acceptable and in the very least, they should offer you a new setting. I hope everything works out for you!

 

[Diam100]

Oh lord I''m so sorry. This happened to a dear friend who moved out of state & the first guy to size it screwed up her setting. It was awful. The platinum looked so thin at the bottom and it was out of shape like someone stepped on it. She ended up with a whole new setting it was that botched. Hugs..

 

[RockDoc]

Here''s Rock''s 2 cents on this.


The jeweler needs to put you back in the position that you were immediately before the "damage" happened.

If you had a new ring, accepting a "remade" or "rehashed" one is not in the same position you were in.

It appears you had a new ring, that was supposed to fit, and he was just to size it.

Neil may be right about the possibility of repairing the ring, but I''d think of this scenario equal to that of a new car that you took back to the dealer to have something adjusted and it get damage while at the dealership. Would you want you car patched up?

New is new!

Rockdoc

 

[widget]

The jeweler needs to put you back in the position that you were immediately before the ''damage'' happened.

New is new!

Rockdoc

I agree 100%!!!!!!!!!!

widget

 

[rainbowtrout]

allright then--I feel more comfortable now going in there and just saying "I want a new setting,thank you VERY much, and I don''t want your guy to set it." Of course I imagine I''ll be a tad more diplomatic than that, but that will be the essence.

Ugh I need to be working but I keep wondering how this whole thing is going to play out.

 

[denverappraiser]

Date: 4/15/2006 5:55:11 PM
Author: widget
Good grief....how awful!

I''d be wildly angry. If it couldn''t be returned to PERFECT condition I''d DEMAND a new mounting.

widget

Rock and Widget,

I agree with Widget’s original post. Rainbow is entitled to a 100% quality piece but manufacturing a ring is not the same as manufacturing a car. Each one is unique and each involves a series of steps in it’s creation that will vary slightly with each one. This is true even for multiple rings made from the same mold. Each is it’s own piece of sculpture. Adding metal or work where the artist feels more is needed is not the same as delivering a second quality piece of work in the same way that it would be if a dealership repaired a car that was damaged in their lot. If this had occurred during the manufacturing process it may have been melted and recycled or it may have simply involved going back to the benches for additional work. I don’t agree that this would result in a piece that is less than ‘new’. My guess is that the maker will decide that it’s easier to just start over and bill the jeweler for their efforts than to redo that side of the ring but there’s no way to tell this from a photograph. Fixing the burr rag and the tool marks is probably a matter of finishing incomplete work rather than what would normally be considered a repair, rather like the cleaning of the silver chain. These are evidence of a sloppy craftsman and that the store has sloppy quality controls, which are definitely bad signs, but it doesn’t mean that it will be impossible to make it right. That’s why I asked who made it. This is who should be consulted about whether their work has been destroyed and, if not, what would be required to make it perfect. The final decision is definitely the one by rainbowtrout. If she isn’t 100% happy with the final result, she should get a refund or a replacement as she prefers.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[rainbowtrout]

I''m not sure who made it, actually. I wasn''t there when he picked it out or I might have asked, but it didn''t seem that important at the time. I just want it not to be all marked up again, new mounting or not.

The inside of the ring is also sort of funky now, it has dark spots on it like water dried up on metal would look, if that makes any sense.

The store manager didn''t even look at the ring before the the guy gave it to me. My guess is that since it was right before Easter they were being lax? who know.

 

[moon river]

Date: 4/16/2006 2:01:53 PM
Author: rainbowtrout
allright then--I feel more comfortable now going in there and just saying ''I want a new setting,thank you VERY much, and I don''t want your guy to set it.'' Of course I imagine I''ll be a tad more diplomatic than that, but that will be the essence.

Ugh I need to be working but I keep wondering how this whole thing is going to play out.

I can''t believe this is happening to you!!!! And screw being diplomatic. After all the agony leading up to getting your gorgeous ring I''d say diplomacy is out the window.

I agree with wanting it fixed and NOT by the monster that did this damage. That''s gotta be some of the WORST I''ve seen. I hope things are straightened out in a hurry. Big hugs to you while you wait it out.