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Itty bitty chip on my stone. Wah!!!

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KristyDarling

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After I got my stone re-set from my old solitaire setting into my current 3-stone Leon, I wore it almost daily for 9 months before finally having it appraised for insurance purposes last week. (I know, stupid me) So, I never examined it with a loupe or anything and just assumed the stone was as perfect as it was when I sent it out to be set. My appraiser told me last week that under 10x loupe mag, he was able to see a teeny tiny chip in the diamond in between one of my double claw prongs. He said it was impossible to tell whether it happened during the setting process or as a result of normal wear over 9 months. He said if he HAD to guess, he'd think it was done during setting because of the location, but that would be impossible to confirm now after I've worn it for so long.

He said the chip could be polished out with almost no loss in weight, it was THAT small. I had a hard time finding it with the loupe in his office. So, I bought a loupe and tried to find it at home. At certain angles and if I look really hard, I can sort of make out a miniscule, very shallow chip on one of the crown facets. It's right smack dab in between 2 claw prongs. It bothers me AND it doesn't bother me....you know, the whole mind-clean thing.

What would you do? Would you have the stone taken out and re-polished? Would you just leave it? Would insurance cover the stone re-polish, even though it's been sitting in a new setting that they never knew about? How much does it cost to re-polish a stone anyway? I wouldn't feel right submitting a claim against Leon since I never had the stone inspected after it was set, so I could've easily been the one at fault. Would love to hear everyone's advice, but particularly from pro appraisers or those who've had a chipped diamond re-polished. THANKS!!!
 

DBM

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every time you put a diamond to the wheel (even if just the polishing wheel) you''re taking a risk. If the chip does not pose a danger of further chipping by snagging onto clothing or other dangers i''d advise to leave it until a time that you may choose to resell it in which case you may want to smooth it over for better sellability.

(of course you could get away with selling it as is with your certificate but that wouldn''t be ethical as i''m sure you know)
 

KristyDarling

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Date: 12/23/2006 7:05:20 PM
Author: DBM
every time you put a diamond to the wheel (even if just the polishing wheel) you''re taking a risk. If the chip does not pose a danger of further chipping by snagging onto clothing or other dangers i''d advise to leave it until a time that you may choose to resell it in which case you may want to smooth it over for better sellability.

(of course you could get away with selling it as is with your certificate but that wouldn''t be ethical as i''m sure you know)
Thanks, Daniel! Fortunately, the appraiser said the chip location definitely does not compromise the durability of the stone at all. He said if he were me, he''d just leave it, especially if I plan to just keep it forever (which I do). But the whole mind-clean thing...now that I know it''s there, I may not feel as good passing it down to the next generation when that time comes. Maybe I''ll just let whoever inherits it decide what to do about the chip. But heck, by then, there may be a dozen more chips and nicks on the stone!!!

The appraiser said that chips are just a fact of life with diamonds. Over a lifetime of wear, almost all diamonds will be damaged to some extent. I''m just bummed that my first chip had to happen so soon after purchase!
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DBM

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i definitely understand what you''re saying but i wouldn''t sweat. not worth getting upset over.

:) think of it as a lesson for life-- even if after getting married you encounter some "chips" accept them and keep moving forward :) although i don''t think DeBeers will be hiring me to write their ad campaigns anytime soon
 

KristyDarling

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Haha, thanks David. I just love this little chunk of rock so much that it pains me to know that there is an external blemish -- however tiny -- and that there will be more to come. Ouch!

I'll get over it, though!
 

Lynn B

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Oh Kristy, I am sooooo sorry.
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I honestly think, if it were me, I''d try to totally put it out of my mind. It doesn''t affect the structure or the beauty of your diamond AT ALL... so I would just try hard to forget about it. Probably much easier said than done, though, I know...
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decodelighted

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Wah!!! That''s def a bummer! I kinda think I''d leave it & try to "forget" about it though. Between claw prongs?...as protected an area as it can be? ... so hard to see even if you know what you''re looking through & have a loupe trained on it? ... just doesn''t seem worth the risk & hassle & emotional energy "fixing" it yanno?

I''d tell a long story about a funny physical anomoly that plastic surgeons urged me NOT to get "fixed" ... that the "fix" would be worse than the "problem" .. yet I tried, unsuccessfully ... twice ... to "fix" it on up ... with many icky complications ... only to have it recur AGAIN anyway ... and now I leave it "unfixed" & just deal! But that would be off the subject (kinda).
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And gross.
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DBM

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once a woman had an eternity band that needed tightening. during repair the setter saw that one of the stones was chipped (this was a real chip, clearly noticeable when pointed out). Knowing that the chip was not a fault of ours for us to pay for, we now were in the predicament of deciding whether to let the customer know or the alternative was to rotate the stone (they were Rounds) and place the location of the chip EXACTLY where the prongs go, thereby making it impossible to see the chip without really opening up the prong. What do you think we should have done? :) I''ll tell you what we did afterwards.
 

Kaleigh

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Date: 12/23/2006 7:23:38 PM
Author: DBM
once a woman had an eternity band that needed tightening. during repair the setter saw that one of the stones was chipped (this was a real chip, clearly noticeable when pointed out). Knowing that the chip was not a fault of ours for us to pay for, we now were in the predicament of deciding whether to let the customer know or the alternative was to rotate the stone (they were Rounds) and place the location of the chip EXACTLY where the prongs go, thereby making it impossible to see the chip without really opening up the prong. What do you think we should have done? :) I''ll tell you what we did afterwards.
First of all Kristy I am so sorry about the chip. As long as it''s tiny, I''d leave it be and try to forget about it. I know, so hard to do, but that''s what I would do.

DBM, I really hope you told the customer about the chip. As a consumer I''d want to know about it and have the right to decide what I''d want done. But hiding it with prongs, is just wrong to me. I know your setter wasn''t the cause of the chip. But would hope you told her about it. Not disclosing that info would be unethical to me.
 

Dee*Jay

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Oh KD, what a bummer!!! Honestly, I would let sleeping dogs lie. If it''s between the prongs it''s protected, and you had to search for it with a loupe to see it, so it''s not like it''s a glaring visual issue to the naked eye. I do feel your pain though!
 

roppongi

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Oh KD....I am so, so sorry...my heart just bottomed out reading your subject line. I would call your insurance company and tell them what your appraiser has told you. If they do cover it, I would definitely have it polished out (even if they didn''t cover it, I would polish it out). I think it would drive me crazy knowing that my stone had a chip, no matter how small it is. I would be afraid of having it "grow" over the next many many years of wear. Call your insurance company KD and at least ask them.

I am so sorry
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Roppongi
 

Shay37

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KD, I''m so sorry to hear this. It''s always such a bummer to read something like this especially knowing us PSobsessors.
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Little quiz: Everybody here who has their own loupe (or 2) raise your hand.
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I rest my case.

I would just try to put it out of mind. It is as protected as it can be, and after reading what Kenny went through with his asscher, I would just be hesitant to try to fix a chip for mind-cleanness. (not saying that''s what you did, Kenny. Just that it didn''t work out as you hoped for).

shay
 

Sundial

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Sorry to hear about the chip Kristy, but think of it like the first ding on your new car. At first it drives you crazy and you obsess about it, but eventually you put it behind you and move on. It is still the same beautiful ring you love it is now just personalized a little.
 

zhuzhu

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Date: 12/23/2006 7:23:38 PM
Author: DBM
once a woman had an eternity band that needed tightening. during repair the setter saw that one of the stones was chipped (this was a real chip, clearly noticeable when pointed out). Knowing that the chip was not a fault of ours for us to pay for, we now were in the predicament of deciding whether to let the customer know or the alternative was to rotate the stone (they were Rounds) and place the location of the chip EXACTLY where the prongs go, thereby making it impossible to see the chip without really opening up the prong. What do you think we should have done? :) I'll tell you what we did afterwards.

Having done business with DBM, they prob. showed the chipped stone to the customer and offered the options of (1) reset the chip under the prong or (2) replaciing that stone at cost or a minimum mark-up.

KristyDarling so sorry to hear about the chip. Well the chip prob. can't be seen by anyone else but if it still bothers you get the insurance to take care of the cost of polishing or replacement (may be harder to do emotionally). Best of luck and don't worry too much, enjoy the holidays!!!!
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Cehrabehra

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awww I''m sorry.. I wouldn''t take it out - too much additional risk. I''d wait until it needs to be taken out, then take care of all the nicks at once :)
 

mrssalvo

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I don''t think I''d mess with it right now. If you ever decide to reset your stone, have it polished out then. I had tiny chips on my OEC stone. My appraiser told me to leave them, it wasn''t really worth polishing them, they weren''t noticable to the naked eye and didn''t effect the structual integrity of the stone. I took his advice and left it alone.
 

RockDoc

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Well Kristy

I''m gonna go a little upstream here.

The chip wasn''t there ( or known to you ) before it was set. If you have insurance, they would pay to have it unmounted, and have it polished out, and put back in the mounting.

Most likely your insurance policy would cover this as well as any resultant problems. But you have a time limitation ( after the date of discovery ) to make a cliam.

While there is a risk in doing this, if the insurance company''s supplier does this and something happens it should be covered by your policy. ( the risk is pretty low though ). Bill Bray might be a good choice to ask about this. He is on the forum.

If you choose to not make a claim now, it''s probable you lose your right to do it under the terms of the policy.

You might want to discuss this with the insurance company''s claims dept. Ask the "what if" questions and see what your answer is.

That way you make an informed decision based on fact.

Rockdoc
 

scarleta

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I happened to my saphire a week of wearing it and I dropped it right on the cement..oops... I did bother me for some time .. as I was thinking what to do. I was told would be easy to repolish small crack only. Was not easy decision , but I decided not to touch it. I felt if I dropped it again after polishing I would be in trouble again.No problem, still like this stone as before and its my little secret that it has a small chip.. With time you will be able to accept this and love the stone the same way.. hope this helps you out..
 

kcoursolle

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oh man, what a bummer. I know it might be difficult, but I would try to live with it. I''m always worried about what could happen to it if additional work has to be done.
 

KristyDarling

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Thank you, Lynn, Deco, Lisa, DJ, Ropp, Shay, Sundial, Zhuzhu, Cehra, MrsS, Rockdoc, Scarleta, KCoursolle!

I''m leaning towards leaving the chip alone until I decide to reset it (which may happen years down the road). And Cehra had a good point in that by then, there will be other nicks and scratches to fix too! I think I''ll call insurance to ask the "what if" questions (good advice RockDoc) and just gather information on that end. If repolishing turns out to be a sensible option and one that I''d need to act on ASAP, then I''ll take it to Nan Stacy for her opinion on how risky the repair might be.

I knew I could count on you all for sage words!!! THANKS!
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Lorelei

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Kristy I just wanted to say I am so sorry this happened to your gorgeous rock, I think I would be inclined to leave it if it was me.
 

ForteKitty

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So if the chip is between the two claws, chances are you probably didn''t do it... does that mean Leon chipped it while setting it?
 

C Smith

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Chipped diamonds are a shame but not too terribly uncommon. That said, I'd look into having it polished out if it bothers you too much although I'd be inclined to leave it be if it's that small.

Are you certain is was not chipped before-hand? Maybe it was under a prong when you bought your ring initially? That's where benchmen put them in many cases. Did you or an appraiser look the stone over when you first bought it before setting or did you purchase pre-mounted?
 

dani13

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So sorry to hear about this, KD....I know its hard, but I would try to let it go for now....in a few yrs if/when you decide to re-set, you can deal with it then....
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KristyDarling

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Date: 12/24/2006 8:34:44 AM
Author: C Smith
Are you certain is was not chipped before-hand? Maybe it was under a prong when you bought your ring initially? That''s where benchmen put them in many cases. Did you or an appraiser look the stone over when you first bought it before setting or did you purchase pre-mounted?
Hi C Smith. I can''t be 100% certain it wasn''t chipped before Leon set it but I''d be VERY surprised if it were. It had been appraised twice in the 5 months that I owned the stone before I sent it to Leon for re-setting and no one ever spotted anything. And since Leon is regarded as a very honorable jeweler, I doubt that he would''ve let the chip go without saying something to me if he saw it before he re-set it.

My appraiser told me last week that one of many possible causes is that I could''ve smacked one of the prongs juuuust right so that the prong passed the impact to the diamond and chipped it there.
 

KristyDarling

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Thanks for the words of support, Lorelei, Forte, and Dani!
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I''m bummed but not crushed. We''ll see what the insurance company has to say about it.
 

:)

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Oh, KD, I am sorry - I know you must be bummed. My inclination would be to leave it alone, given it is so tiny and right between the little claws, and only consider polishing if you were already taking it out of the setting for another reason (i.e. setting change). You saw what Kenny went through with his Asscher - what if something happened during the repolishing? That said, Rockdoc offers new light on how the insurance would work (the clock ticking from time of discovery), and that said, I don''t know how much it costs to repolish. If the cost is in the thousands, I would contact the insurance, if it is in the hundreds, I would probably just hold off and only consider repolishing if it was unset for another reason (even then I would have to decide if I really wanted to repolish). But that is just me...
 

RockDoc

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Hi all

The reasons for my position about the insurance would be, that IF something negative would result in the recutting, it would probably be covered by the insurance.

If Kristy waits and has it done herself and something happens, it MIGHT not be covered.

If the re-polish goes well the cost would be minor, but IF the worst happened, the cost could be as much as the cost to replace the stone. In that event ( although very unlikely ) I think it would be better to have the insurance company on the hook, if in fact they would cover this under the terms of the policy that insure it currently.

If it was not insured, I''d agree with everyone with leaving it alone.

Rockdoc
 

Mara

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I'd not touch it if there's no chance of it creating more problems...the way I think of it is chances are over the next 10 or 20 years you will do way more damage to that stone during daily wear and tear than this tiny chip. I didn't even bother to have my stone/ring reappraised officially when I got it this last time...I just used WF's appraisal for insurance because quite honestly unless it's a totally different stone OR it has a big black spot in the middle or something I don't really care about tiny nuances I can't see with my eye. And even if it was a different stone or something, hahaa if I didn't know and couldn't tell then again I don't really care. I'm just way too lazy to worry about it as long as it looks good, esp considering I will have this stone for a very long period of time and who knows what might happen to it in my own care and possession. Nancy Stacy told me that over the years people ding up their girdle so much...so I just kind of figure that'll happen.
 

mrssalvo

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kristy you might be able to file a claim and opt to take a loss of value credit and not repolish it. I had this option when I eventually sumitted a stone chipped stone to insurance. they offered to replace or give me loss of value.
 
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