Jeweler Unable to Set Stone - Damaging Setting

[jenzgemz]

Hi everyone, looking for some input and perhaps some conflict resolution ideas on this situation. Been trying to get my rhodolite garnet set in a white gold setting I purchased, found a jeweler that was willing to do the work. I told him others had looked at the setting and had turned the job down, and he needed to be sure. Before agreeing to take the job, he walked the ring back to his son (who does the work) and they both assured me it was possible, his son was an engineer, etc. I emphasized that the stone needed to be held securely, they said no problem.

Fast forward to picking up the ring a few weeks ago, the stone is loose and wobbly in the setting. They wanted me to take the ring like that and just be "very careful". Not sure that paying $150 to *not* wear a ring is what I had in mind. We talked about some other options, including trading my setting (which I love) for a different one in his store. Agreed to pick the project back up after Xmas. When I left there on Saturday, they said they would give it one more shot to set it securely, I told them if they can't get it secure then please just take the stone out of the ring. Today, they called and said they can't get the stone set, and it would damage the channels on the ring if they have to take the stone out. They would have to "grind down" the channels. This is sounding to me like they will damage my ring trying to take the stone out.

What started out tricky has gone from bad to worse. I lack the technical knowledge to know how to best deal with this. I think they are still trying to work out how to get the $150 out of me. At this point I am thinking it's better to call the $150 a loss and tell them don't touch the ring, leave the loose stone in it. This didn't look to me like that big of a deal, maybe a half bezel setting? It didn't require sizing. He keeps calling it a tension mount.

Appreciate you reading this far, and any words of wisdom on where to go from here. Thank you!

 

[blingmeupscotty]

It is definitely a tension setting. There is no bezel protection around it. if there were it would change the entire face of the design with block metal sides. I can only see this being an issue if the dimensions of the new stone weren't the same as the old. I've seen bezel settings lose but never tension settings.

Now, having said all of that, I really don't understand what the issue is, unless he's unfamiliar with setting tensions and what the specific caveats are. At this point, I wouldn't let him move forward with anything, take your materials back and tell him thank you for your time. There may be an online vendor that could help you. Did he say why they couldn't set it exactly? it has to be with the mm length of the stone. that's my guess.

 

[jenzgemz]

It is definitely a tension setting. There is no bezel protection around it. if there were it would change the entire face of the design with block metal sides. I can only see this being an issue if the dimensions of the new stone weren't the same as the old. I've seen bezel settings lose but never tension settings.

Now, having said all of that, I really don't understand what the issue is, unless he's unfamiliar with setting tensions and what the specific caveats are. At this point, I wouldn't let him move forward with anything, take your materials back and tell him thank you for your time. There may be an online vendor that could help you. Did he say why they couldn't set it exactly? it has to be with the mm length of the stone. that's my guess.

Thank you for your reply, I do appreciate the time you took to respond. Even though I had told him to not work in it any further, when I returned he had corrected the problem with some kind of film inside the mounting. Seems secure enough for now and I'm happy to finally be wearing this ring!

 

[theredspinel]

I’m glad you got it sorted but for future FYI, it is a tension mount and by it’s very nature it’s not the most secure of settings at all.

Google tension mounts and again just fyi for the future incase the stone falls out - In this case I would blame the type of setting (tension) over blaming the setter. Please do be careful wearing it, it’s a pretty ring!!

ETA tension mounts are usually made very specifically to the stone they’re going to hold; the indent for the thickness of the girdle that will hold the stone in place is very precise to have a good fit.