My New Solid Carved Ruby Bangle Bracelet

[minousbijoux]

Crappy luck. This one was by far my fave of all your gorgeous bangles, and every time I saw that another had snapped, I'd think "well at least it wasn't T's ruby bangle..."

 

[Burmesedaze]

I'm so sorry and I know how that hurts!

Second getting a jadeite bangle for durability.

 

[Gloria27]

I just liked your photo then scrolled down to see the bangle broken, oh no...

 

[lambskin]

Hinge them with gold lion heads!

 

[Tourmaline]

Crappy luck. This one was by far my fave of all your gorgeous bangles, and every time I saw that another had snapped, I'd think "well at least it wasn't T's ruby bangle..."

Me, too!! Arrrrggggghhhhhh.

 

[valeria101]

Damn !

I had no idea how these things wear ...

Of course, there are plenty of jadeite and nephrite bangles with tell-tale hinges around too, but have not heard of any breaking unexpectedly - there is always some dramatic story etc.

 

[Tourmaline]

Damn !

I had no idea how these things wear ...

Of course, there are plenty of jadeite and nephrite bangles with tell-tale hinges around too, but have not heard of any breaking unexpectedly - there is always some dramatic story etc.

Yeah, it was totally weird how it broke when I was being so gentle with it. Ugh.

 

[lilmosun]

oh no! It brings back memories of when I took a jade carving off our mantle to clean. In my rush, I forgot that it was two pieces and the top half fell off and shattered...my heart dropped in a similar fashion when I read this. I'm so sorry. Hopefully, it can be repaired..it will still be a beautiful piece mixed with gold.

 

[Tourmaline]

oh no! It brings back memories of when I took a jade carving off our mantle to clean. In my rush, I forgot that it was two pieces and the top half fell off and shattered...my heart dropped in a similar fashion when I read this. I'm so sorry. Hopefully, it can be repaired..it will still be a beautiful piece mixed with gold.

Ack!

 

[Tourmaline]

Rikoo has offered to repair the ruby bracelet with gold, and if it breaks again, they will give me a full refund. Amazing.

Please note: this is NOT the same company as Reiko, which I have found to be dishonest and totally lacking in appropriate customer relations.

 

[Bluegemz]

Rikoo has offered to repair the ruby bracelet with gold, and if it breaks again, they will give me a full refund. Amazing.

Please note: this is NOT the same company as Reiko, which I have found to be dishonest and totally lacking in appropriate customer relations.

That's great news Tourmaline!

 

[Burmesedaze]

Excellent customer service!

 

[stracci2000]

Wow, this so sad! The ruby was so beautiful!
I've had one jade bangle break on me, and several develop hairline cracks.
My current jade bangle is still in good shape after 11 years of continuous wear.

 

[mayday]

I am so sorry this gorgeous bangle broke, and understandably also broke your heart. Like everyone else I was reading, drooling, reading ----- and then, the disaster. Here's hoping the repair restores this elegant and unique piece to glory. Thanks for sharing the proposed solution.

 

[Tourmaline]

I am so sorry this gorgeous bangle broke, and understandably also broke your heart. Like everyone else I was reading, drooling, reading ----- and then, the disaster. Here's hoping the repair restores this elegant and unique piece to glory. Thanks for sharing the proposed solution.

Thanks, mayday. The pieces of the bracelet are on their way to China.

 

[Tourmaline]

You guys, I am so frustrated!!! Rikoo insisted that I send the broken bangle by insured USPS. The only way to do that was Global Express Guaranteed. They assured me there wouldn't be a problem and that they would reimburse me for shipping and if anything went wrong with the package, they would refund me for the bracelet. WELL...it's had a clearance delay for days, and I wrote to ask about it. He said there's a problem with the package and that I sent it By FedEx (which isn't true - I sent it USPS, but USPS apparently partners with FedEx) and customs is trying to charge them $2500 to pick up the package. (HUH???) So he said they're not going to accept the package, and to "please wait". Wait for what? SO I called FedEx and requested a return to sender so FedEx doesn't throw away the abandoned package. I will have to pay for that, so I will be out $276.50 for shipping NOWHERE! And he expects me to wait for WHAT? Ugh!

 

[princessandthepear]

So heartbreaking. I hope that you can hinge them so that you can enjoy the gorgeous unique color.

 

[Tourmaline]

Terrible update: the seller told me to send by USPS insured, and the only way to do that was Global Express Guaranteed. I did that, and then I noticed there were clearance delays. I wrote to the seller and they told me that I had sent it by FedEx (not true) and customs was trying to charge them the full declared value in taxes to receive it, so they were not going to accept the package. It turns out that USPS partners with FedEx for Global Express, and everyone you try to talk to sends you to someone else. I tried to have the package returned to me, but Chinese customs hasn't released it. It has been almost two months, and the package is languishing in a warehouse in China. USPS claims no responsibility and FedEx tells me that it's not lost, it's merely withheld, so it doesn't qualify for claiming the insurance on it. Ugh, ugh, ugh.

 

[princessandthepear]

That is such sad news. I hope that the bangle can be returned to you. It was such an amazing luscious color and you must miss its beauty. Sending cyber hugs and wishing you a speedy resolution.

 

[kenny]

Wow, what a thread.
It was so beautiful!
I had no idea there were ruby bangles.
Now we learn why.

I like the suggestion of having a hinge and a latch installed.

Another idea, have it cut and polished into several cabochons for a bracelet or necklace.

 

[kenny]

Terrible update: the seller told me to send by USPS insured, and the only way to do that was Global Express Guaranteed. I did that, and then I noticed there were clearance delays. I wrote to the seller and they told me that I had sent it by FedEx (not true) and customs was trying to charge them the full declared value in taxes to receive it, so they were not going to accept the package. It turns out that USPS partners with FedEx for Global Express, and everyone you try to talk to sends you to someone else. I tried to have the package returned to me, but Chinese customs hasn't released it. It has been almost two months, and the package is languishing in a warehouse in China. USPS claims no responsibility and FedEx tells me that it's not lost, it's merely withheld, so it doesn't qualify for claiming the insurance on it. Ugh, ugh, ugh.

So sorry for all this.

But I'm missing something.
Did you ship it back to the seller (which apparently is in China), if so, why, for installation of a hinge?

 

[Tourmaline]

So sorry for all this.

But I'm missing something.
Did you ship it back to the seller (which apparently is in China), if so, why, for installation of a hinge?

It was for it to be repaired with gold. I don’t think it was going to be a hinge. But now it’s just languishing.

 

[kenny]

Thanks.
Good luck on your project.
I think it's so cool and unique!

When reporting how it broke you wrote this, "Just now, I was taking the ruby one off, gently and with lubrication, and it broke in half in my hands."

The stress of being stretched over your hand is what made it break.
Clearly the material cannot handle much stress in that direction.

The inner diameter of the bangle must increase or you need surgery to make your hand smaller.

That's why I'd strongly recommend a hinge you can open when you put it on and take it off.
The hinge will eliminate the damaging stress to the ruby material.

That, or purposely increase the diameter a bit so there's less stress when it is pushed over your hand.
Lubrication just reduces friction with your skin.
Lube can not reduce the size of your hand.
That means lube does nothing to reduce the stress the widest part of your hand puts on the bangle.

 

[Tourmaline]

Kenny, the seller refused the package two months ago and Chinese customs refuses to release it. It’s...gone.

 

[kenny]

Kenny, the seller refused the package two months ago and Chinese customs refuses to release it. It’s...gone.

Oh, I'm sorry.
You didn't state you have completely given up on ever getting it back.

You only wrote, "It turns out that USPS partners with FedEx for Global Express, and everyone you try to talk to sends you to someone else. I tried to have the package returned to me, but Chinese customs hasn't released it. It has been almost two months, and the package is languishing in a warehouse in China. USPS claims no responsibility and FedEx tells me that it's not lost, it's merely withheld, so it doesn't qualify for claiming the insurance on it. Ugh, ugh, ugh."

That sounds like a nightmare of horrible red tape, but if it was my money I'd keep pursuing it.

 

[shinyrocks]

Oh how terrible! I'm so saddened to read this, as I hadn't seen the wonderful start to this thread until today. Hopefully it will turn up. Sometimes these things can take ages. I once had a spinel that I was trying to return to Thailand, and the same thing happened. Only with mine, it completely dropped off the map. No trace. Then, about 4 months later, there it was at my house, return to sender. No explanation, nothing. Don't give up hope!

 

[Tourmaline]

Ok, I finally have a satisfactory update. Because I shipped the way the seller told me to and the seller would not accept the package, PayPal gave me a refund. Thank goodness! After almost three months and a billion phone calls, emails and headaches, the broken bangle was returned to me. In that time, the company changed the person who handles customer service emails. I got a reimbursement from the seller for my first (USPS) shipping cost and the cost of receiving the package back (which I was charged by FedEx), as well as an advance on the cost of shipping to them again. Tomorrow I will ship it to them by tracked but not insured priority mail, and that will be the end of my tenure with the ruby bangle. My goodness.

 

[kenny]

Glad something is finally going right for you.

 

[Tourmaline]

Glad something is finally going right for you.

Well, lots of things go right for me, but thanks.

 

[kenny]

Well, lots of things go right for me, but thanks.

I mean regarding the topic of your (this) thread.