My worst nightmare - chipped diamond!

[ihy138]

Sigh, you never think it will happen to you! The OEC/transitional diamond in my engagement ring has chipped. I have no idea how it happened, but I recently noticed it. I thought it was dirty at first, but my jeweler has confirmed that it is indeed a chip, and a sizable one at that. It seems to have really changed the appearance of the diamond and the facet pattern. I can almost see the chip reflecting in other parts of the stone,making it appear dirty (see photos attached). This is only up close. I think the chip is really only noticeable to me. I had to point it out to my husband multiple times and my friends - they couldn't find it.

My ring is not insured right now (I know, I know), but I doubt insurance would have covered that anyway. Anyone else deal with this? What should I do?

ETA: Chip is by the bottom left prong.

 

[denverappraiser]

Most insurance policies do cover this. I understand this doesn't apply here for the benefit of other readers.

That said, the first thing to do is to evaluate the damage. If your jeweler has the skills, ask them what it'll take to repair that, If the don't, and frankly most don't, talk to an appraiser. Most have experience with this. There's a list at the top of the page under the resources tab.

 

[yssie]

Oh no I'm SO sorry ihy!!!!

Of course I see it, and what you mean re. reflections throughout the stone And your stone is in a halo, too - this must have been the one-in-ten-thousand type of freak accident


On the good news front... I often think diamond cutters must be magicians in their spare time! We've seen a handful of posts wherein a chipped stone was salvaged with astounding results and little loss. Ditto talking to an appraiser to get a better idea of the extent of damage, and then perhaps reach out to GOG, Ari (SS), Grace (JbG) - all of whom have experience with these older facet patterns - and see what they suggest?

 

[ihy138]

Most insurance policies do cover this. I understand this doesn't apply here for the benefit of other readers.

That said, the first thing to do is to evaluate the damage. If your jeweler has the skills, ask them what it'll take to repair that, If the don't, and frankly most don't, talk to an appraiser. Most have experience with this. There's a list at the top of the page under the resources tab.

Thank you very much for your response. That's good to know re: insurance. What would they have done to rectify this? Stone replacement?

My jeweler said I have the following options: 1. Live with it, as he feels the chip does not impact the integrity of the stone. 2. Have it re-cut or polished. He was not able to speak to how much weight it would lose or whether his diamond cutter would even be able to maintain the original facet pattern. He said the cutter would have to look at it to evaluate this. 3. Sell it, obviously at a loss.

 

[ihy138]

Oh no I'm SO sorry ihy!!!!

Of course I see it, and what you mean re. reflections throughout the stone And your stone is in a halo, too - this must have been the one-in-ten-thousand type of freak accident


On the good news front... I often think diamond cutters must be magicians in their spare time! We've seen a handful of posts wherein a chipped stone was salvaged with astounding results and little loss. Ditto talking to an appraiser to get a better idea of the extent of damage, and then perhaps reach out to GOG, Ari (SS), Grace (JbG) - all of whom have experience with these older facet patterns - and see what they suggest?

Thank you, Yssie!! I thought a halo was protective but of course you never can be too sure. If the prongs were larger or claw shaped, perhaps this would not have happened. I can't beat myself up about it. It was definitely a freak thing, because I wear my ring only 1-2x per week.

I'm glad the situation may be hopeful! Great idea about reaching out to a vendor. Do you think there is a specific appraiser that would be better able to deal with this situation?

 

[denverappraiser]

Most insurance policies do cover this. I understand this doesn't apply here for the benefit of other readers.

That said, the first thing to do is to evaluate the damage. If your jeweler has the skills, ask them what it'll take to repair that, If the don't, and frankly most don't, talk to an appraiser. Most have experience with this. There's a list at the top of the page under the resources tab.

Thank you very much for your response. That's good to know re: insurance. What would they have done to rectify this? Stone replacement?

My jeweler said I have the following options: 1. Live with it, as he feels the chip does not impact the integrity of the stone. 2. Have it re-cut or polished. He was not able to speak to how much weight it would lose or whether his diamond cutter would even be able to maintain the original facet pattern. He said the cutter would have to look at it to evaluate this. 3. Sell it, obviously at a loss.

Yes, what I would expect an insurer to do is replace the stone.

The jeweler is basically correct, as far as it goes. It's that 'cutter evaluation' I'm suggesting.

Selling it will be hard, for obvious reasons. Yes, if you do it, there will be a considerable value impact here.

 

[ihy138]

Thank you, Denverappraiser. That was all quite helpful. I didn't realize ring coverage would be that comprehensive. I am checking with my insurance broker now to see if there is anything my renter's insurance can do.

 

[ihy138]

Also wondering if folks here have had their diamonds re-cut and who did them?

 

[YadaYadaYada]

First off, sorry about your stone, I'm sure that is upsetting.

I used to work in insurance and I encountered this situation before with a client and they replaced the stone. It could depend on the company though. If you schedule this on your homeowners insurance (meaning they would list it and the value) then you eliminate the deductible and you will be covered in case you lose it as well. So, it's worth looking into. There is a separate charge to schedule jewelry that is based on appraised value so you might need to submit an appraisal or receipt when you add it on.

Hope this helps.

 

[yssie]

BGD has done a few PS recuts, but I would recommend other vendors who specialize in antique faceting. Yoram F. Has designed and cut stones for both GOG and DBL and is an absolute miracle-worker when it comes to shaping beautiful diamonds from rough of unlikely proportions... Grace specializes in antique stones and may have recommendations for you, and Ari has done some PS recuts and diamond re-finishes as well - Kelpie's OEC comes first to mind.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/rb-to-oec-recut-before-and-after-pics.177547/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/rb-to-oec-recut-before-and-after-pics.177547/[/URL]
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/single-stone-re-polish-results.142112/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/single-stone-re-polish-results.142112/[/URL]

I definitely think that getting a professional opinion on the extent of damage is the first step.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I would use Jonathan at GOG to evaluate it to see if it can recut. You need cutters experienced with OECs. I am so sorry!

 

[MollyMalone]

I can't now remeber his name, but whomever Adam of Old World Diamonds uses has done similar evaluations & refurbishing cuts for some PSers.

 

[MarionC]

I'm sure just about everyone knows this, but I was surprised to learn that my homeowners' policy covered nothing but theft.
Thanks to PS I immediately got good coverage with a company that specializes not only in theft, but damage and mysterious loss.

I am sorry about your stone, ihy. I hope that when you pursue the suggestions here you find a solution that makes a happy ending!

 

[MissGotRocks]

I'm sure just about everyone knows this, but I was surprised to learn that my homeowners' policy covered nothing but theft.
Thanks to PS I immediately got good coverage with a company that specializes not only in theft, but damage and mysterious loss.

I am sorry about your stone, ihy. I hope that when you pursue the suggestions here you find a solution that makes a happy ending!

You must have an additional jewelry rider as an addition to your homeowner's policy to cover all losses. There is an additional premium for this rider as there are strict limitations to general homeowner's policies covering jewelry. A rider requires a separate appraisal and/or bill of sale for each piece listed - the same as if you were insuring through Jeweler's Mutual or Chubb.

 

[ihy138]

Hi all!! Just now seeing these replies. Thank you all so much for your feedback and kind thoughts. The damage looks so much worse in photos, but I do notice it on occasion in person. PSer eagle eyes be damned! I may just live with it as long as it is structurally sound, though. I didn't realize so many PSers have done re-cuts. I'm going to do a little research and most likely contact one of the vendors mentioned here to evaluate my stone. If the price and circumstances are right, I think a re-cut will be in the cards. And yes, lesson learned, I will get it appraised and insured straight away! Before this, I was actually thinking of a reset. I was going to have it appraised and insured upon reset. Of course, something like this always happens without insurance.