New green sapphire ring with surface damage

[drw89]

Hello!

I ordered a green sapphire engagement ring online, and the moment I received it it already had a scratch / dent in the gem.
I know that natural gemstones have imperfections, inclusions etc. But is it normal acceptable that I received the ring with a surface imperfection (about 1 mm)?

 

[dk168]

Welcome to PS!

There is not a lot of information to go by, hence the following questions.

Was the surface imperfection disclosed to you when you ordered the ring?

Did you see close up photos of the ring and the stone itself before you agreed to purchase it?

Did you purchase the stone and setting separately for the stone to be set by a local jeweller?

Hopefully, the experts will come along soon to offer their advice and wisdom.

DK

 

[drw89]

Hi DK!

Thank you !

Sorry, I should have disclosed more information!

The noob that I am, I ordered this complete ring from Glamira, since there are rather few real jewellery stores around here and I didn't want to spend a fortune. You can basically select a diamond or gem from a list, select the quality (I selected a AAA green sapphire), and then they make the ring based on your order/wishes. The trust pilot reviews were rather high with a large number of reviews, so I trusted that.

I just wanted a decent green sapphire ring for a not too high price (complete ring was about 1400 euros). So I definitely didn't go gem hunting or was expecting the most perfect gem.

But no image was sent up front, so I had no idea what I could expect (amateur behavior from my side apparently )
Edit: Surface imperfection was not disclosed up front.

I'm just wondering if it is acceptable at this price range to get a 1.02 crt AAA green sapphire with a surface imperfection, or if this is something that should be fixed (if even possible??) or replaced?

 

[chrono]

No, this is not fixable. It looks like a natural inclusion that breaks the surface. If you are within the return period, I would return it for a refund or exchange with an explanation of what you received vs expectations.

 

[drw89]

Thanks for your message chrono!

I don't know if my expectation for a green sapphire for this price without "surface inclusions" is a realistic expectation though? Can you enlighten me on that?
Is this not something that I can expect again for this price if I order with them?

 

[chrono]

I am going to presume the sapphire is heated, which should make the price affordable and within your price range. Sapphire in that size (and in general) are eye clean or at the very least should not have any inclusions that break the surface.

I would bring this up with the company to ensure this doesn't happen again. if they cannot guarantee that, I would shop elsewhere. Note that the notation A, AA, and AAA are not industry standard and will vary from company to company as it is a notation that is set individually and is not a universally agreed upon standard.

 

[drw89]

Thank you for taking the time to respond and explain! I will get in contact with the company to see what they can do for me .

 

[pokerface]

I would stay away from any company advertising sapphires as AAA because this is a meaningless designation and reputable companies do not use this language. Any time you order a non-melee gem from a website where there is more than one gem available in the exact same size, chances are that gem is synthetic or simulated. In addition, the ring does not look to be well-made. I am confident that with PS help you could do a lot better for your money.

 

[drw89]

Hi pokerface, thanks for your insights!

Uneducated as I am (on gemstones), I have no reason to believe that they used a synthetic gem in the ring that I received. You can choose to have a synthetic stone in some of the rings they offer, but I didn't make that choice. And their legal section reassures that all their stones are natural. (Are simulated gems considered natural?)

Of course, I'm everything but an expert and can be easily deceived . That's why I valued the TrustPilot reviews in my decision.

Regarding the ring itself, what makes you say that it doesn't look to be well-made? I loved the ring when I saw it! But I have zero knowledge about build quality.

 

[pokerface]

It's certainly possible that this stone is a natural sapphire, as this color green is plentiful and not particularly expensive. A reminder that a natural stone does not mean UNTREATED and treatments such as lead glass and flux can render a stone virtually worthless. A simulated gem is definitely not a natural gem, it is a material such as glass manufactured to appear to be a gem.

IMO TrustPilot cannot be trusted when it comes to gems, because if a person is knowledgable and committed to purchasing a natural gem, they would never be buying from a website that has stock photos rather than individual gems, and they would insist upon a gem certificate from a reputable lab. If a person is trying to save money by purchasing from a place like Glamira, they are pretty definitely not shelling out the money to verify the authenticity or quality of the gem received, and therefore may be perfectly content to live with an unknown product. A quick Google search reveals a number of people who think Glamira is a fraud:

https://www.reddit.com/r/EngagementRings/comments/hapajc

How can I tell this ring is not well-made? Others can chime in, but if you start to look at PS, you will be able to notice the difference between high-quality craftsmanship and mass produced stock settings. This ring is definitely the latter. The metal work is basic and uneven. The prongs are not well-formed and from what I can tell from the one photo, the diamonds are low color and low clarity.

1400 euros is not a small sum and I really think that you could get a very nice natural green sapphire from a reputable vendor in a well-made setting for just about the same price.

 

[drw89]

Sigh, it hurts me that I've been this blind / stupid. Thanks for your well written post, I dearly appreciate it!

I did that whole "glamira scam" google search thing, but only in the language of my region. In my region there were a few of the "Can Glamira be trusted?" forum posts, but here people mostly love their stuff, and I couldn't find any red flag posts that made me doubt. Just a few "had to send back, after repair was satisfied" reactions, but mostly loving reactions. As I was typing this I double checked, I think I was just blinded for all the bad stuff that was being said because I wanted it to be a good website/deal, but people here are also not very excited about them...

I have sent the ring back for a refund today, with the thought of reordering a new one there. But now I'm very much steering away from ever opening their website again.

Any recommendations for a good website where I can order an engagement ring online? Somewhere in Europe / Scandinavia?

Thanks again!

 

[LD]

I wonder if there was an imperfection in the stone and when it was set, the pressure of pressing the claw over the stone made it worse? At the end of the day, for an "AAA gemstone" (which means nothing), you wouldn't expect this so I'm glad you sent it back. Don't worry about not asking the questions beforehand. It's a learning curve and you've learned lots from this purchase unfortunately.

 

[dk168]

OP, don't kick yourself as it is all part of the learning curve!

I have only ever bought one cheapo ring many years ago as a complete ring and wised up after joining PS.

Therefore I can't recommend a vendor for you. Hopefully the others could help you.

DK

 

[drw89]

Thanks for all your messages!
It just sucks! The design of the ring was exactly what I was looking for, and the gem was (save for the crack) even more what I was in love with.
If it didn't have the damaged surface, I would have accepted the ring and loved it without a second thought.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Sigh, it hurts me that I've been this blind / stupid. Thanks for your well written post, I dearly appreciate it!

I did that whole "glamira scam" google search thing, but only in the language of my region. In my region there were a few of the "Can Glamira be trusted?" forum posts, but here people mostly love their stuff, and I couldn't find any red flag posts that made me doubt. Just a few "had to send back, after repair was satisfied" reactions, but mostly loving reactions. As I was typing this I double checked, I think I was just blinded for all the bad stuff that was being said because I wanted it to be a good website/deal, but people here are also not very excited about them...

I have sent the ring back for a refund today, with the thought of reordering a new one there. But now I'm very much steering away from ever opening their website again.

Any recommendations for a good website where I can order an engagement ring online? Somewhere in Europe / Scandinavia?

Thanks again!

don't feel bad
so long as you get a full refund no harm is done
i have a drawer full of mall purchases of probably similar quality

i have seen their adds - it did all look good so i thank you for posting this thread
i think your saphire was the most lovelly colour but like has been said the good and knowledgeable people of PS can help you
i love green saphires so i look forward to your journey

 

[JewelledEscalators]

Thanks for all your messages!
It just sucks! The design of the ring was exactly what I was looking for, and the gem was (save for the crack) even more what I was in love with.
If it didn't have the damaged surface, I would have accepted the ring and loved it without a second thought.

If you really like the ring, can't you ask them to send you a new one without the inclusion/crack, and ask them for a photo before sending it out so that you can see that it's the case (to the extent that it is visible in a photo)?

 

[drw89]

I couldn't fall asleep last night and tried to find a similar ring, but unfortunately nothing remotely close came up.

Also something important about glamira: the ring came with a white tag with a code on it. Because my eagerness and excitement got the better of me when i received the ring, I took that tag off, not giving it a second thought. Now their customer service said that for a refund to be eligible, the tag must not be removed. There is a chance that I might not get the flipping refund but instead get store credit, or worse; nothing back at all and only "free repairs".
Customer service person told me that I do have a chance for a refund because I mailed them directly after receiving the ring, but made no promises.
Will post back here with the result of this process.

 

[drw89]

If you really like the ring, can't you ask them to send you a new one without the inclusion/crack, and ask them for a photo before sending it out so that you can see that it's the case (to the extent that it is visible in a photo)?

I really do like the ring a lot! But I feel kind of dirty and scammed.
If I don't get a refund but only store credit, I probably will (have to).

 

[Avondale]

You're in the EU, right? If you are, you have consumer rights when making an online purchase, namely you have the right to return the item within 2 weeks of receiving it. This right is unconditional, you're not required to have a reason for wanting to return it, and a removed tag cannot be used by the shop as grounds to refuse the refund.

Your consumer rights are initially codified in the EU legislation but they're also tranposed in national legislations, so you can quote the respective law for your country if the Glamira branch you're shopping from is local to you. Many businesses rely on consumers not being familiar with the full scope of their rights but backtrack immediately once they see they're dealing with someone knowledgeable.

 

[drw89]

Correct, Sweden to be precise. Ordered from the Swedish glamira website. Will definitely mention that to them if they start to make a problem out the refund part.
Thanks Avondale!

 

[drw89]

Did some research, and in their policy (and the Swedish ARN (reclamation) website) it states that objects that have been made specifically according to the wishes of their customers are excluded from this right. So it might just be that I'm royally flipped, because I removed their white tag.
But will of course update here regarding their final verdict.

 

[DutchJackie]

Hi,

I hope you get your refund! https://www.diamondsbyme.nl/ is based in the Netherland, but they also sell in Germany. I have a necklace with pendant from them and I like it a lot. I don’t know about rings. They offer custom work. I would check with them if they can help you with a green sapphire.

 

[pokerface]

An item has not been made according to your wishes if you have removed the tag. The tag has nothing to do with the creation or manufacture of the item. Like I said above, this is a mass produced stock setting with a precut sapphire (that was already cut to specification) that you did not individually select. This ring is simply not the sort of item intended to be excluded from customer protection - but of course, being right doesn't ensure a just result. Good luck.

 

[CaseyLouLou]

An item has not been made according to your wishes if you have removed the tag. The tag has nothing to do with the creation or manufacture of the item. Like I said above, this is a mass produced stock setting with a precut sapphire (that was already cut to specification) that you did not individually select. This ring is simply not the sort of item intended to be excluded from customer protection - but of course, being right doesn't ensure a just result. Good luck.

I agree. This was not a custom design and you didn’t choose the stone. Also you didn’t get what you ordered due to the flaw.

If you really like the ring design I wouldn’t worry about what others have said about not being high end craftsmanship. If it looked ok to you and you take it to someone local to make sure the prongs are secure then maybe you can just have another made with another stone. Ask them for photos of some stones so you can choose one. The colors may vary and you can look for flaws. Also ask them to confirm they do not see any visible flaws in the stone.

The price you paid wasn’t cheap at all but jewelry is expensive so it’s not terrible either. If you aren’t in a hurry then you could let people here find some options for you before you decide.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Hello!

I ordered a green sapphire engagement ring online, and the moment I received it it already had a scratch / dent in the gem.
I know that natural gemstones have imperfections, inclusions etc. But is it normal acceptable that I received the ring with a surface imperfection (about 1 mm)?

how are you getting along with this?

 

[Autumn in New England]

I agree with @chrono, as usual, and the others who said that for the price you paid for this size and variety of sapphire, along with the modest semi-mount, one would not expect to have a surface-reaching fissure in the stone. IMO, this ring must go back. It's not even a question of value or aesthetics... that stone is just begging to cleave at the very first hint of a bump to the adjacent prong.

Let us know how it goes... best of luck! And welcome to the forum!!