Opinions needed + sharing my disappointing story with JA and their "quality assurance".

[Gadabout44]

Some of you may be familiar with my long journey in shopping for an engagement ring, it took a couple months until I finally found a diamond on JA. It took another week to decide on a ring setting. And it took countless delays that caused me to reschedule my engagement plans. The ring took about 6 weeks to arrive, double the estimate time. When we received the ring, it took us some time to notice the defects on the prongs. We were stunned by the beauty of the ring that we did not notice this right away. One of the prongs seem to be slightly larger than the other 3, but that wasn’t the worst part. The biggest issue was that the prongs were not properly aligned / symmetrical.

I posted a thread about it here. Which includes photos: https://www.pricescope.com/communit...rmal-for-prongs-to-not-be-symmetrical.240803/

I was very disappointed; considering the fact that it took numerous delays for the ring to arrive. JA told me that it was going through a long quality assurance period. (I was told that they weren’t satisfied with the final product, so they decided to re-do the setting) which caused the delay.

Truthfully, I am not sure how the “final product” passed the quality assurance (under professional's eyes) with the uneven and misaligned prongs. I didn’t think too much of it, I proposed, my now fiancé said yes, so I was content. I sent back the ring to have it corrected, it took just over 3 weeks for them to complete the “repair”.

I received the ring 2 days ago. My fiancé felt there was something different and it did not appeal as much as it did when she first noticed. We couldn’t find out what it was, so we went to Kay Jewelers and have them check the GIA number on the girdle. Just to have a peace of mind and confirm that we received the same beautiful diamond. Well thankfully it was the same diamond. We got back home, and inspect the ring some more. We compared photos of the ring that I took when I first received it, and we realized that it’s the prongs!

When I was asking PS for suggestions in a thread I posted. I was convinced that I wanted claw prongs. So I chose this https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...t-pave-wire-basket-engagement-ring-item-53021 solely because it was the perfect design, and it was one of the few clawed settings that fits my fiancé’s taste. I purchased this in platinum.

The “corrected” ring that was sent back to us did fix the alignment issue; however, the prongs are no longer claws! They are rounded. Words cannot explain how disappointed I am right now. It was hard enough for my fiancé to go without her ring for 3 weeks after she had just received it, and now she is saddened that we must send it back a second time. This really puts a dent in our plans (yet again), we had to postpone many of our family gatherings (or ring introduction as you may) because we had to wait for the ring to be repaired, or what I like to say “corrected”. And now I am afraid that we will have to postpone plans again (which involves) travelling to meet family from both sides. We are recently engaged and because of JA’s failure to send me a quality product, we are feeling miserable right now.

I am sharing this story for any potential shoppers to be warned on what they may have to deal with when shopping through JA. Countless delays and failed quality assurance with JA. Of course, I may just be one of the unlucky ones, and many may have had perfect experience with them. But I really find it hard to believe that two errors could pass their quality assurance, or is this whole quality assurance thing a myth?

I am also asking for opinions. As I stated, my fiancé and I have dealt with so much that goes beyond the quality of the ring. I feel that JA owes me more than another another attempt at fixing this. How can I handle this with JA? I also would like to ask the community for another set of eyes to inspect the ring. Besides the rounded prongs which should have been claws, are there any other difference you can spot? I understand that its hard to detect, the first photos were taken under a different setting, and lighting in comparison to the recent photos. I just feel the ring is not as beautiful as it was when we first received it. Are claw prongs that much of a game changer? I sense that something other the prong is different.

PS. As stated this has been repaired once, I am worried repairing it a second time might ruin the quality of the platinum. I am not sure what the procedure is, but would remolding the platinum and recasting it cause any impurities or lose its durability?

Initial photos when I first received the ring (before any corrections were made): https://imgur.com/a/p1ZBZzo
Recent photos after the corrections: https://imgur.com/a/HrW2seQ

TLDR (Short story): 1) Ring had misaligned and uneven sized prongs. 2) Sent back for "repairs". 3) Ring came back with rounded prongs which should have been claws. 4) Countless delays on the initial order and repair.

 

[Matthews1127]

Some of you may be familiar with my long journey in shopping for an engagement ring, it took a couple months until I finally found a diamond on JA. It took another week to decide on a ring setting. And it took countless delays that caused me to reschedule my engagement plans. The ring took about 6 weeks to arrive, double the estimate time. When we received the ring, it took us some time to notice the defects on the prongs. We were stunned by the beauty of the ring that we did not notice this right away. One of the prongs seem to be slightly larger than the other 3, but that wasn’t the worst part. The biggest issue was that the prongs were not properly aligned / symmetrical.

I posted a thread about it here. Which includes photos: https://www.pricescope.com/communit...rmal-for-prongs-to-not-be-symmetrical.240803/

I was very disappointed; considering the fact that it took numerous delays for the ring to arrive. JA told me that it was going through a long quality assurance period. (I was told that they weren’t satisfied with the final product, so they decided to re-do the setting) which caused the delay.

Truthfully, I am not sure how the “final product” passed the quality assurance (under professional's eyes) with the uneven and misaligned prongs. I didn’t think too much of it, I proposed, my now fiancé said yes, so I was content. I sent back the ring to have it corrected, it took just over 3 weeks for them to complete the “repair”.

I received the ring 2 days ago. My fiancé felt there was something different and it did not appeal as much as it did when she first noticed. We couldn’t find out what it was, so we went to Kay Jewelers and have them check the GIA number on the girdle. Just to have a peace of mind and confirm that we received the same beautiful diamond. Well thankfully it was the same diamond. We got back home, and inspect the ring some more. We compared photos of the ring that I took when I first received it, and we realized that it’s the prongs!

When I was asking PS for suggestions in a thread I posted. I was convinced that I wanted claw prongs. So I chose this https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...t-pave-wire-basket-engagement-ring-item-53021 solely because it was the perfect design, and it was one of the few clawed settings that fits my fiancé’s taste. I purchased this in platinum.

The “corrected” ring that was sent back to us did fix the alignment issue; however, the prongs are no longer claws! They are rounded. Words cannot explain how disappointed I am right now. It was hard enough for my fiancé to go without her ring for 3 weeks after she had just received it, and now she is saddened that we must send it back a second time. This really puts a dent in our plans (yet again), we had to postpone many of our family gatherings (or ring introduction as you may) because we had to wait for the ring to be repaired, or what I like to say “corrected”. And now I am afraid that we will have to postpone plans again (which involves) travelling to meet family from both sides. We are recently engaged and because of JA’s failure to send me a quality product, we are feeling miserable right now.

I am sharing this story for any potential shoppers to be warned on what they may have to deal with when shopping through JA. Countless delays and failed quality assurance with JA. Of course, I may just be one of the unlucky ones, and many may have had perfect experience with them. But I really find it hard to believe that two errors could pass their quality assurance, or is this whole quality assurance thing a myth?

I am also asking for opinions. As I stated, my fiancé and I have dealt with so much that goes beyond the quality of the ring. I feel that JA owes me more than another another attempt at fixing this. How can I handle this with JA? I also would like to ask the community for another set of eyes to inspect the ring. Besides the rounded prongs which should have been claws, are there any other difference you can spot? I understand that its hard to detect, the first photos were taken under a different setting, and lighting in comparison to the recent photos. I just feel the ring is not as beautiful as it was when we first received it. Are claw prongs that much of a game changer? I sense that something other the prong is different.

PS. As stated this has been repaired once, I am worried repairing it a second time might ruin the quality of the platinum. I am not sure what the procedure is, but would remolding the platinum and recasting it cause any impurities or lose its durability?

Initial photos when I first received the ring (before any corrections were made): https://imgur.com/a/p1ZBZzo
Recent photos after the corrections: https://imgur.com/a/HrW2seQ

TLDR (Short story): 1) Ring had misaligned and uneven sized prongs. 2) Sent back for "repairs". 3) Ring came back with rounded prongs which should have been claws. 4) Countless delays on the initial order and repair.

The prongs are def not claw. The stone looks like it needs to be set more clockwise to be centered in the prongs; it looks as though the arrows point more to the left (from the top) than one to the left & one to the right of center.

 

[tyty333]

Ugh, Gadabout...so sorry you are having to deal with this. Cant believe they redid the claw prongs (I have a few choice words that
would not be appropriate in print).

What kind of consideration would you like from JA? Are you asking what might be appropriate to ask for? Are you planning on getting
your wedding band from them (after all this)...you could ask for a discount on the wedding band. Other than that you could ask for some
kind of refund but I dont think I've seen a refund given very often (cant think of a time). You need to escalate the issue to James Allen Shultz
so he knows what you've had to go through.

I didnt see anything different (with the exception that Mattews pointed out). The round claw prongs really give it a different look than the
refined claw prongs that seem to melt into the stone. The claw prongs can look like a crown facet if you arent concentrating on them. The round
prongs DO NOT/CAN NOT look like a facet and tend to "pop" out at me.sad

Good Luck...when you have it sent see if they will give you pre-paid for overnight back to JA as well as overnighted back to you after the prongs
have been redone so you dont have to wait for mail time. (not sure if they already do this or not...just trying to figure ways to speed things
up).

 

[LLJsmom]

I doubt there is much you can expect except that they correct their mistakes and maybe free shipping. I know it’s a PITA but just consider it your lesson. Sorry this happened to you. My guess is you won’t be working with them again in the future.

 

[unsettled]

I don't think you will get any further concessions other than free shipping or a discount on a wedding band. I guess it doesn't hurt to ask for a percentage of the full price back? I have an issue with a recently purchased setting from JA as well. I am sending it back to them this week to have it repaired. Since it was their mistake, they are paying for shipping both ways, but it is such a bummer. I am not newly engaged, so it isn't a big deal for me to be without my ring for a few days. I am sorry that this has been such an ordeal.

 

[Gadabout44]

What kind of consideration would you like from JA?...

You need to escalate the issue to James Allen Shultz so he knows what you've had to go through...

Hi ty,

My initial plan was to purchase the matching band when our wedding day comes to a near. Our wedding is scheduled over a year from now. So yes, I feel that I should be compensated with a discount.

Is James Allen Shultz contact info publically located on their website? If not, I will ask the chat customer service employee. What I'd like is for someone to oversee the repair and make sure that the ring is properly corrected.

Thank you for your post!

 

[Gadabout44]

The prongs are def not claw. The stone looks like it needs to be set more clockwise to be centered in the prongs; it looks as though the arrows point more to the left (from the top) than one to the left & one to the right of center.

Can you elaborate on the arrows part? I'd like to explain this to JA

 

[sledge]

Honestly I think I would craft an email to JAS himself. Include your story, disappointments and concerns. Additionally I might include links to the threads here on PS noting the topic at hand.

Let him know you were considering a WB purchase but you have concerns about doing so given the negative experience with the e-ring.

If you and your SO have experienced any monetary loss from travel rearrangements, lost deposits for party hosting, etc then I would also include documentation and with clear written intent you feel JA is liable.

My expectations would be a new ring made and not repaired. That it be expedited so there is no 3 week window again. Lastly they discount/refund your initial purchase for the invonvenience and lost money for rearrangements and/or a significant discount for a wedding band of your choosing (that would be shipped back with the remake of your ring so there are no more delays).

If those terms are unacceptable I'd be prepared to ask for a full refund and then take your business elsewhere. Pretty sure WF, BGD, HPD and DK could make your girl very, very happy.

 

[stonewell]

@sledge, I'm not certain how OP's fiancee would feel about letting her engagement diamond go altogether at this point... I know I wouldn't be keen on it so soon after the proposal.

That said, JA should make this right for both of you, @Gadabout44 - I remember reading your journey and there was so much put into this ring! I do agree with others that you should be clear about what you're expecting. And while super frustrating to deal with, correcting the prongs so they're claw-like and ensuring the diamond is set visually symmetrical is all doable. Perhaps ask to speak with the CS manager to emphasize your request will help - Josh was the one I dealt with previously.

I don't think James Schultz is as involved these days - especially after JA's acquisition by Signet last year. To be honest, I think that was the worst thing to have happened. It seems to me that their diamond prices shot ridiculously high and their quality assurance went down after it. At least this is my observation after having purchased several stones from them in the past couple of years.

 

[PintoBean]

@sledge, I'm not certain how OP's fiancee would feel about letting her engagement diamond go altogether at this point... I know I wouldn't be keen on it so soon after the proposal.

That said, JA should make this right for both of you, @Gadabout44 - I remember reading your journey and there was so much put into this ring! I do agree with others that you should be clear about what you're expecting. And while super frustrating to deal with, correcting the prongs so they're claw-like and ensuring the diamond is set visually symmetrical is all doable. Perhaps ask to speak with the CS manager to emphasize your request will help - Josh was the one I dealt with previously.

I don't think James Schultz is as involved these days - especially after JA's acquisition by Signet last year. To be honest, I think that was the worst thing to have happened. It seems to me that their diamond prices shot ridiculously high and their quality assurance went down after it. At least this is my observation after having purchased several stones from them in the past couple of years.

There definitely appears to be a decline in QC as the company has grown.

 

[Matthews1127]

Can you elaborate on the arrows part? I'd like to explain this to JA

Do you see how the arrows aren’t set correctly? The angle is askew, and depending on how you want the arrows to face, JA either needs to turn it clockwise to place the arrows equally distant from the prongs, or they need to set the stone so that the arrows face N-S-E-W.
That is up to you. Right now, they are off center, either way.

 

[whitewave]

I hate to hear this! Good luck in getting it finally fixed correctly.

 

[Matthews1127]

I know myself well enough that I wouldn’t be so willing to hand my ER over, a second time; especially, not after knowing they couldn’t get it right, the first time.
JA has some serious damage control to do, at this point. I’d express not only my expectations, but my reservations to send it back. I’d also emphasize how this is effecting your DF, and that you expect/demand heavy compensation for all of the trauma this has caused in your lives, since you received the ring. It’s not just inconvenience; you had to reschedule your lives around the mistakes and delays that have been caused.
You deserve to be able to trust them to execute this to your precise detail.
Do you trust them, now?

 

[sledge]

@sledge, I'm not certain how OP's fiancee would feel about letting her engagement diamond go altogether at this point... I know I wouldn't be keen on it so soon after the proposal.

Agree within reason. The bigger issue I see is even if JA can properly repair/fix, the OP and his fiance have a bad taste in their mouth. They need JA to give them a new setting so they feel warm & fuzzy again. Obviously, this is the quickest and most pain-free method.

However, if they aren't getting the results they need, then they should be prepared to ask for a refund. I'd suggest as a last alternate, but if push comes to shove it's much easier to send back & get a refund and replace now vs later down the road.

There definitely appears to be a decline in QC as the company has grown.

You hit the nail on the head. It stinks when this happens. Problem is shareholders want more growth, revenue and profit margin. The reality is slower controlled growth allows a company to grow at it's own pace and increase all those factors in a more significant way. But because it's slower, it's not as popular. Hopefully they will continue to focus on improving their service to their customers.

 

[sledge]

Great posts @Matthews1127.

 

[Matthews1127]

Great posts @Matthews1127.

Thank you, @sledge.
You make valid points, as well.
Different points of view, in a circumstance such as this, are helpful to OP.
For “him”, it’s more about the investment of time & money that drives his concerns. For “her”, it’s the emotional connection, and sentimentality that’s now compromised. We blingalicious ladies bond quickly with our diamonds...lol!!
I’d have someone’s head on a plate, if I trusted someone with any of the precious pieces my DH has given to me, and they were irresponsible with them! I feel for both OP & his DF. Trust between consumer & vendor has to be a priority.

 

[Gadabout44]

I know myself well enough that I wouldn’t be so willing to hand my ER over, a second time; especially, not after knowing they couldn’t get it right, the first time.
JA has some serious damage control to do, at this point. I’d express not only my expectations, but my reservations to send it back. I’d also emphasize how this is effecting your DF, and that you expect/demand heavy compensation for all of the trauma this has caused in your lives, since you received the ring. It’s not just inconvenience; you had to reschedule your lives around the mistakes and delays that have been caused.
You deserve to be able to trust them to execute this to your precise detail.
Do you trust them, now?

I definitely do not trust them! However, when I was at Kay jewelers I did ask them how much would it cost me to have the prongs switched to claws. They told me roughly $300 because they have to re do the head piece. I do not want to spend $300 over a mistake JA created.

Other than that, as some of you have suspected, I do not think a refund is an option. My fiance has grown to love the ring, there is sentimental value involved although she has only worn it for a few weeks. The ring has been with the shop more than its been on my fiance's finger since the purchase a month and a half ago.

 

[Matthews1127]

I definitely do not trust them! However, when I was at Kay jewelers I did ask them how much would it cost me to have the prongs switched to claws. They told me roughly $300 because they have to re do the head piece. I do not want to spend $300 over a mistake JA created.

Other than that, as some of you have suspected, I do not think a refund is an option. My fiance has grown to love the ring, there is sentimental value involved although she has only worn it for a few weeks. The ring has been with the shop more than its been on my fiance's finger since the purchase a month and a half ago.

There are other Jewelers who wouldn’t charge you $300 to create a new head for her ring, and set it correctly for you. If I were in your position, I’d be shopping around & doing price comparison. JA would only get that ring back to fix what they broke, if I couldn’t find a cheaper alternative, where I could walk in, drop it off, and pick it up in a few days.
This is why I love working with my local jeweler: it’s more convenient, and it’s face to face customer service. I’ve bought diamonds, online...internationally, so I’m not averse to purchasing online. For something like this, I’m a face to face person. I’ve even trusted heirloom pieces for repair/reconstruction at my jeweler. You should be able to trust the original vendor with something they originally sold you.
Perhaps, I’m too harsh, but that’s how I’d feel, at this point, if I were in your shoes.

 

[stonewell]

Please do not have Kay work on it @Gadabout44 ... I'd rather light $300 on fire than hand my ring over to them. I don't see how re-tipping the prongs so they can be shaped to claws requires replacing the entire head. But I'm not a jeweler, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

If you have lost confidence in JA's ability to make this right, then you may want to ask yourself if you'd ever use their warranty if needed. I don't remember which setting you chose, but if preserving the warranty isn't a concern for you, I'd reach out to David Klass and have him redo the prongs and re-set the diamond. His bench has always done great work on my projects and I have read others who have been quite happy with the work. I am certain his cost won't be $300.

To that extent, I would negotiate with JA to have a refund amount equal to the cost of making it right elsewhere.

 

[Matthews1127]

Please do not have Kay work on it @Gadabout44 ... I'd rather light $300 on fire than hand my ring over to them. I don't see how re-tipping the prongs so they can be shaped to claws requires replacing the entire head. But I'm not a jeweler, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

If you have lost confidence in JA's ability to make this right, then you may want to ask yourself if you'd ever use their warranty if needed. I don't remember which setting you chose, but if preserving the warranty isn't a concern for you, I'd reach out to David Klass and have him redo the prongs and re-set the diamond. His bench has always done great work on my projects and I have read others who have been quite happy with the work. I am certain his cost won't be $300.

To that extent, I would negotiate with JA to have a refund amount equal to the cost of making it right elsewhere.

I agree: stay away from Kay’s.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Would any warranty for the setting be invalidated should the repairs be done elsewhere?

cheers--Sharon

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Definitely do not let another jeweler touch it!!! If they messed it up, you'd have zero recourse. I wouldn't trust just anyone to do claw prongs right, period!

To be honest, I am always hesitant when someone wants a JA setting other than maybe a plain solitaire. The only thing I am not clear on is whether this ring has claw prongs in the description. Normally one would have to request that, and it needed to be in writing on the second order. If not, you got the standard prongs they normally do.

If this was mine, I'd return this setting and get another elsewhere. You can have a local jeweler set it in a temporary solitaire and just return the setting. Then take some time and buy a higher quality ring from a vendor known for setting diamonds well.

 

[Gadabout44]

Please do not have Kay work on it ...

To that extent, I would negotiate with JA to have a refund amount equal to the cost of making it right elsewhere.

Oh no, it never was my intentions to have Kay Jewelers touch the ring. I just asked to see just exactly how much a procedure like that would cost. I live in the San Francisco region. I do not know of any trusted not commercialized jewelry store that I can trust.

Thank you for the tip! I will definitely bring this up. I went and spoke to a JA chat person, I asked if they can connect me with someone of a higher position. They transfered me over to Daria. I do not know her exact position. Anyways, I will bring this up with her and see if they can just pay the expense it would cost me to have DKJ handle the situation

 

[sledge]

Just to set the record clear -- Signet owns JA, Kay's, Jared's and a few other stores. I'm not advocating to have the repairs done at any of these places. Just saying you should know the devil you are facing is all.

https://www.jared.com/en/jaredstore/cms/jared-our-company
https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachel...-328m-back-in-august-whats-next/#d8293a06f140

As many of you know, I had a hell of a time finding a setting for my girl. Of all places, she find the inspiration piece at Jared's. I hated that fact. She thought highly of them. Ultimately, I had DK build a variant of the piece. It's supposed to be here this Friday by the way.

Prior to deciding on DK, I asked Jared's about some modifications to the setting and they were hesitant to say yes. The reasoning came out that they don't do the work on-site but ship it out to one of their "sub-vendors". It was a minimum 90 day window. With DK, I have done CAD's and they have built a ring and will deliver within about 30-40 days total. *mic drop*

I'm really rooting for you @Gadabout44. If you need someone to help you go bust a few knee caps and ensure they are properly persuaded, I will help. We can take Johnny Two Knuckles and Fat Tommy with us.

 

[Gadabout44]

If this was mine, I'd return this setting and get another elsewhere. You can have a local jeweler set it in a temporary solitaire and just return the setting. Then take some time and buy a higher quality ring from a vendor known for setting diamonds well.

This is also another great option! At this point it looks like I have two similar options.

1) Come out of pocket and purchase a temporary solitaire and return the setting and purchase a ring setting elsewhere to set the diamond

2) Or, just forget about the warranty and request that JA covers the cost of the repair should I have this repaired elsewhere

My concern here is that I currently have the ring insured with Jewelers Mutual. If I was to have any changes done to the ring, will it pose a problem with my policy?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I would never make a jewelry claim on a setting unless it was some $5k-10k+ special custom setting (and even then, only if it's a major loss). It's not worth making small claims, because you might be dropped from coverage or pay higher rates. I can recall one person saying they were turned down for insurance on a new ring because of previous claims. If you buy an entirely new setting, you might want to send the info on the new setting to JM just in case the whole ring is lost or stolen.

JA isn't going to pay another jeweler to do the repairs. They'll say send it in. But honestly, I'd be worried about that setting having other problems down the road. Don't go to Kay's, either, or any chain like that. Go to a higher end jewelry store that is more likely to have a good bench.

 

[Luce]

You are lucky to be in the SF Bay Area. Joe Escobar's does beautiful work including very delicate claw prongs. You may want to try them in the future for repairs etc...

 

[sledge]

This is also another great option! At this point it looks like I have two similar options.

1) Come out of pocket and purchase a temporary solitaire and return the setting and purchase a ring setting elsewhere to set the diamond

2) Or, just forget about the warranty and request that JA covers the cost of the repair should I have this repaired elsewhere

If you don't trust JA to do anymore work then I think option 1 is probably your best bet. I'd personally request a full refund on the defective setting. Also I'd request they put your diamond in a simple inexpensive solitaire at no charge and mail back to you (priority overnight). You will then be done with them and can use the refunded price to work with DK or similar to create a custom setting for your girl that is done right and higher quality.

Honestly, I could see JA agreeing to the full refund, but not agreeing to the free solitaire. In which case, I would talk with DK (or similar) and see if they would work with you. Something BGD offered to me was to sell me a simple solitaire for temporary purposes and to propose with while I built a custom setting with them. Then the money I would have paid for the temp setting gets applied to the custom setting when I returned the temp setting & diamond to BGD to set in the permanent setting.

Essentially it was a zero cost option because they valued my business. Just another reason I like and push BGD. Ultimately I declined the offer and forged on with DK to build a custom setting that I will use to propose to my girl (this Saturday!).

I really doubt JA will go for option 2. They will likely want the opportunity to do their own repairs where they can control their costs and not have to write a check to a 3rd party jeweler.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Yessssss! Go to Joe Escobar!!!!!!!!!! (Good call, @Luce!)

 

[Gadabout44]

You are lucky to be in the SF Bay Area. Joe Escobar's does beautiful work including very delicate claw prongs. You may want to try them in the future for repairs etc...

I will search for him and contact him. THank you so much

If you don't trust JA to do anymore work then I think option 1 is probably your best bet. I'd personally request a full refund on the defective setting. Also I'd request they put your diamond in a simple inexpensive solitaire at no charge and mail back to you (priority overnight). You will then be done with them and can use the refunded price to work with DK or similar to create a custom setting for your girl that is done right and higher quality.

Honestly, I could see JA agreeing to the full refund, but not agreeing to the free solitaire. In which case, I would talk with DK (or similar) and see if they would work with you. Something BGD offered to me was to sell me a simple solitaire for temporary purposes and to propose with while I built a custom setting with them. Then the money I would have paid for the temp setting gets applied to the custom setting when I returned the temp setting & diamond to BGD to set in the permanent setting.

Essentially it was a zero cost option because they valued my business. Just another reason I like and push BGD. Ultimately I declined the offer and forged on with DK to build a custom setting that I will use to propose to my girl (this Saturday!).

I really doubt JA will go for option 2. They will likely want the opportunity to do their own repairs where they can control their costs and not have to write a check to a 3rd party jeweler.

THank you Sledge, you've made many suggestions. I appreciate them all.