Potential setting problem-advice please

[jennyt]

Hello everyone,

At the end of January, my now fiance purchased a beautiful solitaire engagement ring from Witeflash. The stone is set in a simple, white gold Tiffany-style setting. Last week, I accidentally banged my hand against something (didn''t realize it at the time) and bent the band. No biggie. I went to a local (reputable) jeweler to have them fix it. They did so quickly and without charge. However, after having several of the jewelers look at the setting, the most senior jeweler told me that it was not set well to begin with and that the prongs are much too low. When I first received the ring, I did notice that some of the prongs were higher than others and that a couple appeared "hooked", but it did not bother me enough to want it reset. However, the jeweler told me that having it reset was a must since the way it is set now compromises the stability of the ring and my stone might pop loose. He recommended I return to the place where we purchased the ring to have that done. I''m not sure quite what to do and could use some opinions. While I am happy with the stone from Whiteflash, I am a little troubled by the somewhat sloppy way in which it was set. I am guessing they would probably reset it for free, but I am thinking that after the cost of shipping and insurance, it might be cheaper just to have it reset locally. Any idea how much this would cost? Finally, I was told by the jeweler that this wasn''t something that needed to be fixed soon, just in the next couple of years. There''s a possibility that I might switch to a different setting altogether and I''m thinking that I should forgoe having it reset because of that...But I could use some opinions! P.S.-I had another jeweler friend (totally unaffiliated with the first store) look at the ring and she concurred that it wasn''t set properly. Part of me is just bummed that Whiteflash didn''t take the time for quality control on my ring.

Thanks for any tips/advice!

Jen

 

[Maxine]

I think it is important that it is set correctly...I have no idea whether it is, of course, but I"m sue you are concerned now that two jewelers have mentioned it!!! The reason I say that is that i once hit my ring, and it got a small crack in it at the girdle. I thought that it was because the girdle was thin...Well, actually the girdle is not thin (although it is a shallow stone). Anyway, my jeweler said that it probably hadn''t been set right.....maybe there was unequal pressure on the prongs or something...I don''t know....
If it was not set correctly, perhaps they will cover the shipping charges to have it sent back !!???? They sound like a reputable vendor, so I''m sure they will try to help....GOOD LUCK, and don''t worry too much....Did an appraiser look at the set ring???

 

[WinkHPD]

Yes, please give them first shot at it. They have an excellent reputation here and deserve a chance to show you why.

My something is fishy detector is going full force too. If it is bad enough to be a problem, it is bad enough to need to be fixed now. You are NOT going to be comfortable until you know whether or not it really needs to be done, and if it does then it needs to be done now.

Wink

 

[Kaleigh]

Wink has given you some very good advice. I would talk to them about your concerns and let them offer to fix it for you. They after all set the stone and therefore deserve the chance to make it right. Let us know what happens and good luck!!!

 

[jennyt]

Wink-the jeweler said that because it''s a six-prong setting it''s not an "emergency" situation and doesn''t need to be fixed right this second. I think I''ll take it to one more jeweler for an opinion just to be safe. If it needs to be reset, I will contact Whiteflash. We worked with Denise and she was great and I''m sure willing to help out. There were a couple little bumps along the way with Whiteflash, however, that would probably make me look elsewhere for our next purchase. I know that''s contrary to most people''s experience with them and they''re obviously doing a lot of things right. Perhaps if we had had a custom piece done it would have been a little different. Who knows...

 

[denverappraiser]

jenny,

I need one of those Idaho fish spotters like Wink is using. His advice is excellent.

If you are unhappy with the craftsmanship on a ring that’s only a month old, you should deal with it. This will not get better with time. With solitaire type settings this usually isn’t all that hard to address but it really depends on what the problem is and how the ring is constructed. A capable bench jeweler should be able to tell you quite quickly what is required. I suspect that the reason so many jewelers were consulted in the shop before sending out the boss to talk to you is because it’s poor form to disparage another shops work without making sure that you are 100% right and then they should choose their words carefully. If you don’t want to have Whiteflash do the work, consider having it done locally. The shop that brought it to your attention seems like they disserve consideration. Did they give you an estimate to do the needed repairs?

Did your appraiser mention it?

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Independent Appraisals in Denver

 

[PhillipSchmidt]

I am having a little trouble visualising the problem.

I am guessing (and I might well be way off) that the setting used was, say, 10pt -20pt to large and hence the stone had to be set lower where diameter was smaller. Added to that the claws were bent over further then usual because the diamond was that much smaller then the outside edge. If this is true, this says nothing about a security issue, rather it says it is far more secure, although a little low and dominated by metal.

It could be bent over because it wasn''t set straight or got knocked out of whack.

I am not sure what can be achieved by resetting, although every piece of jewellery ever made can be improved and some tweeking might just be enough to make your enjoyment of the ring a happier one. It is hard to say.

I don''t know what to tell you about sending it back to Whiteflash, but I''d definately agree that you should contact them and tell them what you have learned as they may a solution that suits you.

If you have it re-set then depending on the setting it shouldn''t cost too much, but how long is a piece of string? I am imagining that the low setting would have to be rweworked to actually made to fit the stone, (so a whole new setting is viable (see Whiteflash), but I don''t know and this is just a guess. If so, it depends on what they do and it might be best to tell them what you want to spend. If they are fussy they would not stop until they get the job to their own standards regardsless of money and earn your future custom.

Hope this helps.

 

[jennyt]

Platinumsmith...I must have explained the situation poorly. It''s actually the opposite of what you''re describing. The stone is set very high, so the prongs are lower on the diamond than they are supposed to be. To fix it, the diamond would need to be set lower, which would mean the stone would be less prominent.

I am confused as to what you are describing as fishy?

 

[PhillipSchmidt]

Didn''t you say it was set too low...

Well, that makes things a lot easier. setting it lower is just a matter of unsetting the stone and lowering the seats (the grooves) and resetting.

I am not sure if you want to send it back to whiteflash. I guess it depends on what they quote at your local.

Steve is making a good point regarding tastes. I make my grains quite small too. Larger gains can be overbearing though a lot depends on security. In my experience people want the smallest grains they can have so that is what I do. Opposite to Steve, if I make larger grains the jobs come back to be refined.

I was looking at jewellery in Tiffany the other day and I was surprised how much metal they left over the stones. It may be worth asking people here what there preferences are.

What is your view jenny? You may want to ask for large or small grains (grains = the part over the diamond - not a USA term I think) depending on what you like.

Your jeweller is right that it won''t be important for now and easily fixed in the future should the grains wear away too much. Steve is right that actually the original setter might have done his best job and in fact the problem lies with a difference of oppinion from two different setters.

 

[Sashabella]

If it''s not done properly, it should be fixed now. Whiteflash should either fix it, pay for the repair or refund the money for the setting.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 3/13/2005 9:31:10 PM
Author: Sashabella
If it''s not done properly, it should be fixed now. Whiteflash should either fix it, pay for the repair or refund the money for the setting.

If there is a problem WF will take care of it.
I have no worries about that.
I havent responded until now because my advice is the same as everyone elses contact WF.
Lesley @ whiteflash is aware of this thread and it will be taken care of :}

 

[JohnQuixote]

Hello. I've been traveling and just saw this post. Denise has been alerted and I know she will want to contact you.

If you would like our help we are ready to assist of course. We take great care setting stones and if something went awry we are anxious for it to be resolved.

Thanks to others in the thread who have given helpful advice. Yes, we did 'bump' her along the way here... We sent a shipping confirmation to 'her' email rather than 'his!' (now-fiance who was purchasing) since she started the process with us, but he was the one buying and should have received the email... I think that would upset anyone.

Jenny - We respect any decision you wish to make.

 

[MrsFrk]

I hope that you get your ring fixed, soon, an engagement ring is something that should just plain make you happy when you look at it!

I do wish that when someone is unhappy with a product they would contact the vendor/person who sold it to them first, to give them an opportunity to make it right, before posting here. I understand that it is very upsetting, but it seems to me that a lot of people post that they need advice on how to go about having their ring fixed, and everyone always recommends that they contact the vendor first.

 

[MrsFrk]

Good point, Feydakin.

 

[Sashabella]

Mrs. Frysk - With all due respect, would you really be saying that if the retailer wasn''t a member of Pricescope? It seems to me that people post here to get information on vendors, find people in similar situations (even if it''s a defective product) and get advice on what to do. I don''t see what is inappropriate about this post. People post about vendors all the time.

 

[MrsFrk]

Yes, I would. I have actually never purchased anything from a Pricescope vendor- I found this site while doing research for a custom job, and ended up just having the jeweler source all the stones. I fully intend to in the future, but for now I gawk at everyone's bling, and learn a little bit about diamonds every time I visit. So I really have vested interest in defending anyone. If her fiance had purchased the ring from John Doe Brothers Jewelers in St. Paul, Minnesota. and had this problem, I would say the same thing. Our advice is premature until she tackles the issue with the business that sold it to her fiance.

There is a difference, to me, between venting "I'm so bummed, it looks all funky, it's Sunday and I can't even call until tomorrow" versus "My ring looks terrible what should I do -fill in the vendor name- did me wrong." To have not even contacted the vendor yet, while including their name in the intial post, is putting the cart before the horse, IMHO. If she contacts them, and they tell her "too bad, you're stuck" okay, then we go from there.

It does seem that this one got through Whiteflash's quality control, and that is unacceptable. Until they prove otherwise, I will give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they will re-make Jennyt a ring that is perfect in her eyes. If they don't no one will be more upset on Jennyt's behalf than me.

My point: you pay good money for a product, if it is not to your satisfaction, call them. Nothing can be done until they know there is a problem. I am not at all downplaying Jenny's right to be upset.

 

[Mara]

While I don't think there is a thing wrong with anyone voicing their opinion of a vendor and/or talking about the experience (good or bad) they had with a vendor, whether it be a Pscope vendor or anyone else, I highly agree with going to the vendor FIRST with an issue, and giving them the opportunity to be heard and offer a solution in order to give a full account of the whole situation to PS when all is said and done. and/or if a vendor is non-responsive...by all means ask PS'ers for a next step...but I always think the first step is to discuss the issue with the manufacturer and see what can be done.

From my experience with purchases in general...sometimes a few small bumps on a purchase can be smoothed over for me mentally if another issue arises and is dealt with in a satisfactory and swift way. I would definitely see if WF can fix this for you...see if they will pay shipping both ways so it's no skin off your back.

Good luck!!

 

[MiniMouse]

Mara, great post.

We should all be able to post our little gripes as well as delights, but I do believe the vendor should always be given the first opportunity to put things right. A vendor cannot fix a problem they don''t know about, they don''t have a crystal ball. Okay, so it''s a shame that Whiteflash''s quality control missed JennyT''s problem, but vendors are not infalible, human error cannot be avoided 100% of the time.

I have made purchases where vendors have gone out of their way to fix after-sales problems, albeit with gadgets rather than jewelery. The way I was treated when returning a faulty item was important and good after-sales care increased my desire to go back to one particular vendor again for another purchase, because of the way I was looked after when things were wrong. Aftercare is so important, but of course the vendor needs to know what''s wrong first, so they have the chance to put things right. I''ve no doubt that Whiteflash will make good JennyT''s situation.

JennyT, I''m sure your problems will soon be over.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 3/13/2005 7:40:59 PM
Author: jennyt

The stone is set very high, so the prongs are lower on the diamond than they are supposed to be. To fix it, the diamond would need to be set lower, which would mean the stone would be less prominent.

Well, if you do want it as high as possible, that also means that such incidents (having the stone banged out of the setting) would happen rather often. And the prongs need to be thick and havy (= allot of metal around and over the stone) to hold their shape. If these are ok with you, I would think the head of the ring can be changed to something taller.

Smaller prongs would show more of the diamond, but need to be lower - at least on a typical solitaire.

On the latest WF rings the prongs appear quite delicate (small tips over the diamond) - which is a good thing for small prongs. On your tall ones the small tips just could not hold.

Yo are right to demand larger prong tips - but those will cover up your diamond as well.

"Prominent'' setting might not mean the tallest feasible, IMO.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 3/14/2005 8:3 AM
Author: Feydakin
valeria, how can you say that the 'small tips just could not hold' if none of us have seen the ring??

Well, this is one more post among many already on this thread - just trying to read through the lines, as usual. No one here has seen the ring (except Jen and someone from WF. presumably) and knowing exactly what cause the initial damage is even less feasible.

Jenn wrote: "The stone is set very high, so the prongs are lower on the diamond than they are supposed to be "; to me this is not very clear - it sounds like the tips of the prongs are not going over the stone as much as they should. In the previous post I just wrote down my version to clarify.