Questions to ask when picking up finished ring?

[KYoungstarr]

Hi, I am going to pick-up the e-ring I just got set from Jared (I know, I know, I am going online for the bands). My question is if there are questions I need to ask when I pick up the ring. Here are a few I thought I might ask, you all tell me if there are any necessary questions to ask or if mine are dumb. Thanks!

1) When placing the stone, did the stone get scratched at all? (center stone is aquamarine)

2) When resizing the ring did any of the design on the sides get altered/mess up? (they said they would not.)

Anything else? Any suggestions?

I just want to make sure they don''t pull a fast one on me.

Thanks (again)!

 

[belle]

do you think if someone was trying to 'pull a fast one' on you that they would answer those questions honestly?

instead of just asking questions, look for yourself. go over the ring thoroughly and specifically look for the issues you are concerned about. you need to make sure you are happy with the ring BEFORE you leave.

best of luck!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Ditto to what Belle said. The answer to those questions can only be determined if you take a loupe with you and look at it yourself before leaving the store. It is very important to do that, and especially so with a gemstone like Aquamarine that is more fragile.

 

[Bunnifer]

Right on, Belle. Also, make sure you pay attention to the prongs and see if (1) they are positioned properly, and (2) your stone is properly balanced (e.g., not crooked or loose).

 

[devientdrow]

May I ask why you are feeling the need to ask these questions? and secondly why you''re unhappy with Jareds? I do not think, IMO that Jareds is all that bad. It all depends on who you get. Thier loose diamonds are overpriced but as far as thier jewelry prices and quality I think it''s fair. In fact I am changing my ering diamond over to a setting I got at Jareds, which i''ve always ever got nothing but compliments on AND I just purchased a brand new wedding band to go with it from Jareds. You get what you pay for, I wanted a certain kind of band that I couldn''t find anywhere online except Fay Cullen and I don''t like thier customer service policies. But I got a gorgeous band, that probably is a step below the Fay Cullen in quality BUT it was also $200 cheaper. I have had plently of friends who have purchased from Jared and their jewelry has been gorgeous. So wear your Jared with pride!!! And if you can''t find a wedding band you like online don''t be afraid to purchase again from Jared.

When you pick up your stuff just make sure to go over it VERY CAREFULLY. Do you own a loupe? You can buy one online VERY CHEAPLY..I think I paid $2.00 for mine!?! Take it with you and take your time in going over your jewelry to make sure all is well. If not, if there is any teeny tiny little thing that looks off don''t be afraid to ask about it. I''ve found two things to be true when shopping at Jared.

1. It depends who you get. I''ve had some people wait on me at Jareds that really knew their stuff and were very helpful and honest with me. However i''ve also been helped by someone who I thought should be immediatly removed from the premises from thier lack of knowledge. If you get someone that you don''t feel comfortable with ask for someone else. I know it''s uncomfortable...In getting the band I just talked about I was helped one day by this woman who was HORRIBLE. A total disaster! When my Hubby and I went back..I specifically said to the greeter...I would be okay with anyone helping me EXCEPT for that woman! I was prepared to tell her I would like to be assisted by someone else if she recognized me and try to help again.

2. Go armed with as much knowledge as you can. Not just with Jareds but i''ve noticed everywhere my hubby and I buy jewelry from the knowledge from this site has helped us. We''ve recognized some great pieces at stores in the malls, and we''ve been able to negotiate price a little at other places by knowing our stuff! At Jared I think they have a don''t ask, don''t tell policy. It seems when I am in there they bull$%&t me a little until I start asking specific questions and showing that i''m knowledgeable...then they, in most cases, will offer up a more detailed and honest description of what I am looking at.

Sorry for the novel but I hope it helped! Good luck!

 

[KYoungstarr]

Thanks for the good replies. I''m the type who generally asks questions to learn, so it is helpful to read your replies and I hope it is not too annoying for you all to help.

The whole apologetic-for-Jared thing was just because this thread seems so pro-online and anti-big stores. That is all. My future fiancee loved the setting (thought it was perfect), so I bought it there and picked out a stone in the cut and type we had liked.

Thanks for all of your help!

 

[lehcarm]

I don''t think you should feel bad about getting your diamond elsewhere and having the setting from Jared. Right now I am deciding between two settings at Jared and Shane. It is hard to match their service, especially when you are on a tight budget.

 

[denverappraiser]

I agree with the above advice with the exception that I would politely ask if there were any problems or complications anyway. By all means give them the opportunity to do a final quality inspection to be sure that it meets their standards. Then check yourself. They should have no problem with this and may even be willing to let you borrow a loupe or microscope for this purpose. If you spot anything that looks out of whack to you, ask them about it. If you had a thorough appraisal done beforehand, you can compare with the photographs from the ‘before’ condition to see what is different. If you lost your appraisal, most professional appraisers keep copies of these things for years.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[nengland]

Jared does have some nice stuff. Ours in Roseville had quite a few ideal AGS-000, but for a price that I couldn''t afford. Thankfully I found what I wanted (and could afford) online and had Jared do the setting. At first I thought maybe they would snub me for bringing a stone that wasn''t there''s, but instead they were polite, looked at it, and agreed that I did get a better deal than they could have offered.

Orignially I was interested in the Shane Co until I was twice told by two people that it was impossible to put a plat head on a white gold body.

That kind of misinformation sent me running.

 

[KYoungstarr]

Funny they told you that you could not put plat head on a gold setting since Jared kept pushing that on me (I elected not to since the platinum prongs would have cost more than the aquamarine center stone).

So as an update: I went and the guy I spoke with was great. He was the intermediary between the sales and the people "in the back", so he wasn't trying to push anything and I picked his brain for a few minutes about some of the more technical side of things. I got the ring and it seems great. He let me use their lens and I inspected it myself and he let me look as long as I wanted. One interesting thing though which raised a flag about dealing with Jared's.

The intermediary guy told me that after they had been given the stone by the sales guy, they discovered there was a crack in it, so they switched it out with a similar stone. Problem is, the salesman looked at the stone under the lens right in front of me and told me there were no cuts in the stone! They fixed it by putting in a new stone which was clearer (higher quality, same size and cut). It worked out fine but it makes me wary about accepting anything by a salesperson telling me so.

Thanks for all of your help. I hate feeling like a leech on the forum since I don't generally know enough to contribute. Thanks again though!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

It''s totally fine for you to ask questions! That''s what the forum is for!

My bet is that they damaged the stone when setting it, and therefore had to substitute a new stone. But that was good they at least acknowledged to you that it was not the same one.

 

[eac]

Everyone''s advice about inspecting the item before you leave the jeweler is correct. As far as what to ask them...what I''d ask them would be, "Can we come back if there are any problems? Do you offer a guarantee for your work?" Also, are you 100% certain the ring is the correct size for the person who''s receiving it? If not, ask if she can come in to have the ring sized - and ask if they''ll charge for that.