Repair Problem

[day_lily_me]

Y''all have helped me before and I''m hoping you can again. I live in the Houston area so I have access to some big jewelry stores around town. My problem is that I bought an emerald cut sapphire for a mounting that my Mother gave me. The mounting is 18KT with two rows princess cut diamonds along the shank as well as one row of the same princess cuts along each side of the sapphire. My problem is that when my Mother gave me the mounting, one of the princess cut diamonds was missing. I took it to a jewelry store - the one that set the sapphire - and had them also replace the diamond. Within 2 days, the diamond had come out. They replaced it again at no charge. Within a week, the diamond had come out again. Again, they replaced it at no charge. Within another 2 weeks, it had come out again and they again replaced it. Now it has been about 8 months and the diamond has come out yet again. I know the shop is not going to replace the diamond again and I don''t want to take it there since I don''t think they are doing a correct repair. But since I''ve got a sufficient amount of money now invested in it after buying the sapphire as well as it being a sentimental piece coming from my Mother, I would like to know where I could take it to have it repaired once and for all. Any ideas? Any particular questions I should ask before leaving it to be repaired? How would I know if a jeweler will know what he''s doing? Can this problem be solved satifactorily or should I put it away and save the stones for another day for another piece? The ring is fairly weighty in gold and the princess cut diamonds are not huge but not tiny either. I''d love to hear any comments. TIA.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

a photo would help.
But it sounds like the jeweller is now married to a dog. Sometimes it is just not possible to fix things - especially if the ring is invisble set with the 2 rows of diamonds.

 

[day_lily_me]

I''m sure some of y''all will recognize this picture. I''ve posted it before. Any suggestions are appreciated. As I said, I live in the Houston area and I was wondering if maybe Whiteflash could do the job. I don''t know if they do repairs and I''m sure that they are not close to me but I could get there if they do that sort of thing. I just want something done and the next time I have it done, I want to be sure that whoever does it knows what they are doing. That is assuming it can be fixed. TIA again.

 

[day_lily_me]

Oh yeah. I forgot to say which diamond was missing. It''s one of the ones that are mounted along side the sapphire. It''s the one further away from it toward the front or back of the ring depending on which way I wear it. Does that help any?

 

[MissGotRocks]

It is a very beautiful ring - I''m sorry that you have had all of these problems. I have to agree though - the problem is most likely that it is an invisible set mounting. There are jewelers (although not alot of them) that specialize in invisible set mountings. I have a RHR that is invisible set and had a problem with a stone that become ''out of line''. It is my understanding that to do the repair correctly you have to remove all the stones and start all over again - like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. Apparently, these stones are each grooved and are sometimes laid over mesh. Can be very delicate and very difficult to repair - with no guarantee that it will hold. I am sure this info is as disheartening to you as it was to me. My ring came from BB&B and I was told that they no longer carry this type of mounting because of the problems they cause. Which led to my question, "Then why did you sell it to me?" They have repaired mine twice - though I''m taking no bets as to how long it will last.

Do a search on the net for invisible set jewelers or repair - I know there is a company in California but I don''t now know the name. I have no idea what WF''s policy is on repairing jewelry that is not their own. It never hurts to ask - at least they may be able to give you a referral if they don''t do the work. Good luck - let me know how it turns out!

 

[denverappraiser]

Date: 9/19/2005 9:14:02 PM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)

... it sounds like the jeweller is now married to a dog.

I second this opinoin. The jeweler never should have touched this piece unless they sold it and they were fulfilling a warranty. If you''ve got any clue where it came from, see if they will work on it. Most repair people won''t accept pieces with invisible setting for exactly this reason and many thinking jewelers won''t even sell this style because it causes so many headaches. Not that this will be a once and for all type of solution but at least they are the ones who got the sale out of it and it seems only fair that they should bear the brunt of the repair issue.

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

 

[day_lily_me]

I''m so sorry to hear this. I can try to take it to the place where she bought it originally but truthfully, I don''t have much faith in them. If anybody else has any suggestions, please keep posting them. Like MissGotRocks, I am so disheartened about it all. It has so much sentimental value to me now not to mention the investment I have in it. What else could I do with these stones if I wanted to reset them in another mounting? Wouldn''t I end up with the same problem if they were invisible set? Would they require an invisible setting? Any ideas on another setting using these stones? Like do you think Whiteflash - assuming that they make custom pieces for e-rings - that they could make me another setting using these stones? Or anyone else in my area? I agree with the rest of what y''all said. They should not sell these mountings without warning if they are known to have such problems without some kind of warranty although to be fair, this has happened long after any warranty would have passed. My Mother originally had a diamond in this mounting and I changed it to a sapphire when she had the diamond reset. But the diamond had been lost before I ever got it. Thanks again for all your advice.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Date: 9/19/2005 9:45:25 PM
Author: denverappraiser

Date: 9/19/2005 9:14:02 PM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)

... it sounds like the jeweller is now married to a dog.

I second this opinoin. The jeweler never should have touched this piece unless they sold it and they were fulfilling a warranty. If you''ve got any clue where it came from, see if they will work on it. Most repair people won''t accept pieces with invisible setting for exactly this reason and many thinking jewelers won''t even sell this style because it causes so many headaches. Not that this will be a once and for all type of solution but at least they are the ones who got the sale out of it and it seems only fair that they should bear the brunt of the repair issue.

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

Neil it is not the headaches that worry me about these pieces.

Its the heartaches

 

[PhillipSchmidt]

There definately are jewellers who specialise in illusion settings. They are a little prone to coming out and when they do, putting them back in takes a special nack = experience... I really know know nothing about the whose who in the USA though. Hopefuly somebody here can steer you in the right direction.

 

[denverappraiser]

If made properly in the first place, these will hold up pretty well and, if there is a problem, they aren't really all that difficult to repair. The problem comes when the original craftsmanship is lacking. Everything is covered up with the diamonds so there is no way to tell by looking at the piece if the original manufacturer did a good job in the setting until a stone falls out. Often it’s then too late. If the manufacturer isn’t going to end up saddled with their own repair problems, there is very little incentive for them to make it well. The high quality makers offer long-term warranties against stones coming loose for this very reason. They don’t want their reputations damaged so if a stone comes out they will replace it for free forever. Not surprisingly, these are not the cheapest companies to work with.

If you are going to buy invisible set designs, buy a brand. This keeps the designer/manufacturer in the loop. The generic models may look very nice and cost a bit less but you end up paying for them in the end.

It’s worth noting that most of these warranties will restrict you from having repairs done by unauthorized craftspeople, even highly skilled ones. Any work by an outsider, even sizing or changing the center crown, will void the warranty. This can be inconvenient and, if your circumstances make it serious, is a reason to avoid these designs entirely.

If you're already in the pickle, the repair trick involves custom cutting a diamond with a little slot in the back and some skillful torch work (laser won't work). Look for a jeweler who has been around a while and who is a tool junkie. The tool for cutting the diamond is pretty unusual and they end up in the hands of people who specialize in this kind of work. Most jewelers don't have one and don't even know anyone who does. A well connected jeweler is more likely to have a friend who has the proper equipment. You can also reduce your risk by avoiding ultrasonic cleaners and by only wearing the ring in circumstances where it's less likely to be damaged.

Neil Beaty
Independent Appraisals in Denver