Sending ring to Lockes. Need advice!

[sunkist]

I really hate to let my ring leave my hand for 2 weeks, but there was some quality control work that Lockes did not take care of on my ring before they sent it to me and it needs to be fixed. For the price I paid for this ring I want them to make it as perfect as they promised. I''m getting married in 6 weeks and this really isn''t the best time to send it in, I have engagement parties, etc. to go to, but I''m also thinking about having them re-size it for me, make it a tad bit smaller, and it would be nice to have that done before I go on my honeymoon.

So here''s my question, is it crazy of me to have Lockes re-size my ring without knowing exactly what size I want them to size it to? They are in NY, I''m in CA, so obviously I can''t run down there and have them fit my finger. I was thinking I''d tell them to make it just slightly smaller, like maybe a 1/4 size smaller.

When we got the ring I was sure that 6 would be the perfect size, but aparently some jewelers size rings differently. It''s just that when I''m cold and when I wash my hands I''m a little bit afraid of it coming off. To the ladies whose rings fit them perfectly - does your ring still slide off fairly easy when you''re cold?

Oh, I don''t know what to do. Should I just have a local jeweler size it for me? After a jeweler re-sizes your ring can you see where it was done? I guess I''m just nervous overall about having anyone work on my ring!

Thanks for your help!

 

[belle]

have you tested the fit during the hottest part of the summer? i would gauge fit on that before making any decisions.

 

[mrssalvo]

I agree with belle. My rings are very loose in the winter and just right in the summer..i hate them feeling tight. I just recently went to a jeweler to be resized and she told me someone else should be able to put the ring on but if they can take it off it''s too big and it should be smaller. So, if your fiance can easily pull your ring off you might have it sized down just a bit but if not, I''d leave it and at least wait until you see how it fits in warm weather.

 

[sunkist]

Hi Belle, thans. Yes, it was pretty hot here when I received my ring. It didn''t hurt to put on or get off, it seemed like it was the perfect fit. But now that it''s cooler it spins on my finger. Is that normal? It wouldn''t fall of my finger now just when I''m standing there, I guess I''m just afraid that when I''m washing my hands or when I go in the ocean on my honeymoon it could slip off.

So is it best to measure fit by the hottest time of the year?

 

[Phoenix]

Hi, I''ve had several rings re-sized and it is fairly straight forward. Should not take that long and fairly inexpensive (I don''t know the price in the US since I don''t live there but I can''t imagine it should cost more than USD100, prob more in the region of USD50 - I''ll leave the ladies with first hand experience give you a more accurate figure). It doesn''t seem to be worthwhile to send it all the way back, esp. with everything that''s going on in your life right now. Just take it to a local jeweler, find one that someone else has used and trusts. Then you can also have your ring size measured right there and then.

When it gets cold and/ or when I wash my hands, my rings tend to get rather slipper. For my RHR which fits just right, I am not that bothered, but for my e-ring which is a lot more valuable, it is 1/4 size smaller than it should be, just a tiny tiny bit tight, but better that than having your ring slide off your finger without your knowing.

 

[Phoenix]

oh, if the jeweler does a good job, you should not be able to see where it was done at all.

 

[sunkist]

Thanks MrsSalvo, I will try that with my fiance tonight! So if it happens that I do decide to have it re-sized, is it crazy for me to tell them to make it "a tad smaller" ??? Or is that not universal jeweler language?

hehe!

 

[mrssalvo]

hehe, a think a tad smaller or 1/4 of a size should be fine and enough to keep in on. especially if it did fit when you wore it when it was warm.

 

[Demelza]

Hi Sunkist -- Besides the sizing issue, were there other quality control problems with the ring? Anything to do with the workmanship itself? Or is it just that it doesn''t fit properly? Thanks!!

 

[sunkist]

The other issues were, if you remember on the Lockes solitaire, there are scallops underneath the prongs that sort of make little arches (i''m sure that''s a bad description

) Anyways there was some left over material so it wasn''t cleaned out all the way in the arches that go over the shank on both sides. They also are supposed to polish the entire ring, even the inside of the head, and inside the head I can see rough. And my fiance''s biggest complaint is that the head appears to sit crooked on the shaft. All of these problems are not noticeable to anyone while the ring is on my finger. The only people that know about them are me and my fiance, since we are the only ones enthralled with it enough to scour the detail. And I''ve been thinking that I can live with it and that it''s not that big of a deal. But the other part of me says I want the quality that they promised! Oh and also when we got it there was a small small gouge in the shank just underneath the head. Even though it was so small, it should not have been there. They have promised to fix the ring and I just want to get it over and done with. Also, they keep turning over people in their office so fast that I want to get it done before no one remembers who I am....

 

[Mara]

sunkist, i think 1/4 size is fairly significant though most jewelers would say nay. i had my rings upsized 1/4 after we got married because they seemed to get tighter, but i think i just gained like 10 lbs! anyway now that i have lost the weight, my rings are slippery sliding all over the place and driving me batty. it''s especially bad right now as it gets colder, i can literally grasp both rings and just pull them off my finger. and my knuckles are bigger so typically that''s hard. i had JE size me last week when i went with gypsy and he said i am a 6 and my rings are 6 1/4. but i can also wear friend''s rings that are 5.75 with no problem getting them on and off and they don''t fit tight. so i don''t know what the deal is. typically they say that 1/4 of a size up or down is a smidgen of a HAIR of difference but it''s enough to drive me insane. i really wish i had not had them upsized now. i can even get them on my index finger, which used to be a size 8. so what size is it now if my rings fit on them?!

my fingers are driving me nuts. anyway, i say 1/4 size is an okay thing to say if you just want them a wee bit tighter. but don''t go more, just in case. good luck!

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 10/16/2006 1:00:01 PM
Author: Mara
i had my rings upsized 1/4 after we got married because they seemed to get tighter, but i think i just gained like 10 lbs!

I recall other people having the same experience though ... rings getting "tighter" when you wear the e-ring WITH the w-band. Wallermama & I were discussing this a couple months ago too.

You *might* wanna wait to get the e-ring resized AFTER you wear it WITH the wedding band for a few months (or even until summer) ... the extra width of two bands can do funny things to the meaty part of your finger. (At least if you have as much "meat" as I do

)

 

[sunkist]

Is it dangerous to change a ring''s size down and up and down again?

And Deco, that is a good point about waiting to see how it is with the w-band. It might have been your thread I was reading, but someone was talking about how spinning is sometimes solved with the w-band on there too cause it sits up higher on the finger. Ohhh, what should I do, I guess I''ll wait and get the band and then maybe even before our wedding I can have it sized locally.

 

[Mara]

yeah deco i thought that the rings were tighter because there were two. but really i think it was just that i was gradually gaining 10 lbs over 6 months kinda thing!! blaming my rings. hehee. because in the last 2 months suddenly my rings are LOOSE LOOSE LOOSE...both of them. and the spinning is driving me insane. typically i don''t mind spinning rings a little, my rings have always spun a bit (my e-ring really), because my knuckle is a little bigger than the area of my finger where the rings sit. but lately the e-ring is NEVER straight up and always banging against my finger and driving me nuts. sometimes it is upside down for hours before i fix it. greg says he wants me to get sizing balls or whatever but i know they will bother me. i was trying to say that i should just get a new ring set but he didn''t go for that!

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Hi Sunkist-

My e-ring is a size 7, and it always fit just a teeny bit big. It spun some, especially in the winter (I got engaged last Dec.). FI and I did the "pull-off test", last January and he was never able to take it off.

I got married 2 weeks ago, and it now fits better as it sits on the "meatier" (hehe, Deco) piece of my finger. My wband is 1/4 size smaller than my ering, so that's really the size I should be but don't want to size my e-ring down- especially since I'm prone to gaining/losing weight.

So, like some of the other gals have noted, maybe you should wait and see how it fits with the w-band.

Hope this helps!

CG

 

[FacetFire]

My ring is loose when it''s cold outside...very loose. BUT, it''s also tight when it''s hot outside. I''m not getting mine sized though, because I know it''ll be a bit tighter with a wedding band of the same size next to it. I echo the thought of waiting to see when you have the WB next to it.

 

[Lynn B]

OH SUNKIST! Sooooooo sorry to hear about your QC problems w/ Lockes. That just STINKS! Egads, there is really no excuse for that... IMHO you should have received nothing less than an exquisite, finely crafted piece of art. I''m glad you''re sending it back and not "settling"... I know it is a four-star drag to be without it, but I think it should be perfect - for you to totally enjoy for YEARS.

Can you post some photos of the lopsided-ness and the unpolished areas? Does your diamond look like it was set carefully and evenly?

Do you think they''ll be able to fix your current ring, or have to do a complete re-make?

Again, I am sooooo sorry. But that Lockes setting is simply GORGEOUS, so once they make it right for you, you are gonna be soooooo happy!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I''m so sorry to hear this, too SK. I''d make them agree to get it done asap and send it back within 48 hours of receiving it! And they should pay the shipping, too.

I agree with those who said do not have it sized now. The summer is the best time to have rings sized since that is usually when rings are the tightest. You don''t want to be sizing up and down over and over.

 

[sunkist]

I''ll try and show you in photos the lopsidedness. I think my fiance took one that PSers might be able to detect!

I also tried taking pictures of the solder points but I don''t think you could tell in them either. When i get home I''ll try to take some more and post pics of the lopsided head.

 

[sunkist]

Date: 10/16/2006 7:05:21 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
I'm so sorry to hear this, too SK. I'd make them agree to get it done asap and send it back within 48 hours of receiving it! And they should pay the shipping, too.


I agree with those who said do not have it sized now. The summer is the best time to have rings sized since that is usually when rings are the tightest. You don't want to be sizing up and down over and over.

Really? 48 hours??? Should I really ask them for that? I totally want to. I guess it doesn't hurt to ask! It is my inconvenience to be without my e-ring at our engagement party.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 10/16/2006 7:55:00 PM
Author: sunkist

Date: 10/16/2006 7:05:21 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
I''m so sorry to hear this, too SK. I''d make them agree to get it done asap and send it back within 48 hours of receiving it! And they should pay the shipping, too.


I agree with those who said do not have it sized now. The summer is the best time to have rings sized since that is usually when rings are the tightest. You don''t want to be sizing up and down over and over.

Really? 48 hours??? Should I really ask them for that? I totally want to. I guess it doesn''t hurt to ask! It is my inconvenience to be without my e-ring at our engagement party.

You''re darn right! I mean, they aren''t going to work on it more than an hour (or two?) probably, so I see no reason they cannot put a rush on it since you are right in the height of your pre-wedding events!!!!

 

[kcoursolle]

Date: 10/16/2006 8:08:08 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006

Date: 10/16/2006 7:55:00 PM
Author: sunkist

Date: 10/16/2006 7:05:21 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
I''m so sorry to hear this, too SK. I''d make them agree to get it done asap and send it back within 48 hours of receiving it! And they should pay the shipping, too.


I agree with those who said do not have it sized now. The summer is the best time to have rings sized since that is usually when rings are the tightest. You don''t want to be sizing up and down over and over.

Really? 48 hours??? Should I really ask them for that? I totally want to. I guess it doesn''t hurt to ask! It is my inconvenience to be without my e-ring at our engagement party.

You''re darn right! I mean, they aren''t going to work on it more than an hour (or two?) probably, so I see no reason they cannot put a rush on it since you are right in the height of your pre-wedding events!!!!

I second this thought. If they made the mistake in the first place and you need it for your wedding, my feeling is that they should go out of their way to fix it. It won''t hurt to at least ask.

 

[Lynn B]

Date: 10/16/2006 8:08:08 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
You''re darn right! I mean, they aren''t going to work on it more than an hour (or two?) probably, so I see no reason they cannot put a rush on it since you are right in the height of your pre-wedding events!!!!

I hope you are right, DS, and it only takes them an hour or two to fix. That would be awesome! But I suspect they *might* need to re-make the whole ring. But even with that, I totally agree that it should have a very fast turnaround time.

Sunkist, what are the little surprise diamonds like in that head? I know they are tiny, but are they little sparklers?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Lynn, I agree that if the whole ring needs to be remade, they should do that, definitely. But they should put it ahead of everything else and get it done in a few days. I doubt it takes a huge number of hours to make that ring from scratch since it isn''t like there is a ton of pave or anything.

 

[sunkist]

Date: 10/16/2006 8:43:26 PM
Author: Lynn B

Date: 10/16/2006 8:08:08 PM

Author: diamondseeker2006

You''re darn right! I mean, they aren''t going to work on it more than an hour (or two?) probably, so I see no reason they cannot put a rush on it since you are right in the height of your pre-wedding events!!!!

I hope you are right, DS, and it only takes them an hour or two to fix. That would be awesome! But I suspect they *might* need to re-make the whole ring. But even with that, I totally agree that it should have a very fast turnaround time.


Sunkist, what are the little surprise diamonds like in that head? I know they are tiny, but are they little sparklers?

No, unfortunately they are not little sparklers. I don''t get any fire or brilliance back from them at all. They look like diamond chips, they are round... I still think they add a very pretty aspect to the design though!

I will request that they turn it around in a couple days. Even if they do make a whole new ring, and I will request that they do, because I don''t think they can fix it the way it is crooked.

 

[sunkist]

Ok, my sizing issue is solved for now! I tried the pulling test with my fiance last night and he couldn''t get it off my finger. So I feel better about it fitting right.

Now I have to call them about sending it in a fixing it correctly.

 

[sunkist]

I just talked to Perri, the new manager at Lockes, about sending my ring in to be fixed or re-made. I just have to say that she was very nice, understanding, and helpful. Aparently it does take 2 weeks to make the ring though

I asked her if I was being placed in line behind others and she said the whole ring making process does take 2 weeks because it is all hand made! I''m still wondering how it really takes that long. Anyways, she said I can send my ring in any time to be fixed.

 

[Demelza]

Date: 10/17/2006 2:05:37 PM
Author: sunkist
I just talked to Perri, the new manager at Lockes, about sending my ring in to be fixed or re-made. I just have to say that she was very nice, understanding, and helpful. Aparently it does take 2 weeks to make the ring though

I asked her if I was being placed in line behind others and she said the whole ring making process does take 2 weeks because it is all hand made! I''m still wondering how it really takes that long. Anyways, she said I can send my ring in any time to be fixed.

Sunkist -- I''m glad they''re going to remake your ring for you. The reason I asked what kind of quality control issues you were having is that I had IDENTICAL issues with the Signature Setting Lockes made for me not too long ago. I was planning on starting another thread about my experience, but wanted to let you know that you''re not alone in your dissatisfaction with their workmanship. I''m glad you didn''t settle because, for the amount of money we paid, those kinds of mistakes are simply unacceptable. Good luck and keep us posted on how your remake goes!!

 

[sumbride]

If it''s going to take two weeks to be fixed, it might be better to just wait until after the wedding, especially since you think only PS people would notice. You''ll want to have it on your hand for all those events and photos and once you''re married you can wear your wedding ring while your e-ring is being fixed so you won''t feel completely "naked".

Oh, and as for wearing it in the ocean on your honeymoon... I wouldn''t! I''ve heard so many stories of people losing their rings on their honeymoon! Especially men. With a ring that pretty I''d hate for that to happen to you. Make sure your hotel has a safe you can use when you''re out on the beach! Besides, sparkly metal can attract sharks because it gleams like fish scales in the sun. At least that''s what my snorkel guides have always said.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I agree with Sum. Just wait until after the wedding. I only took my WB to mexico for our HM. I know that is what insurance is for but it just wasn''t worth the risk. On the plus side my diamond looked HUGE after not wearing it for a week!