PreRaphaelite
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2015
- Messages
- 3,564
Long post. Sorry. Where to start?
So, I don’t want to post her photos without JPie’s permission, so here’s her thread with lots of pictures: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/georgian-omc-in-collet-setting-with-gold-chain.238896/
I'd fallen in love with JPie’s necklace and wanted one just like it, and I had a stone that would be perfect for it. Yay!
But I had one project already started that was stretching my wallet, and was nervous about cost for this second one. Unfortunately, I tried to save money by routing the big expensive, aspirational, nail-bitingly-perfectionist project to a PS-recommended vendor, and the simple hand-cut silver one (well, I thought it was simple and hand-cut) to a local jeweller.
Bad decision.
We all make mistakes, and boy did I make one. In fact, I feel like such an idiot that I almost didn’t write this post, out of shame. The reason I’m confessing instead of pretending this never happened is that I’m trying to salvage the situation if possible, with PS help.
Despite the fact that there are actual youtube videos teaching people how to make a collet setting, and it’s generally considered beginner-level skill, I should have known it was too much to ask of my local. I should have shipped my ring off to the same big-city vendor who is about to get the other diamonds. But the local guy said, sure no problem we can do it, it will take 1 1/2 hours of bench time with the graduate gemologist on staff. That’ll be $300 plus costs.
Ok. Gulp. Fast forward a week, and I was excited to get the call that it was ready. Yay!
Then I saw it.
The pendant was an unfunny joke. It looked literally nothing like the photos. For starters, they over-torched and fused the delicate links of my vintage chain and attached mickey mouse ears to it for some reason (can’t be restored back, now scrap). When I objected they said “well that’s the way it’s done.” I asked why they could not have contacted me first, after all, if the chain I brought in was not going to work, I could bring in a different one that would!
Awkward silence ensued. I referred the jeweller to the pictures, and showed him that it wasn’t even close.
By then, I was actually having trouble holding the necklace because my hands were shaking a little bit. The chain was the least of my worries at that point. The collet itself was given a pair of mickey mouse ears, too, and I was stunned. There weren’t any ears called for at all in this job, and he put in FOUR of them. Why?!
I had, of course, pre-paid. Like an idiot. After some minutes of looking at the original photos and looking back at the pendant in front of me, I needed to leave. I told the jeweller I wasn’t happy and it wasn’t what I specified, so I would take it home over the weekend and bring it back monday.
Mistakes happen. People get things wrong. Fair enough.
All the same, I’m gutted.
I emailed him as soon as I got home. I told him that I wasn’t happy and that the pendant looked nothing like any of the six (SIX!!) photos I gave him when I put in the order.
To his credit, he admitted he had “missed the mark” (to use his words) and offered to redo the job. I’m already in for more than $300, and still upset, but I’m willing to give him a chance to make things right, as long as I can give him a CAD so there’s no excuse for failure.
Now that my full Mea Culpa is public, can anyone take pity on me with even the quickest CAD for him?
Thank you for being gentle with your replies. I know I’m ridiculous and I’m just trying to dig myself out. If he doesn’t get it right on the second try, I will ask for a refund and send the stone to the big-city jeweller and move on. But I’ve made mistakes before and been given second chances myself, and I worked really hard to make people happy. Hopefully he will do exactly that.
On the bright side, I'm losing weight because who can eat at a time like this.
(Sigh.)
So, I don’t want to post her photos without JPie’s permission, so here’s her thread with lots of pictures: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/georgian-omc-in-collet-setting-with-gold-chain.238896/
I'd fallen in love with JPie’s necklace and wanted one just like it, and I had a stone that would be perfect for it. Yay!
But I had one project already started that was stretching my wallet, and was nervous about cost for this second one. Unfortunately, I tried to save money by routing the big expensive, aspirational, nail-bitingly-perfectionist project to a PS-recommended vendor, and the simple hand-cut silver one (well, I thought it was simple and hand-cut) to a local jeweller.
Bad decision.
We all make mistakes, and boy did I make one. In fact, I feel like such an idiot that I almost didn’t write this post, out of shame. The reason I’m confessing instead of pretending this never happened is that I’m trying to salvage the situation if possible, with PS help.
Despite the fact that there are actual youtube videos teaching people how to make a collet setting, and it’s generally considered beginner-level skill, I should have known it was too much to ask of my local. I should have shipped my ring off to the same big-city vendor who is about to get the other diamonds. But the local guy said, sure no problem we can do it, it will take 1 1/2 hours of bench time with the graduate gemologist on staff. That’ll be $300 plus costs.
Ok. Gulp. Fast forward a week, and I was excited to get the call that it was ready. Yay!
Then I saw it.
The pendant was an unfunny joke. It looked literally nothing like the photos. For starters, they over-torched and fused the delicate links of my vintage chain and attached mickey mouse ears to it for some reason (can’t be restored back, now scrap). When I objected they said “well that’s the way it’s done.” I asked why they could not have contacted me first, after all, if the chain I brought in was not going to work, I could bring in a different one that would!
Awkward silence ensued. I referred the jeweller to the pictures, and showed him that it wasn’t even close.
By then, I was actually having trouble holding the necklace because my hands were shaking a little bit. The chain was the least of my worries at that point. The collet itself was given a pair of mickey mouse ears, too, and I was stunned. There weren’t any ears called for at all in this job, and he put in FOUR of them. Why?!
I had, of course, pre-paid. Like an idiot. After some minutes of looking at the original photos and looking back at the pendant in front of me, I needed to leave. I told the jeweller I wasn’t happy and it wasn’t what I specified, so I would take it home over the weekend and bring it back monday.
Mistakes happen. People get things wrong. Fair enough.
All the same, I’m gutted.
I emailed him as soon as I got home. I told him that I wasn’t happy and that the pendant looked nothing like any of the six (SIX!!) photos I gave him when I put in the order.
To his credit, he admitted he had “missed the mark” (to use his words) and offered to redo the job. I’m already in for more than $300, and still upset, but I’m willing to give him a chance to make things right, as long as I can give him a CAD so there’s no excuse for failure.
Now that my full Mea Culpa is public, can anyone take pity on me with even the quickest CAD for him?
Thank you for being gentle with your replies. I know I’m ridiculous and I’m just trying to dig myself out. If he doesn’t get it right on the second try, I will ask for a refund and send the stone to the big-city jeweller and move on. But I’ve made mistakes before and been given second chances myself, and I worked really hard to make people happy. Hopefully he will do exactly that.
On the bright side, I'm losing weight because who can eat at a time like this.
(Sigh.)
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