What good is a 100% upgrade policy if.......

[facetedjewel]

I''m new here to PS. I''ve been reading it for about 9 months, but just recently registered. This is a fabulous site for information and I thank so many of you for all the things I''ve learned!

However, I didn''t find this site soon enough. Trying to keep this story short, my husband bought me an engagement ring of my choosing. Designer is Parade. It''s a 18K white gold with rose gold accents. There are two pear side stones with white millgrain surrounded by pink diamonds set in rose gold with additional millgrain. The shank is a knife edge with white diamonds and millgrain. Claw prongs for the center stone. Very ornate and antique looking setting, IMO. I was really in love with Asschers at the time and we chose a lovely one while the setting was being made. I''m a size 3.75 so it had to be ordered. When the ring was ready, it looked pretty good. The Asscher was perhaps a tad on the small side for the setting as there are small gaps between the pear accents and the center stone which is not as the original design shows, but it still presented well.

However, the problem got worse when we went to get the matching band. The designer only had two photos of it and no examples to send to the jeweler so we just took a leap of faith. It matches beautifully, however, there is a bridge of white gold pave between the two rose gold sections and it is curved, not square or straight so it in essence makes my Asscher look like a square peg in a round hole. Not a good look. I finally resigned myself that an Asscher was not to be and decided the perfect look would be a chunky cushion. It would be an upgrade to my current center and my jeweler has said all along they would offer 100% upgrades. The problem is that the jeweler is saying he may not be able to find one for me. After much research here, I looked up a range of parameters for him to search for. He says that the crushed ice cushions are much more popular and therefore much more widely available. I know they are more available, but I did not necessarily think they were more popular, but that''s beside the point. He has personally examined 3 stones and we have considered two others, but ruled them out due to size. He says it costs him money to look at these stones and he doesn''t know how much longer he can take on that cost without pushing it to me. Keeping in mind that one of the stones I found online at ERD, exact same numbers, and my jeweler quoted me 30% more. I understand that whole online thing versus B&M, but he''s only looked at 3 stones for me so far! I just hardly thought 3 stones was alot. I also figured since we are spending almost 3 times more than what we paid for our current stone, it would be worth it for him, but apparently it isn''t. In addition, when the jewelers soldered the ring together, they polished off some of the beautiful Parade millgrain work and I''m terrified that they won''t be able to repair it the way it was. It''s just turning into a nightmare!

My question to pose to you guys is what is my next move? The biggest mistake, among many here, is that we bought an uncertified Asscher. However, I feel certified or uncertified we''ll be taking a big hit if we trade with anyone other than the one who sold it to us. Should I just cave and trade for a round, for which the original ring was designed for and for which he has plenty of or should I hold out for a cushion that would just make the ring? What good is the 100% upgrade if you can''t find a stone you want? I currently have a very nice round from a previous relationship, but I really wanted something different. I realized early on it would be a lengthy search, but when he comes back after 3 stones and says I may have to look elsewhere, what good is the 100% upgrade? Please tell me what I''m missing here.

I kept this as brief as I could to get my point across, but it still came out long! Sorry guys! Any input would be appreciated.

 

[neatfreak]

Unfortunately the upgrade policy is really only as good as the jeweler. What does it say on your receipt about the policy? That should help you understand how it works and what the jeweler claims is his responsibility to you in the matter. It does cost him $ to keep calling stones in, but at the same time you should be able to get something you are happy with no matter the shape.

 

[Allison D.]

I honestly would not suggest settling for a shape you don''t want; you won''t ultimately be happy with the end result.

I think it will be possible to get what you want *if* you''re willing to have some patience and let your vendor try to locate a suitable stone. Tell him you would rather not rush into finding *a* stone; you''d rather be patient and find *the* stone.

His likely problem is that he''s being charged shipping fees for every stone that comes in, and that will add up quickly. If he''s able to pre-qualify by speaking to his supplier prior to bringing stones in and you''re willing to wait for him to bring in a winner, you may be able to get what you want.

If what you want is to see eight stones and pick your favorite from the lot, I''d say you''re not likely going to get that option unless you''re willing to bear the cost of the shipping. Even then, he likely wouldn''t be able to bring in several at a time.

Your problem isn''t that you bought an uncerted asscher; you''d likely run into this regardless because most places won''t take trade-in stones they didn''t sell. That would limit you to one source during upgrade either way.