What should I do with this Aqua ring?

[hoofbeats95]

I picked this up at Macy''s a few years ago on the day after T-giving. I think I paid less than $150 for it if I remember right. I just fell in love with the setting. I actually liked the ring for a while. Then my Aqua just didn''t look that blue anymore. I took it to Macy''s one day to be cleaned. Got the weirdest sales lady I have ever seen. She looked at me like I was loony for asking her to clean it. She did. . . and like TWENTY mins later when she gave it to me it looked like crap. I''ve never been really happy with that stone. Yesterday I took it to a store to get a quote on replacing the stone. The cleaned and polished it for me and it looked pretty good. But it doesn''t stay that way long. When it gets dirty it looks cloudy. Like a REALLY dirty diamond because it''s so light. The side diamonds are frozen spit. Which I didn''t notice at the time of purchase. Just noticed that last year. I really didn''t wear this ring that much. So the store will charge $80 to replace the diamonds - 1/2 point diamonds I think she said. There are 6 of them. The stone - well I asked for Blue Topaz because I know it''s cheap and I don''t want to sink too much money into the ring. $50 - $80 on the stone (without setting). The low end is a sky blue, the high end is a london blue with a swiss priced in the middle. I asked for a Green Amythest too as I love that color and don''t have one (I have a blue topaz). There wasn''t a trillion that she could find (on the computer inventory I guess as she would leave and come back minutes later) but she guessed aboiut $38. A created emerald would be under $30 too I think. But I can''t decide what to do. Do I just replace the diamonds and see if I can keep the ring clean and like it better? Do I just replace the stone and leave the diamonds? It seems dumb to stick a ton of money into it, but I do like the setting. And what would I do with the Aqua later? And is that even real or is it fake? I talked about finding a stone online to which the reply was "you have to be careful online as you just don''t know what you are getting" Well quite frankly I don''t know what Im getting at the store either. All their little round containers could contain created stones. How do I know? I don''t really. I don''t care with this ring, but that did rub me the wrong way. So what do you guys think? Any ideas welcome as I adore the setting.

 

[hoofbeats95]

Another

 

[ma re]

So they won''t take the aqua (plus some money) as a trade in for another stone? If they won''t you can take it to some local jeweller (outside of malls preferably) and he/she''ll be happy to do it. I wouldn''t mess around with changing diamonds. At those sizes they wouldn''t have such a huge effect anyway, and you''d still have a stone you''re not happy with.

 

[arjunajane]

So, you have learnt one of the first PS lessons - never, ever discuss buying gems over the internet with staff in maul jewellers (or most B&Ms at that).
You will always get a lecture on how dangerous and bad it is, usually accompanied by an "anecdote" (I say that in "" for a reason), on how one of their customers got badly ripped.

You can argue your knowledge til your blue in the face, and they won''t listen.

Anyway, I know that doesn''t answer your questions - I agree with ma re on those.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Ditto to ma re and also to arjuna jane - B&M jewelers can be huge jerks about buying stuff on the internet. Personally, I would think that they would get how much of a turnoff that can be for well-informed consumers, but apparently not

Sorry you''re dealing with this!

 

[hoofbeats95]

I didn''t ask them about a trade in. Didn''t think of it. Heck I don''t even know if the thing is real! This is a local jeweler btw - not a mall store. I also thought I was looking at stones that are cheaper than aquas. . . blue topaz for example. In anycase I was also looking for opinions on the ring and what you guys thought would look good?

 

[ma re]

Date: 1/17/2009 1:14:29 PM
Author: hoofbeats95
I didn''t ask them about a trade in. Didn''t think of it. Heck I don''t even know if the thing is real! This is a local jeweler btw - not a mall store. I also thought I was looking at stones that are cheaper than aquas. . . blue topaz for example. In anycase I was also looking for opinions on the ring and what you guys thought would look good?

What you''re paying (maybe even more than the stone) is a also setting procedure, which is why I think prices are not lower as much as you''d expect. I wouldn''t go with topaz, simply cause it''s not a very durable stone and not a great sollution for rings. I''m also not sure about created emerald, simply because the look would be very diferent from current one, and if you love this one, you might not that one. So my vote goes to green amethyst. Either that or another aqua.

 

[FrekeChild]

I disagree with the durability of blue topaz. Amethyst/quartz is around a 7 on the hardness scale, with topaz around an 8. The problem with topaz is that it has perfect cleavage--but so do diamonds. I have several blue topaz rings, and haven''t ever had a problem--even with one that I wore everyday for 4 years.

And $50 for a blue topaz?! That''s way too expensive. They usually run $5 a carat. If that stone is 1ct, it should be $10 at the most.

Did they say anything about a setting fee?

 

[hoofbeats95]

The setting fee was figured into the quote for replacing the diamonds. Not sure about the center stone though. I might call on Monday and ask about that. Anyone have any thoughts on finding a replacement stone online. Nothing too expensive though. I don''t know if it''s a good decision to spend more on replacing the stone(s) than I paid for the ring! Oh and is there a good reliable source for price per carat of gemstones? I''m clueless when it comes to that and I''d like to be more knowledgeable. Thanks!