You''ve GOT to be kidding me... starting over?

[katiedid]

I am literally about to be sick, having to write about this... Quick refresher: I ordered a new setting for my princess center stone. I got it and loved it (SP eternity duo set). I took it to the jeweler for him to remount my stone. He chipped my stone. He replaced my stone. (many, many twists and turns along the way that I won''t go into again!).

So over the weekend, I noticed my stone seemed a little loose. I could hear a tiny little rattle if I shook it. I took it back to the jeweler today and he tightened it. He told me (for the second time) that this setting was very thin and not substantial enough to hold up to daily wear and tear for very long. He said he expected to see me having problems with it within a couple of years. He said the prongs on the head were very thinly made and that there was very little metal holding the rings together. I explained that I was going for the "less metal", dainty, diamond eternity look. Now, granted, he had told me all of this when I first brought my diamond and this new setting in for him to remount. He told me the old mounting was much safer, would hold up much better, etc. I understand that this new setting is lightweight and dainty and that there is not a lot of metal in the ring. Am I sacrificing functionality for aesthetics here??

So I called SP and talked to Isaac (the most wonderful man!) and explained that I was very nervous that in a year or two (or 5), this setting would start showing signs of wear (one thing the jeweler mentioned is that over time, when you wear a band this thin, it can become elliptical--no longer round--just from taking it on and off.) I know Isaac thought this jeweler was full of you-know-what, but he said the most important thing is for me to feel comfortable and that he would do anything I wanted him to do. He said I could return it, exchange it for something heavier, or keep it and if anything broke, he''d fix it.

I believe him--but I don''t want the hassle of sending something off to be fixed. So my dilemma is WHAT DO I DO???????? I wonder if I should choose a platinum setting that is not the prong-set eternity style that will still give me the daintier look but will hold up better.

If you guys have any suggestions, please send them my way. I have to do my research and decide what I want to do. HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP! Why is this happening? I feel like I have the worst luck with this right now!

 

[iheartscience]

I''m sorry to hear you''re having problems, katiedid! Although I must say, I''m relieved that your diamond didn''t break again...when I saw the title I was scared!

I don''t recall reading anything on here about people having problems with their stuff from SP, but of course, that doesn''t mean they haven''t.

However, since your diamond was just set, maybe the problem is with the jeweler''s setting job and not the setting itself? Of course, this is total crazy speculation on my part, but maybe he was scared to make it too tight after he broke your last diamond? Keep in mind that I have no idea how a jeweler even sets a diamond, but the idea just popped into my head so I figured I''d throw it out there.

If it were me, I''d give it another try and see what happens with further wear. I wouldn''t worry too much about the setting itself, since it sounds like Isaac at SP is definitely going to stand behind it. I would worry about losing the diamond, though! If you don''t already have insurance on it, definitely get the diamond insured immediately...like tomorrow!

 

[Kaleigh]

Hmmm, maybe it's time to take it to an independant appraiser and see what their thoughts are...

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 5/28/2007 11:20:19 PM
Author: Kaleigh
Hmmm, maybe it''s time to take it to an independant appraiser and see what their thoughts are...

Totally agree that an independent (i.e., they DON''T sell any kind of stones or work for a jewelry store) appraiser would be a good bet. I haven''t seen any SP stuff in person, so I can''t comment on the quality myself. But we haven''t seen any complaints on here about people saying their stuff is cheap...so I would think it''s probably ok.

Since the jeweler was so nice about replacing your stone, I don''t know if he''s full of it intentionally, but he could just be "old fashioned" and think that anything that isn''t more substantial will be "cheap". You know how some older folks equate the heaviness or heft of something with quality? I was thinking that might be the way he''s thinking about it...

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 5/28/2007 11:20:19 PM
Author: Kaleigh
Hmmm, maybe it''s time to take it to an independant appraiser and see what their thoughts are...

yep

 

[denverappraiser]

I’m a little surprised that Isaac would warranty the setting work done by someone else but by all means take him up on it. While you’re at it, get an insurance policy if you haven’t already done so. A stone that keeps getting loose is a bad sign. It may be the prongs, it may be the setter or it might be a combination of the two. A professional inspection would be very helpful.

If you notice it loose again, send it to Signed Pieces to fix. I realize that this is probably inconvenient but there are some craftsmanship issues with stonesetting that aren’t entirely obvious and that can result in the stone perpetually getting loose. Tightening by pushing down the top of the prong briefly fixes the symptom but it doesn’t fix the root of the problem and, over time, the problem gets progressively worse. Since SP has agreed to be fundamentally responsible, they should have the opportunity to fix it right using their own craftsmen. That also short circuits the fingerpointing of where the problem started since both roads lead to the same destination.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[katiedid]

I agree that it''s possible that this jeweler is more old fashioned and thinks dainty=cheap. Actually, he never said it was cheap but he said it was thin and had very little metal to hold it together. He also said "it has all the hallmarks of Indian made jewelry". I don''t know what that means, and he didn''t say it in a negative way. It''s clear that there is very little metal--you can tell that by looking at it and holding it. It''s only a little over 2mm wide and is mostly diamonds (they are about .035 each). I love this look--but now that this guy has planted this seed in my head, I''m scared that I''m setting myself up for trouble, just to have a look I like. Certainly, there are many other looks I like too, so I''ve forced myself to be open to those now.

I''m going to take it to an appraiser this morning and see what he says. I''m simply going to ask him to give me his opinion of the structural integrity of the set. I was going to have him appraise it anyway, but I don''t want to pay him $75 to do that if there''s a chance I may send it back. Regardless, I totally believe SP is a great company, makes quality stuff, and obviously their customer service is second to none. At this point, I''m thinking I may have Isaac make me an eternity (or 3/4 eternity) wedding band and maybe just go with a solitaire setting for the ering. I just don''t know if the eternity band would rub on the ering. What do people normally wear with a solitaire if they want more diamonds? Are eternity bands out in that case? I don''t want anything channel-set and I''m not a huge milgrain or pave fan.

SP also has a set very similar to the one I got but it''s more a half-eternity, so it would have basically the same look but would be more substantial (and could still be "dainty" since it''s roughly the same mm width or a little wider).

 

[iheartscience]

I wouldn''t change my setting just yet, katiedid. SP makes eternity bands all the time-it''s what they specialize in and do best, it seems. I highly doubt they would be sending out rings and settings if they weren''t durable. To me, their settings look like there isn''t much metal from the top, but if you look at the profile there is plenty of metal there. (Like the ring is a little bit higher/taller to compensate for the lack of metal on the top of the shank.)

I think what DenverAppraiser said sounds like a good plan. If the diamond comes loose again, send the ring back to Isaac at SP and have him reset it. If you''re super worried about it, which it seems you are, I would go ahead and send it back right now to have SP reset the diamond so you''ll feel more comfortable.

And not to be a nagger, but did you get insurance on the rings and diamond yet?

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 5/28/2007 11:20:19 PM
Author: Kaleigh
Hmmm, maybe it''s time to take it to an independant appraiser and see what their thoughts are...

Thritto!

 

[katiedid]

Ok, here is the latest. You will not freakin'' believe it... I was headed to the independent appraiser this morning. I was sitting at a stoplight and took off the ering and shook it close to my ear. Guess what--it was rattling again. So I thought "great, the stone is loose AGAIN". I handed both rings over to the appraiser and he looked at the ering under a loop and said "it looks like a corner is chipped". I said "WHAT????????" He showed me under the microscope that sure enough, a corner was chipped. I told him I had just had it tightened yesterday and they didn''t mention anything about a chip. I decided at that moment there would be no more princess stones for me. 2 broken in one week was enough.

After I got over that blow and realized that I was going to be making yet another trip to the jeweler who had now chipped 2 stones of mine, I asked this guy what he thought of the structural integrity of the setting overall. He said at least one of the side stones was a little loose already and that with 2 eternity bands side by side, they rub against each other and the edges can kindof get wedged up underneath each other and slightly loosen the prongs. He said there''s nothing inherently wrong with this setting--it''s very pretty, but the diamonds take the brunt of all the wear and they can get loose, break, fall out, etc. Decision number 2 was now made--I''ll be returning this setting to SP, not because I think they have a crappy product (I don''t at all!), but because there is a princess head on it, I won''t buy another princess stone, and I''m already seeing loose side stones.

So I immediately drive 30 miles for the sixth or seventh trip in a little over a week to the jeweler that has now chipped 2 stones. I walked in, told them what the deal was, and said I didn''t want them to look for another stone for me, I didn''t want a princess cut stone at all, I thought I should go with a round. They offered to sell me a "comparable" round stone for another $1000. I said I couldn''t spend the $. Then they said they''d do it for $500 more. My husband and I talked and decided we''d be better off to part ways with this jeweler and find someone to get a new mounting and stone from, and have them do all the work from start to finish. I asked this jeweler to write me a check for the amount they had credited me when they originally broke my stone, plus the $500 I had paid them to upgrade to this most recent stone. They reluctantly did. So now I have a check from them, a setting to send back to SP for refund or credit, and will be starting over from scratch.

At this point, in talking with Isaac at SP more, I am leaning towards a simple, platinum cathedral setting for a round stone, hopefully around .75 ct, and possibly an eternity band from SP to go with it as my wedding band. My budget is a little less than $5000. I would appreciate any suggestions anyone can offer for a new stone, new simple setting, etc.

Calgon, take me away...

 

[Kaleigh]

Calgon indeed!! So sorry!!!

 

[FireGoddess]

Well that''s enough to drive anyone mad! If you love the look of a princess, what about a cut-cornered one? Just a thought...unless this has made so many bad memories you just want to go with another shape.

 

[jaz464]

My suggestion is to have the seller of the setting (SP in this case, if you stick with them) also set your new diamond. This makes things so much easier.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 5/29/2007 4:35:45 PM
Author: jazmine
My suggestion is to have the seller of the setting (SP in this case, if you stick with them) also set your new diamond. This makes things so much easier.

Completely agreed. Then if they DO chip it, their insurance will cover it with no problems.

Also, if YOU don''t already have insurance, you need to get it ASAP.

 

[katiedid]

I agree. I think the price of the ering setting (plat, cathedral) will be around $695. The eternity band I am looking at from SP will be somewhat less than $1800. That leaves me around $2400-2500 for the center stone. If I want G/H, SI1, how large a round center can I get?

 

[neatfreak]

Slightly less than .75 probably.

 

[kcoursolle]

I''m so sorry for all of the hassle. On the other hand, you''ve got a nice budget and the flexibility of ordering your stone from who ever you want now! You can get a really nice and well cut stone with your budget.

These stones should be in your budget once you take into account the ps discount:
.74 H/SI2
http://whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-25850.htm

.83 I/SI2 (I''s in rounds face up very white)
http://whiteflash.com/hearts_arrows/A-Cut-Above-H-A-cut-diamond-283255.htm#

 

[katiedid]

If I decide to go with SP for the cathedral mounting and an eternity wedding band, would I be better off selecting my own diamond separately and sending it to them to mount? Also, what is the pricescope discount at whiteflash and other vendors for stones?
thanks a bunch!

 

[Kim N]

Date: 5/29/2007 5:14:53 PM
Author: katiedid
If I decide to go with SP for the cathedral mounting and an eternity wedding band, would I be better off selecting my own diamond separately and sending it to them to mount? Also, what is the pricescope discount at whiteflash and other vendors for stones?
thanks a bunch!

Yes, I''d select your own diamond and send it to them to mount. The PS discount at WF is usually 5% on ACA stones and 3% on Expert Selection stones if you pay by wire transfer.

 

[jaz464]

Date: 5/29/2007 4:38:07 PM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 5/29/2007 4:35:45 PM
Author: jazmine
My suggestion is to have the seller of the setting (SP in this case, if you stick with them) also set your new diamond. This makes things so much easier.

Completely agreed. Then if they DO chip it, their insurance will cover it with no problems.

Also, if YOU don''t already have insurance, you need to get it ASAP.

Well not always. I have read stories here about jewelers not having the insurance to cover the chipping of diamonds they were setting. You need to ask and get it in writing. This is true whether the setter is the person you buy the setting from or not.

 

[kcoursolle]

Date: 5/29/2007 5:21:49 PM
Author: Kim N

Date: 5/29/2007 5:14:53 PM
Author: katiedid
If I decide to go with SP for the cathedral mounting and an eternity wedding band, would I be better off selecting my own diamond separately and sending it to them to mount? Also, what is the pricescope discount at whiteflash and other vendors for stones?
thanks a bunch!

Yes, I''d select your own diamond and send it to them to mount. The PS discount at WF is usually 5% on ACA stones and 3% on Expert Selection stones if you pay by wire transfer.

I think I''d go the other way around. I think I would send the setting to WF and have wf mount it. WF could also custom make you a similar setting.

 

[Gworks]

 

[denverappraiser]

Good Grief.

Something tells me there''s now an opening for a stonesetting job at that store.

I would point out that Signed Pieces has been more than reasonable throughout this entire exercise. If they’ve got what you want for a deal that suits you, they’ve certainly earned your business.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[donnag]

Katie,

I am sorry that you have had so much trouble. I just purchased (2) .74ct round diamonds for earrings from USA Cert through Martin Sheffield which I located on Pricescope while researching stones. They are eyeclean SI 2 G color They are GIA certed and match at about 5.94mm x 5.88mm x3.42 mm. I paid $1800.00 for one and $1900.00 for the other. They are both H and A cuts. I am very satisfied with them and my appraiser says that I got a good deal. A designer is working on the mounting for them now. I have to wait 4 weeks.

I also recently bought (2) .44 diamonds from Whiteflash and was also happy with my purchase. Whiteflash had each stone posted on their website for $830.00 each but they were posted on Pricescope thru Whiteflash for $570.00 each so they sold both to me at the Pricescope price- saving me over 500.00 total. I worked with Celina Vargas and she was terrific.

I hope you find exactly what you are looking for!!!

Donna Green

 

[Gypsy]

GOOD GOD. Just read the update. You poor thing. I would buy the diamond from WF... the setting from SP and then send the setting to WF to set. SP has been good, so I would stick with buying the setting from them... but definitely have it set by WF.

As for the stone I''d get that I that KC posted. I''ve seen some ACA I''s and they are STUNNING and white. It''s a great size too.

 

[surfgirl]

katie...sorry this has turned into such a saga for you but I think you did the right thing in starting over and thank goodness the jeweler didn''t give you a hard time. That said, CASH THAT CHECK NOW. For safe keeping.

If you love eternity bands, I''d suggest a channel set band so it doesn''t rub against another setting like the last one did. I love the prong set eternity bands but I didn''t get one because I didn''t want to deal with the possible rubbing/scratching against my ering. So I went with a channel set band and it''s lovely too. And no rubbing against stones!

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 5/29/2007 6:29:34 PM
Author: Gypsy
GOOD GOD. Just read the update. You poor thing. I would buy the diamond from WF... the setting from SP and then send the setting to WF to set. SP has been good, so I would stick with buying the setting from them... but definitely have it set by WF.

As for the stone I''d get that I that KC posted. I''ve seen some ACA I''s and they are STUNNING and white. It''s a great size too.

Big DITTO.

 

[iheartscience]

OH NO! Poor katiedid! I''m so sorry to hear this!

I must say, I''m very impressed that you went straight to the jeweler and got your money back, though! Good for you!

I think your plan for a new setting with a round brilliant sounds like a good one. I personally would get an ACA from Whiteflash. The ones kcoursolle posted above both look great! I''d probably go for the I/SI2 just to squeeze a little more size into the budget!

I think this calls for more than Calgon, though...how ''bout a margarita?!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Gosh from me,too!!!!

BUT, I''d buy the stone AND setting from WF and only get the eternity ring from SP. Please do yourself a favor and let WF set the stone in one of their high quality settings! Then, after you get it, have SP send you a couple of eternity rings to try on with it.

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 5/29/2007 6:24:23 PM
Author: denverappraiser
Good Grief.

Something tells me there''s now an opening for a stonesetting job at that store.