Engagement Ring Repair

Updated on November 08, 2015
T.D. asks from New York, NY
11 answers

sorry this is not a parenting question, but i want opinions.
last christmas i sent my ring out for "prong tightening" it came back in horrid condition, (1 diamond missing, and a sliver of gold hanging off the side among other things) sent it back out for repair. the diamond was found and put back in view but not in a setting that matched the one ajecent to it, there were 2 places where they got solder in the wrong place and the top main diamond was crooked. few months of not wearing it later i noticed a baguette was loose so i brought it back a 3rd time to have that fixed. here i am now, i have had my ring for about a week and that same baguette is still loose, they partially fixed the other issues they created but failed to fix the main issue. so would you send the ring a 4th time to the same company (where its under warranty) or say eff the warranty and take it to a reputable local jeweler and not the corperate jewler who has it under warranty?

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So What Happened?

i am leaning towards having a local jeweler do it but they stated they keep the ring for 7 days and don't do repairs while you watch. the place that its under warranty covers everything. repairs, resizing, diamond replacement if i lose one, at no charge. so other than the cost of the ring i have not paid anything for these repairs. and will not pay for the life of the ring. they have fixed everything they messed up but failed to tighten the baguette that was the original reason for the latest repair. (so the ring looks like it did a year ago but has a loose stone) i know they didn't do any diamond switching because i have inclusions that are documented on the apprasal paperwork. not only would i know, i would have proof of a switch.

(oh and the missing diamond that was found was still in the ring, just burried under the metal, the sales gal found it while looking under a microscope so all they did was re set it)

Featured Answers

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M.G.

answers from Portland on

I would take it to another place. Sometimes these warranty places are much more trouble than they are worth.
My ring was made locally by a jeweler so he's the only guy who's worked with it etc. So I haven't personally encountered this with jewelry but have with other things. If they screw up once, I'm willing to let them make it right, but not a second time.

I know some people who will be dissatisfied, get it fixed elsewhere and hand the original place the bill - you might not have success, but I think you could make a case that they weren't living up to whatever the terms were. Probably just easier to take it to someone local who is skilled.

2 moms found this helpful

More Answers

T.F.

answers from Dallas on

I know it is just me but I would never send my ring off period. You just don't know what you don't know.

I go to a highly reputable jeweler and anything he does, he does right in front of me.

If someone has tried 3 times already and botched your ring, I would not send it back to them.

I hope you get things worked out.

7 moms found this helpful
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C.B.

answers from San Francisco on

I would not send it back to them. I would walk it into a reputable jeweler and have it repaired while you wait/watch. Are you certain the diamond they "found" is the one lost from your ring. I've heard of them taking genuine stones and replacing with fake.

4 moms found this helpful
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M.R.

answers from Washington DC on

OK, this doesn't really give me any authority here but, hey, my brother owns a jewelry store. And I know he would advise you only to let a reputable local jewelry shop handle your ring, not a chain shop or "corporate jeweler" if that means a chain. You want a place that employs jewelers. Ask questions. Ask how long their jewelers have been doing that job, how much repair work they usually do in a given week or month, how they would propose not just tightening one baguette but how they would straighten that crooked main diamond, remove the bad solder and fix the setting piece that doesn't match the rest. Get an estimate. I'd get ALL the messy, shoddy work fixed, if it were me. It will cost you but if this is something you treasure you should be able to look at it and not cringe at all the problems a lousy jeweler created.

By the way, you want to find a jewelry store that has IN-HOUSE jewelers who will be doing this work right there on the premises--not sending it anywhere. Ask to meet the jeweler who will work on your ring -- don't just leave it with a salesperson, ask to see the jeweler too so you know this person really is on the premises. People who sell jewelry sometimes claim they are "jewelers" but that term really should only be used for people who are formally trained in the art of fabricating and repairing jewelry. I would wager that whoever messed with your ring was not trained or at least not well trained.

My brother sells jewelry and has trained in fabricating it, and is a certified gemologist, but he would never work himself on a ring like yours -- that is why he employs a full-time jeweler inside his shop.

I agree with the person who posted that you should let the Better Business Bureau know about the corporate jeweler. I also don't get the warranty thing unless you mean a warranty on the (terrible) workmanship and not on the ring itself. Be sure you have the ring insured through your homeowners insurance and/or a "jewelry rider" on that insurance if your agent thinks you need one, too!

4 moms found this helpful

D.B.

answers from Boston on

I wouldn't send it off - who puts a warranty on an engagement ring? You would have the same guarantee from a reputable jeweler in your area. Clearly someone is not taking care of you. I would report them to the Better Business Bureau and any other organization or agency that may oversee them (like the Consumer Protection office of the state Attorney General's office).

However, I should tell you that I took my grandmother's engagement ring in to a local and well-known jeweler to have the prongs tightened (the stone was loose). Some years later I had 2 jewelers look at it, and without my prompting them, they each said the diamond was badly chipped. I am pretty certain that the first jeweler took out the stone and replaced it with a substandard stone. Otherwise, he was incompetent and never told me what kind of shape the stone was in. I find it hard to believe that my grandmother wore it for so many decades with no damage, and suddenly I abused it to the point of excessive chipping.

So I would screw the warranty right now, and I would have it appraised/inspected by two independent jewelers in your town, including the weight, clarity etc. of the stone as well as the settings. I would choose one of them to repair it, and I would submit copies of the paperwork as well as the warranty and the info on the company you obtained the ring from, to any authority that says they have jurisdiction. Something's really off here.

3 moms found this helpful

W.W.

answers from Washington DC on

ETA: On my expensive rings (over $10K) I have a warranty on them. I take them in every six months and the jeweler I purchased them where they inspect, clean and make any repairs. Should the ring get damaged? They will fix it or replace it.
__________________________________________

Tadpole - why did you even accept it when it was done bad??

You need to take a picture of it and send it to the corporate office. Then take your ring to a reputable jeweler and have it repaired correctly and send the bill to the jeweler who doesn't know his job?

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N.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Talk to an attorney and file in small claims court to get your money back.

Find a good jeweler or someone that makes jewelry to do your repair.

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J.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

I wouldn't. Why would an engagement ring even need a warranty?

I had a diamond switched by a "reputable" jeweler. I really don't trust anyone now. When I have work done, I wait and watch.

1 mom found this helpful

S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

who on earth is doing this???
i'd have taken this above the head of the local store manager long ago. this is so not okay.
nor would i want to pay for what should be a warranty issue.
take this loudly and forcefully up the ladder.
i'm taking mine into littman today for its well-baby check-up. i've never been treated that way there.
khairete
S.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.S.

answers from Atlanta on

Take the ring to a reputable jeweler. Write a letter of complaint to the corporate office.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.P.

answers from Washington DC on

Is there anyway you can demand a new ring because this one seems botched beyond repair? If you got a new ring, I would say take it and run, don't worry about the warranty and use a local jeweler for any future cleaning or repairs.

1 mom found this helpful
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