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42 Damaged Melee on Whiteflash Engagement and Wedding Ring Set - Seeking Advice Please!

Thank you all for your ideas, suggestions and for caring, I really do value the community here. Your explanations have also gone a long way to helping me understand the lack of durability of my rings and that 17 years of wear is 'a good innings' for such a design.

Garry - I love the way you put it and it seems that I have had a "chainsaw massacre" on my finger! This is the first time I've been able to laugh about it so THANK YOU for managing to wipe away a few tears.

My wedding set has clearly reached the end of it's life after 17 wonderful years and even if it hasn't, the rings are more fragile now and with ongoing wear are more susceptible to further damage from now on out... I get it. I wish John Pollard was still at Whiteflash, he would have explained and advised me well, he was good at that when I was a newbie on a diamond search. Now I consider myself a newbie all over again.

I will take Canuk-gal's advice (thank you) and take a bit of time to think about it before I decide what to replace the ring settings with, but since the wedding band feels very sentimental to me, perhaps, if Whiteflash consider the wedding band to be structurally sound and if it's possible, I can have the undamaged melee on the engagement ring moved onto the wedding band, and then just use that wedding band on special occasions on my right hand, and have a replacement wedding band (no melee) on my left hand for daily wear.

I remain grateful that my center diamond is undamaged - a huge relief.

Thanks all. I'll keep you posted on what I decide to do, but it might take a while.
 
Aww, I’m sorry that this happened to your set. I love the idea of you keeping the wedding band with some of the damaged stones replaced with stones from the engagement ring and then pairing that with a plain solitaire and thin spacer. I would definitely not scrap the set for $100. The diamonds are still pretty even if they are a big banged up!

Please keep us updated!
 
@MiniMouse ,
First let me say I am sorry for the damage to your rings. We know how special they are and how stressful a problem of this nature can be. Second, let me thank you for being a longtime Whiteflash client. And third, thank you for your very reasonable approach to discussing the issue on this thread.

We are looking at the situation at the leadership level and would like to make some accommodation for you when you decide which direction you decide to go. Vera will be your liaison.

Additionally, we agree that guidance should be given when purchasing rings containing diamonds with exposed girdles on the ways to mitigate wear issues (spacers/soldering). And it has been our practice for the last many years to have those discussions with customers. Apparently back in 2005 you were not provided that information and I apologize.

As a result of this discussion we have already made the decision to add guidance to the detail pages of any such items on our website.

In the last few years our customers have also been able to purchase a lifetime service guarantee through Jewelers Mutual, which was not available in 2005. It would have come in very handy in this situation.

Bottom line, we take this seriously, we understand your disappointment, and we would like nothing more than to work with you in a reasonable fashion to put you back in business with a wedding set that you will love and can wear with confidence.
 
Daisys and Diamonds said:
i just had to Google :lol-2:
what a polite well mannered person she is to think to protect a borrowed ring =)2
her mum and dad brought her up right even if idiots on the internet have no idea of why
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As a huge eternity ring wearer, this is not the only way to clap. Honestly, I think this looks weird.

The way I do it: take one hand and put it out normally. Take the other and put it to the first, but so that the fingertips only go up to the palm. Ta-dah! Ring safe clapping.

If you want to get super enthusiastic with clapping, you can turn your hands a bit. Hang on let me take a couple photos.

341C4067-49ED-4427-A076-A3C11BC30D3D.jpeg
This is my tried and true method.

1715EAD6-802F-4605-BC0A-6518F5C3D0DC.jpeg
This is slightly more enthusiastic clapping. Palms hit but fingers and rings do not, and no weird bending. This is not a great angle but you can try.
 
Texas Leaguer said:
@MiniMouse ,
First let me say I am sorry for the damage to your rings. We know how special they are and how stressful a problem of this nature can be. Second, let me thank you for being a longtime Whiteflash client. And third, thank you for your very reasonable approach to discussing the issue on this thread.

We are looking at the situation at the leadership level and would like to make some accommodation for you when you decide which direction you decide to go. Vera will be your liaison.

Additionally, we agree that guidance should be given when purchasing rings containing diamonds with exposed girdles on the ways to mitigate wear issues (spacers/soldering). And it has been our practice for the last many years to have those discussions with customers. Apparently back in 2005 you were not provided that information and I apologize.

As a result of this discussion we have already made the decision to add guidance to the detail pages of any such items on our website.

In the last few years our customers have also been able to purchase a lifetime service guarantee through Jewelers Mutual, which was not available in 2005. It would have come in very handy in this situation.

Bottom line, we take this seriously, we understand your disappointment, and we would like nothing more than to work with you in a reasonable fashion to put you back in business with a wedding set that you will love and can wear with confidence.
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Dear Bryan,

Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to respond on this thread and I really appreciate your acknowledgement of how sentimental my rings are to me. In fact I’m quite tearful and choked by your response, thank you for caring. Whiteflash were always my number one vendor to deal with and they still are, nothing has changed.

I am slowly getting over the shock of the damage to my rings, which I now realize (thanks to PSers) was not just caused by rubbing of both rings, but also caused by normal everyday life, and nothing can be done to avoid that. I clearly also should have learned to do a Nicole Kidman clap! LOL.

PSers have also politely corrected my assumption that my wedding set will last a lifetime, advising that it is unrealistic, especially given the delicate design (exposed girdles and thin bands) which naturally make rings more fragile and cannot be expected to last as long as other more robust styles. My ring set was beautifully made and has served me well over 17 years and has given me enormous joy, I’m thankful for that.

I’m heartened to hear that Whiteflash now provide guidance to customers on the vulnerability of certain styles etc, it really will help enormously, although when a girl wants a certain style of ring I’m not sure any guidance will sway her, but offering up the guidance and ways to eliminate risk, is all a vendor can do, and I am 100% sure customers will be grateful for that.

For information, Vera at Whiteflash was aware that I wanted to ask PSers for advice on what they would do in my situation, she was very respectful that I needed help. PSers have provided so much wonderful advice and suggestions and that’s what I came here for, just to try and come up with ideas, whether it be fixing my rings or considering a new set. My agenda is not to receive special treatment or any favors from Whiteflash, your service is already top notch.

I am aware that Vera is away through July 5, so if it’s okay with you, I’d like to wait for her to return, by which time I may have a better idea of what I want to do. I’m now actually thinking the fragility of my 17 year old rings is perhaps a recipe for disaster in the future if I decide to have them fixed, they will continue to weaken over time and most likely break again, all down to age and normal wear and tear. I therefore am considering financing an upgrade to a three stone ring and a wedding band that will not provide conflict with the engagement ring… or else add a spacer or solder! This could be an exciting project… onwards and upwards, I have to leave my upset behind and am happy to work with Whiteflash and get advice from PSers so I end up with the usual Whiteflash ‘blow your mind’ set of rings, which I know is all in a day’s work for your talented staff.

Thank you Bryan, you have no idea how you have helped, also the many PSers who have responded kindly. All of you have taken time to help me and I truly appreciate it. THANK YOU.
 
Garry H (Cut Nut) said:
There are a huge number of people posting images of chain saw rings that they continue to buy here on PS.
Any ring where the girdle of the diamond sticks out past the metal on the side is a chain saw looking for another ring to destroy.
If the other ring has chainsaw diamonds then you have a classic chain saw fight about to happen.
Sometimes when the ring is new it is all OK, but after 5 ten or 15 years the war begins.
The classic Tiffany shared prong ring that every dumb person buys or jewellers stock are the worst offenders.

The next biggest issue is as Cerulean alluded to is concert damage.
And the best way to avoid that is to google Nicole Kidman clapping.
And the next best way is to alawys never ever make a ring with diamonds all the way around. Keep about 1/4 or 1/5th as plain metal - that way you will feel when the stones have turn inside your hand and become car door handle children and other rings when clapping nightmares.
1656551526419.png
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Dumb question but I am one of those individuals that has a shared prong eternity band...eekkk..however my e-ring is a solitaire with no diamond melee. Is this still an issue? Should I consider a spacer?
 
JenniferMarie90 said:
Dumb question but I am one of those individuals that has a shared prong eternity band...eekkk..however my e-ring is a solitaire with no diamond melee. Is this still an issue? Should I consider a spacer?
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Just check the undercutting of the head frequently..it can be built up
 
[

You were uneducated in the proper care and maintenance of this ring. That’s is your fault. Not WF.

This does nothing but showcase WF professionalism and your audacity.
[/QUOTE]

This comment is quite harsh imho. No need to be mean.
 
great to see this situation being handled with class on both sides, sorry you are going through this with such sentimental pieces OP and glad you are being treated well by the vendor
 
mustangchi said:
great to see this situation being handled with class on both sides, sorry you are going through this with such sentimental pieces OP and glad you are being treated well by the vendor
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This. Both are class acts. I’ve never been a White Flash customer, but would certainly strongly consider using their services now.
 
Mrsz1ppy said:
This. Both are class acts. I’ve never been a White Flash customer, but would certainly strongly consider using their services now.
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I’m glad you feel that way Mrsz1ppy, I have recommended Whiteflash to many friends and colleagues worldwide since I received my rings in 2005 and I will always continue to do so.

I’m very grateful to you all for giving me such tremendous support as I’ve been quite tearful over this and probably irrational. All the wonderful ideas have given me food for thought. I need to figure out new rings and see if my wedding band is salvageable for use as a right hand ring (unless it too weak after 17 years use which in my mind is most likely). That’s the direction I’m thinking of today but tomorrow maybe I’ll feel differently. In time I will surprise you all, I owe it to you amazing and kind PSers.
 
MiniMouse said:
I’m glad you feel that way Mrsz1ppy, I have recommended Whiteflash to many friends and colleagues worldwide since I received my rings in 2005 and I will always continue to do so.

I’m very grateful to you all for giving me such tremendous support as I’ve been quite tearful over this and probably irrational. All the wonderful ideas have given me food for thought. I need to figure out new rings and see if my wedding band is salvageable for use as a right hand ring (unless it too weak after 17 years use which in my mind is most likely). That’s the direction I’m thinking of today but tomorrow maybe I’ll feel differently. In time I will surprise you all, I owe it to you amazing and kind PSers.
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We will be here to help in any way we can and will be looking forward to seeing what you decide. Best wishes and best of luck!!
 
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