Can this be fixed?

[allowingtoo]

I sent my ring out to get a new head (mount?) put on since I had broken off two of the tips. The jeweler repair person is in another town but the owner of the store has a vacation home here and so I send my jewelry back and forth rather than have to put it in the mail. This is where I originally bought the ring and the stone. They are a very small shop and I''ve always trusted them until yesterday when my husband picked up my newly repaired ring. I was not there so I did not see what had been done to it until later so I was unable to say anything to the owner.

Now I''m wondering how to approach this. I don''t want to sound hysterical or accusing but my first instinct was to email and say YOU RUINED MY RING. I had asked her not to buff it as she aggressively buffs and polishes the ring every time and it did not need it. Maybe she forgot - or maybe she just had to but it came back buffed to a high shine. I''m attaching two pictures, one is from where I had some pictures taken of it not long ago by someone else (wish I had their camera!)

The repair person hammered in (along?) the diamonds inset in the ring. Now every time I look at the ring all I can see is these ripples from the hammer marks. It''s worse on one side than the other.

Can this be fixed?

What should I say to the repair person so I don''t sound hysterical?

 

[allowingtoo]

Here''s what it looked like *before*

 

[Lorelei]

That is not acceptable. I am no expert but I would think it is fixable, just contact them ASAP and calmly and politely tell them that you aren't happy with the finish of the ring, explain why and take the two photos plus the ring you posted here, particularly the first to illustrate how these areas should be smooth as in the first photo, unlike the second one where you can see the metal is dinged. Also say you hadn't anticipated this as your Husband picked up the ring as normally you have been very happy with their work, if you had been the one to collect it you would have noticed these issues there and then. I am sure the store will work with you and put your ring back to rights!

Let us know how you get on!

 

[allowingtoo]

I''m not too sure I''m willing to let her do anything else with it. I''m afraid that she will just try to buff it out more and more. Maybe that''s all that can be done with it......

 

[Ellen]

Date: 7/20/2009 9:51:13 AM
Author:allowingtoo

Can this be fixed?

What should I say to the repair person so I don''t sound hysterical?

Wow, I don''t know. But you have every right to call, be hysterical, and tell them they totally botched this job! That, is pathetic. I''m so sorry.

I''d be leary of returning it too. Is there another experienced jeweler you could take it to?

 

[Richard Sherwood]

I''m not so sure that can be fixed back to the way it looked originally. Maybe Neil will come along and tell us more. He has a background in bench work.

 

[denverappraiser]

Good grief.

Yes, it can be fixed. What happened is that the heating and cooling of the metal when they changed the head loosened up some of the stones and so the workman used a punch to tighten things up at the end. Obviously it wasn’t well done. What it takes to fix this is to add some metal to fill the dents, retighten the stones that no doubt will get loose again in the process and then finish the channel walls back down to where they belong. This is a job for a laser welder and someone with a bit of patience. It's likely not that hard but it is a bit of a chore and not everyone has the tools.

Ask the store if they’ve got a laser (and someone who knows how to use it) and talk to the manager about the problem. I suppose it’s possible that they just didn’t QC this and the error was in that department but if you get anything other than a sincere apology and an offer to do it free immediately, I would probably take it somewhere else. Talk to the owner or manager, not the repair person. This is very sloppy work and no store that values their customers and their reputation should be delivering it as a completed job.

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

 

[D&T]

goodness, that looks terrible, you have every right to be hysterical.

 

[allowingtoo]

Thank you Neil. That''s what I needed to know. I''m quite sure they don''t have a laser. It''s a very very small store. I had an eternity diamond *add a diamond* band and a stone fell out. She said she could not repair it as it had started loosing too much gold to hold the stones in and I was in danger of loosing several more. It seemed to me that it should have been able to be repaired but it was beyond her ability.

I will have to find some one that can repair it. I don''t think it''s replaceable - I know it''s just a simple design but I''ve never seen another one in any store that I''ve looked at.

I''ll have to think of what to say.

Thanks everyone.

 

[allowingtoo]

Neil - can you give me an estimate of how much a repair like this should cost? Roughly?

 

[MrsChil]

I would probably get an estimate from someone that would be able to fix it properly and then go back to the jeweler who messed it up and tell them to either fix it properly or give you a refund in the amount of what it will take to get it fixed.

 

[denverappraiser]

Date: 7/20/2009 12:42:23 PM
Author: allowingtoo
Neil - can you give me an estimate of how much a repair like this should cost? Roughly?

Not really. Different people charge different rates for their services. My general observation is that best are rarely the cheapest and it’s necessary to balance price against things like experience, tools, schedules, convenience etc. to meet your own requirements. The right person for one job and one customer may not be right for another. A capable jeweler should be happy to quote you a price and a schedule for the repair before any work begins.

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