Cracked Diamond

[He Scores]

Since diamond is known as nature's hardest substance, people erroneously think that they are indestructable. They are in fact hard for their grinding properties, but are relatively brittle and can be damaged if worn roughly.

A drop onto a granite counter top, or a porcelin sink could easily cause the stone to break, or as in your case a bump against a piece of furniture. It's my job to fix these, I see them all the time.

When grandpa would show that a diamond could scratch glass, yes it could, but the demonstration could also abraid the facet junctions.

Diamonds shouldn't be worn when doing heavy work, like moving furniture, gardening or playing football with the guys.

Leaving the stone in the broken state could subject it to further breakage causing a greater loss of value as jagged and/or razor sharp edges may be prone to more breakage.

Breaks due to normal wear are usually covered by insurance, if a rider policy was in place. In addition to labor cost to repair the stone, make sure you're covered for loss of weight/value too!

Bill Bray
Diamond Cutter

 

[february2003bride]

I''m sorry but you don''t have a leg to stand on to sue the jeweler you purchased your stone from. You bought an uncertified diamond, never got it appraised and you didn''t have it insured. You may or may not have chipped your stone, Maybe it was chipped when it was set, maybe you chipped it before the stove accident, you don''t REALLY know since you didn''t get it appraised

Go to an independant appraiser (I can''t stress that enough!) and see if your stone is damaged and get a report on your stone (measurements, color, clarity, etc). If it is, it may be covered under your homeowner''s policy even though you didn''t have that specific piece insured. If it isn''t, take the report from the appraiser and get that rock insured!

You control how this ends and not taking the above steps is irresponsible and doesn''t allow you to replace your ring(s) if something happens again in the future.

 

[february2003bride]

Date: 10/18/2006 1:44:37 PM
Author: ellecline
that is depressing, i wish we woud''ve never bought a ring...i would feel much better with the money in an IRA for 30 years!

Why regret buying your engagement ring?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

This is a sad situation, but hopefully it will benefit others so that they don''t make the same mistake. I honestly called my insurance company within an hour of picking up my stone from being set last Friday.

It sounds like Bill Bray repairs diamonds, so after you go to an independent appraiser, it may be that he can work on your diamond for you. It is possible to have a diamond recut, and you can possibly improve the cut over what it is now. You''ll lose some of the size, though. I think Wink at Winfield''s has sent some people''s stones to be recut as well. So all is not lost...the diamond may be able to be made better than it was at the outset, just smaller. It is going to cost you a little money, but it''s better than having a cracked diamond forever. And then, like everyone has said, get it appraised and insured immediately.

 

[anacgarcia]

that''s scary!! and it just reminds me that my diamond is not yet insured.. i live in mexico and we''re planning on buying a house in Texas so i thought it''d be good to wait to get it in the house insurance.. but this thread made me think something could happen before

how much do you pay for jewelry only inssurance??

 

[jaz464]

Date: 10/18/2006 6:32:25 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
This is a sad situation, but hopefully it will benefit others so that they don''t make the same mistake. I honestly called my insurance company within an hour of picking up my stone from being set last Friday.

Yeah, I am much too paranoid not to insure mine. I went straight from Fed Ex to State Farm.

 

[He Scores]

Jewelry riders cost approximately $14 per $1000 of coverage per year.

Often times jewelers can offer it to you. Your home owner agent certainly can help. Unless you can afford to have that several thousand dollar loss, I recommend insurance.

Bill Bray
Diamond Cutter

 

[ellecline]

oops! wrong thread

 

[ellecline]

thank you for your advice, however i was not wearing it roughly...i just tossed a tissue into the trash and turned...just a freak thing, i will just have to live with it, it is inside of the stone, very small and no one can see it, i have to look very hard to see it...i will definitely be more careful!

 

[gailrmv]

Elle, you should definitely get it appraised - I think it''s very possible that it was there all along and you just noticed it, or maybe nothing to be concerned about at all. After I started reading Pricescope I started seeing all kinds of things in my diamond that i had never noticed before... If it is a structural thing, it is important to find out if you are at risk for further damage!

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 10/18/2006 11:53:46 PM
Author: ellecline
thank you for your advice, however i was not wearing it roughly...i just tossed a tissue into the trash and turned...just a freak thing, i will just have to live with it, it is inside of the stone, very small and no one can see it, i have to look very hard to see it...i will definitely be more careful!

Please get your stone appraised by an independent appraiser, and get it insured asap!!! This thread has gone on for 2 pages, and methinks you are not listening. Don''t just live with it, be proactive, find out what you are dealing with. Really!!!

 

[He Scores]

I apologize if it sounded like I was accusing you of wearing your stone roughly. I''m only trying to post general comments in an effort to shed some professional light on the subject.

If it appears inside the stone, off hand I would say that that is very unusual for that type of break to happen without some surface chipping.

How well did you examine the stone when you bought it? Perhaps it was already in the stone. Flaws of this type, extending into the stone from the girdle are commonly called "gletzes".

Usually if there is only one, an astute setter will position it under a prong to obscure it from easy viewing. Generally speaking this is a good way to save money by buying a lower clarity grade stone that once set has the appearance of a stone with a higher clarity grade since the flaw is hidden or partially hidden by the prong.

If you don''t know whether it was there or not, then this should serve as a lesson for other diamond buyers to become intimate with the stone before they buy it as flaws can serve the owner as a way of identifying their stone.


Bill Bray
Diamond Cutter

 

[denverappraiser]

Recognizing a chip usually isn’t terribly difficult and any capable gemologist can do it. Evaluating the repair possibilities is a bit more difficult but most professional appraisers are prepared to do this as well. This is a step that you really need to take because certain damage can compromise the integrity of the stone and become the root of future problems. I agree with the above that you have no case against the jeweler, even if it is damaged because there’s no way to determine if the damage was present when you bought it or how it has been cared for since. This is what insurance is for and, by saving the money on the insurance premiums, this is the risk that you have assumed. There’s nothing especially wrong with this, many people quite reasonably choose to self-insure their jewelry and many other potential hazards but it does come with a risk.

That’s all water under the bridge. Let’s talk about current risks since you apparently regret you last decision on this issue. Evaluating potential risks is the whole business of insurance companies and there isn’t a single company that will agree to insure a damaged stone without a professional inspection, grading and evaluation because they know that it’s a complicated question that can affect their potential payouts down the road. I recommend you take the same precaution.

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