Help! Cracked/damaged sapphire

[mahaha]

Hello,
This is, unfortunately, a sad story. I was looking at some sapphires stones for an engagement ring. In the process, I brought one in, and now it is damaged. Here's the story:

When I received it, I immediately opened the package and put the gem in the gem jar. Unfortunately, I immediately tossed the packaging at a nearby outlet mall, mainly because I wanted to keep it a secret from my girlfriend. The package was a soft plastic bag package, and I didn't notice damage (but I wasn't looking for any damage). There were also no padding inside the package, so it did lay fairly flat. I think that shipping it in a box would be much more secure, even if the shipping costs were much higher. After opening the package, I found that the gem was secured by a piece of cardboard wrapping around it and a paper towel.

From reading about sapphires online, I know that hard floors and tiles are potentially dangerous to sapphires so I handle them with care. The gem stayed in the jar for the majority of the time. The only time the gem was out of the jar was when I inspected on my bed with a blanket (once). The same night, as I was inspecting the stone, I noticed that "line". It was late, and my girlfriend was coming home so I put it away. The next morning, I kept looking at it and I wasn't sure what it was so I e-mailed the vendor. I brought it to work in the gem jar, and I opened the lid to photograph it at my desk. While the stone is in the jar, it was either at safely stored at home, or in my pocket.

Eventually, after evaluating it for two days, I thought it was too grey indoors. I decided to consult my girlfriend to see if she was ok with the colour, and she wasn't too fond of it. That's when I decided to return the stone. If the colour was better, I think I may have decided to keep it.

I can honestly say that I took extremely good care of the gem while it was in my possession.

Vendor response:
- it was not like this before
- it was inspected before shipping
- AGL report photo does not show crack
- Not sure what to do
- Significant loss that they cannot afford

Vendor currently has my money. my photos are attached below. I asked for new photos. No surface chips or scratches. Gem jar is shown in the photos.

Any advice? What should I do? What kind of impact could create such damage?

 

[chrono]

Unfortunately, based on the history of the stone, the vendor is not at fault and should be paid for the stone. You have 2 options:
1. Sell the stone back to the vendor for an agreed upon sum
2. Keep the stone to be re-purposed at a later time.

 

[Seaglow]

Sorry to hear about what happened to your stone.

I checked your photos on your other thread...I was thinking that it may be due to the shipping and packaging, however, the first series of photos you posted on your other thread doesn't show any lines/crack (I can't really tell if it's a crack, or a color zoning but it wasn't in your earlier photos it seems). Then on your next series of photos, it was evident. I don't really know what caused it but sometimes, there are small fissures and natural fractures in the stone that could cause a bigger crack with some pressure. Unless some weight is put on the stone or it fell or it banged on something, I don't see any reason for a big crack to suddenly appear. The pressure must be great enough to cause it.

It is not also in the vendor's photos so I think it would be difficult to return it and get your money back entirely. You may ask the vendor though what options you have and what could they offer and if there are alternatives for you.

 

[soxfan]

it was shipped with cardboard and a paper towel to protect it?

 

[mahaha]

Hi chrono, why is it that vendor is not at fault for shipping it without a box? Every stone I've received and handled (8 stones prior to this one) was shipped in a box. Actually the same vendor sent me a stone previously, also in a box. I asked for overnight shipping because I needed it ASAP, and he said he didn't ship it in a box to help me save money. It was not my choice to ship it without the box, I would rather pay double the shipping than to have a damaged stone.

Now, I received the stone damaged, and need to be the one who takes the loss?

 

[chrono]

Because you did not inspect the stone upon receipt. That is your responsibility. If you had noted any damage upon receipt, you should photograph it and contact the vendor right away. As it stands, you have accepted responsibility by not inspecting the stone. I am very sorry. Please understand that I am not unsympathetic. I know it is a lot of money.

I have received gems in boxes and also in padded envelops. Some come in gem cases, and some are only in the paper wrapper.

 

[mahaha]

Sorry to hear about what happened to your stone.

I checked your photos on your other thread...I was thinking that it may be due to the shipping and packaging, however, the first series of photos you posted on your other thread doesn't show any lines/crack (I can't really tell if it's a crack, or a color zoning but it wasn't in your earlier photos it seems). Then on your next series of photos, it was evident.

Hi Seaglow, in my first series of photos, I wasn't purposely photographing the line. Also, in the first series, the one in yellow light, you can see the line there. I didn't even really notice it then.

In my second series, I was. It was actually difficult to do it, and I needed to be at a specific angle and zoomed in.

 

[mahaha]

Because you did not inspect the stone upon receipt. That is your responsibility. If you had noted any damage upon receipt, you should photograph it and contact the vendor right away. As it stands, you have accepted responsibility by not inspecting the stone.

Honestly, I did inspect the stone, but it was not very noticeable daylight and I do have proof that the crack was there iat night. And yes, I should have emailed the same night. I guess I'm a gemstone newbie and took too big of a risk buying myself.

 

[chrono]

First and foremost, are you 100% sure that it is a crack?

 

[mahaha]

First and foremost, are you 100% sure that it is a crack?

I have no idea what it is. That's why I asked him. I thought it might even be a natural inclusion. However, I sent it back and based on their response, it wasn't there before. So I assumed it was a crack. All I can say is that it is internal, the surface was clean.

 

[Arkteia]

There is a certain time limit. I recently ordered an amethyst from a vendor that was sold as included. IRL, it is very clean and with wonderful color but with a small nick on the side.

I am overwhelmed with home issues and travels related to them, and did not communicate with the vendor about the issue immediately. It could have happened during shipment, or maybe it is what was mentioned as inclusion.

It is now about three weeks after I received the item. I don't even know what the policy is, but time-wise, I think I am out of the framework.

I have a stone of similar type and color (very beautiful color, indeed!), so if one of my favorite cutters, Elaine Songer, agrees to recut both, together with the rough she promised to cut for me, for a pair of earrings, this is what I plan to do.

Why I am posting it here? There are many things sold online look different when we receive them. I am learning to read between the lines ("there is an inclusion, but I don't want to recut the stone" = don't buy!). Also, one can blame the vendors for misinterpreting the colors, or making videos in favorable lights, or whatever... But this is why they have inspection period. (Unless the stone has been grossly misinterpreted, such as heated sold as unheated, etc, or sold as copper-containing while there is no copper...but that is a big deal). However, a crack, a nick, an inclusion...if it is out of the inspection time, it may be courtesy of the vendors to accept the stone, but at the same time, they make money on sales, and it is their business, so if they don't, there is no valid reason to blame them.

 

[mahaha]

if it is out of the inspection time

hi Arkeia,

I received the stone May 4th at 15:10 local time.
I emailed vendor May 5th morning
I decided to return the stone May 5th evening (contacted vendor to let him know)
I shipped the stone back to them May 6th afternoon.
The time limit given was "as long as you need"

In my case, I'm not sure if I would be considered "out of the inspection time".

 

[mahaha]

I just want to be clear to everyone. I am not at fault for causing the damage of the stone. All I did was pay for the stone, happily receive it. Realized that there was something usual, which turned out to be "damage". With the combination of poor colour, I decided to return it in a timely manner.

I personally think that I am the victim here and was hoping for advice. It seems like everyone's opinion is that I need to suck it up and pay for something that is entirely not my fault. Sorry for the outburst, but as you can imagine, I'm incredibly stressed and frustrated.

I still appreciate your comments though. Thanks.

 

[theredspinel]

You say you didnt cause the crack. The vendor says they didnt ship it with the crack (and can prove it with the report card). It's a case of who do you believe.

You have also muddied the waters here with the fact you mention you don't like the colour or greyness (and most importantly neither does your girlfriend).

I'll be honest. When I read your opening post I was thinking you're not keen on the colour, you saw your girlfriend didn't like it and hence want to return it. The crack seemed secondary and that's a bit weird to me. If you paid good money, even if the colour is perfect, why would you settle for a cracked stone when you paid for a perfect one!

The fact that you'd have kept the stone (crack and all) if your gf liked the colour... and you wouldn't be mad someone sold u faulty goods... But you *are* mad now (and co incidently gf doesn't like the colour)... I don't know. I can't be sure you didnt cause the crack somehow and want to return it (based on colour) but you can't with the crack so now you're making the crack the cause of return.

It isn't. You said yourself the colour is the cause of return.

I'm reeeally tired, sorry if this post is too direct.

 

[Arkteia]

hi Arkeia,

I received the stone May 4th at 15:10 local time.
I emailed vendor May 5th morning
I decided to return the stone May 5th evening (contacted vendor to let him know)
I shipped the stone back to them May 6th afternoon.
The time limit given was "as long as you need"

In my case, I'm not sure if I would be considered "out of the inspection time".

Sorry for not understanding you.

 

[gingercurls]

Is this stone from Gemrite by any chance?

 

[mahaha]

No it's fine. I just wanted you guys to understand my thoughts and situation.

@theredspinel I think I get your message now. You're saying that I can't prove that I didn't cause the crack. I guess that's the main cause of my frustration because I know I didn't and it's difficult to prove it.

You're also right about the fact that initially, I was contemplating to keep it anyways. I guess after searching for 3-4 months and that I need to have the ring ready before I leave on the trip, I was on a time crunch. I wrote that passage when I was still looking at the stone and I was contemplating the colour. I put all my hopes on that stone and it was @minousbijoux comment about "don't settle" which made sense and really changed my mind. But after that, yes, the crack started to bother me since I couldn't "unsee" it, which solidified my decision to return it.

So yes, colour was the main reason for the return and the crack was the secondary reason.

I'm tired too. It's not even half way through the day yet and I'm drained.

 

[Saphgem]

You say you didnt cause the crack. The vendor says they didnt ship it with the crack (and can prove it with the report card). It's a case of who do you believe.

You have also muddied the waters here with the fact you mention you don't like the colour or greyness (and most importantly neither does your girlfriend).

I'll be honest. When I read your opening post I was thinking you're not keen on the colour, you saw your girlfriend didn't like it and hence want to return it. The crack seemed secondary and that's a bit weird to me. If you paid good money, even if the colour is perfect, why would you settle for a cracked stone when you paid for a perfect one!

The fact that you'd have kept the stone (crack and all) if your gf liked the colour... and you wouldn't be mad someone sold u faulty goods... But you *are* mad now (and co incidently gf doesn't like the colour)... I don't know. I can't be sure you didnt cause the crack somehow and want to return it (based on colour) but you can't with the crack so now you're making the crack the cause of return.

It isn't. You said yourself the colour is the cause of return.

I'm reeeally tired, sorry if this post is too direct.

When I first read the situation, I did not think the same since mahaha was at the stage of uncertainty whether it was an actual crack, so it seems fair to consult his girlfriend's opinion as she is the ultimate keeper of the gem. Mahaha mentions an update from the vendor confirmed that it was damage. At this point, any gem purchasers would be upset and decide to return it since it is cracked and it seemed like it involved a large payment. It seems the intent of this thread was created to ask for guidance. It is rather out of the ordinary to spin this and point him at fault.

 

[mahaha]

Is this stone from Gemrite by any chance?

Yes it is. And I am in no way blaming them for this. We think it's most likely that shipping was the cause of the damage. But I don't have any idea how we could proceed with this.

 

[gingercurls]

I asked because I bought and had to return two stones from them that received deep scratches because they were shipped in gem jars that were loose.

 

[Saphgem]

Do you have the photograph of the crack that night?

I asked because I bought and had to return two stones from them that received deep scratches because they were shipped in gem jars that were loose.

How did you negotiate the return?

 

[mahaha]

When I first read the situation, I did not think the same since mahaha was at the stage of uncertainty whether it was an actual crack, so it seems fair to consult his girlfriend's opinion as she is the ultimate keeper of the gem. Mahaha mentions an update from the vendor confirmed that it was damage. At this point, any gem purchasers would be upset and decide to return it since it is cracked and it seemed like it involved a large payment. It seems the intent of this thread was created to ask for guidance. It is rather out of the ordinary to spin this and point him at fault.

Thank you. I needed this.

Another point to add:
When I spoke to the vendor on the phone, they said it might be silk which is common among untreated stones. I've also read about it too. I have seen silk in stones while I didn't think it was silk, I couldn't be sure.

 

[gingercurls]

In my opinion, if the stone was damaged during transit it is the responsibility of the vendor to refund your money. Most vendors have insurance that covers this type of situation. I alerted John when I sent both stones and told him that when I opened the package, the lid of the gem jar was not on properly and had come loose. He immediately refunded my money. The packages he sent me were also not properly padded.

 

[mahaha]

Do you have the photograph of the crack that night?

How did you negotiate the return?

Yes, if you take a look at my original thread the first set of photos. The crack is there. That's when I first noticed it but was unsure about what it was. Picture attached. Difficult to see but it runs diagonally downwards left to right. This was taken May 4th 6:59 PM local time.

@gingercurls wow, that's unfortunate. I'm sorry you also had a poor experience. Please let me know if you have any other advice.

 

[theredspinel]

Try not to stress, as hard as that is! At the end of the day it's all just stuff and.. when all's said and done.. none of it matters. The important stuff you really can't buy.

Back to the issue at hand, hang in there! Remember why you started this whole stone journey in the first place. I *really* hope the vendor can sort something out with you that's to your agreement.

The first gemstone ring I got (other then my diamond one)! Was a big blue sapphire. Sent it off to get it resized and after that (days or weeks I can't remember now) I noticed a crack that looks exactly like your one. The reason it took me that long to see the crack was simply because I never paid attention to the stone. Back in those days I couldn't see past the colour! I know I definitely didn't buy it with the crack because I went with my hubby and he's one to check things like this very thoroughly - he checks stones and even prongs to make sure they're bent down right...

Anyway I was too naive and stupid to think to go back to the jeweller (I even kept it a secret from my hubby which to be honest I still can't fully explain - somehow I felt ashamed of the fact he paid so much for this beautiful ring and I felt I couldn't return it because I asked for it to be resized...so there was no point in him knowing too and feeling as upset as I was).

So I've just lived with it ever since. I still love and wear the ring, it's still my most expensive piece (But I know the sapphire is waaay to dark now - thanks PS (!)) and seeing the crack just reminds me of how stupid I was early on in my gemstone jewellery.

Sorry to go off on such a tangent but I'm trying to say, in a very mixed up long winded way, I know how you must feel right now and it sucks but, don't let it stress you because it's just not worth it!

 

[gingercurls]

I suggest you tell him that you will dispute the charge with PayPal or your credit card company if he will not accept the stone back and return your money. The stone arrived damaged. It very well could be due to the stone not being packaged safely. I do not think you should be held responsible for that. A serious vendor dealing with expensive stones should have an insurance policy to handle this type of situation. Some on this forum may find this harsh or unreasonable but I would be firm with him.

 

[theredspinel]

When I first read the situation, I did not think the same since mahaha was at the stage of uncertainty whether it was an actual crack, so it seems fair to consult his girlfriend's opinion as she is the ultimate keeper of the gem. Mahaha mentions an update from the vendor confirmed that it was damage. At this point, any gem purchasers would be upset and decide to return it since it is cracked and it seemed like it involved a large payment. It seems the intent of this thread was created to ask for guidance. It is rather out of the ordinary to spin this and point him at fault.

Just because you did not read it the way I read it doesn't mean the way *you* read it is right and the way I read it is wrong.

Mahaha just affirmed everything in my initial post so not much point you debating it on his behalf. He's already confirmed it!

 

[Saphgem]

Just because you did not read it the way I read it doesn't mean the way *you* read it is right and the way I read it is wrong.

Mahaha just affirmed everything in my initial post so not much point you debating it on his behalf. He's already confirmed it!

Just because you did not read it the way I read it doesn't mean the way *you* read it is right and the way I read it is wrong.

Mahaha just affirmed everything in my initial post so not much point you debating it on his behalf. He's already confirmed it!

If you read carefully. He did not affirm that he caused the crack like you suspect...What I am saying is to focus on his request for advice like others on this thread rather than going on a tangent saying the crack is this guy's fault. There's always people throwing tangents on forums which demeans the point of the original post.

 

[IslandBB]

Thank you. I needed this.

Another point to add:
When I spoke to the vendor on the phone, they said it might be silk which is common among untreated stones. I've also read about it too. I have seen silk in stones while I didn't think it was silk, I couldn't be sure.

My very first gemstone purchase was also a sapphire. Mine is heated, but it also has silk that looks like a crack. I can tell you it's not a crack. But my gem is heated, so I'm not sure if the affected it in any way. I too was blinded by color- see photo below "crack" photo for color in sun when I opened package. It wasn't too costly, so I live with it because the color is gorgeous in the sun. However, since your purchase sounds pricey, I think you need to keep an open dialogue with the vendor and try to salvage what you can, especially since it may not be a crack. If it's not a crack, he should provide you a refund. Though I agree that if it was damaged during shipping, you should still get a refund. Package should've been insured- perhaps post office claim is something to look into?
I wish you the best of luck in resolving your situation! It's a special purchase, try not to let it sour your whole experience.

 

[theredspinel]

If you read carefully. He did not affirm that he caused the crack like you suspect...What I am saying is to focus on his request for advice like others on this thread rather than going on a tangent saying the crack is this guy's fault. There's always people throwing tangents on forums which demeans the point of the original post.

Take your own advice and read things properly before you appoint yourself judge and jury and cause a tangent you're supposedly trying to end.

I did not say *it's his fault and he caused the crack* I've said his claim for return (a point he's since CONFIRMED) is the fact he's unhappy with the colour and the crack is a secondary issue. Yet in persuing the refund/return he's citing the crack as the REASON for return.

I'll advise you yet again to read things properly. He's said multiple times if he was happy with the colour he would have kept the stone so *my* post highlighting this was not the tangent. *Yours* was.