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HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no help

marjie978

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 11, 2011
Messages
16
I need your help. I'm less than thrilled that my Jewelers Mutual claims rep, Stephanie Monroe, has been of zero help.

So here's the story. Over a week ago, I went to look at floral arrangements and decided it was best to take off my platinum sapphire engagement ring and place it in the breast pocket of my jean jacket. I didn't want it to get dinged while handling large pots and plants. I put my ring in the jacket and placed the ring on the passenger seat of my car. Once I was done shopping, I hopped back into my car, without a care in the world and simply just the feeling of bliss knowing I checked off flowers on the wedding checklist, took a sip of my coffee and spilled it all over myself and the jean jacket on the seat beside me. I shook off the jacket of the excess coffee, hopped back in the car and drove home. I got home, threw the jacket and nothing else into the washing machine, got back into the car to run more errands. I didn't realize what I had done until I was in the middle of running errands. Panicked, could not find the ring in the wash when I got home. Had a plumber come out as soon as possible. He cut a huge hole in my wall to check the trap and no ring. Hubby did some more online digging to try to rip apart the washer himself. Had a friend help me look and she found the sapphire in a crevice of my jean jacket that I had mistaken for a rivet in the jacket and hubby found the setting in the rubber gasket of our front load washer. Quickly looking at it, I noticed that all of the prongs were bent, there was a diamond missing on the side of the ring, and a chipped diamond on once corner of the halo. I never noticed a crack in the band.

I took it to Barmakian's in Nashua, NH to be repaired. The gentleman that took it it (Jose) looked over my ring and weighed my stone. He wrote on the slip "rebuild prongs & replace missing & chipped diamonds". Jose never mentioned a crack in the band. Jose told me the ring would be ready in a week.

I went back yesterday and was helped by Associate Joya. She handed the ring back to me and I immediately noticed the crack in the band and the fact that my ring was shaped like an oval. Joya told me that the crack is where it was sized. I told her the ring has never been sized and that is why there are sizer beads in the ring (it was a single cast). Side note, I am the second owner of the ring (spoken to Jeweler that made the ring and original owner and both have said ring has never been sized). Joya, the Associate, then told me that my finger could have made the ring oval from wear over time. I told her that I've had the ring for 2 short years and take the ring off often and for extended periods of time and I don't think that is the reason. The ring is a gosh darn goose egg!!!!! No way did my finger do that. I told her that I will not be taking the ring and will need to speak to my Insurance to see how to proceed.

I called my Jeweler's Mutual rep, Stephanie, this morning and explained the situation to her. She told me:
1) I need to go back and talk to Barmakian's jeweler and ask them how they can fix it. (I think they will want to laser it to fix the repair which is not satisfactory for me. I want it replaced)
2) She told me I was jumping to conclusions and needed to deal with Barmakian's first and see what the opinion of their Jeweler is first. (Isn't that like the fox guarding the hen house? I don't think they will admit and take fault at all.)
3) She told me that my insurance...Jewelers Mutual, is not responsible for damage caused by Barmakian's and that I would have to pursue then civilly . That there was nothing she could do on my behalf. That this was strictly between myself and Barmakian's. (I was so upset with my call that had hubby call back for clarification and come to find out that they are the insurer for Barmakian's as well). I've never dealt with jewelry insurance before but isn't it like car insurance, both insurance companies talk to each other and figure out who and how much is at fault? Isn't that part of the reason they stand to exist? I feel like Jeweler's Mutual is leaving me in a ditch and telling me to figure it out.
4) As I was talking to Stephanie, I kept talking about the structural integrity of the ring and possibly compromising the diamonds. She kept saying that she was not a jeweler and could not speak to that. I asked her if there was a Jeweler on staff at Jeweler's Mutual. She said yes, I asked if I could speak to that person, and She told me "NO"!!!! Stephanie said their Jeweler doesn't deal with rings. Excuse me! Jeweler's Mutual specializes in the underwriting of jewelry (all encompassing of baubles WHICH includes rings) and they have a jeweler on staff BUT does not deal with rings?!!!! This is complete and utter rubbish! Makes me wonder what Jeweler's is good for then.

I am wholly unhappy with the call I had with Stephanie Monroe at Jeweler's Mutual.

Hubby called and Spoke to Stephanie after my call and basically told me there are two avenue I can pursue:
1) I can chalk it up to the washing machine that caused the damage and file it against my policy.
I don't like this at all because I don't recall the crack in my ring when I dropped if off and worry about my premium going up.

2) I can pin it all on Barmakian's and try to get them to file a claim against their policy and make thing right by either repair or replacement.

My questions for everyone is:
1) Who should be responsible?
2) Is the ring compromised enough to need to be replace completely? I worry about having to deal with the ring cracking continually in the future if they simply band-aid it by laser.
3) Am I crazy or does anyone else find that Jeweler's Mutual is offering less than stellar customer service on this issue?

I don't write that many review online but I was very unhappy with both parties and had no where to turn to for help.

I really appreciate your responses.

Sapphire%20on%20the%20Cape.jpg
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

You have no way of proving that the jeweler damaged the ring unless you have photos of the ring immediately after it came out of the washer.

I would make the claim based on the washer incident, personally.

As to your questions:

My questions for everyone is:
1) Who should be responsible?

I don't know. Without proof of the rings state when you gave it to the jeweler, its hard to say.

2) Is the ring compromised enough to need to be replace completely? I worry about having to deal with the ring cracking continually in the future if they simply band-aid it by laser.

Can't say. A competent jeweler or appraiser can tell you.

3) Am I crazy or does anyone else find that Jeweler's Mutual is offering less than stellar customer service on this issue?

I think their response sounds pretty normative. I did not know they will not cover damage done by a jeweler. That actually contradicts what I was told when I bought my policy and I do find that disturbing. I would ask to see the policy you purchased with al lthe legalese to see if it specfiically excludes coverage of damage attributed to a jeweler. If it does not specifically eclude such damage in the policy, then they can't exclude post hoc as far as I know.
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

marjie978|1379346187|3521660 said:
I
Hubby called and Spoke to Stephanie after my call and basically told me there are two avenue I can pursue:
1) I can chalk it up to the washing machine that caused the damage and file it against my policy.
I don't like this at all because I don't recall the crack in my ring when I dropped if off and worry about my premium going up.



Sapphire%20on%20the%20Cape.jpg

Your ring is AMAZING. Who made the setting? If it was me, I would do what you mentioned above. Have it totally remade. I would always be looking for small inperfections. Did you check the sapphire for damage too?
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

I had a not dissimilar experience with JM - my ring was an antique, no damage aside from normal wear when I brought it in to have a prong rebuilt, and it was unwearable after they performed the "repair" I'd brought it in for - multiple prongs not touching the stone, in the course of trying to fix that they apparently did something to the stone that necessitated faceting the girdle (without checking with me), they replaced a sidestone (also without letting me know), apparently hoping I wouldn't notice any of this, all over the course of four months and three attempted repairs on the initial repairs ... the works.

JM pushed me hard to resolve things with the jeweler who damaged my ring. If I hadn't, maybe they would have covered a new setting, maybe not ... I put the claim on hold while I found out what the original jeweler would do. I figured I'd take it one headache at a time, y'know?

The experience did sour me on JM, though. I'm planning to switch to Chubb at the end of the year. If I wanted the joy of negotiating for myself, I wouldn't be paying premiums.

My advice would be to follow up with Barmakians. Unfortunately, since there aren't any pictures after the washing machine, it's hard to say what was and wasn't there, which makes it into a he-said, she-said sort of thing (one of the things that helped me with JM and the original jeweler both was having lots and lots of before-and-after images, I think). Since you do have the mitigating circumstance of the washing machine, though, I'd second Dreamer's suggestion to just put in a claim based on the original damage.
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

Here is why JM doesn't pay for damage while it is at the jewelers. Compare your scenerio with this one - you take your car into the repair shop and while it is jacked up (about 6-7 feet in the air so the mechanic can work on the underside), it slips off the jack and crashes onto the floor of the shop, destroying one side of your car. Do you think your auto insurance would cover it? No! The repair shop's liability insurance would. If they don't have insurance, it comes out of their pocket.

Same with the jewelers. Most jewelers carry liability insurance to cover themselves in case of something happening to your ring. Worse case scenario - they lose your ring, break your diamond, or a goldsmith switches your stone. If won't make it right, you can pursue them civilly. Mind you, it's difficult to win those cases because it's your word as to the condition when it came in, to their's when it comes out.
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

The first step is to figure out what the damage is and what is required to remedy it. That’s ahead of deciding who is responsible (you via the washing machine; the manufacturer; the jeweler while it was in their care; some other jeweler who has worked on it in the meantime). THAT is ahead of deciding who should pay for it. It’s a complicated soup.

I would start at an independent appraiser’s office to get an evaluation of the current situation and to document everything. There’s a list at the top of the page under the resources tab. It’s a bit more complicated now since you’ve had some repairs done already so there’s the fingerpointing problem but it may not be a lost cause yet. If it’s washing machine damage that wasn’t noticed until later then it probably would be a covered loss as part of the current claim. Is there a claim open to cover the prongs and such? If it’s poor workmanship by the jeweler then it probably would not be covered under a typical consumer policy but MIGHT be covered under a commercial policy (assuming they have one) or the jewelers craftsmanship guarantee if there is one. Have they agreed that it’s a craftsmanship issue? Have you asked? If it’s a manufacturing defect then it probably would not be covered by JM but possibly by some sort of warranty by the original jeweler, assuming there is one, that it’s still in force and that it’s transferrable on sale.
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

Thank you! My ring was made by Amy Hudon in Osterville, MA. The sapphire is a 5.24 unheated untreated sapphire. Love it to bits. I still catch myself staring at it on a regular basis.
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

I am leaning toward filing a claim against my own policy to have it replaced but I don't feel good about doing it. The reason is that I don't feel like the crack was my fault.

I don't know how a premier jeweler in my area can take my ring in assess the whole ring, weigh my stone, write a detailed mark-up of what needs to be done, send me off, hands it off to one or more bench jewelers to set about the repairs, ends up in the hands of the associate who handed back the ring to me (after she had inspected the ring herself) and NOT A SINGLE person on their staff caught this! There were at least 3 people (Jose, the jeweler that did repair, and Joya) that handled it and gave it a good look, I just can't fathom how this was missed. This is what ticks me off the most. This is not Kay's Jewelers and the like. This is a place where people shop and drop serious cash for the kinds of baubles that discerning PSers would love to have in their collection or already do.

Hubby suggested that I leave the ball in their court. Tell them that it was never documented on the repair slip, maybe they missed it or maybe it was their fault, either way we don't care and need it replaced. Explain to them that they need to call and work dilligently with JM and be more than accommodating about fixing the ring. Hubby says we have insurance and our policy will cover it so Barmakian's really shouldn't give us too much of a fight.

Did I mention to anyone I am getting married in 7 weeks!!! Part of the reason I am freaking out!
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

do you have a pic of the "crack?"
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

I don't have pic of the crack but I will certainly be getting several tomorrow morning when I go back to discuss an action plan.
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

If it were I in this situation, I would have Amy Huton fix it and make it right, whatever it takes. You're about to get married and this should be a happy time. To ME it would be worth the peace of mind to know that the person who lovingly made the ring is fixing it the very best possible way.
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

Sorry this happened. Your ring really is beautiful.
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

Honest question here, should the JM rep's full name be posted here? I know I'd be uncomfortable with that and I'm not sure it's necessary.

Sorry about your ring, I live in fear that I might do something similar one day. I try to wear a necklace everyday so I have something to loop the ring onto.
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

maccers|1379392591|3522133 said:
Honest question here, should the JM rep's full name be posted here? I know I'd be uncomfortable with that and I'm not sure it's necessary.

I struggled a bit with whether to list the reps last name or not. And I came to the conclusion that I don't hesitate for a second to pass on a person's full name to another person in reference to stellar customer service, so why should I give someone anonymity when they offer, in my own personal opinion and interaction, a poor customer service experience?

Though, I will redact her full last name and use an initial instead. I appreciate you pointing it out and understand that this does make some members uncomfortable.

update: just tried to edit my original post but can't seem to. Does anyone know how?
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

marjie978|1379378557|3522004 said:
I am leaning toward filing a claim against my own policy to have it replaced but I don't feel good about doing it. The reason is that I don't feel like the crack was my fault.
OK, I'm confused. If there's not a claim going on here, what does JM have to do with it? If you are trying to file a claim against Barmakian's policy, I can see a bunch of potential issues, not the least of which is that you are not the client and I'm a little surprised that they talked to you at all about it.
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

denverappraiser|1379419106|3522199 said:
marjie978|1379378557|3522004 said:
I am leaning toward filing a claim against my own policy to have it replaced but I don't feel good about doing it. The reason is that I don't feel like the crack was my fault.
OK, I'm confused. If there's not a claim going on here, what does JM have to do with it? If you are trying to file a claim against Barmakian's policy, I can see a bunch of potential issues, not the least of which is that you are not the client and I'm a little surprised that they talked to you at all about it.

I do have a claim with JM for damages caused by the washing machine. My claim is to fix any damages associated with that. The question is whether or not the crack in the ring is a part of that or the responsibility of Barmakian. My JM policy does cover damages caused by accident.
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

I suspect what we have here is a good old fashioned failure to communicate.

If it’s part of the original claim and was washing machine damage that just went unnoticed for a while, surely it should be covered. If it’s the same event its part of the same claim. Although I agree that it should have been noticed at take -in, it’s entirely possible that they missed it. It happens, and that doesn’t change the nature of the claim at all. A phone call between the jeweler and the claims adjuster discussing the issues might be helpful here.

I would expect faulty craftsmanship by Barmakians would be covered by Barmakians’s workmanship warranty. JM wouldn’t be involved here unless maybe through some sort of policy that the store has. That would be a separate claim and you wouldn’t be involved. In this scenario we’re calling it NEW damage from a separate event that’s unrelated to the washing machine. Is this what the JM claims lady is telling you? If so, what has the jeweler had to say in response?

Pre-existing damage or a material defect wouldn’t be covered by either but no one seems to be suggesting that this is the case, right? In either of these cases, this would land on the manufacturer, who it sounds like is both nearby and is cooperative. If this is part of the claim it might be good to get them involved but, for now, it sounds like they’ve got nothing to do with it.

Given your description I’m quite confident that this can be repaired by the way. The big questions are what exactly needs to be done, who should do it and who should pay for it. You’ve got plenty of time before your wedding to do whatever is required. Usually neither a repair or a replacement of the shank is all that hard a job.
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

So I got my ring back from Barmakian's. When I showed up this afternoon, I spoke to the gentleman (Nick) that handles insurance claims. When I asked about why it had gone unnoticed by several of their associates, the finger pointing was quite astounding. Nick immediately threw his hands up and said that he was not present during the interactions prior so he could not speak about them, the female associate that I tried to pick up my ring from was rambling any and everything she could have possibly said to me prior, and the manager that took in my ring and assessed it and wrote up the slip yelled to me from across the room. I had remarked the work of replacing prongs and diamonds should not have been performed had the ring been inspected as a whole because I would have pushed for a new setting, that I was disappointed no one caught it and called me to discuss the situation of the crack. Nick said that the crack could have happened through the course of the repair work. That is when Jose yelled over that it's not the jewelers job to do anything beyond what is written on the slip. When I asked how they repaired the ring, said I wondered whether it had been there all along and could have been made worse, say if they put it on a sizing rod to work on it, maybe could have made the problem worse and more exaggerated. Joya replied that the ring it held on either side be clamps when worked on, seems plausible that the crack would have been pulled apart and made worse. And I feel compelled to say that I am unimpressed with Jose who took my ring it, turns to be the manager of the engagement ring department. Nick did say that my ring had a very slight crack and would be surprised if insurance would cover a replacement. I disagree and will post picture soon when I have good light to illustrate the crack. Nick did take my ring back down to the service department and had the jeweler look at it for repair or replacement and came back only to hand me back my ring and said that it is their opinion that I work with the original jeweler that made the ring. They said they wouldn't charge me for any of the work performed.

So now I have a cracked ring and I feel like I got beyond poor service from everyone involved at Barmakian's and feel like they effectively washed their hands of my ring. They didn't ask for me to sign any paperwork at all.

My engagement ring is very special to me and its been quite a roller coaster. I honestly don't know how to proceed.

Words of wisdom or encouragement or ideas on how to proceed would be greatly appreciated.
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

You have created a mess for yourself.
Honestly at this point blame all the damage on the washing machine and file a claim and cross your fingers JM accepts it.
Other than paying for it yourself I don't see any other outcome that is realistic.

The second you had someone else work on it the original maker is out of the liability loop and frankly given how the damage happened they never really were in the loop.

Proving the second jeweler caused the damage is going to be highly problematic.
They will say the washer caused it.

Ultimately you damaged the ring and are hold all liability but you bought insurance to cover that.

The JM rep is right you can not file a claim if you try and shift the blame to the second jeweler.
But by accepting the liability (ie saying I damaged my ring with the washing machine) it becomes a covered event. The seem to be willing to overlook your attempt to have it fixed.
My opinion is accept that and get on with your life.
Anything else is not worth the heartache and hassle.
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

this complicated situation must be so upsetting -- your ring is stunning and i'm so sorry you're stressed. I would be too!

my recommendation would be to document this entire situation in writing with any reference collateral you might have (purchase receipts), appraisals, contracts, slips etc.

I'd just go after the insurance coverage and ignore Barmakians. I doubt you'll get anywhere regardless of their workmanship policies.
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

Usually the ‘repair or replace’ clause in insurance is at their option, not yours, but there’s a bit of negotiation that happens on this issue. At what point are you being unreasonable to request a new ring vs. a replaced shank vs. a repaired shank? I haven’t seen the damage but ‘repaired’ details using a laser are common even in new items so I would expect them to take the position that you are entitled to a repair, not a replacement ring, even if they decide the shank damage is part of a covered loss.

Given that the heart of your problem is with the jeweler, not the insurer as outlined in the original post and we’ve got a bit more information that’s come out during this discussion, I would change strategy slightly. Go back to the original manufacturer and ask THEM if it can be repaired and what would be required to fix it properly if it can.

Has Barmakian’s been paid for the work they did? Who paid them (you or JM directly)? As far as you can tell, was the prong work done acceptably?
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

[quote="denverappraiser|1379509371|3522819

Has Barmakian’s been paid for the work they did? Who paid them (you or JM directly)? As far as you can tell, was the prong work done acceptably?[/quote]

Barmakian's was not paid for the work. They handed the ring back to me and said the work to the prongs and replacing the stone is free of charge. Jeweler's Mutual will not be paying them either because that requires me to sign off on the work.

I am not happy with the work of the prongs and will post pictures of the work, it looks shoddy and the prongs are of different widths.
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

Since JM did not pay the jeweler you could be in luck. You can perhaps keep the claim open and choose a different jeweler to fix the ring that was damaged by you in the washer. Ideally the original maker, as Denver Appraiser suggested.
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

img_3780.jpgimg_3777.jpgimg_3773.jpgimg_3771_0.jpgimg_3770.jpgimg_3768_0.jpg
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

Thank you everyone for all of your comments and suggestions. I will be having the original jeweler repair the ring and bring it back to life.

All I can take away from this is how incredibly unprofessional and unhelpful Barmakian's and Jeweler's Mutual was during this process.

I will have my sapphire sent out to AGL so that there is a definitive report of it's provenance in the event of anything beyond what I went though (can't even bear to write it).

This ordeal has also revealed that I am under-insured. I found an excellent appraiser that was recommended by Metro Jewelry Appraiser to have my ring looked at...Leslie George of (I believe) New England Gem Lab based out of Newton, Ma and Maine. I checked out her site and spoke to her on the phone and like her very much. She is most certainly at the higher end in terms of fees for her appraisal services but I am more than willing to pay given her resume/credentials/equipment at her disposal/years of experience.
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

marjie978|1379346187|3521660 said:
I need your help. I'm less than thrilled that my Jewelers Mutual claims rep, Stephanie Monroe, has been of zero help.

So here's the story. Over a week ago, I went to look at floral arrangements and decided it was best to take off my platinum sapphire engagement ring and place it in the breast pocket of my jean jacket. I didn't want it to get dinged while handling large pots and plants. I put my ring in the jacket and placed the ring on the passenger seat of my car. Once I was done shopping, I hopped back into my car, without a care in the world and simply just the feeling of bliss knowing I checked off flowers on the wedding checklist, took a sip of my coffee and spilled it all over myself and the jean jacket on the seat beside me. I shook off the jacket of the excess coffee, hopped back in the car and drove home. I got home, threw the jacket and nothing else into the washing machine, got back into the car to run more errands. I didn't realize what I had done until I was in the middle of running errands. Panicked, could not find the ring in the wash when I got home. Had a plumber come out as soon as possible. He cut a huge hole in my wall to check the trap and no ring. Hubby did some more online digging to try to rip apart the washer himself. Had a friend help me look and she found the sapphire in a crevice of my jean jacket that I had mistaken for a rivet in the jacket and hubby found the setting in the rubber gasket of our front load washer. Quickly looking at it, I noticed that all of the prongs were bent, there was a diamond missing on the side of the ring, and a chipped diamond on once corner of the halo. I never noticed a crack in the band.

I took it to Barmakian's in Nashua, NH to be repaired. The gentleman that took it it (Jose) looked over my ring and weighed my stone. He wrote on the slip "rebuild prongs & replace missing & chipped diamonds". Jose never mentioned a crack in the band. Jose told me the ring would be ready in a week.

I went back yesterday and was helped by Associate Joya. She handed the ring back to me and I immediately noticed the crack in the band and the fact that my ring was shaped like an oval. Joya told me that the crack is where it was sized. I told her the ring has never been sized and that is why there are sizer beads in the ring (it was a single cast). Side note, I am the second owner of the ring (spoken to Jeweler that made the ring and original owner and both have said ring has never been sized). Joya, the Associate, then told me that my finger could have made the ring oval from wear over time. I told her that I've had the ring for 2 short years and take the ring off often and for extended periods of time and I don't think that is the reason. The ring is a gosh darn goose egg!!!!! No way did my finger do that. I told her that I will not be taking the ring and will need to speak to my Insurance to see how to proceed.

I called my Jeweler's Mutual rep, Stephanie, this morning and explained the situation to her. She told me:
1) I need to go back and talk to Barmakian's jeweler and ask them how they can fix it. (I think they will want to laser it to fix the repair which is not satisfactory for me. I want it replaced)
2) She told me I was jumping to conclusions and needed to deal with Barmakian's first and see what the opinion of their Jeweler is first. (Isn't that like the fox guarding the hen house? I don't think they will admit and take fault at all.)
3) She told me that my insurance...Jewelers Mutual, is not responsible for damage caused by Barmakian's and that I would have to pursue then civilly . That there was nothing she could do on my behalf. That this was strictly between myself and Barmakian's. (I was so upset with my call that had hubby call back for clarification and come to find out that they are the insurer for Barmakian's as well). I've never dealt with jewelry insurance before but isn't it like car insurance, both insurance companies talk to each other and figure out who and how much is at fault? Isn't that part of the reason they stand to exist? I feel like Jeweler's Mutual is leaving me in a ditch and telling me to figure it out.
4) As I was talking to Stephanie, I kept talking about the structural integrity of the ring and possibly compromising the diamonds. She kept saying that she was not a jeweler and could not speak to that. I asked her if there was a Jeweler on staff at Jeweler's Mutual. She said yes, I asked if I could speak to that person, and She told me "NO"!!!! Stephanie said their Jeweler doesn't deal with rings. Excuse me! Jeweler's Mutual specializes in the underwriting of jewelry (all encompassing of baubles WHICH includes rings) and they have a jeweler on staff BUT does not deal with rings?!!!! This is complete and utter rubbish! Makes me wonder what Jeweler's is good for then.

I am wholly unhappy with the call I had with Stephanie Monroe at Jeweler's Mutual.

Hubby called and Spoke to Stephanie after my call and basically told me there are two avenue I can pursue:
1) I can chalk it up to the washing machine that caused the damage and file it against my policy.
I don't like this at all because I don't recall the crack in my ring when I dropped if off and worry about my premium going up.

2) I can pin it all on Barmakian's and try to get them to file a claim against their policy and make thing right by either repair or replacement.

My questions for everyone is:
1) Who should be responsible?
2) Is the ring compromised enough to need to be replace completely? I worry about having to deal with the ring cracking continually in the future if they simply band-aid it by laser.
3) Am I crazy or does anyone else find that Jeweler's Mutual is offering less than stellar customer service on this issue?

I don't write that many review online but I was very unhappy with both parties and had no where to turn to for help.

I really appreciate your responses.

Sapphire%20on%20the%20Cape.jpg

I believe the bolded parts are the significant factors in both the jeweler's and JM's responses.
1) You initially damaged the ring. Sorry, but you did. The sapphire fell out before the ring ever went into the washer. How did that happen? The prongs bent.
2) The washer may have caused a melee to be lost, but again, you damaged it by putting it in the washer. Sorry again.
3) You state you are the second owner and have already worn the ring for two years! Absolutely none of this damage was manufacturer defect. Completely and totally normal wear and tear. Again with the Sorry.
3) Your agreement with Barkmanians was to have the stone reset and the missing diamond replaced. You implicitly agreed to this by accepting the repair ticket as written. Barkmanians did this. Sorry, but they did. I actually think they were gracious in not charging you. I'm pretty sure they did this to just as good will to appease a generally disgruntled who has never before used their services. I thing they write it off as a PITA fee. Sorry, just making an observation based on the info you've given.

I'm sure this sounds harsh and uncalled for, but multiple (very experienced and respected) prior posters have tried to point this out gently to you. It seems as if you are not hearing them. Call this Tough Love.
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

marjie978|1379803043|3524961 said:
Thank you everyone for all of your comments and suggestions. I will be having the original jeweler repair the ring and bring it back to life.

All I can take away from this is how incredibly unprofessional and unhelpful Barmakian's and Jeweler's Mutual was during this process.

I will have my sapphire sent out to AGL so that there is a definitive report of it's provenance in the event of anything beyond what I went though (can't even bear to write it).

This ordeal has also revealed that I am under-insured. I found an excellent appraiser that was recommended by Metro Jewelry Appraiser to have my ring looked at...Leslie George of (I believe) New England Gem Lab based out of Newton, Ma and Maine. I checked out her site and spoke to her on the phone and like her very much. She is most certainly at the higher end in terms of fees for her appraisal services but I am more than willing to pay given her resume/credentials/equipment at her disposal/years of experience.

Just wanted to mention that due to vacation, I was unavailable to help Marjie within an immediate time frame. So therefore, a referral was given. Thank you for your call and I'm happy that you are in good hands.

Jeff
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

Jeff, thank you for such a wonderful recommendation.
 
Re: HELP!Maybe Jeweler damaged ring & Jewelers Mutual is no

Come back and update us, PLEASE. I LOVE your ring and want to see that it's back to it's original gorgeousness!!! :love:
 
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