Lost small side diamond

[CptMojo]

I could really use some advice. My engagement ring is an antique family heirloom. Yesterday I glanced down and noticed that one of the small melee diamonds was missing.

I don''t know why I am so upset about it but I am. I know that I can have the diamond replaced, but it won''t be the same one that was original to the ring. It''s as if a little piece of the ring''s history has been lost.

The thought of leaving my ring with a jeweler to have it fixed makes me feel like I might have a nervous breakdown. I''ve had a couple incidents where a jeweler caused major damage to other rings. One I took in to have sized and it came back with a chipped center stone.

I would be devastated if anything happened to my e-ring. I really don''t know if I can bring myself to leave it with anyone to have it fixed, but then I would have to live with the ring being less than perfect. The missing diamond is not too obvious but it bothers me. I don''t know what to do!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 3/5/2010 9:57:28 AM
Author:CptMojo
I could really use some advice. My engagement ring is an antique family heirloom. Yesterday I glanced down and noticed that one of the small melee diamonds was missing.

I don't know why I am so upset about it but I am. I know that I can have the diamond replaced, but it won't be the same one that was original to the ring. It's as if a little piece of the ring's history has been lost.

The thought of leaving my ring with a jeweler to have it fixed makes me feel like I might have a nervous breakdown. I've had a couple incidents where a jeweler caused major damage to other rings. One I took in to have sized and it came back with a chipped center stone.

I would be devastated if anything happened to my e-ring. I really don't know if I can bring myself to leave it with anyone to have it fixed, but then I would have to live with the ring being less than perfect. The missing diamond is not too obvious but it bothers me. I don't know what to do!

Welcome to Pricescope CptMojo,

I am so sorry to hear this and I understand. Even with newer rings tiny melee diamonds can and do get lost unfortunately, it is probably nothing you did but that one of the stones worked loose over time. I would see if you can find a reputable jeweller in your area and get the diamond replaced, then look on it as the new stone being a piece of your personal history being added to the ring. Can you ask around to see if anyone in your area can refer you to a jeweller they have used and are happy with? It sounds as if you have been really unlucky having a stone damaged when the ring was in for sizing. This should not happen.

Just a thought here, don't use an ultrasonic machine to clean the ring as these can work small melee diamonds loose, just in case you have used one.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I''m sorry for your loss.

Obviously if you''re not comfortable with the bench work at your jewelers then don''t take the ring there for repair.

In regards to replacing the diamond, just make sure you have the jeweler identify the cut of the stones (modern briliant vs OMC/OEC/Rose cut) before he replaces it. You don''t want them to mismatch.

I know what happened is upsetting, but you''re better off replacing the stone and continuing to wear it than sticking it in the back of a jewelry box.

 

[stone-cold11]

thritto the above. Maybe start a thread asking for recommendation for jewelers in your area?

 

[Todd Gray]

Losing a diamond out of a ring is always a shock and certainly tragic when the ring is a family heirloom. The diamond loss might be due to worn or broken prongs which might be in need of adjustment or re-tipping, prongs wear down over time and need to be re-tipped every 5 - 7 years under normal wearing conditions - definitely have the ring checked out by a qualified jeweler... If the ring is vintage, you might want to find a jeweler who specializes in working with estate jewelry - track down David Atlas here on the forum if you don't know a good jeweler for this type of thing, he used to do a lot of work with vintage cuts and probably knows a good jeweler or two

Also, be sure to ask whoever is doing the replacement for you whether they can source a small diamond of the same cut style, with vintage rings it is likely that modern cut melee will look visibly different than the small diamonds in the ring and if not replaced with similar like and kind, it will just be a glaring reminder of an unfortunate event.

 

[oldminer]

If you can work with a recommended jeweler local to you I''d suggest the liklihood of a problem is slim. If you want to use me as a resource as has been suggested, I can probably get it fixed without a disaster happening, but many people can do this for you. It is up to you to feel comfortable about it. Post a photo so we can get an idea of the repairs which might be needed beyond the simple replacement of a small diamond. We might be able to comment further if there are risks which we see based on the ring design or the stones in the ring.

Don'' t be upset. If you ever get a nice new Porsche and find the first door ding or rock chip, you''ll have exactly the same feeling about the loss of some intangible "perfection" that no longer exists. You just have to face these things head-on because they will happen anyway.

 

[CptMojo]

Date: 3/5/2010 10:01:26 AM
Author: Lorelei look on it as the new stone being a piece of your personal history being added to the ring.

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I really appreciate it. Lorelei, your statement above really helped me to look at this from a new, more optimistic perspective. Thanks!

I will work on getting a picture up today. The diamond that was lost was really tiny, less than 1mm in diameter. It was only held by two tiny bead type prongs and I did recently get an ultrasonic machine. I am now kicking myself over that as it is most likely the reason for this situation.

Even though the diamond was so small I believe it was an OEC. I louped all the other accent diamonds last night and they appear to be little tiny OECs. How difficult will it be to find a replacement? I definitely don''t want to put a modern cut in its place and throw off the balance of the ring.

oldminer, thank you for offering your assistance. I may be contacting you soon to see if you can help me. I''m going to check around locally first though because I''d prefer not to send my ring through the mail. It may be several weeks before I even build up the courage to leave it with a local jeweler.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 3/6/2010 9:02:40 AM
Author: CptMojo

Date: 3/5/2010 10:01:26 AM
Author: Lorelei look on it as the new stone being a piece of your personal history being added to the ring.

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I really appreciate it. Lorelei, your statement above really helped me to look at this from a new, more optimistic perspective. Thanks!

I am really glad that helped you, I certainly believe it!

 

[marcy]

I am so sorry to hear you lost a diamond out of your ring. I would get it replaced because I know it would bother me. I quit using my US after losing and loosening a few channel set diamonds with it.

 

[jan can]

Personally I''d look for a reputable jeweller asap. Some other stones might be lose too. A little preventative maintenance.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Such is life with pave I am afraid. I liek Lor''s sugestion of thinking of it as just adding new history to the diamond.