They Ruined My Rings! What Are My Options?

[GemView]

First off, please accept my apology for the unusually LONG post. A picture would be worth a thousand words, but it's going to take some time get a close-up shot of what I am about to describe (my camera is 6yrs and 1.3 megapixels!). The question is, what can or should I and/or my local B&M do to remedy what I am about to relate?

It all started with my promise ring, a 14kt white-gold band from Costco with 15 bead-set VS2 or better I color diamonds, which are bordered by milgrain on all sides. The diamonds are lined up around 3/4 of the band. The remainder of the shank is smooth.

As any of you who have purchased a ring from Costco know, they only come in one size and if you don't wear the size offered you have to seek sizing service elsewhere. This was true in my case, and I had to have the ring sized from 7 to a 5.

I took all three rings, which I intended to stack and possibly to solder, to the same merchant who sold my fiancé my engagement ring at a fantastic price, with absolutely no problems. I explained that I was in NO rush and that I was more concerned with workmanship than a fast turnaround.

The merchant and I go back five years and she knows that I am detail oriented and would return for repair if anything is amiss. She even observed as much when I stopped by and found that they were not ready on the initial day promised. Again, I stated that I was in no hurry.

Meanwhile, the jeweler, whom I have never met because the jewelers serve all the merchants in the building and work out of a separate room, took three days to size and re-plate the two matching rings using the first as a guide. When I got the rings back last Wednesday they appeared to be equally sized (a standard 5). Unfortunately, a stone fell out the next day. Additionally, in the same ring from which the stone fell, I noticed an incomplete Rhodium polish (the inside of the lower shank had a yellow gold line and the outside rim of the upper shank had rough, flakey patches). In this way, I could differentiate between the ring I had brought in for reference — which did not need sizing or plating and would have not been so marked — and the ring that the jeweler had sized and failed to finish off.

Still, it really wasn't a big deal, per se, because the rings remained separate. But when my fiancé took the rings back last Friday to have the Rhodium redone and the stone remounted — thank God my fiancé found the missing diamond — I asked him to inquire about soldering the three together,only because in a single day of use I had begun to notice friction marks between the rings.

Before he left the rings a second time, my fiancé specifically asked if the soldering was reversible or if it could damage the rings. The merchant stated that soldering would NOT damage the rings. Yet when my fiancé brought the soldered rings back to me Saturday, the rings were not flush on one side, and the straight-line milgrained edge where the diamonds end on the bottom were not lined up on one ring. I could tell that the two rings where the diamonds lined up were identical in size, whereas the third ring, which did not sit flush, was slightly larger. It creates the impression that the middle ring is disappearing into a shadow, but today I finally figured out why. The middle ring no longer has milgrain borders. Though both rings came out of sizing with milgrain intact, the middle ring lost it somehow in the soldering process. This left a smooth, borderless surface, whereas the original milgrain rose above the level of the bead-set diamonds to form a raised edge. That’s why the middle ring looks like it is perpetually in shadow even though it is one of only two that sits flush and lines up at the outer edges. The diamonds are still intact, but the razor-thin line along the edges has melted away giving it a somewhat thinned out, distorted appearance.

My concern is that there is no way to fix this because it is a delicate band to begin with (only about 3mm wide). Because of what looks like liberal use of the soldering agent, I can’t see how they can separate the rings without further damage, build the edges back up on the center ring and restore the milgrain texture. On the one hand, if the jeweler who performed the work couldn’t stack three bands and solder them successfully to begin with, I don’t know if I can trust him/her to perform such a complex repair. On the other hand, I don’t want to put the merchant in the middle because I have enjoyed an otherwise good relationship with her. With respect to my engagement ring, we believe she gave my fiancé a fantastic deal on an ideal-cut SI1 F color diamond, 1.04Ct, for less than 5K (the pics are in the eye candy thread).

I would prefer to talk to the jeweler directly, but I won’t be able to find out which one did the work without telling the merchant how terribly disappointed we are in the workmanship that the jeweler did.

Until now, any problem I have encountered there — such as the occasional score mark left in the lower portion of a ring after sizing — has been fixed on the spot. But this dual issue of misaligned rings and the melted milgrain, in particular, doesn't seem like it has a fix, at least not one I would trust them to make. I hope I am wrong — jewelers who read this are welcome to set me straight — but I believe the only solution may be partial or total replacement.

Assuming anything can or will be done at all, should the jewelry mart be responsible for the replacement of just one ring — not knowing if the other rings will separate without similar damage if the solder is removed — or should they replace the rings in total? (Oh, and to add to matters, the plating on the outer portion of the bottom of the bands is also rippled, which is surprising because I’ve done so much business there over the years and have not observed what appears to be Rhodium pooling on the bottom of the soldered bands. Still, I knew that that could be buffed out.)

I don’t want to burn bridges with the merchant or the jewelry mart itself, but these weren’t inexpensive I3, J-K color bands from Wal-Mart, either. Each ring came with an appraisal of $500, but since all but one of the matching rings were brand new, we don’t have insurance.

For their small size, these are the most scintillating diamonds I have ever seen in a bead-set design anywhere, and that includes the Los Angeles jewelry district, which is the largest jewelry district in the world. In any event, my intent in having the three bands attached was to create a white gold diamond wedding band for those occasions where I need to match my existing collection of white gold pieces (I’m split 50/50 between gold and white). And to top it all off, we had to travel roughly 40 miles from my fiancé’s home to find a Costco that still stocked the same ring. Because we know the inventory in our area, we may literally have to ask Costco to ship a replacement from out of state even if replacement cost is offered.

This truly makes me heartsick from every perspective: I don’t want to make the merchant a go-between, yet small claims court may be my only option if they don’t simply agree to replace the damaged piece(s) that they can't repair. I once had a car that qualified for lemon law but I never sued. It’s just not my style. Still, I can’t simply train my eyes to ignore the damage. More importantly, this ring incorporates my promise ring so it has sentimental value, too.

My feeling is that the jewelry mart may offer to repair it first, which if I accept may destroy the remaining two rings because of the liberal use of solder that would have to be removed from the bands and polished out.

If you were in my shoes, what would YOU do? (Other than refrain from ever posting again for the simple fact that I talk — write — too much!

)

 

[mrssalvo]

ok, well I'd first go back to the merchant and show her your rings and tell her why you are unhappy. give her the opportunity to makes things right for you before doing anything else. Did you have anything in writing stating that the jeweler doing the work would be responsible for any damage? A lot of jewelers will not work on settings/rings they didn't sell for this very reason. I have no idea how much going to court would cost but am guessing it would be more than just replacing the rings. I also think purchasing a ring 2 sizes too big and then trying to size is just a recipe for disaster. 1/2 size or 1/4 size isn't normally a problem, but when sizing a ring that much, especially one that has diamonds in the bands can really mess the whole ring up. I'm no jeweler though and if they said they could do it than it should have been done well. I'd become a very polite squeeky wheel until they were fixed to my satifaction

 

[gailrmv]

I''m sorry I don''t have any advice, but just wanted to sympathize. What an ordeal! I''d definitely speak with the person with whom you''ve dealt before. Since you''re a repeat customer, they will probably want to make it right (and hopefully send that jeweler for some serious training!)

 

[strmrdr]

generaly in the situation with a like that you will have to deal with or go after the one that accepted the job and took the money they in turn will have to deal with the other party or cover it themselves.

 

[GemView]

What’s Wrong with this Picture?

Top Left: In this profile, the rings are freestanding on a desk. You can see where the milgrain ends on the sides of the bands, and on this particular side they don't line up. The rings appear to lean outward because the sizing of the ring on the far left and right are not equivalent, though all three were sized to a 5 with the intent that they align for the purpose of stacking. You can also see a gold soldering agent. I've never had a ring soldered before; I am not certain if I am supposed to SEE the soldering applied along the sides of the band. I expected that it would just be used to tack the rings together at the bottom. (Perhaps someone who owns a soldered ring can comment?)

Top Right: In this top-down view, you can see how well the rings line up on the left side. Not so on the right, where the area is circled. Notice also the blackening or shadow effect on the middle ring toward the right side. This is because the milgrain edging has melted off. It did not come that way out of sizing, but it did come back that way after soldering.

Top Middle: In this offset view you can see the light catch on the protruding portion of the ring furthest away from the camera on the right. You can also see on the middle band a blackened area where the middle ring seems to be receding. Under a loupe, it literally has sunken due to the metal sides that ran along either side of the diamonds having lost height (melted).


Lower Left: Notice how the rings on the outside have milgrain edges that run consistently along the outer and inner rims. In this view, however, you can see the missing milgrain areas on the middle band as evidenced by the fact that the areas appear non-reflective despite the presence of camera flash. The diamonds sparkle, but the metal backing appears scorched. It isn't actually scorched, but the Rhodium is dull compared to the other rings, and the camera lens easily picks this up.

 

[GemView]

Re: MSSALVO - sizing

Thanks for the reply

A lot of rings size two sizes up or down, but not, in my experience, a lot of rings that are diamond-inset on the shank. When I received the first one as a promise ring, I thought we would have to return it for this very reason, but none of the jewelers we spoke to said it couldn't or shouldn't be done. However, it did cost $40 to size the first ring, which is the most I have ever been quoted for sizing (my fiancé took the first one for sizing to another store). Since then, I have been told that the prongs should be checked every three months or so. I'm not sure if that is standard advice, but I had always thought that once or twice a year is sufficient. Apparently not!

Unfortunately, I don't have anything in writing. Generally, because we are on a first-name basis, she doesn't write me up a repair ticket. I have no documentation other than some notes she wrote on her business card when I came for the initial sizing.

 

[strmrdr]

yea ppw :{
tell em to fix or replace them.
To be honest i dont see how they can fix em..


ppw == pee poor workmanship

 

[GemView]

I sure do appreciate the sympathy, gailrmv!

I am mystified as to why there was a problem. The jewelry mart employs a number of jewelers, so I'm sure she (the merchant) would have known who had the best chances of doing a good job. Plus, I gave her permission to keep it as long as needed to get it done well. But even if I count her out, if I were the jeweler and I took receipt of the same three rings I had just accepted a couple of days beforehand for sizing — having already been told that the customer intends to stack them — I would have stopped the work as soon as I had trouble getting the rings to line up. I would have asked the merchant to contact the customer to authorize the re-sizing of the misaligned ring so that they lined up successfully when complete. I would NOT have proceeded to solder them knowing they were going to appear skewed. The merchant must have known there was a problem, because she told my fiancé it was "the best he could do"! She knows me too well to know that I will simply fail to notice! If I thought the rings could be safely separated out, I don't think this would bother me half as much, but I have a feeling that the soldering itself just didn't go in right so that separating them will distort the bands or leave more bare patches where formerly there was milgrain. At this point I am not only in need of a repair, I am in need of a miracle!

 

[GemView]

Date: 3/29/2006 1:27:13 AM
Author: strmrdr
yea ppw :{

tell em to fix or replace them.

To be honest i dont see how they can fix em..



ppw == pee poor workmanship

I agree with you. You wouldn''t happen to be a jeweler would you? Or do you know someone else I have yet to meet on PS who might be able to tell by looking if a repair will make it better, or possibly just make it worse?

 

[GemView]

Date: 3/28/2006 11:36:40 PM
Author: strmrdr
generaly in the situation with a like that you will have to deal with or go after the one that accepted the job and took the money they in turn will have to deal with the other party or cover it themselves.

The mystery deepens.

I examined the rings again with a loupe and two out of three are stamped "CKG 14K", whereas the one in the middle — the one with less milgrain, which is the same ring that shows up with dark areas in the photo — has a stylized graphic imprint, which I think reads “PJ 14K”. I don't believe Costco would have assigned the same item number to a different manufacturer's product. To locate the remaining two rings, we had to do an inventory search for it using the tag ID, which I kept off the promise ring, also purchased at Costco. So it would seem that if the inventory number did not change, the stamp on the center ring should not have, either.

I examined the rings very closely at Costco and, in fact, rejected one display-case ring of the same style because it had a sharp sliver, as if someone had nicked it with a razor. The point being, if there had been any difference in appearance whatsoever I would have noticed prior to committing to sizing, yet none of the rings appeared to differ in any respect until I received the rings back from the soldering (the only thing I didn't check at Costco was the stamp on the inside, unfortunately). Regardless, I can tell that the center ring was not the original promise ring, which they kept on hand as a guide for sizing the remaining two. I know that only because the center ring has a fine score mark on the bottom inside edge of the shank where it was resized — as you can see in the top middle photo — whereas the original promise ring cost my fiancé $40 for resizing and when it was finished it did not appear to have been resized at all. So that leaves the pair of "CKG" stamped rings on the outer edges as the likely rings that were purchased from Costco, with the third now striking me as a possible substitute. That may also explain why the center ring looks different to me and even to the camera lens. It may NOT the same ring I brought in! If so, it would appear they were switched — but the only reason I can imagine that they may have been switched is if the jeweler actually ruined a ring and tried to cover his tracks. The strange part is, I really haven’t found that exact ring elsewhere, though I suppose it might be less problematic for someone who works in the jewelry business (especially near LA). Hmm… Perhaps Costco can put me in touch with someone who can verify the manufacturing source of the item number printed on the ring tags. If I can prove that Costco didn't recruit different manufacturers to create the same style, that means that it was either replaced at the jewelry mart, or Costco accepted as a return and later re-sold a non-Costco look-alike (here again, though, I think I would have noticed because the center ring looks so much different than what I remember dropping off for sizing).

 

[denverappraiser]

Gemview,

There’s lots of different issues going on here and I’m having a hard time separating everything but I’ll try to address a few of your topics. I have a lot of experience in this area. (I spent more than 10 years owning a jewelry mart tradeshop doing this type of repair work).

Who’s responsible? Storm is dead on. The store where you submitted the job and the people you paid are the ones responsible. Who they chose to do the work is their business, not yours and making this selection wisely is how they earn their markup. This selection isn’t always based on who will do the best job but again, you didn’t make the selection, they did and if they want to have some words with their subcontractor they are welcome to do it. They may not have used the best they could find and they may not have even used one of the people in the building. They cannot pass the buck here. The mart is just the landlord, they have nothing to do with it.

Sizing is easy. Rhodium is easy. Fixing the alignment probably is easy unless this is related to the issue of 2 different manufactures. Separating them again would be easy. It’s hard for me to see the details of the millgrain problem in your picture but you’re right that this may be tricky although not necessarily impossible. Show it to another bench jeweler or appraiser that you trust and ask them what the prospects are for a 100% repair.

The stones falling out. We never warranted the setting of stones in rings like this unless we set them. After doing this kind of job I would check every stone after sizing and tighten any that needed it (which would be billable by the way), but in the end, if it comes out it’s the responsibility of whoever set it, whoever sold it or the consumer. This is a big bone of contention with bench jewelers because manufacturers will normally say that sizing by an outside vendor will void their warranty and the customers want SOMEONE to take responsibility for the workmanship. This is one of the big reasons to have work done by the selling jeweler and one of the reasons to buy from jewelers who will do it. Not all shops have this policy and some take the position that if it passes through their door, they’re responsible for it for life and others will compromise somewhere in the middle. Needless to say, this will have an affect on their prices with the least expensive shops accepting the least liability. I agree that if the millgrain was damaged and can't be 100% repaired, they should replace the ring but you're likely to meet some resistance about what constitutes damage and what the condition was when they started.

Who are CKJ and PJ? This is the mark of the manufacturer. It’s not at all out of the question that Costco has several suppliers of very similar rings and that they are ever so slightly different. On the other hand, it’s extremely unlikely that the shop switched your ring for a different one. This may lead to your best solution. Costco has a very agreeable return policy. If the center ring is not a perfect match as you expected, they may be willing to take a return and replace it with one that is, even though it’s already been sized and soldered. If they will do it, have the store separate the rings so you can return the mismatched one to Costco for a replacement with a genuine CKJ piece. Then have the jeweler (the store you paid, not necessarily the same subcontractor) size the new ring, solder and rhodium. Naturally, this should all be at no cost to you. Don’t hold it against Costco if they won’t do this, it’s asking a lot, but they are a remarkably friendly company when you get through to the managers.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[GemView]

RE: denverappraiser


Thank you for providing insight. I feel relieved to know that the rings may not be beyond repair. And most likely I will take your advice about returning the ring that does not have a matching manufacturer stamp.

I had the two matching rings that were resized to stack next to the promise ring for 24 hours before I returned them for soldering, yet I didn't notice a problem with the milgrain until after the three rings were returned the second time. I was told when it was soldered that the rings would be re-plated, so my guess is that the jeweler in question applied too much rhodium to the top of the middle ring. The dark areas in the photo actually look under a loupe as if the plating pooled into little rivers where it was supposed to form a right-angle between the diamond and the milgrain "walls" on either side. There is also a bit of Rhodium pooled on the very bottom of the shanks (outer edges), too. I can't fathom why they did such a sloppy job!

I suppose the lower height of the milgrain edging in the middle ring may be an illusion created by a non-matching set being soldered together (the middle ring having been created by another manufacturer than the outer two), or it could be that the re-plating did, in fact, melt some of the milgrain edging down (perhaps you can confirm if this is possible?). I can see under a loup that the milgrain is present, but it trails off as if someone took an eraser to the areas that appear darkened in the photos. I am 95 percent sure it did not look that way after sizing, yet it was my first split-second impression after I got the rings back from soldering.

My main concern is that the rings are salvaged. I doubt I will prevail in getting them to cover the cost, though, so I'm tempted to just take the ring back to the jeweler who charged my fiancé $40 to size the promise ring and see what he can do to diagnose or fix the mess. By the time I'm done taking out my wallet, I will probably be looking at least 2/3 the cost of what Costco was charging for a single ring!

Like you, I feel my best bet is getting Costco to accept the middle ring on return on the basis that it has a non-matched stamp and did not come with the Costco appraisal that the other two sold with (although I can no longer identify which of the three rings was sold without it!). Despite my feeling that I would have noticed if the rings were different, it is possible that the problem actually began at Costco. When we called to verify inventory while in search of the second and third match, one of the Costco's that we later purchased a ring from said that they had just taken one of the rings we were seeking in on a return. I was wary, but they said it was in perfect condition. I now wonder if perhaps Costco sold me something that someone else may have returned to Costco even though it did not originate from Costco. For though I do recall that both rings were in perfect condition when we bought them, the only thing that we failed to examine was the stamp on the inside of the shank. In any event, we are now waiting for Costco to return our call to verify whether it is their policy to order the same or similar style from different manufacturing sources, and then tag it with the same ID. Moreover, the Costco GIA appraisal, included with all but one of the rings we purchased, also identifies the rings with the same ID number. This does not seem to be a good practice if, indeed, their suppliers were not identical.

 

[gailrmv]

I hope you get it all worked out. I see the issues you are pointing out and I would be very dissatisfied too. But you should rest assured knowing that if for some reason all or part of the issues are irreversable, the average person would NEVER notice them while admiring your ring.

 

[moon river]

I''m so sad for you right now. It''s a shame it was your original promise ring that was the one ruined.

I like the look you were going for and love the idea of incorperating your promise ring into the wedding band. I hope everything works out for you. Keep us posted.

 

[GemView]

Thank you, gailrmv and Moon River! I really appreciate the supportiveness of everyone who has responded so far.

To update you, I picked up the rings today after they were separated. The separation went well — despite an independent jeweler’s caution that separating the three rings may destroy the lower portion of the shanks. Unfortunately, all three rings now have missing areas of milgrain, which gives the rings alternating smooth and grainy edges.

The independent jeweler I consulted said that the jeweler at the B&M where I originally took the rings for sizing and soldering most likely polished the milgrain off while sizing, soldering and unsoldering. Unfortunately, the merchant at the B&W tried to chalk it up to a defect in the casting process, which simply isn't so. But since my fiancé bought my engagement ring from this merchant at a fair price, we didn’t want to argue and burn bridges, so we’re cutting our losses. Still, I doubt I’ll ever return. It seems there is no middle ground: I either receive excellent work out of their jewelers (probably having something to do with whether or not the item was purchased “in house”) or shoddy work (perhaps from the junior member of the repair team).

All but one ring — my promise ring — was brand new and unworn when I dropped the rings off originally for sizing. And just to be sure they were in good condition, I went over them with a loupe, so I know the milgrain was unbroken until after they soldered and unsoldered the rings. Still, the merchant didn’t agree with our request to send the rings back to the jeweler to have the milgrain edges redone. As a result, I'm starting over again. Fortunately, one of the rings — the middle ring pictured that had the majority of problems — was accepted for return today (the ease of returns being one of the nice things about buying jewelry at Costco). Costco accepted it even though it had been sized because we verified with corporate that the manufacturer was not consistent with the other rings, which should have prompted the item to be tagged differently, which it wasn’t. Furthermore, I found out that their policy is not to sell returned jewelry, which, unfortunately, they did in that particular case.

My plan is to start fresh. I'm going 75 miles for another ring tomorrow (they’ve nearly disappeared from my area and not on order). I'm determined to make this work. Once I get my mind fixated on an idea — especially when it comes to jewelry with a sentimental value — it's hard to just give up and walk away from it!

This is one of those object lessons I will never forget. I had been so spoiled by the excellent prices and generally competent service I received from my local B&M jewelers that I thought the other jewelers in my area were price gouging, but no more do I have that impression. As they say, you get what you pay for! In this case, I know I'll pay handsomely for the rings to be aligned correctly and sized without damage to the milgrain, but the peace of mind will be worth every penny.

I'll post new pics when I get the final result!

 

[pyramid]

Gemview

I am just a consumer here but notice you said the original merchant had blamed it on a casting fault which you say 'simply isn't so', apparently casting faults can only become noticeable when a ring is being worked upon as sometimes they are under the surface, so maybe he was telling the truth. You did say about the top of the band having a flaky surface. I think they call this porosity.

I also think when buying bands you want stacked together and to look perfect that you are better buying them as a set as they would have been designed like that.

You say you are driving 75 miles today to get another ring, the worrying thing here is that you are spending more money looking for perfection that may not be achievable. I do hope though that the middle ring being by another manufacturer is what was causing the problem and making the other two bands look off at the one side as far as being straight went. Did you ask the jeweller you are dealing with now if he thought that was the case???????

I do not want to be cheeky here but it seems that you are delving into the reasons too much here without any education in the jewellery field and making your own assumptions too much about what is wrong. I should know because I used to do this also about researching diamonds but although I have learned (well I think, I have no qualification) more than I used to know by doing this, I also could have saved myself some time by not worrying myself as much about individual items I had.

 

[moon river]

So you returned your original promise ring too?

I wish it had worked out with the original ring. I hope you eventually get the effect you are looking for. Keep us in the loop.

 

[GemView]

Date: 4/2/2006 8:47:04 AM
Author: Pyramid
Gemview



I am just a consumer here but notice you said the original merchant had blamed it on a casting fault which you say 'simply isn't so', apparently casting faults can only become noticeable when a ring is being worked upon as sometimes they are under the surface, so maybe he was telling the truth. You did say about the top of the band having a flaky surface. I think they call this porosity.



I also think when buying bands you want stacked together and to look perfect that you are better buying them as a set as they would have been designed like that.



You say you are driving 75 miles today to get another ring, the worrying thing here is that you are spending more money looking for perfection that may not be achievable. I do hope though that the middle ring being by another manufacturer is what was causing the problem and making the other two bands look off at the one side as far as being straight went. Did you ask the jeweller you are dealing with now if he thought that was the case???????




RE: PYRAMID:


As promised, I came back to post an update and found your response. My belated reply appears below your text, which is quoted.

"I am just a consumer here but notice you said the original merchant had blamed it on a casting fault which you say 'simply isn't so', apparently casting faults can only become noticeable when a ring is being worked upon as sometimes they are under the surface, so maybe he was telling the truth. You did say about the top of the band having a flaky surface. I think they call this porosity."

Response: I'm not quite sure why you would defend the store owner's comment about a casting flaw when you can see for yourself what they did to my rings, above. Still, I’ll attempt to reply. First off, I have 20/15 vision, which means I can discern "before" and "after" without a problem. Second, I checked each ring with a loupe to ensure they were in perfect condition before I even walked out of the store where we bought them! Third, I say this having other jewelers who agree with my observation that poor alignment caused problems and that sloppy polishing eliminated the milgrain. Neither the alignment or the milgrain can be attributed to casting because they appear on the surface where no prior flaw appeared beforehand. Fourth, I have "before" pictures of the original promise ring prior to being soldered and the milgrain was intact, as it also was on the others. Fifth, the rings came from Costco. Unlike Sam's Club, Costco only sells VS2 or better diamonds with GIA appraisals. In other words, the rings did NOT leave the store with “porosity” — it wasn’t until after they were sized and plated with Rhodium that the plating on one of the rings began to flake (and a stone fell out). Sixth, the missing-milgrain explanation I received, which pinned the problem on a casting flaw, did NOT come from a bench jeweler. It came from the retailer who owns a booth where my fiancé bought an engagement ring — the same retailer who accepted the original promise ring for the work. I did not know the jeweler who performed the actual sizing and soldering because the work was done at a jewelry mart where dozens of merchants share a handful of bench jewelers. If I had known the jeweler, though, I would have used his terminology rather than resorting to my own explanations to describe what happened to the rings! Seventh, a local jeweler who examined the rings after the original job was botched confirmed that the milgrain came off from polishing, not casting (or heat from the soldering as I had theorized). And last but not least, the independent jeweler also confirmed that even when manufacturers produce identical jewelry each item will come out of the mold with slight differences. This can make alignment more tricky, but not impossible in experienced hands!


"I also think when buying bands you want stacked together and to look perfect that you are better buying them as a set as they would have been designed like that."

Response: The rings were identical styles from an identical store with identical tags/IDs. Before I committed to the original work, I asked two questions: Is it possible to size, stack and solder the rings successfully? Can the soldering be undone without damaging the rings? The answer I got from everyone I asked was “Yes.” Instead, the rings were damaged and they did not line up. So why imply that my desire to stack the rings was a mistake, when 1) I'm trying to incorporate sentimental value into a wedding band [my promise ring], and 2) I was assured beforehand that stacking and soldering is not rocket science and could, in fact, be done without damage to the rings?


"I do not want to be cheeky here but it seems that you are delving into the reasons too much here without any education in the jewellery field and making your own assumptions too much about what is wrong.  …. "

Response: I’m a little confused about your assertion that I’m making assumptions about what is “wrong” with my own jewelry. Don’t the pictures speak for themselves? We’re on the Internet, so I couldn’t exactly hand over the rings to ask what you thought of the work. As such, my description had to suffice at least until I had the pics to illustrate the problems! Consequently, I don’t think it is fair of you to imply that I shouldn’t try to describe the problem simply because I don’t know the exact reason/solution for the problem. That’s akin to saying that in order to convey to a doctor that I'm not feeling well, I should first enroll in med school, or that just because you don't work in a hair salon, you aren't qualified to judge a good hair cut from a bad cut. I’m not a jeweler nor will I ever pretend to be a jeweler no matter how much I read up on the subject!

Pyramid, I will assume you meant no offense with your last comment; however, it feels as if you took my "Rough Rock" standing and equated that to "Ignorant". I will never become a bench jeweler, but as a jewelry collector I began to read this and other forums long before I registered and began to post. Though my posts are quite detailed on the rare occassion that I do post, I actually read — and attempt to educate myself — much more than I write!

 

[GemView]

GOOD NEWS!!!!

I promised an update to my story about the botched ring sizing and soldering, described above, and here it is:

I kept one of the original rings — I’d like to think it was my promise ring but once they were put together the first time I could no longer tell them apart. (But it still is my promise ring at heart.) A second ring — pictured in the middle in the image above — was returned. (Costco accepted it because it was not supposed to have been sold as a return in the first place and also because the tag ID should have been changed, according to Costco's inventory policy, to reflect that it did not originate with the same manufacturer.) The last ring I'm still working on. I know Costco would take it back, but I don't think that would be right since it wasn't their fault.

Thankfully, I located the last remaining inventory that Costco had in So Cal.! And this time, the ring alignment came out perfectly!

The only problem I had the second time around was a bit of milgrain off the outer edge of just ONE ring — roughly 1/4". This time I was smart and I took "before" pics of the rings from every angle using my camera lens to magnify them. None of them had any missing milgrain or any other flaw. Unfortunately, I didn’t take the pics into the store expecting to have to use them. So when the store owner tried to claim that the ring came in that way, I held my tongue. I knew better, but I wasn't going to push the issue after he refused to replace the milgrain on the basis that the mechanized tool might "knick" the prongs and make the stones less secure. (Plus, it was closing time.)

In one sense, I was a bit dismayed that for nearly $100 labor he wasn't going to take responsibility for the obvious fact that polishing had clipped some of the migrain on the outer edge, but since I didn't have my "before" pics on hand to prove it — and because I was so relieved that the work was otherwise a 95 percent improvement over the previous attempt — I thanked him for his work, paid up and left. Fortunately, thanks to previous experience, I know yet another jeweler who can reapply milgrain by hand in under five minutes (and has refused to take payment for doing so).

As far as I’m concerned, this experience was a huge improvement over the last! Yes, it cost a lot to start all over again — the labor was double what I paid the first time at the jewelry mart — but the results are worth it. Most of the time I am frugal, but since the wedding band incorporates the promise ring design I know I won't regret the money or the effort.

 

[GemView]

Here are a few sample images of my three-ring wedding band. (It''s a new camera that should focus in much closer than my six-year-old 1.3MP relic, which was used for the former pics. But for some reason, I had to use a larger object — such as the figurine or my hand — to help the camera "grab" something to focus on.):

 

[pyramid]

Gemview

I have only just seen your reply to me today. I am sorry I did not recall reading the bit about the jeweller stating it was the polish job which took of the milligrain. I notice now that you did write that. When I spoke about getting rings made as a set I was thinking about those rings you see where they are moulded together like a wishbone and a cluster together, right enough three straight bands should probably fit on a finger, but I was thinking when they were soldered that maybe there would be differences in the twist of the rings especially when they have been sized. I did not think about you being a ''rough rock'' as you said, I really never notice things like that when I post. I just was thinking you were getting too deep into considering everything as I know I did this in the past myself. I realise now what you are saying about trying to explain how the rings looked to you, it is just that your posts are very long and reminded me of the type of posts I used to write and then just got myself in a state about things which were not that big in reality really.

I notice you have got the rings complete to your satisfaction, congratulations!! They look much better now. When is your wedding?

 

[FireGoddess]

The ring does look much better this time! I''m sorry you still had a little bit of trouble, but the ring does look beautiful and the sentiment behind it is so nice!

 

[moon river]

YAY!!!!

I''m SSSSOOOOOOO happy things turned out for you. I love the look of the three bands and I''m SURE one is your original promise ring. You couldn''t have gone through all that and then loose the sentimental piece that promted it. I can''t wait to see it with your ering. You and your rings have been on my mind for awhile. Congrats on a project well done.

 

[JZMINBNEE]

I am so glad to hear that your project turned out to have a happy ending for you!
The results must be much more satisfying for you. Your ring(s) look Great!
Enjoy!
joni