Who ever said Diamonds are forever???

croninmccarthy

I bought an engagement ring for my wife in December of 2010.

It is 18ct White Gold. With 7 Diamonds set within it consisting of 0.75ct.

Recently I heard a scream from my wife when she looked at the ring on her finger and realized two of the diamonds where missing and one of the claws which was holding them in place.

We have been in contact with the Jewelers and they have insisted that they are not responsible for the loss of the diamonds or repair to the ring itself.

I have contacted The National Consumer agency and am waiting on a response from them first.

Anyone have any suggestions?

ABajaninCork

Was the ring insured? Check your contents policy as you may be able to claim under that.

biko

Sorry to hear about that, diamond rings aren't exactly cheap.
Was the ring ever repaired?
Many jewellers offer warranty, did yours?

croninmccarthy

Yes it is insured under our house insurance. However im not in a hurry to go claiming from that.

For me its the Principal as well as repair cost.

croninmccarthy

No the ring was never repaired!

The Jeweler will not take liability for it. So i guess there is no warranty!

Procrastastudy

Seems to be pretty clear cut to me. Ring didn't last a reasonable amount of time - retailer needs to repair or replace it. If this is not forthcoming then take them to the Small claims court or district court depending on how much the ring was.

croninmccarthy

Seems like the best way forward.

dudara

The diamond will last forever, but the ring setting will not.

White gold is quite a soft metal, and you should have been warned when purchasing the ring about the likelihood of wear.

You'd also have to prove that your wife didn't subject the ring to heavy wear and tear. Just playing devil's advocate here.

Fey!

It's going to depend on the wear on the ring. Some people can get decades of wear from a ring with no trouble, where others may wear out claws in 18 months.

It's recommended that you get your jewellery checked every 12 months.

It's also possible to pull a claw on a ring quite easily; regardless of whether it's white gold or platinum, some threads, such as wool, are strong enough to pull a claw out of place. Generally if this happens the top of the ring can feel rough where the claw is out of place. Loose threads on gloves can cause this to happen, as can coarse clothing (woolen jumpers, jackets, etc.).

Depending on the setting, sometimes sizing the ring can stretch the setting and loosen the stones (i.e pave settings). If the ring got a hard hit (i.e. getting caught in a door) stones can be knocked out of the setting (without the wearer necessarily feeling the ring getting banged, as the ring will have taken the force, not the finger).

On the other hand you can be unlucky and get a weak mount, but these would usually fall asunder quicker than 20 months.

These are all reasons for insurance, although sometimes claims can be less than the policy excess. For goodwill the jeweller may repair it at cost (they charge you what it costs them to do the work). It's worth asking them.

@Procrastastudy; the not lasting a reasonable length of time argument is debatable; it will depend on how the ring was treated, which is usually apparent when it is looked at. The giveaway signs are damage from rubbing, claws pulled apart, enough dirt stuck in the mount to grow potatoes in (gardening and jewellery don't mix well!), as well as several other things.

As for diamonds lasting forever, I've seen several where the wearers took chunks out of them; nothing is indestructable!

OP; I hope that you get it sorted.

sandin

On this one, its definitely for the insurance. The jeweller cannot be held responsible after 2 years - you would need to document your wife's daily diary for every day to prove they did not catch in anything.

This is exactly what we take insurance out for - unforseen accidents. Sometimes we just have to accept that crap happens.

In our case, herself gets rings cleaned every year and also has them inspected and checked by the jeweller we purchased them from (Rocks in Stillorgan) Its well worth the €30 they charge

ABajaninCork

I usually wait until I go home to London to clean and check my rings. I can go to Hatton Garden where we got my e-ring and they'll clean & check it FoC. The wedding rings I have to pay for, but it's a small charge and I get them back the same day.

Tried to get them done at Keane's in Cork, but they send them away for a week!:eek: Can't let my babies out of my sight for so long...

JimsAlterEgo

sandin wrote: »

The jeweller cannot be held responsible after 2 years

Nonsense, the law allows for a reasonable amount of time

Cabaal

JimsAlterEgo wrote: »

Nonsense, the law allows for a reasonable amount of time

Does the law also allow for the consumer catching the claw on the ring on something and proving beyond doubt that they didn't damage the claw during the period they had the ring?

Given its generally recommended that white gold rings are checked/repaired etc every year or so (I certainly remember me and my wife being told this as well) and if the op didn't do this and hasn't proof of this they can't really show they looked after it,

sandin

JimsAlterEgo wrote: »

Nonsense, the law allows for a reasonable amount of time

If you can PROVE that there was a fault in the manufacture of the ring.

In this instance, the ring had been worn without any issue whatsoever for almost 2 years and then 2 diamonds had fallen out somewhere at some stage.

There are so many ways clasps can be accidently damaged by the wearer, there is no way that you can hold the jeweller responsible after 2 years.

Its insured - that why people take insurance - for the unforseen, no blame incidents of life.

Davidth88

ABajaninCork wrote: »

I usually wait until I go home to London to clean and check my rings. I can go to Hatton Garden where we got my e-ring and they'll clean & check it FoC. The wedding rings I have to pay for, but it's a small charge and I get them back the same day.

Tried to get them done at Keane's in Cork, but they send them away for a week!:eek: Can't let my babies out of my sight for so long...

I was going to say the same thing , we purchased my wifes engagement ring in Hatton Gdn ( after all what else do you do on a wet afternoon in London ) . The guy who sold it had actually cut the stones ( he showed us where he works ) , he could tell us which mine the emeralds came from etc . He also told us to bring it back every year for a ' service ' FOC .... this we did until we left England .

OP , is this covered in your household insurance ?

Procrastastudy

Just a quick note on proof in civil matters. While I accept its debatable either way and even the OP probably doesn't know for sure whether it was caught on something or not the proof required is only on the balance of probabilities. It needs only be more likely than not that X happened - 51% probability. Given the vast majority think that its damage rather than a fault I'd have to now say play it safe and go with your household cover OP. That said if you do go down the legal route, bear in mind you won't have to be Denny Crane.

borderlinemeath

Diamond rings can get damaged so easily, it really depends on the strength of the setting. White gold isn't the strongest, in fact if it's a delicate setting the prongs can be brittle and break very easily. Platinum on the other hand is more pliable, a setting may loosen or bend rather than break so you may end up with a loose stone rather than a couple of stones missing.

So in short it would be doubtful that the jeweller will cover for damage after this amount of time with the ring being worn constantly. Within a couple of months maybe but after a considerable time, no.

JimsAlterEgo

Cabaal wrote: »

Does the law also allow for the consumer catching the claw on the ring on something and proving beyond doubt that they didn't damage the claw during the period they had the ring?

Given its generally recommended that white gold rings are checked/repaired etc every year or so (I certainly remember me and my wife being told this as well) and if the op didn't do this and hasn't proof of this they can't really show they looked after it,

I totally agree with you, my point is the 2 year thing in not accurate. However if there was no communication on purchase that changes the goalposts.

JimsAlterEgo

sandin wrote: »

If you can PROVE that there was a fault in the manufacture of the ring.

In this instance, the ring had been worn without any issue whatsoever for almost 2 years and then 2 diamonds had fallen out somewhere at some stage.

There are so many ways clasps can be accidently damaged by the wearer, there is no way that you can hold the jeweller responsible after 2 years.

Its insured - that why people take insurance - for the unforseen, no blame incidents of life.

why 2 years though? thats my point, it may be less.