QuestionHello Thomas, I read your reply written in 2011 to a gal about her chipped emerald and I have a question. After reading your reply it made me think of a few things:
1. I found out yesterday that my .50ct marquise cut emerald is chipped, but the jeweler did not inform me as to the importance of having it fixed? How do I know if I should have it fixed or not? It is extremely tiny, you can feel your nail stop as you run over it. I have owned the ring since 1986 when I bought it new and I have kept it in great shape. I believe that sometimes it is better to leave things as they are & I am wondering if it is ok to leave the emerald chipped?
2. What is a 'higher end' jewelry store? How do I find one?
Thank you for your time.
AnswerHi, Pauline.
For a chip to be removed, the stone is taken out of the setting and the area with the chip is re-cut to remove the defect. If the chip is quite small and on an edge of the stone, repair can be done with relative ease. If the chip is on the surface or top of the stone, to remove the chip might take away too much of your stone. Remember, the stone must be sanded down to below the level of the chip then polished again. Depending on the chip and the skill of the cutter, more or less of the stone will be removed. In any case, more must be removed than simply polishing on the chip.
Keep in mind that a chip may be what you see or feel of a fracture, a crack going deeper into the gemstone. In that case, I suggest you leave it alone and simply be careful with the stone. Cleaning should be by hand and not with an ultrasonic machine or steam cleaner as jewelers use. If you go to a jeweler to have the ring cleaned, mention the chip to the clerk prior to cleaning being done.
A chip which is small and not particularly noticed may quite honestly best be left alone. With an emerald of 1/2 ct and a tiny chip, I would choose to leave it alone.
A "higher end" jewelry store is one with a reputation for selling the best jewelry, often known as higher priced and one with bench jeweler services in-house. The bench jeweler is the one actually doing the service work. Other stores may do just as well but higher quality merchandise generally also equates to an effort to provide the best service. This is not always the case but is a good place to begin. I do believe a store with a bench jeweler in-house will often provide more accurate evaluations of service needed than a store using an outside repair service for normal jewelry work.
In the case of having a gemstone repaired, almost all stores will send the stone off to a company specialized in stone cutting services. You need a store with a qualified jeweler to remove and reset your stone once the gem repair is done.
Best wishes and thanks for asking. God Bless and Peace. Thomas.
