QuestionDear Thomas,
I recently purchased a thin 18k pave diamond bangle with 2mm width and a single row of about 140 tiny diamonds all around it at a discount price. The maker is a well known designer. The diamonds are tiny, and I just found out today that two stones have been missing. My question is how much it generally costs to send it back to the jewelry maker to replace the two missing stones? And does it cost less to send it to a local jewelry repair shop and is it wise to do so? I want your help to determine if it's worth to keep it, or if I'm better off to just return it. I really like it though; it's really pretty and the price I paid is less than half of the original price which is $3,780. I paid, with tax, close to $1,700 for it, including several silver bangles as a full set.
Another question is if two stones are lost, does that means I might lose more in the future? How to determine the security of other stones on the bangle? The store I bought from doesn't have a jewelry cleaning facility to test the durability of the stones. I have about two weeks to return the bangle set. Would be really really grateful if I could get a answer from you before that. And I hear you loud and clear about the importance of questioners rating the answers. It's only fair and I'll promptly do that once I receive your answer. Thanks.
AnswerHello, Li.
This is a good question and concerns one of the popular stone setting styles used today called "micro pave". This simply means that many, many small stones are set into a bangle, as accents all around a ring and multitudes of other ways in earrings and other jewelry designs. There is a major problem with "micro pave" and that is exactly what you experienced: Lost stones.
A salesman for a highly regarded brand of rings was in a place I used to work and he had some mico pave designs. I told him the problems with other brands and that I liked to put the item in an ultrasonic cleaner(inside a plastic baggie with solution to catch diamonds) and run it for about 5 minutes. The salesman told me that the workmanship on his offerings was excellent but there would still be the occasional lost stone from micro pave. "It is the nature of the style, unfortunately," he told me. A much less costly brand the business once sold lost stones from essentially every ring which was sized and often in the cleaner prior to sizing work being done.
My suggestion? I believe more stones are likely to be lost and a thin bangle makes that possibility even greater. Why is that? Imagine holding the bangle between the thumb and first finger, each finger on the outside of the bangle circle so you can hold up the bracelet and look through it between the fingers. What happens if you squeeze the fingers together? (DON'T ACTUALLY DO IT!) The bangle will flex and go into an oval shape. At the ends of the oval the metal is curved more sharply than on the sides and the metal holding the stones in place is slightly pulled away from the stone. Li, in everyday wear the bracelet is going to be flexed even if slightly and any stone not perfectly set is subject to falling out of its setting. If the bangle is thin in width but sturdy in thickness from the inside to the outside, flexing is not so much of a problem but the history of stones being lost from micro pave settings still is there.
WHAT WOULD I DO
I would go directly to the store where the item was purchased and show them where stones are missing. Ask what they recommend. There is no way even on sale that you should be responsible for any cost of stone replacement. Ask if they are able to get the stones replaced and the others checked. They will likely have to send the bangle out for this. Hear the answer. Are they willing to cover the repair and still accept the jewelry as a return if after the initial repair more stones are lost in a reasonable time, say 6 months? (Is that what you want to do?)
If they will not stand behind the jewelry, the best reasonable course is to return it.
THE FINAL CHOICE
If you are willing to return the jewelry, I recommend doing that as a first choice even if the store is willing to send out the bracelet for stone replacements. I have heard it said, "Certainly we will stand behind your jewelry and replace any stone that falls out due to workmanship." Note that having the store stand behind the item does not make the stones any more secure! And, if the problem recurs, I repeat, will the store still refund your purchase price?
The second choice is to have the store responsible for repair service and live with what may or may not happen with the diamonds in the bangle. The third choice is to go to a local jeweler for the work. To return the item directly to the supplier is not a good idea and if done this should be done by the seller. Odds are the item was manufactured overseas as is most jewelry sold in the USA.
Li, I do hope this answer helps. Micro pave is a fickle thing; some items give a customer no problems and another person with the same item style may loose multiple stones over time.
I have answered with thoughts based on my experience with micro pave design. While a customer may see one item like this, I have seen many and many with stone loss problems.
Best wishes on what decision you may come to. And, if you celebrate holidays, do have a wonderful an meaningful season. God Bless and Peace. Thomas.
