QuestionHi, I just had a mounting fixed on a small gold ring with a Ceylon Saphhire.
The blue was a through blue and even in colour. The ring is now in my
possession after the repair and I see fractures internally without even looking
closely. The sapphire is ruined and my ring spoiled. How can this happen
and what can I do about it?
Many thanks
Eimear
AnswerHello, Eimear. I appreciate this question.
I cannot say with certainty what happened if anything to your sapphire. This is because I did not see it before the repair was done. I take you word for it that the stone is now different than before the work. That is the approach to my answer. Fair enough? It is the best I can do.
Generally, most colored stone must be protected from heat when repair work requires soldering and torch work. The few stones commonly known which will normally take the heat with no damage are diamond, ruby and sapphire. Within this group, the jeweler must make a decision when examining the jewelry prior to work if the stone can be left in place or should be removed for the work then reset after the hot work is completed.
The decision is made from among other things, the appearance of fractures or multiple inclusions in the gemstone, the size of the gemstone and the manner in which the stone is set in the first place.
From what you have told me, the evidence points to heat damage. Sudden heat or sudden cooling will damage a stone which may have internal stresses, etc., even if the stone is in the "so called" safe group of gemstones. That, Eimear, is how it can happen.
You know the repair work which was done. Was soldering required and I wonder if the work was near the stone itself. If work is on a ring for instance, opposite of he stone, the stone can be easily left in place and protected from heat.
Did the work require tightening the stone in a heavy bezel?
This would not require heat but would require hammering of some sort. A bezel is a rim of metal all around the waist of the gem, either raised above the surface or the stone may be set into the surface of the metal. A slip or miscue with the hammering devices can cause chips and with sapphires, often internal fractures just beneath the surface near the metal rim.
So, you now have two ways damage could happen to the sapphire.
What to do? Take the ring to the jeweler and let them see the damage to the stone. If the jeweler has a decent reputation and honor, they should at least research the work with the one who did it and come to a conclusion. In the end, they may be responsible for replacing the Ceylon stone.
Some jewelers will unfortunately poo-pah their responsibility and things like this: "When we cleaned the ring before the work was done, the fractures were very clear and were there beforehand." Honestly, if this were the case, they should have advised you of any risks to the stone or called to tell you the stone should be removed to do the work and there would be additional charges for that labor.
I do hope this helps at least some. As I said, I did not have the jewelry in my hand prior to or after the work. That is your knowledge. Please contact the jewelers who did the work and express you concerns.
Let me know if there is more I can do to help with the situation through allexperts. You can use the "follow-up" option to re-contract within this same original question.
God Bless and Peace. Thomas. December17, 2007 7:20PM
