Securing Loose Stones in Your Ring: DIY Fixes & Professional Reset Options

Question
I bought a sapphire and diamond ring with lots of small stones on it (Staggered pattern diamond, sapphire, diamond in three rows).  One sapphire fell off and the jeweler told me ALL the stones are very poorly set and it would cost $300++ to reset them all, as the tips that hold the stones are very short.  I paid $50 for the ring, and would NOT have bought it at $300.  To keep the stones from falling off, can I use clear nail polish, or would that damage the gold and the stones?  Any other solutions?

Answer
Alex-
the nail polish will NOT be a good idea as it will diminish the brilliance in the stones and eventually attract dirt and turn whitish gray. do not do this. the question is: can you find another jeweler who will charge less to do the same work, and do all the stones need new tipping on the prongs? get a second opinion and get me a price of what they want to charge for each retipping? how many prongs really need a new tip? try and find a Shop owner who does his own work and is a real jeweler, not just someone who sends his work out to a another shop..
all the best
les