Drats – the diamond in my engagement ring has quite the crack in it
– from the pavillion to the girdle on one of its sides. Sorry I
can’t be more technical. It’s a .94 carat champagne-colored Colorado
diamond from Kelsey Lake. Is there anything that can be done to fix
the stone? Or should I put it away and wait 20 years in hope there
will be some new technology in the future. Unfortunately I wear it
all the time so that I won’t lose it. The crack is too small to
photograph.
Thanks,
Betsy
“Fire Polish” is an amazing new technology. It’s plasma etching -
microlithology! They have a website if you google it… and online
is well written.
Margie Mersky
mmwaxmodels.com
Betsy
You have two options, my thoughts, if the ‘crack’ is too small to
see, why fix it?
The other option is to take the diamond to a diamond
cutter/re-polisher and let him facet away the offending surface
breaks! But please remember any “resurfacing” will make the stone
weigh a few points less!
But here is the worst case scenario, during the removal of the
diamond you will have to reset the stone again and re-tip…more costs
to you, plus the cutters fees…$$$!!!
go to “Gerry’s Blog/Orchid”…Gerry!
Betsy- Are you sure it’s a crack and just not a feather type flaw?
Have you had a gemologist or better yet a diamond cutter look at it?
As far as I know the only “cure” would be to recut the diamond to
remove the offending piece. Although there is always Opticon. However
I have never used it n a diamond. Only colored stones. Was it
insured? I have a Valuable Personal Property rider on my insurance
for a few of my nicest pieces. I don’t fear loss or theft as much as
I fear knocking one of my stones into something and chipping them.
Jo Haemer
www.timothywgreen.com
Betsy, do you mean chipped?? If so, is it through the girdle and
culet?
Sure! No worries. Have it re-cut for about $100 to $200. Take it to
your jeweler or maybe someone on here can do it for you. It will look
fine and only lose a few points depending on how bad the chip is.
Good luck,
Steve
Arista Designs LLC
if you have insurance or a warranty on the stone the jeweler that
sold it should replace it. Try that first…If not there’s
recutting/regrinding and polishing that facet if it’s only on one
facet of the stone…a lengthwise crack is easier to fix than a
complete crack through the stone. There are resins that can be used
to fill it but… matching the colour would take a pro with a good
eye and better pigments!!. If it’s as clear cut as you describe it
sounds though like the seller should replace the stone. No doubt you
didn’t check it with a loupe before buying or you would have probably
seen the inclusion or flaw with the naked eye…One rule I always tell
friends and clients is to carry a loupe with them when shopping for
stones of any kind. Even a 10x loupe gotten at a flea market for
about 5 dollars is good enough to reveal any flaws and most
inclusions that may be problematic during the life of the stone. If
an inclusion is seen even part way through the stone but shows
clearly on a facet ( like a carbon or rutile needle ) point it out to
the seller and don’t buy that one. If it has a “GIA” or other
"certification" and you see an obvious flaw I would report the seller
to the certifying agency if not the jewelers board of trade…some
unscrupulous sellers are providing faked “GIA” certifications or
cert. 's from organizations that don’t exist or are not recognized
professional organizations…particularly on TV gem selling shows…
Buyers beware on any precious gem! Emeralds, even the best quality
faceted stones can blow up just from the heat from opening an oven
creating a drastic thermal differential from a flaw deep inside the
stone…My sister-in-law had this happen a few years ago from
checking the turkey on thanksgiving day while in an air-conditioned
kitchen…however the jewelry store offered a lifetime replacement
warranty so they cheerfully replaced it. Jeweler’s mutual offers
insurance anyone can buy from virtually any jeweler- I advise anyone
with valuable stones, inherited or estate jewelery acquisitions, and
other collectors and individuals with a potentially great loss to
purchase this insurance as it covers more than a homeowners policy
will without a deductible and starts at what works out to be about 18
dollars US a month. ( the usual disclaimer here- i am not affiliated
with jewelers mutual per se, etc It is strictly from my own
experience that I know its a better deal than homeowner’s coverage
tends to be. )…So check first with your seller to find out about
their replacement policy perhaps anonymously over the phone with a
store manager- then armed with that knowledge, go into the store with
the damaged stone and see what they offer to do for you. I know
Kelsey Lake diamond mine is now defunct so if you bought it there you
may have zero recourse unless you had it listed in a rider with your
insurer ( with the rest of your jewellery!). One thing I got from
your post on the lighter side is that " a crack too small to
photograph" may be able to be professionally recut by a good lapidary
and then set by a good jeweler that specialises in stone setting. If
the store tells you they have to send it out look for an independent
jeweler-the kind of professionals one finds on ganoksin for example.
Independents for the most part aren’t anything like a chain jewellery
store, reselling wares from triple key catalogues that every other
chain store from Wal-Mart to Freidrichs, Jared’s, etc. sell…good
luck…rer
If it has a "GIA" or other "certification" and you see an obvious
flaw I would report the seller to the certifying agency if not the
jewelers board of trade
Woah, buddy, back that horse up…
First, Betsy stated that the ‘crack’ in her diamond is too small to
photograph, and is certainly not an “obvious” flaw. Second, she has
had it for a while, since the original producer is no more, so who
knows what happened to it while in her possession. And third, a
stone’s quality is in no way changed by it being ‘certified’. Gem
Trade Labs (GIA) will happily certify the trashiest diamond on earth,
as long as it is untreated and natural. Naturally, the certification
will reflect the quality of the stone.
Of course, this entire train of thought is moot, since she never
indicated that her diamond was certified in the first place.
The last thing we as jewelers need, is to falsely inflame the public
to distrust jewelers, and imply that the jeweler should provide
insurance against customer damage. The woman who damaged her emerald
ring should have filed a claim with her insurance company, that was
simply not a warrantee issue, any more than hitting a tree with your
car would be.
Dear Jo and all:
First off, I am thrilled to get your input. I am hoping there is
some kind of an opticon or new technology route I can try.
Unfortunately, the crack in the stone is new and not a flaw. I
noticed that the top of the stone wasn’t flashing as much as it
normally does and examined it with a 20x loupe, discovering the
crack.
Also, I’m tough as heck on diamonds – I wear this ring all the
time: when I’m working o my car; hanging cabinets; cutting rocks.
I’ve never taken it off for fear of losing it.
Diamonds do break, which I think has been discussed in this forum
before. Just to test this theory a while back, I smashed a tiny one
easily with a hammer.
I bought the diamond from Master Goldsmiths in Boulder, which is now
closed. The stone is of sentimental value because I have been to the
Kelsey Lake mine and have tracked these stones for over 5 years. The
mine is now closed. I may contact the jewelry store owner for ideas
about having the stone recut in Montana, where it was originally
faceted. We paid some $5000 for the ring and the stone would be
somewhat tough to replace – I believe it is a color-change stone
under different types of lights and is purple one of the low UV
lights.
Another possible solution may be to set the diamond in a platinum
bezel, just to hold the thing together. It is currently set in a
plain gold band with a V-slot, the edges of the top of the V of
which were burnished the 9 o’Clock and 3 o’clock portions of the
girdle, leaving two other edges exposed.
Take care and thanks,
Betsy
www.misilverworks.com
Lee,
First, the emerald you referenced from my post to the woman initially
asking the question was warranted for 20 years from date of sale so
covered by the seller and it was replaced under the terms of the
warranty… The poster gave no info on whether she had the diamond a
year or 20! I pointed out the mine she said it came from had been
closed for years! So before attempting to imply I was "inflaming"
anyone,I was merely pointing out some possible recourse she may have
(or had - not knowing when she purchased or mined it as from what i
read she didn’t say), and I did suggest some recutting, or
re-polishing, and even filling it with various gap filling solutions
or resins - as well as checking on warranties, certifications and
guarantees that may have come with the purchase or added on by the
purchaser and forgotten about…So your comments seem a bit out of
context…many consumers overlook that their jewelry* is* covered by
warranties for normal wear and tear, some against chips and cracks,
and some on homeowner’s policies…it is at least worth checking
into…
I’m a diamond cutter of about thirty years and have taught several
years. I would love to take a look at your damaged diamond…I am
familiar with the type of damage that you have experienced. Cleavage
type of chips run from the girdle to and sometimes through the girdle
and many times since the damage reflects through out the stone looks
much worse that in reality. But only upon inspection could I or
anyone else that would repair or recut be able to tell you what to
expect weight lose and expense but the thread has been very
informative as to the cost of any where from a repair 85 to full
recut of 200. My job is to give you plan A and Plan B or more as to
what you want.
You can contact me off line if your interested or just need some
Ron Kreml