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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To feel very upset about my engagement ring :(

15 replies

LinaDee · 12/03/2015 17:06

My husband and I got engagement in May 2009 and I chose an engagement ring from a well known high street jewellery retailer. It has a square cluster of 9 diamonds and last week the center diamond fell out - I was lucky to catch it - it is really very small!
I took it back to the retailer and they were very helpful and said it wouldn't be a problem for their repairers to fix it - problem solved! Or so I thought!
The repairer got in touch with me today with a price (which was reasonable) but informed me that there would be absolutely NO guarantee on the repair due to the 'unreliable' setting of the diamonds in the style of ring - in other words - there's a good chance that it (or one or more of the other diamonds) will fall out again.
I am not a materialistic person but I just feel like a life of 6 years for an engagement ring is not acceptable!
I'm not sure how I'll ever be able to wear it again without worrying about potentially losing one of the diamonds.
I realise that this will come across as a total FWP.
The repairer strongly recommended that I contact the retailers customer service regarding this (with a hint of "you didn't get this info from me" and appeared to be suggesting that the design of the ring was fundamentally flawed). I think I will be doing this but I'm not sure what possible solutions they could possibly come back with to resolve this.

OP posts:
SoonToBeMrsB · 12/03/2015 17:11

The fear of this happening is exactly why I didn't want a cluster ring, I know too many people who have lost a stone. I ordered a channel set wedding ring and it arrived with a stone missing so that made me even more worried about it!

I'm sorry about your ring, I'd contact them to find out your options. It couldn't hurt.

MaxPepsi · 12/03/2015 17:16

A friend of mine got her ring from a well known retailer.

She had the same problem and it's only a couple of years old.

Because the shop couldn't guarantee it wouldn't fall out as it appeared to be a design flaw, they offered her a new replacement.

She wasn't happy as it may still happen, at which point they told her they meant she could choose a completely different ring within the same price range.
Her new one was slightly more expensive and they didn't charge due to make up for the upset.

So please do go back and speak to a manager.

KatyN · 12/03/2015 17:19

Cold solder is a technique known to some jewelers to prevent this problem.

It's called a dot of super glue.

It is quite rubbish but the design of tiny cluster rings mean it's very had to secure the stone without covering it with claws.

GertyD · 12/03/2015 17:47

This happened to me, my ring is from Beaverbrooks. But, they said that as the setting was faulty, they would try and repair it, but also gave the option of letting us have another ring of the same value instead. They repaired it, reset the diamond and setting and were lovely, but it took them three months.

Original poster
LinaDee · 12/03/2015 21:31

That's reassuring Gerty - thanks. I've sent an email to the company. I was going to phone but my hormones are ridiculously bad at the moment and I couldn't trust myself not to get upset with someone on the phone.
The logical side of my brain is telling me to stop being such a baby about the whole thing - honest!

OP posts:
Charlotte3333 · 12/03/2015 21:34

I don't think you're being a baby at all; an engagement ring is a symbol of something wonderful, it holds so much hope and love that it's no wonder it's important to you.

Could you just wear your wedding band instead and save the engagement ring for best (though admittedly I wouldn't like to do that)? Or use superglue as a pp suggests?

Original poster
LinaDee · 12/03/2015 22:14

I've just been wearing my wedding ring but it was chosen and shaped to fit round my engagement ring so it really does look a bit odd without it - like there's a big chunk missing out of it. Hmm - Not sure about the super glue idea - the diamonds are really small. I can just imagine glue spilling up through the diamonds and looking awful! The ring is with a repairer at the moment - she was lovely and promised to do her very best. I'm just so annoyed that something that should last a life time is broken not 6 years After it was bought

OP posts:
PeachyParisian · 12/03/2015 22:17

This is why is don't wear my engagement ring. The single diamond hasn't fallen out but the setting breaks very easily and has been repaired multiple times. Apparently it will just keep happeneing though Sad

kwerty · 12/03/2015 22:22

My ring is a diamond solitaire and I was gutted when the stone fell out, especially as I never found it. However, I had been wearing it every day for over 30 years by the time it happened. DH got it repaired with a new stone.

PandorasToyBox · 12/03/2015 23:06

Sad I hope that once it is repaired it has a long and happy life on your finger.

Thanks
hennybeans · 13/03/2015 14:17

I can understand where you're coming from- there are 4 diamonds in my ring and two years after getting it, one of them fell out. And I could never find it! It cost £500 to have it repaired with a new one and I went without my ring for 3 years.

I never considered this problem when choosing a ring and if I were you, I would try to get the shop to let you exchange your ring for a different style. I know the first ring is the 'real one' but better to just have something you're not worried about.

If they won't exchange it outright, maybe ask for a swap for a different style and you pay a portion of the new ring cost. Don't be fobbed off by one person either, and request the manager, then call the head of company if it's a chain.

KittensOnAPlane · 13/03/2015 14:59

I've had my engagement ring around 17years now and it has never lost a stone - you need them to exchange it for you - dont get it repaired, you shouldnt have to pay

windchime · 13/03/2015 15:37

It wouldn't happen at Tiffany Wink

crazykat · 13/03/2015 17:39

I can understand where you're coming from. I have a trilogy style engagement ring and the middle stone fell out when I'd had the ring five years. It was on a day out and I couldn't find the stone, I cried like a baby as I love my ring. I can't afford to replace the stone and I'm gutted as the insurance we'd bought for it had only run out a few months earlier.

I'd do as pp have said and speak to the manager and see if they'll either replace it with a new ring or let you choose a different one.

Gummygummygumdrops · 13/03/2015 17:43

My centre stone fell out of my engagement ring! We have never found it and I haven't got round to fixing it yet :(

I am gutted every time I look at my lonely wedding ring!

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