To take my ring back to the jeweler?

[wineymummy]

My engagement ring is an antique diamond and sapphire ring which belonged to DH's gran. The stones are all tiny but it's a beautiful setting. The hallmark dates it to 1920.
A few weeks ago one of the tiny sapphires fell out, so I took it to the jeweller to have it replaced. Picked it up yesterday and paid £45. The ring has also been cleaned. The jeweller did tell me it was a fragile ring and not to wear it every day.
DH was very much of the opinion that it should be enjoyed rather than sit in a box and told me to carry on wearing it every day but remember to take it off for anything where it could get damaged.
This morning, another sapphire has fallen out. By an amazing stroke of luck I noticed straight away (whilst in the shower!) and saw the tiny sapphire on the shower tray, and managed to rescue it before it went down the drain.
Would it be reasonable to expect the jeweller to refix this stone free of charge? Because I suspect the cleaning process loosened it. Or is it a case that the stones were clearly loose anyway and this was always bound to happen again. I'm a bit upset it happened literally 14 hours after putting the ring back on...but I don't really think the jeweller is to blame and it's just the risk you take with antique jewelry.
As a ps. Does anyone know if the stone can be refixed without another trip to the jeweler? It's literally the size of a grain of sand so really very fiddly. I'm a bit reluctant to fork out £45 again so soon. (Maybe a bit less because I have the stone this time.)

Sounds like the cleaning has done its job - cleaned all the gunk and dust etc from your settings and now I would suspect that the cleaning has shown the settings that hold the stones need some repair.
I would have expected the jeweller to have inspected all the stones and to have told you if there was any repair needed. If you aren't happy with the service I would seek out another jeweller who can look over the ring and state what work is needed to secure your gemstones.
I wouldn't wear such a vintage ring in the shower or washing up and please stay away from body lotions and hand creams.

My necklace was cleaned in an ultrasonic machine - a warm water bath that vibrates.

This is what we use commercially (when I say 'we' - haha - I trained in silversmithing but I don't get to do it these days) and stones can become loose or even drop out using this machine.

DH was very much of the opinion that it should be enjoyed rather than sit in a box and told me to carry on wearing it every day but remember to take it off for anything where it could get damaged.

I would be inclined to wear it when out in the evenings or on special occasions. The likelihood is that you will then have the ring to wear for as many years as you like. If you were it daily, you might only have another couple of years. You can still enjoy a ring that you don’t wear all the time and better to keep enjoying it over the years than not at all.

I would take it to a second jeweler and ask for his opinion. It's a shame to have a ring that you would be worried about wearing but at the same time, maybe they would be happy to remould. My mum did this with her wedding ring and she doesn't worry anymore

Oh I expect it was due an least in part to the cleaning, but just working on it would have potentially messed with the settings. Especially if it’s gold as gold is soft and malleable and will shift. It’s a bit like an occupational hazard of wearing and maintaining old and delicate rings.

Perhaps you could pick an antique eternity or half eternity ring to replace it with? Platinum is good as it pretty much wont budge so is much more resilient to daily wear. If you buy preloved it will cost you much less than buying new.

*I don't want to sound rude but I would have thought it was common sense not to wear jewellery in the shower/bath/pool/spa/when washing up. Even moreso old jewellery that you've been told is fragile.

While I agree about old jewellery, generally surely it depends what it is. I often have my necklace and earrings on in the shower and I'd never take my wedding ring off for that. The only things I make a point of taking off are my watch (although it's waterproof) and my Mum's engagement ring as it's so old. I do wear it every day though as I agree it should be worn and not left in a box.

Have a copy made to wear every day, maybe the copy could have larger stones and a more robust setting. Jewellery is indeed made to be worn but some is made to be worn occasionally, e.g cocktail rings.

Given you have worn it for so long without any of the stones falling out I would also presume that the cleaning had loosened the stone. It wouldn't hurt to go back and ask what they recommend. If you had followed their advice of limiting how often you wore it, it could have just as easily happened the next time you put it on for a special occasion. At leat this way it's been less than 24 hours since they had it. Rather than several weeks or months later.

@Hahaha88- I don't want to sound rude but I would have thought it was common sense not to wear jewellery in the shower/bath/pool/spa/when washing up. Even moreso old jewellery that you've been told is fragile

Totally agree.- you know its fragile, wearing it in the shower seems ludicrous. If you go to the jeweler and tell him that, there is no way he will do it for free and rightly so.
The ring will have to last you for many more years (hopefully) and I agree with others that you should tell your DH that you wont wear it unless its a special occasion- if he does want you to wear it more than he needs to organise more special occasions)!!

If you have a claw setting for your gemstones it is very common to catch your hair and strands of fabric ( towels are very good at this ) and snap the claw clean off especially if vintage metals. I have seen this countless times in the industry.
I'd bet money that because you have had all the dirt/fluff/skin dislodged and cleaned from around the settings, the claw work is loose and you've caught them.

Cleaning it would not make the sapphire fall out. It’s because it’s old.

Cleaning, especially if an ultrasonic was used, could very well have made the stones loose. I would have thought that checking the setting of the other stones would be a given, in the circumstances.

I worked for a jeweller as a student, you shouldn't wear any jewellery in the shower let alone something you've been told is fragile and is 100 years old.

This depends entirely on the materials. Nothing you do in the shower is going to affect platinum, for instance.
Of course pearls need to have special care - no water, lotions, perfumes, both for the lustre of the pearls and for the silk they're strung on.

What metal is the ring made from?

Cleaning can definitely make stones drop out - I've seen it and strained the machine to retrieve them! Thank god we noticed before pouting the water down the sink.

You've been told it's delicate and yet you showered in it.

I get you and your husband want you to wear it to enjoy it, but why wear it in the shower?

I don't understand why anyone wears any jewellery in the shower, it's no good for it, especially delicate pieces.

Even if it's the stone he set, it's on you, he told you to be careful with it, and it's you who disregarded it completely by wearing it in the shower.

Another suggestion for asking the jeweller about having the whole setting re-worked, or options for similar. I wouldn't go in looking for blame, just open a conversation about how the setting now is either getting loose because of its age and 5 years' wearing, or like PP said, with the dirt gone the stones are working their way loose. It's not unreasonable to have to repair/restore something that is 100 years old. Give it some love and let it go for the next 100 years!

Tbh for a £45 clean a jeweller should have checked over all your settings and explained if you ring needed work.
I wouldn't be going back.

It wasn’t a £45 clean, the clean was done as part of the service - OP had a stone re set.

I wonder if you knocked or jarred the ring, causing the first stone to fall out and the second to become loose. Just because you don't remember doesn't mean it didn't happen - I can't be the only person who sometimes sees a bruise on my leg and wonders what I walked into.

You have four options:

1. Continue wearing the ring in the knowledge that it's fragile and will continue to deteriorate.
2. Stop wearing an engagement ring.
3. Get the ring copied using as much of the original design, stones and metal as possible.
4. Get a new ring.

If you choose 1 I'd go to a jeweller and ask them to check the settings and make them as robust as possible, but be aware that it's a temporary fix.

Ah didn't read the initial post correctly! my mistake.

I had a similar experience. I have an old engagement ring and had it checked by a jeweller and was told all the claws were fine. Unfortunately they weren't and a stone dropped out. Luckily I found the stone and took the ring to a jeweller recommended by family. I had the entire head of the ring rebuilt and strengthened with extra gold. It was costly, but I can now wear it.

OP I would find a better jeweller and have a conversation about the options.

I’d go back and ask them to look at it. Seems a bit of a coincidence that it fell out after the jeweller has worked on it.

I have a Princess Di ring but elderly. I bought from A but took it to B to be resized. B advised that it was a dress ring so not built for every day wearing. So he built up the claws to cope with everyday wear.

I did take it to a jewellers in Brighton for a valuation and they commented on the “clunkiness” of the setting but it’s not something you really see when just looking at it.

I'd take it back and expect to come to see sort of compromise. It happened immediately so too much of a coincidence. They may do it for free but I wouldn't expect to pay more than a token cost.

I wear my rings in the shows. Granted they are as old as my marriage but I never knew you we're supposed to take them off. Diamond are supposed to be the hardest substance on earth so why do they get dull? Genuine question

Because hardness determines how easily a stone scratches, which doesn’t necessarily influence whether or not it might become dull.