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.)

Please could someone explain why the shower is so bad for jewellery? I understand for very soft stones or for things like pearls, but for very durable stones like sapphire and diamond - what is it that does the damage?

I would've thought the jeweller should have checked all the settings tbh.

There's nothing to say they didn't... My ring is from 1840ish, it was resized and they let me know that the claws are an old-style and the diamond is more at risk of being lost because of that. They can modernise it, but it changes the style a lot.

@wineymummy It sounds like your ring is a lot more fragile than mine and probably can't be worn every day. I also wouldn't risk the shower/gym/washing up etc. I take mine off about eight times a day . It might be worth getting a second ring to wear everyday if you'd like to do that, and then use this one for special occasions.

Soap, creams, chemicals, oils, etc etc will stick to and build up dirt and gunk on the stone, which will cause it to look dull/cloudy and reduce its sparkle. This can be remedied with cleaning, if I understand correctly, so I don’t think it actually damages the stone itself as such.

I wouldn't wear my antique engagement ring in the shower/bath/pool/washing up. It's platinum but the stones are still delicate (claw fitting). I'd get a second opinion, get them checked over and make sure you take it off when needed.

Sounds like all the stones could do with a refix. Doing that would still be cheaper than a new ring.

@AnchorDownDeepBreath my ring is a similar age. I've had the head of my ring rebuilt and it looks exactly the same, it's just more hardy and the stones are now secure. That might be an option for you?

I'm surprised posters are recommending going back to the same jeweller. I would find another one more experienced with old rings who could be able to rebuild part of the ring to ensure the stones are secure.

If it's literally as a big as a grain I cannot imagine what it looks like. Is it lots of chips in a wider setting, so you could lose a couple and not the whole thing?

Either way it sounds ludicrous to be wearing it every day and in the shower if it's important to you.

You wear your jewellery in the shower?

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

I think people just mean soap, gunk etc can just build up on them over time if you wear them when washing up, in the bath etc? I notice that a lot of people I know never wash their jewellery so their diamonds do look dull.

I take mine in for cleaning quite a lot as it's free, and I have a cleaning kit at home as well. But realise that's unusual!

Most high street jewellers will clean rings for free. A decent jeweller will look over your item and advise on repair for free too.

You wear your jewellery in the shower?

I thought most people did. Surely no one takes off things like wedding rings for a shower?

I take everything off for a shower, that's why my jewellery is still shiny

In fact a friend once asked me how I kept everything so shiny. I had no idea. Until one day I saw her washing up with her rings on

@crustycrab do you clean your jewellery at all? And if so what with?
I know washing up with rings on isn't advised but soap and water is recommended for cleaning them so why would it dull them? I'm thinking more hardy jewellery not soft stone and delicate pieces

If it’s the same stone it should be under some kind of repair warranty so yes they should fix it. If it’s a different one then no you should have to pay. You can’t prove cleaning it loosened the stone plus you were warned it’s a delicate ring so common sense would tell you not to wear it in the shower no?

This is a delicate treasure and the settings are likely to have come loose. Aa others have said stop wearing it in the shower. As the jewellers opinion about resetting the stones ( the claws became loose) and be prepared to pay, or treat it as more delicate. Old rings are wonderful things, but not robust

Oh thanks @curbsideprophet! That would be amazing. I love the ring so much; I check it's okay all the time

I had no idea people took their rings off to shower. I’ve got an antique engagement ring that I wear all the time, showers and all. The only time I ever take them off is to make pastry.

I had my eternity ring re rhodium plated and a diamond fell out. The jewellery replaced it no charge.

@AnchorDownDeepBreath if you're in the NW I can PM you the jeweller I went to

@keepingbees old toothbrush and a mix of fairy liquid and water is a good place to start.

I don’t take mine off to shower either, I just get it cleaned. Mine’s platinum/diamond.

I had a Victorian white gold ring that I had rebuilt twice because it just didn’t have any life left in it.

Accepted that it was beyond fixing- had original stones reset into a platinum copy. No more problems.

If jeweller said occasional wear only that definitely doesn’t mean in the shower.

Go have a chat, see if they’ll take pity on you. But you really need to think about options going forward.

I think that part of the 'quality control' they should do would be to check that no other stones were coming loose and if they were, to fix it or tell you of a higher price. I'd take it back and say it got loose so soon after cleaning and whilst they said 'fragile', if one stone was working its way out they should have said.
But, don't wear it in the shower again!

Go and have a chat with them and see what they say. Perhaps its worth storing it away for safe keeping and purchasing a second ring for everyday (second hand).