To wonder if any jewellers here can reassure me?

29 replies

Lennon80 · 23/12/2022 17:32

Can anyone help me ? I had my grandmothers engagement ring taken into a shop and I asked for the diamonds to be reset into my engagement ring shank . I’ve got it back and can’t tell if the stones look different but the gold they gave me back stating was her original shank is so much thinner and snapped and doesn’t even feel like gold. I’m now wondering if the diamonds are switched too.

does anyone work in the trade - is it normal for original shank to come back like this? I may be just paranoid?

To wonder if any jewellers here can reassure me?

OP posts:

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Anonmousse · 24/12/2022 08:46

Thingsthatgo · 23/12/2022 22:03

I know that it is feasible that a jeweller would swap diamonds or try to cheat a customer out of a gram of gold, but is my experience (I've been in the trade for 20 years) it's very very unlikely that a jeweller would risk their reputation over something with such low value.
Those diamonds mean a lot to you, but they are not worth very much money. Jewellers can buy 'breakout' diamonds (diamonds from old rings) for about £150/£200 per carat if they are smallish stones.

Thank you for writing what I was thinking but not able to phrase properly!!
I've seen a few times on MN an assumption that jewellers are dishonest and would swap stones but I don't know anyone who would do that.

Spirini · 24/12/2022 09:25

Hi op, I'm not a jeweller but have a very keen interest in it.

The stones look the same to me, the table on the centre stone is quite small which is how older stones were cut.

Also to agree with PP, it's highly unlikely a jeweller would swap out stones and yes their value is very low

lilkitten · 24/12/2022 09:31

theblackradiator · 23/12/2022 23:55

I have a princess cut diamond solitaire ring not a huge diamond but it is a very good quality diamond with no inclusions. the ring has a broken claw but I am so reluctant to take it to be repaired incase the diamond is switched for a lower quality one as I've heard of things like this happened. the ring is now just stuck in a jewellery box.

I'm a jeweller - take plenty of photos to reassure yourself, and go to a jeweller that others have personally recommended to you as that's where we find most of our business. As another jeweller said, it's unlikely stones would be switched as it's not worth the time it would take to substitute it

lilkitten · 24/12/2022 09:36

Marmitepot · 23/12/2022 23:58

When I sold my engagement ring the jeweller said the diamonds were practically worthless but heave me quite a bit for the gold.

They were real diamonds.

Unfortunately it's like buying a new car - the value decreases once you've bought a luxury good. I don't personally buy stones but I can get about a quarter of the diamond retail price for customers through my suppliers. It doesn't mean that your diamonds weren't real though. The thing I usually advise is scrap your metal but ask for your stones back, and use them in a other piece of jewellery in the future.

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