New York Jewelry

I requested the clasp on my bracelet fixed. Without asking, the store "cleaned" it, resulting in tarnishing and obliteration of intricate details.On 11/8/14 I entered New York Jewelry and requested repair of the clasp of a bracelet as well as battery replacement in several watches. The bracelet in question was a treasured souvenir from my honeymoon in Greece and was silver plated and designed like ancient coins strung together, engraved with blue symbols. I actually mentioned to the jeweler that it was my favorite bracelet and I couldn't wait to wear it again. The jeweler agreed to fix my items and quoted me a price of $80 for the repairs. I remained in the store during the repairs and no questions were posed to me during the process. When the bracelet was returned to me, it was no longer silver but tarnished with a white waxy coating and the blue engraving was no longer visible. I immediately questioned the jeweler about it, and he took it back, stating that some particles must have been left on the surface from the drying of the bracelet. He then put it back in the cleaning solution despite my protests, and when he removed it again, it was even worse than before. I asked to see the store manager, who took one look at the bracelet and pronounced it "cheap" and "fake" and said they weren't responsible for any damage. I told him that no one had asked me about putting it in a cleaning solution despite the fact that I was standing right there, and that I had simply requested repair of the clasp. The employee responded that he felt it was "dirty" and it was their policy to clean all the jewelry. Neither the manager nor the employees offered an apology or a suggestion of how to fix the bracelet, nor did they take responsibility for the damage. At my request, security was notified and the police officer who responded told me that my only recourse was to file a claim against the company in civil court. Despite multiple requests, the manager refused to provide me with his name, his company's contact information, or any immediate supervisor who might offer a way to fix the bracelet. The security officer informed me that I would have to leave the store, to which I responded the employee had not yet rung me up so I had not yet paid. I then paid the full $80 in cash, and the cashier (who had not been involved before) was the only employee who offered an apology. I contend that the value of jewelry to the owner is higher than its monetary value, and if there is any question about the authenticity of a piece of jewelry, a legitimate jeweler would avoid using a cleaning solution at all, or at the very least spot test it before destroying the entire piece. The fact that the employee made the situation worse by reinserting the bracelet into their cleaning solution made the entire situation worse, and the staff (and especially the manager) demonstrated no concern about the poor outcome or lack of customer service. Desired SettlementThe bracelet cannot be replaced, as it was purchased from a small local store in Mykonos, Greece, several years ago. Finding a similar piece in the US will be impossible. I request a refund of $175 for the cost of the bracelet, as well as the $80 that I spent on repairs in the store that day.