R. M. Johnson & Sons Jewelers

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below “A diamond will become cloudy if it is heated VERY hotThis can occur if an oxygen torch is used improperly to retip or repair a prong near or on the diamondThe surface of the diamond becomes oxidized and recutting/polishing is needed to repair.” In response to RM [redacted] ’s owner, and operator [redacted] compliant # [redacted] was responsive and did “attempt” to repair the original damage done to my ring in April by her company/JewelerHowever, as previously stated in my letter to [redacted] and correspondence to this complaint - the attempt to repair the original damage done in April by her company/Jeweler - damaged the ring further by replacing the cloudy/frosty diamonds with larger stonesThe end result was the ring bowing on the repaired side, and the need to replace yet another diamond that fell out within an hour of picking it on Wed., July 16th The last and final repair was completed and picked up on July 17th (replacement of single diamond completed within minutes of the ring being dropped off) during which in this replacement/repair - a “drop” of “gold” was placed on top of the replaced diamond creating a shadow on the Canary diamond it was sitting next to This ring was purchased in May of ($8,344.99) and until taking it to RMJ for repair I had no problems with itThe purpose for taking it to RMJ was to repair a corner of the ring that had what I referred to it as a “snag’ that could not be seen with a 10X loupe, but could be felt When I took my ring in for repair and spoke to RMJ Jeweler in April - She informed me that prongs/corners wear down with “wear” and suggested all four corners to be re-tipped concluding- that she “could repair my ring with no problem.” She took my information, my ring, and told me they would contact me when the repair was complete As most women - I consider ALL my Jewelry to be “delicate” regardless of its monetary valueThis particular ring was made to withstand the hands of time and held a great sentimental value to meIt was not “defective” and was not “delicate” to the point of three VS diamonds becoming cloudy/frosty while on my hand between the original repair in April at RMJ and July 4th If the ring was as “delicate” and “defective” as suggested in [redacted] ’s response(s), why would only three stones become cloudy/frosty and not the remaining VS diamonds that sat in the “mold” created to hold them? If this is something diamonds do after three years of wear- perhaps we should all consider not purchasing them As mentioned in my letter sent to [redacted] dated Sept11th:“The most disturbing part of all of this for me – is not the damage to my ring, but the dishonesty surrounding what really happened to my ring while being repaired by RM [redacted] & SonsMy hope for you and your Sons is that in the future [redacted] is honest with you and to your customer’s in the event she damages their jewelry“Had she been upfront and honest - I still would have been upset, but may have taken a different approach to having the three cloudy diamonds replaced, and having the damaged side repaired Had I known that she could not replace the same size stones, I’m not sure what I would have done- but certainly would have researched for a solution or other options.” If my ring had “imperfections” (as stated in [redacted] 's last response) and I was having “issues” with the ring- I would have taken it back to where it was originally purchased in April rather than taking it to RM [redacted] s for “simple re-tipping” If the ring had “imperfections” (which it did not) the setting would have been replaced at “no charge” by the company that manufactured the ring As a woman who loves diamonds and treats her jewelry with care and respect - I would have preferred the above solution rather than the expense and aggravation of my ring basically being destroyed to the point of needing to be replacedI don’t think there is a Woman alive who would be happy wearing a ring valued at $8,with a shadow next to a Canary Diamond valued at over $5,and a side that didn’t resemble the other three I’m not sure what the “second Jeweler” looked at between July 7th and July 16th (from [redacted] ’s first response to the Revdex.com and my compliant) - Quote “ when the ring came back in July, a second Jeweler looked at it and concurred that the damage would not have been caused by simply re-tipping and replacing one of the prongs on the center stone” The original repair was not to replace a ”prong” on the center stone as stated in [redacted] ’s first response to the Revdex.com and this complaintThe ring was brought in to repair a (one) corner of the ring that was not located near the “center stone”The damage to the ring in April by RMJ (cloudy/frosty diamonds and melted side) was located on one of the corners that (recommended by RMJ Jeweler) be re-tipped As stated in my letter- “Upon completion of the repair, I remember commenting to [redacted] that my ring was shining more than usual and asked her how she was able to make it shine as much as it was shining? Her comment was “well, when you bring jewelry here for repair, it’s like getting it refurbished” Eleven weeks following the “initial repair” (July 4th) when the “refurbishment” had worn off, (in natural light) I discovered the damage that had been done to my ring in April while at RMJ for a “simple re-tipping”There is NOTHING I could have done to my ring between April and July that would cause three clear diamonds to become cloudy/frostyThere is NOTHING I could have done to my ring between April and July that would have caused the gold on the side the three cloudy/frosty diamonds resided in to meltPERIOD After hours of research and speaking with several Jewelers, I now have a clearer understanding of what could have (and did) happen to my ring while at RM [redacted] and Sons in April during a minor repair (“simple re-tipping”) to the corner of the ring Accidents happen and the damage done to my ring was not intentionalHowever, the intention to cover it up wasThis choice of intent is dishonest and disrespectful to customers such as myself and other “Family owned Business/Jewelers” located in the Roanoke Valley who depend on consumers (such as my husband and myself) to help maintain their business At the end of the day – when all is said and done, it is not the “Jeweler’s” reputation, but rather the owner, and the business itself Sincerely, [redacted] ***

I have already stated the facts that led to this complaint We were very responsive to her concerns and tried to address the additional problems she was having with her delicate ring in July at no additional charge despite the fact that we believed then and still believe we were not to blame for the imperfections We are sorry we could not satisfy her but we can not be held responsible for what happened to the ring while it was in her possession between April and July

This letter is in response to [redacted]’s response to complaint #[redacted]
Against R. M. [redacted] and son's for damage to my ring while being repaired at her place of business.
When I took my ring in for repair in April (as mentioned in my letter to RMJ) it was to repair ONE corner not THREE corners as mentioned in her response. The other three corners did not have ”rough” spots on them and did not require repair - I was however advised by  RMJs Jeweler [redacted] to have ALL the corners done. I agreed as I felt my ring was in good hands as I had been in R. M. [redacted] & Son’s on four other occasions prior to this repair.
The first time - was to have a small diamond replaced on an anniversary ring several years ago, the work was done by [redacted]. The second time - was to have a Jabel diamond ring sized to fit my index finger. The third time - to have a diamond tennis bracelet repaired - as the clasp would not completely close. [redacted] fixed my bracelet on the spot within minutes of us arriving and when asked how much we owed her for the repair she responded "nothing" and asked that we make a donation to a charity R.M [redacted] was collecting for in lieu of paying for the service. My husband dropped a ten dollar bill in the pot while I examined the jewelry in RMJ's treasure chest. Within minutes of the repair, and donating money to the cause - my husband purchased a Journey diamond necklace from RMJ's treasure chest for $700.00 (valued at $1,300) we were both impressed and as we left the store my, Husband mentioned
that going forward we would purchase jewelry from them, as we felt it was important to support a local business, and (up to this point) had received excellent service. The fourth time was to fix (turn a diamond around) on my Jabel engagement ring that [redacted] offered to inspect (during an inspection of the ring that that this complaint is about) and discovered a small chip in it. Again, [redacted] fixed the diamond within minutes and did not charge for the service.
Given our experience with the above repairs and service at RMJ, I had no reason to question that my ring valued at $8,344.99 left with them on April 5th was not in good hands.
When I picked my ring up on April 12th (as per my letter to RMJ) I commented to [redacted] that my ring was shining more than usual and complimented her on the repair. I placed my ring on my finger - thanked her, paid for the repair and went on my way. I had no reason to closely inspect my ring - as I had no reason to believe that it was not repaired properly. 
Eleven weeks after the repair had been done to my ring - on July 4th while standing in line to purchase plants at [redacted]- I discovered that one of the corners of my ring was not shining like the other three corners. When we arrived home I scrubbed the three cloudy diamonds on the corner in hopes that I was seeing things. Unfortunately I was not - and upon further inspection with the 10x loupe, the side where three cloudy diamonds now resided (in place of three VS diamonds) did not resemble the other three sides of the ring. It had dig marks near where the diamonds had been replaced and the side of the looked (for ring a lack of better words) as though it had melted.
After speaking with several jewelers and doing some research at home- I believe that [redacted] coated my ring with Rhodium (or a similar substance) to enhance the shine of my ring and the three cloudy diamonds that were in place of the vs diamonds that had been lost during the repair. It was explained to me that when this substance is coated on a ring- it makes it extra bright (which explains why my ring was shining more than usual when Ì picked it up) but will in time wear off of anything it is applied to, concluding that 11 weeks with normal wear and cleaning of the ring, that the cloudy diamonds and the damage to the side would be exposed.
When I took my ring in to RMJ for repair- I did not request that any treatment/cleaning/coating of any kind be applied to my ring. As mentioned in the letter to **- I questioned [redacted] (and complimented her) on how she was able to get my ring to shine as much as it was. Her response was “when you bring things here for repair, it's like getting it refurbished."  This ring shined on its own due to the clarity of the 46 diamonds that surrounded the Canary yellow diamond, ¡t didn't need to be “refurbished” to make it shine.  I now believe that the "refurbishment" done to my ring was to help disguise the damage that had been done during the repair.
I left a message for [redacted] first thing Monday morning July 7th. When I did not hear back from her - I called during my lunch break and she answered the phone. I explained what had happened to her as clearly as I could - to which she immediately responded that [redacted] would "never switch/replace diamonds" and that [redacted] did not mention having to replace any diamonds on a repair. I asked if I could come in on my way home from work to show her my ring- and she stated to me that she would prefer that I come the following day (Tuesday) when [redacted] was working as she was the one who had done the repair. I was not confrontational as mentioned in her response.  If I had been - I would have insisted that she see my ring (and me) on that day and would not have agreed to bring my ring in on the following day when [redacted] would be there.
Upon my husband's recommendation - I stopped home on Tuesday, July 8th after work (5pm) to pick up the GIA certification for the ring, as well as proof of purchase and diamond grade used for insurance purposes/ ring specification before going to RMJ. I also picked up the 10x loupe I had used to view the damage to my ring that was located next to the paperwork.
When I arrived at RMJ - [redacted] was on a break outside the building. [redacted] was inside with another worker. I pulled my ring out of my purse and handed it to ** while explaining the problem. As she attempted to look at it with the naked eye, I asked her if she had a jeweler's loupe to help her see the damage I was referring to- when she could not locate a loupe in the immediate area - I pulled my 10x loupe from my purse (along with the GIA ratings) and offered to let her use mine. She had just relocated to a temporary place during renovation and l made the assumption that any devices used to view Jewelry were not available for her to use (l do not carry a loupe with me as she suggested in her response - lf I did I would have inspected my ring with it each and every time before leaving her shop after each repair and would have seen the damage.)
Within a few minutes- [redacted] came in from her break. [redacted] introduced us and asked [redacted] if she remembered working on my ring. We shook hands and f remember thinking to myself - this is odd since both my husband and I had been at RMJ before this repair and... how could she forget doing repair work on a Natural Canary diamond ring valued at $8344.99? [redacted] handed [redacted] my ring, [redacted] mumbled something about the repair and disappeared to the back with my ring. When [redacted] returned from the back she concluded that Yes- three of the diamonds were cloudy and did not resemble the rest of the 43 vs diamonds in the ring. She then "tested" the cloudy stones for authenticity concluding that they were in fact real - all while [redacted] continually asked me if I was "sure that the ring had not been anywhere else for repair" My response to her every time she asked the question was No my ring
had been inspected by [redacted], but had never been off my finger or out of my possession until leaving it at RMJ for repair in April.  Concluding that I was an honest person as I was feeling that my honesty and integrity was being questioned. [redacted] commented on how “[redacted] are known for cloudy diamonds" and that larger Jewelers such as "[redacted]" target independent Jewelers/business with bad repairs that they [redacted] and other larger establishments are responsible for) my response again to her was that the ring had not been anywhere else for repair and that although the ring was purchased thru [redacted] that the ring was a Dana Augustine design (diamond and setting) and was not purchased directly from a case at [redacted]- and that [redacted] did not have a Jeweler on sight and did not repair my ring. ** looked at the paperwork I had brought regarding specifications of the ring
and said to [redacted] "well it does say VS." she then asked [redacted] if the "heat' used during the repair could have damaged the diamonds causing them to become "cloudy" to which [redacted] responded no.
** agreed to "make it right" after all she had been in business for several years and she wanted to “keep it that way'' we chatted about her newly renovated store that would be opening in early fall- had a "small chat" regarding her deceased husband and the repair he had done for me when we moved to Salem Va. 18 years ago.  She asked why I chose RMJ to do the repair this time - and I simply responded to support Local business and that I trusted her business based on her (husbands) reputation. I did not mention to her that we had been in her business before- as it was obvious to me that she didn’t remember seeing me anytime we had been at her shop including the day we purchased the Journey necklace from her "Treasure chest”.
When I picked my ring up on July 16th after RMJ had replaced the cloudy diamonds and rebuilt the damaged side, I did not inspect my ring as closely as I should have as my Lox loupe that ** wrote , "l carry with me" was home in the white canister it resides in next to the jewelry cleaner I purchase every year at the [redacted] placed my ring in a small clear bag and handed it to me. I was happy that my ring was repaired and thanked her. I placed the clear bag containing my ring on top of the microwave when I arrived home while I cleaned lettuce. While the lettuce was soaking- I took my ring out of the small plastic bag and placed it on my finger. Within minutes of submerging my hand in water - I noticed a hole in my ring where a diamond once resided. I immediately called RMJ and left a message for [redacted] that one of the diamonds on the second tier was now missing and that my husband would be returning
the next day for its replacement.  At this point I had not inspected my ring (cloudy diamond replacement) and placed it back in the plastic bag to be returned for repair as I feared losing more diamonds.
In [redacted]'s response she mentioned that ring should have been replaced by the company it was purchased from because it was "defective" If my ring were defective as mentioned in her response to my compliant- why would her Jeweler not tell me?  If [redacted] inspects every piece of jewelry that leaves her place of business - why did she not remember my ring?  Based on how long my husband and I looked for a "natural yellow diamond" I doubt (other than her own) that very many yellow diamond rings valued at $8,344.99 walk thru RMJ's front door seeking repair.
On  Sept.  3rd as stated in my letter to ** I was informed by the Dana Augustine (on sight) jeweler and DA salesman that my ring had been altered beyond repair, and could not be returned to its original state as the result of the work done on my ring by [redacted] at RMJ. Both reiterating to me that due to the design of the setting and being 18k gold - that they themselves would have had to be very cautious with the repair - concluding that an experienced Jeweler would have never touched the ring, and would have referred me back to where the ring had originally been purchased. The diamonds [redacted] used the second time (July) to replace the cloudy diamonds she had put in during the repair in April to the corner - were larger than the original stones in the ring and did not mate h the remaining 43.  What was once a square setting- had three straight sides and one side that bowed as a result of the oversized diamonds placed in the ring by [redacted]. The last and final repair was the missing diamond on the second tier that had come loose during the above repair. This problem was "repaired" within minutes of being dropped off by my husband on July 17th
unfortunately, the piece of gold placed on top of the new diamond (serving as a prong) was slightly smaller than the replaced diamond creating a "shadow" next to the Canary diamond. At first glance I thought a black thread had become lodged in the ring, but upon further inspection (with a loupe) it was the piece of gold sitting on the newly replaced stone that was causing the dark spot.
ln conclusion- due to the damage done to my ring in April and in July- on Sept 3rd I had two choices put my ring in a box and never wear it again, or replace the setting. I chose to replace the setting and although my new setting is beautiful, it does not carry the sentimental value that the original ring held for me. It took both my husband and myself a few days to digest what had transpired by me taking my beautiful ring to a place I thought we could trust. It was then that I decided that due to the dishonest approach to the damage, and the way that the whole thing was handled - that I needed to do more than accept/absorb the cost of the new setting as well as the cost of the repair
that I do not believe was done in the first place based on the "rough" corner I discovered the evening on the last and final day (July 17th) my ring was repaired at RMJ.
I sent ** a certified letter because I knew Jeweler [redacted] was dishonest regarding the damage done to my ring in April. and believed that if ** was telling the truth about not knowing about [redacted] replacing any diamonds in a repair.... that if sent via regular postal service - that my letter would find its way to the trash. We waited two weeks from the time we received the returned card with ** son’s signature accepting the letter before calling ** regarding our request. My husband believed that at the very least she would offer to refund the cost of the repair ($103.19) that caused all of this to begin with- and offer an apology for all the problems we had experienced.
My Husband phoned ** on Oct. 1st and asked if she had received the letter I sent to her. Her immediate response was defensive telling him that she had turned it over to her Lawyer- [redacted] [redacted] and that we could contact him regarding the letter. She totd my husband that "she could not believe that "she was just now receiving a letter about any other problems with the ring" my husband responded to her that it was evident that she did not read the letter as it contained dates that would explain why it is "mid-September and she is receiving a letter I wrote the letter on Sept. 11th one week and one day from the time I discovered that my ring needed to be replaced. He told her that he could not believe that she never contacted us by phone, mail or email to tell us she had turned the letter over to her attorney, mentioning to her that we are not criminals and that he believed this to be ”bad business".
In regards to the Letter and [redacted]s Lawyer- both my Husband and I have made a total of six phone to the calls office of [redacted]. As of today, wed. Oct 15th no one has returned our calls. Both of us spoke to his secretary and have left messages on their answering machine. I believe this to be bad business all the way around. I didn't expect to be reimbursed for the setting that was destroyed, and as mentioned in my letter to [redacted] dated Sept 11th I stated "that the most disturbing  part of all of this was not the damage done to my ring - but the dishonesty surrounding what really happened to my ring while being repaired by R.M  & Sons".
My intention at this point is to take further steps beyond the Revdex.com to have this issue resolved. I believe that "honesty is the best policy" and because "l am an honest person"- I know that my ring was damaged by [redacted] at RMJ - as it had never been off my finger or taken anywhere else for repair since being purchased in May of 2011.
I thank you for taking the time to read my lengthy frustrating response.
Sincerely,
[redacted] [redacted]

The customer who has filed this complaint first came into my store on April 5, 2014.  She left her ring which was in need of 3 re-tipped prongs and 1 complete prong.  My jeweler, who has been performing repairs such as this for our company since 1992, did the work and delivered the...

repaired back back to the customer on April 12.  She looked over the ring and even complimented my jeweler on a job well done at the time.
 
The next contact I had with the customer was on Monday, July 7th.  She called and the phone call had a confrontational tone to it, accusing my jeweler of switching a couple of small diamonds in the ring for diamonds of lesser clarity.  She was insistent on bringing the ring in that day for me to see and I asked her to please wait until the following day when my jeweler was working so that she could speak to her directly.  I felt this was important since my jeweler was being accused of something serious and had the right to defend herself.  The customer came in on July 8 and began the conversation with the statement "I am an honest person".  I thought that was odd since no one had indicated to her that she was not honest.  I asked her if she could have possibly bumped the ring because sometimes, especially with tiny diamonds and 18k gold which is very soft, damage can occur and people do not even realize they have done damage.  I asked her these questions because she had stated that she had just been in [redacted] when she noticed the damage and cloudy diamonds and I was thinking about the last time I was in [redacted] how I was picking up landscaping rocks which would certainly create a problem.  I was not questioning this persons honesty, merely trying to determine what could have happened to this ring we  had not seen in 3 months.  
 
[redacted] assured the customer in my presence that all she had done was retip the 3 prongs and do the complete prong and that she had not encountered any problems during the repair in April.  I thoroughly inspect every piece of jewelry before it leaves the store.  The two diamonds were obviously not matching the others and we would most definitely have noticed this in April.  We questioned why the customer had not noticed this sooner than 3 months later as she seemed to be a very observant person who stated that she carries a jeweler's loope in her handbag and used it to examine the ring while in [redacted].  We also asked her if she was having problems with the ring (as she did in April), why she did not go back to the place she had originally purchased it.  She replied that she had been referred to us because of the reputation we have of doing good work.  When it became apparent to me that her mind was made up that my jeweler had altered the ring, I made the decision to take it back in and replace the two diamonds in question and smooth the area under the ring she had a problem with.  I decided it was better to absorb the cost of doing this in order to make someone happy - customer satisfaction is very important to us.
 
 I was out of the store on vacation at the time the customer picked up the ring we repaired this time at no cost to the customer.  My jeweler told me that the customer was so happy that she thanked her and even hugged her and promptly left the store.  She did come back with the ring missing another of the small diamonds and when my jeweler found it in our ultrasonic cleaner she promptly reset that diamond.  When completed, the husband of the customer came in to pick up the ring the final time.  He was asked if he wanted to closely inspect the ring when he came in to pick it up.  He replied "no, I am sure it's fine" and left with it.
 
It was a complete shock to receive a certified letter in mid-September from this customer.  This letter accused my trusted jeweler of being dishonest and made the unreasonable demand of us paying to replace a ring that we never had made or sold to this customer in the first place.  We did no damage to this ring and truly believe something happened in the 3 months between April & July to it to cause the problems.  Also, when the ring came back in July, a second jeweler looked at it and concurred that the damage would not have been caused by simply re-tipping and replacing one of the prongs on the center diamond.  As a precautionary measure and because in 22 years in business I had never been faced with such an attack on the integrity of our company, I had my attorney review the letter and advise me.  Taking his advice, I will continue to trust in and stand behind my jeweler in this matter.  I feel it is unfortunate that this customer was told that her only choice was to completely replace the ring by the very same company she had purchased it from.  In my opinion, they should have done so and not charged the customer since she was having so many issues with it.
 
We feel this demand is very unreasonable and unfair and do not intend to either refund the initial charges for the work done in April or pay for the ring they chose to purchase without returning to us in July.
 
Sincerely,
 
[redacted]
President & Owner

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
“A diamond will become cloudy if it is heated VERY hot. This can occur if an oxygen torch is used improperly to retip or repair a prong near or on the diamond. The surface of the diamond becomes oxidized and recutting/polishing is needed to repair.” 
In response to RM [redacted]’s owner, and operator [redacted] compliant # [redacted]
[redacted] was responsive and did “attempt” to repair the original damage done to my ring in April 2014 by her company/Jeweler. However, as previously stated in my letter to [redacted] and correspondence to this complaint -   the attempt to repair the original damage done in April 2014 by her company/Jeweler - damaged the ring further by replacing the cloudy/frosty diamonds with larger stones. The end result was the ring bowing on the repaired side, and the need to replace yet another diamond that fell out within an hour of picking it on Wed., July 16th.  The last and final repair was completed and picked up on July 17th (replacement of single diamond completed within 22 minutes of the ring being dropped off) during which in this replacement/repair - a “drop” of “gold” was placed on top of the replaced diamond creating a shadow on the Canary diamond it was sitting next to.
This ring was purchased in May of 2011 ($8,344.99) and until taking it to RMJ for repair I had no problems with it. The purpose for taking it to RMJ was to repair a corner of the ring that had what I referred to it as a “snag’ that could not be seen with a 10X loupe, but could be felt.  When I took my ring in for repair and spoke to RMJ Jeweler in April 2014 - She informed me that prongs/corners wear down with “normal wear” and suggested all four corners to be re-tipped  concluding-  that she “could repair my ring with  no problem.” She took my information, my ring, and told me they would contact me when the repair was complete. 
As most women - I consider ALL my Jewelry to be “delicate” regardless of its monetary value. This particular ring was made to withstand the hands of time and held a great sentimental value to me. It was not “defective” and was not “delicate” to the point of three VS diamonds becoming cloudy/frosty while on my hand between the original repair in April at RMJ and July 4th.  If the ring was as “delicate” and “defective” as suggested in [redacted]’s response(s), why would only three stones become cloudy/frosty and not the remaining 43 VS diamonds that sat in the “mold” created to hold them? If this is something diamonds do after three years of wear- perhaps we should all consider not purchasing them.
As mentioned in my letter sent to [redacted] dated Sept. 11th:“The most disturbing part of all of this for me – is not the damage to my ring, but the dishonesty surrounding what really happened to my ring while being repaired by RM [redacted] & Sons. My hope for you and your Sons is that in the future [redacted] is honest with you and to your customer’s in the event she damages their jewelry. “Had she been upfront and honest - I still would have been upset, but may have taken a different approach to having the three cloudy diamonds replaced, and having the damaged side repaired.  Had I known that she could not replace the same size stones, I’m not sure what I would have done- but certainly would have researched for a solution or other options.”
 
If my ring had “imperfections” (as stated in [redacted]'s last response) and I was having “issues” with the ring- I would have taken it back to where it was originally purchased in April 2014 rather than taking it to RM [redacted]s for “simple re-tipping”.  If the ring had “imperfections” (which it did not) the setting would have been replaced at “no charge” by the company that manufactured the ring.  
As a woman who loves diamonds and treats her jewelry with care and respect - I would have preferred the above solution rather than the expense and aggravation of my ring basically being destroyed to the point of needing to be replaced. I don’t think there is a Woman alive who would be happy wearing a ring valued at $8,344.99 with a shadow next to a Canary Diamond valued at over $5,000.00 and a side that didn’t resemble the other three. 
I’m not sure what the “second Jeweler” looked at between July 7th and July 16th  (from [redacted]’s first response to the Revdex.com and my compliant) - Quote “ when the ring came back in July, a second Jeweler looked at it and concurred that the damage would not have been caused by simply re-tipping and replacing one of the prongs on the center stone” The original repair was not to replace a ”prong” on  the center stone as stated in [redacted]’s first response to the Revdex.com and this complaint. The ring was brought in to repair a (one) corner of the ring that was not located near the “center stone”. The damage to the ring in April 2014 by RMJ (cloudy/frosty diamonds and melted side) was located on one of the corners that (recommended by RMJ Jeweler) be re-tipped.  
As stated in my letter- “Upon completion of the repair, I remember commenting to [redacted] that my ring was shining more than usual and asked her how she was able to make it shine as much as it was shining?  Her comment was “well, when you bring jewelry here for repair, it’s like getting it refurbished”
Eleven weeks following the “initial repair” (July 4th) when the “refurbishment” had worn off, (in natural light) I discovered the damage that had been done to my ring in April 2014 while at RMJ for a “simple re-tipping”. There is NOTHING I could have done to my ring between April and July that would cause three clear diamonds to become cloudy/frosty. There is NOTHING I could have done to my ring between April and July that would have caused the gold on the side the three cloudy/frosty diamonds resided in to melt. PERIOD. 
After hours of research and speaking with several Jewelers, I now have a clearer understanding of what could have (and did) happen to my ring while at RM [redacted] and Sons in April 2014 during a minor repair (“simple re-tipping”) to the corner of the ring. 
Accidents happen and the damage done to my ring was not intentional. However, the intention to cover it up was. This choice of intent is dishonest and disrespectful to customers such as myself and other “Family owned Business/Jewelers” located in the Roanoke Valley who depend on consumers (such as my husband and myself) to help maintain their business. 
 
At the end of the day – when all is said and done, it is not the “Jeweler’s” reputation, but rather the owner, and the business itself. 
 
Sincerely,
 
[redacted]. [redacted]

Review: This letter is to complain about service I recently received from RM [redacted] & Sons Jewelry repair service. I brought my ring (valued at $8,344.99) to your place of business in April of 2014 to repair a corner of the ring that had become slightly rough indicating to me that if not repaired, I was taking a chance of losing a diamond. It seemed to be a minor repair and when your Jeweler ([redacted]) suggested that all four corners be repaired as “after all they wear with time” I agreed, as she assured me that fixing my ring was “not a big deal” concluding that “she does this type of repair all the time” based on your reputation, and her assurance, I felt my ring was in good hands.

Upon completion of the repair, I remember commenting to [redacted] that my ring was shining more than usual and asked her how she was able to make it shine as much as it was shining? Her comment was “well, when you bring jewelry here for repair, it’s like getting it refurbished” Once again, I trusted your company’s reputation, paid the repair of $103.19 and went on my way. I had no reason to further inspect my ring as I trusted it was repaired properly.

Unfortunately, a few weeks later I was soon to discover that this was not the case – and that the setting of my ring had been compromised during the repair to the corners and that three of the clear 46 diamonds on the lower tier were cloudy. Upon further inspection with a 10X loupe I could see that the side of the ring had been adjusted and did not resemble the other three sides of the ring. I immediately called to speak with you personally about the repair and the damage done to my ring. During our conversation- you said that [redacted] never mentioned to you anything about a ring she had worked on and having to replace any diamonds and that you preferred I return with my ring while [redacted] was working. I have to say that at the time I came to your place of business to speak with you about the damage and show you my ring- it was uncomfortable for me because I am an honest person, and based on the questions you were asking me … my concern about the damage done to my ring while in her care was not treated as any wrong doing on [redacted]’s part. You reiterated that [redacted] was not responsible for the damage to my ring- even after my insistence that other than inspections at [redacted]- my ring had not been anywhere else for repair. In good faith- you agreed to “make it right” you had been in business for many years and you wanted to keep it that way. I left my ring once more in your company’s hands. At this point I didn’t feel I had a choice about who was to repair my ring- replace the cloudy diamonds and rebuild the damaged side.

When I picked my ring up for the second time on July 16th. At first glance and no loupe in hand I once more made the assumption that my ring was repaired properly and restored to it’s somewhat original state. She placed my ring in a small clear bag – we had a small chat – I thanked her and headed home. Within 45 minutes of leaving your place of business - I discovered that one of the diamonds on the top tier (on the corner) was missing. I immediately called and left a message for [redacted] stating that there was a diamond missing (not located on the repaired side) and that my husband would be returning with the ring the next morning for repair.

The third and final repair to my ring was done on July 17th. Ironically it was that same evening I discovered that my ring had a “rough” corner on it - leaving me to question if my ring had been repaired for what I had originally brought it in for in the first place. Questioning the honesty of everything that had transpired I placed my ring in a box and took it back to where it was originally purchased and asked them to check to make sure that the replaced diamonds were in fact real, and what to do about the “rough” corner. It was recommended to me that I not wear my ring until the Jeweler from the original company could fix it, as they were returning to [redacted] on Sept. 3rd.

Excited to have my ring repaired and hopefully restored to its original condition- Sept 3rd could not get here quick enough for me. I no longer enjoyed wearing my ring due to the visual bowing on the repaired side, and the shadow next to the Canary diamond ($5265.00) as the result of the drop of gold resting on top of the single diamond that had been replaced by [redacted] on July 17th.

My disappointment continued the morning of September 3rd when I was informed by the Jeweler that my ring was beyond repair. The damage [redacted] had done to the setting of my ring would not allow that to happen. My choices were limited, and I felt directly responsible for the damage done to the ring my husband surprised me with in May of 2011.

The most disturbing part of all of this for me – is not the damage to my ring, but the dishonesty surrounding what really happened to my ring while being repaired by RM [redacted] & Sons. My hope for you and your Sons is that in the future [redacted] is honest with you and to your customer’s in the event she damages their jewelry. In my case – (although it took a few weeks to discover) her attempt to cover up what she had done to my ring didn’t work. Had she been upfront and honest - I still would have been upset, but may have taken a different approach to having the three cloudy diamonds replaced, and having the damaged side repaired. The diamonds [redacted] used the second time to replace the original (vs diamonds) that fell out during the first repair, were not the same size causing the ring to bow out on the side she repaired. Had I known that she could not replace the same size stones, I’m not sure what I would have done- but certainly would have researched for a solution or other options. The third and final replacement of a diamond (July 17th) not related to the first replacement located on the (top) tier that surrounded the Canary diamond was replaced- but due to the drop of gold placed on top of the diamond to hold it in place it created a shadow next to the Canary diamond. At first glance it looked like a piece of black thread had become lodged in the ring, but on further inspection- it was piece of gold on top of the diamond creating a shadow.

In conclusion, the setting of my Canary diamond had to be replaced as a result of [redacted]’s repair. I am requesting the replacement value of the setting valued at $2900.00 as well as the cost of the original repair of $103.19.Desired Settlement: Replacement Value of setting and repair refund for repair.

Business

Response:

The customer who has filed this complaint first came into my store on April 5, 2014. She left her ring which was in need of 3 re-tipped prongs and 1 complete prong. My jeweler, who has been performing repairs such as this for our company since 1992, did the work and delivered the repaired back back to the customer on April 12. She looked over the ring and even complimented my jeweler on a job well done at the time.

The next contact I had with the customer was on Monday, July 7th. She called and the phone call had a confrontational tone to it, accusing my jeweler of switching a couple of small diamonds in the ring for diamonds of lesser clarity. She was insistent on bringing the ring in that day for me to see and I asked her to please wait until the following day when my jeweler was working so that she could speak to her directly. I felt this was important since my jeweler was being accused of something serious and had the right to defend herself. The customer came in on July 8 and began the conversation with the statement "I am an honest person". I thought that was odd since no one had indicated to her that she was not honest. I asked her if she could have possibly bumped the ring because sometimes, especially with tiny diamonds and 18k gold which is very soft, damage can occur and people do not even realize they have done damage. I asked her these questions because she had stated that she had just been in [redacted] when she noticed the damage and cloudy diamonds and I was thinking about the last time I was in [redacted] how I was picking up landscaping rocks which would certainly create a problem. I was not questioning this persons honesty, merely trying to determine what could have happened to this ring we had not seen in 3 months.

[redacted] assured the customer in my presence that all she had done was retip the 3 prongs and do the complete prong and that she had not encountered any problems during the repair in April. I thoroughly inspect every piece of jewelry before it leaves the store. The two diamonds were obviously not matching the others and we would most definitely have noticed this in April. We questioned why the customer had not noticed this sooner than 3 months later as she seemed to be a very observant person who stated that she carries a jeweler's loope in her handbag and used it to examine the ring while in [redacted]. We also asked her if she was having problems with the ring (as she did in April), why she did not go back to the place she had originally purchased it. She replied that she had been referred to us because of the reputation we have of doing good work. When it became apparent to me that her mind was made up that my jeweler had altered the ring, I made the decision to take it back in and replace the two diamonds in question and smooth the area under the ring she had a problem with. I decided it was better to absorb the cost of doing this in order to make someone happy - customer satisfaction is very important to us.

I was out of the store on vacation at the time the customer picked up the ring we repaired this time at no cost to the customer. My jeweler told me that the customer was so happy that she thanked her and even hugged her and promptly left the store. She did come back with the ring missing another of the small diamonds and when my jeweler found it in our ultrasonic cleaner she promptly reset that diamond. When completed, the husband of the customer came in to pick up the ring the final time. He was asked if he wanted to closely inspect the ring when he came in to pick it up. He replied "no, I am sure it's fine" and left with it.

It was a complete shock to receive a certified letter in mid-September from this customer. This letter accused my trusted jeweler of being dishonest and made the unreasonable demand of us paying to replace a ring that we never had made or sold to this customer in the first place. We did no damage to this ring and truly believe something happened in the 3 months between April & July to it to cause the problems. Also, when the ring came back in July, a second jeweler looked at it and concurred that the damage would not have been caused by simply re-tipping and replacing one of the prongs on the center diamond. As a precautionary measure and because in 22 years in business I had never been faced with such an attack on the integrity of our company, I had my attorney review the letter and advise me. Taking his advice, I will continue to trust in and stand behind my jeweler in this matter. I feel it is unfortunate that this customer was told that her only choice was to completely replace the ring by the very same company she had purchased it from. In my opinion, they should have done so and not charged the customer since she was having so many issues with it.

We feel this demand is very unreasonable and unfair and do not intend to either refund the initial charges for the work done in April or pay for the ring they chose to purchase without returning to us in July.

Sincerely,

President & Owner

Consumer

Response:

This letter is in response to [redacted]’s response to complaint #[redacted]

Against R. M. [redacted] and son's for damage to my ring while being repaired at her place of business.

When I took my ring in for repair in April (as mentioned in my letter to RMJ) it was to repair ONE corner not THREE corners as mentioned in her response. The other three corners did not have ”rough” spots on them and did not require repair - I was however advised by RMJs Jeweler [redacted] to have ALL the corners done. I agreed as I felt my ring was in good hands as I had been in R. M. [redacted] & Son’s on four other occasions prior to this repair.

The first time - was to have a small diamond replaced on an anniversary ring several years ago, the work was done by [redacted]. The second time - was to have a Jabel diamond ring sized to fit my index finger. The third time - to have a diamond tennis bracelet repaired - as the clasp would not completely close. [redacted] fixed my bracelet on the spot within minutes of us arriving and when asked how much we owed her for the repair she responded "nothing" and asked that we make a donation to a charity R.M [redacted] was collecting for in lieu of paying for the service. My husband dropped a ten dollar bill in the pot while I examined the jewelry in RMJ's treasure chest. Within minutes of the repair, and donating money to the cause - my husband purchased a Journey diamond necklace from RMJ's treasure chest for $700.00 (valued at $1,300) we were both impressed and as we left the store my, Husband mentioned

that going forward we would purchase jewelry from them, as we felt it was important to support a local business, and (up to this point) had received excellent service. The fourth time was to fix (turn a diamond around) on my Jabel engagement ring that [redacted] offered to inspect (during an inspection of the ring that that this complaint is about) and discovered a small chip in it. Again, [redacted] fixed the diamond within minutes and did not charge for the service.

Given our experience with the above repairs and service at RMJ, I had no reason to question that my ring valued at $8,344.99 left with them on April 5th was not in good hands.

When I picked my ring up on April 12th (as per my letter to RMJ) I commented to [redacted] that my ring was shining more than usual and complimented her on the repair. I placed my ring on my finger - thanked her, paid for the repair and went on my way. I had no reason to closely inspect my ring - as I had no reason to believe that it was not repaired properly.

Eleven weeks after the repair had been done to my ring - on July 4th while standing in line to purchase plants at [redacted]- I discovered that one of the corners of my ring was not shining like the other three corners. When we arrived home I scrubbed the three cloudy diamonds on the corner in hopes that I was seeing things. Unfortunately I was not - and upon further inspection with the 10x loupe, the side where three cloudy diamonds now resided (in place of three VS diamonds) did not resemble the other three sides of the ring. It had dig marks near where the diamonds had been replaced and the side of the looked (for ring a lack of better words) as though it had melted.

After speaking with several jewelers and doing some research at home- I believe that [redacted] coated my ring with Rhodium (or a similar substance) to enhance the shine of my ring and the three cloudy diamonds that were in place of the vs diamonds that had been lost during the repair. It was explained to me that when this substance is coated on a ring- it makes it extra bright (which explains why my ring was shining more than usual when Ì picked it up) but will in time wear off of anything it is applied to, concluding that 11 weeks with normal wear and cleaning of the ring, that the cloudy diamonds and the damage to the side would be exposed.

When I took my ring in to RMJ for repair- I did not request that any treatment/cleaning/coating of any kind be applied to my ring. As mentioned in the letter to **- I questioned [redacted] (and complimented her) on how she was able to get my ring to shine as much as it was. Her response was “when you bring things here for repair, it's like getting it refurbished." This ring shined on its own due to the clarity of the 46 diamonds that surrounded the Canary yellow diamond, ¡t didn't need to be “refurbished” to make it shine. I now believe that the "refurbishment" done to my ring was to help disguise the damage that had been done during the repair.

I left a message for [redacted] first thing Monday morning July 7th. When I did not hear back from her - I called during my lunch break and she answered the phone. I explained what had happened to her as clearly as I could - to which she immediately responded that [redacted] would "never switch/replace diamonds" and that [redacted] did not mention having to replace any diamonds on a repair. I asked if I could come in on my way home from work to show her my ring- and she stated to me that she would prefer that I come the following day (Tuesday) when [redacted] was working as she was the one who had done the repair. I was not confrontational as mentioned in her response. If I had been - I would have insisted that she see my ring (and me) on that day and would not have agreed to bring my ring in on the following day when [redacted] would be there.

Upon my husband's recommendation - I stopped home on Tuesday, July 8th after work (5pm) to pick up the GIA certification for the ring, as well as proof of purchase and diamond grade used for insurance purposes/ ring specification before going to RMJ. I also picked up the 10x loupe I had used to view the damage to my ring that was located next to the paperwork.

When I arrived at RMJ - [redacted] was on a break outside the building. [redacted] was inside with another worker. I pulled my ring out of my purse and handed it to ** while explaining the problem. As she attempted to look at it with the naked eye, I asked her if she had a jeweler's loupe to help her see the damage I was referring to- when she could not locate a loupe in the immediate area - I pulled my 10x loupe from my purse (along with the GIA ratings) and offered to let her use mine. She had just relocated to a temporary place during renovation and l made the assumption that any devices used to view Jewelry were not available for her to use (l do not carry a loupe with me as she suggested in her response - lf I did I would have inspected my ring with it each and every time before leaving her shop after each repair and would have seen the damage.)

Within a few minutes- [redacted] came in from her break. [redacted] introduced us and asked [redacted] if she remembered working on my ring. We shook hands and f remember thinking to myself - this is odd since both my husband and I had been at RMJ before this repair and... how could she forget doing repair work on a Natural Canary diamond ring valued at $8344.99? [redacted] handed [redacted] my ring, [redacted] mumbled something about the repair and disappeared to the back with my ring. When [redacted] returned from the back she concluded that Yes- three of the diamonds were cloudy and did not resemble the rest of the 43 vs diamonds in the ring. She then "tested" the cloudy stones for authenticity concluding that they were in fact real - all while [redacted] continually asked me if I was "sure that the ring had not been anywhere else for repair" My response to her every time she asked the question was No my ring

had been inspected by [redacted], but had never been off my finger or out of my possession until leaving it at RMJ for repair in April. Concluding that I was an honest person as I was feeling that my honesty and integrity was being questioned. [redacted] commented on how “[redacted] are known for cloudy diamonds" and that larger Jewelers such as "[redacted]" target independent Jewelers/business with bad repairs that they [redacted] and other larger establishments are responsible for) my response again to her was that the ring had not been anywhere else for repair and that although the ring was purchased thru [redacted] that the ring was a Dana Augustine design (diamond and setting) and was not purchased directly from a case at [redacted]- and that [redacted] did not have a Jeweler on sight and did not repair my ring. ** looked at the paperwork I had brought regarding specifications of the ring

and said to [redacted] "well it does say VS." she then asked [redacted] if the "heat' used during the repair could have damaged the diamonds causing them to become "cloudy" to which [redacted] responded no.

** agreed to "make it right" after all she had been in business for several years and she wanted to “keep it that way'' we chatted about her newly renovated store that would be opening in early fall- had a "small chat" regarding her deceased husband and the repair he had done for me when we moved to Salem Va. 18 years ago. She asked why I chose RMJ to do the repair this time - and I simply responded to support Local business and that I trusted her business based on her (husbands) reputation. I did not mention to her that we had been in her business before- as it was obvious to me that she didn’t remember seeing me anytime we had been at her shop including the day we purchased the Journey necklace from her "Treasure chest”.

When I picked my ring up on July 16th after RMJ had replaced the cloudy diamonds and rebuilt the damaged side, I did not inspect my ring as closely as I should have as my Lox loupe that ** wrote , "l carry with me" was home in the white canister it resides in next to the jewelry cleaner I purchase every year at the [redacted] placed my ring in a small clear bag and handed it to me. I was happy that my ring was repaired and thanked her. I placed the clear bag containing my ring on top of the microwave when I arrived home while I cleaned lettuce. While the lettuce was soaking- I took my ring out of the small plastic bag and placed it on my finger. Within minutes of submerging my hand in water - I noticed a hole in my ring where a diamond once resided. I immediately called RMJ and left a message for [redacted] that one of the diamonds on the second tier was now missing and that my husband would be returning

the next day for its replacement. At this point I had not inspected my ring (cloudy diamond replacement) and placed it back in the plastic bag to be returned for repair as I feared losing more diamonds.

In [redacted]'s response she mentioned that ring should have been replaced by the company it was purchased from because it was "defective" If my ring were defective as mentioned in her response to my compliant- why would her Jeweler not tell me? If [redacted] inspects every piece of jewelry that leaves her place of business - why did she not remember my ring? Based on how long my husband and I looked for a "natural yellow diamond" I doubt (other than her own) that very many yellow diamond rings valued at $8,344.99 walk thru RMJ's front door seeking repair.

On Sept. 3rd as stated in my letter to ** I was informed by the Dana Augustine (on sight) jeweler and DA salesman that my ring had been altered beyond repair, and could not be returned to its original state as the result of the work done on my ring by [redacted] at RMJ. Both reiterating to me that due to the design of the setting and being 18k gold - that they themselves would have had to be very cautious with the repair - concluding that an experienced Jeweler would have never touched the ring, and would have referred me back to where the ring had originally been purchased. The diamonds [redacted] used the second time (July) to replace the cloudy diamonds she had put in during the repair in April to the corner - were larger than the original stones in the ring and did not mate h the remaining 43. What was once a square setting- had three straight sides and one side that bowed as a result of the oversized diamonds placed in the ring by [redacted]. The last and final repair was the missing diamond on the second tier that had come loose during the above repair. This problem was "repaired" within minutes of being dropped off by my husband on July 17th

unfortunately, the piece of gold placed on top of the new diamond (serving as a prong) was slightly smaller than the replaced diamond creating a "shadow" next to the Canary diamond. At first glance I thought a black thread had become lodged in the ring, but upon further inspection (with a loupe) it was the piece of gold sitting on the newly replaced stone that was causing the dark spot.

ln conclusion- due to the damage done to my ring in April and in July- on Sept 3rd I had two choices put my ring in a box and never wear it again, or replace the setting. I chose to replace the setting and although my new setting is beautiful, it does not carry the sentimental value that the original ring held for me. It took both my husband and myself a few days to digest what had transpired by me taking my beautiful ring to a place I thought we could trust. It was then that I decided that due to the dishonest approach to the damage, and the way that the whole thing was handled - that I needed to do more than accept/absorb the cost of the new setting as well as the cost of the repair

that I do not believe was done in the first place based on the "rough" corner I discovered the evening on the last and final day (July 17th) my ring was repaired at RMJ.

I sent ** a certified letter because I knew Jeweler [redacted] was dishonest regarding the damage done to my ring in April. and believed that if ** was telling the truth about not knowing about [redacted] replacing any diamonds in a repair.... that if sent via regular postal service - that my letter would find its way to the trash. We waited two weeks from the time we received the returned card with ** son’s signature accepting the letter before calling ** regarding our request. My husband believed that at the very least she would offer to refund the cost of the repair ($103.19) that caused all of this to begin with- and offer an apology for all the problems we had experienced.

My Husband phoned ** on Oct. 1st and asked if she had received the letter I sent to her. Her immediate response was defensive telling him that she had turned it over to her Lawyer- [redacted] and that we could contact him regarding the letter. She totd my husband that "she could not believe that "she was just now receiving a letter about any other problems with the ring" my husband responded to her that it was evident that she did not read the letter as it contained dates that would explain why it is "mid-September and she is receiving a letter I wrote the letter on Sept. 11th one week and one day from the time I discovered that my ring needed to be replaced. He told her that he could not believe that she never contacted us by phone, mail or email to tell us she had turned the letter over to her attorney, mentioning to her that we are not criminals and that he believed this to be ”bad business".

In regards to the Letter and [redacted]s Lawyer- both my Husband and I have made a total of six phone to the calls office of [redacted]. As of today, wed. Oct 15th no one has returned our calls. Both of us spoke to his secretary and have left messages on their answering machine. I believe this to be bad business all the way around. I didn't expect to be reimbursed for the setting that was destroyed, and as mentioned in my letter to [redacted] dated Sept 11th I stated "that the most disturbing part of all of this was not the damage done to my ring - but the dishonesty surrounding what really happened to my ring while being repaired by R.M & Sons".

My intention at this point is to take further steps beyond the Revdex.com to have this issue resolved. I believe that "honesty is the best policy" and because "l am an honest person"- I know that my ring was damaged by [redacted] at RMJ - as it had never been off my finger or taken anywhere else for repair since being purchased in May of 2011.

I thank you for taking the time to read my lengthy frustrating response.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

I have already stated the facts that led to this complaint. We were very responsive to her concerns and tried to address the additional problems she was having with her delicate ring in July at no additional charge despite the fact that we believed then and still believe we were not to blame for the imperfections. We are sorry we could not satisfy her but we can not be held responsible for what happened to the ring while it was in her possession between April and July.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

“A diamond will become cloudy if it is heated VERY hot. This can occur if an oxygen torch is used improperly to retip or repair a prong near or on the diamond. The surface of the diamond becomes oxidized and recutting/polishing is needed to repair.”

In response to RM [redacted]’s owner, and operator [redacted] compliant # [redacted] was responsive and did “attempt” to repair the original damage done to my ring in April 2014 by her company/Jeweler. However, as previously stated in my letter to [redacted] and correspondence to this complaint - the attempt to repair the original damage done in April 2014 by her company/Jeweler - damaged the ring further by replacing the cloudy/frosty diamonds with larger stones. The end result was the ring bowing on the repaired side, and the need to replace yet another diamond that fell out within an hour of picking it on Wed., July 16th. The last and final repair was completed and picked up on July 17th (replacement of single diamond completed within 22 minutes of the ring being dropped off) during which in this replacement/repair - a “drop” of “gold” was placed on top of the replaced diamond creating a shadow on the Canary diamond it was sitting next to.

This ring was purchased in May of 2011 ($8,344.99) and until taking it to RMJ for repair I had no problems with it. The purpose for taking it to RMJ was to repair a corner of the ring that had what I referred to it as a “snag’ that could not be seen with a 10X loupe, but could be felt. When I took my ring in for repair and spoke to RMJ Jeweler in April 2014 - She informed me that prongs/corners wear down with “normal wear” and suggested all four corners to be re-tipped concluding- that she “could repair my ring with no problem.” She took my information, my ring, and told me they would contact me when the repair was complete.

As most women - I consider ALL my Jewelry to be “delicate” regardless of its monetary value. This particular ring was made to withstand the hands of time and held a great sentimental value to me. It was not “defective” and was not “delicate” to the point of three VS diamonds becoming cloudy/frosty while on my hand between the original repair in April at RMJ and July 4th. If the ring was as “delicate” and “defective” as suggested in [redacted]’s response(s), why would only three stones become cloudy/frosty and not the remaining 43 VS diamonds that sat in the “mold” created to hold them? If this is something diamonds do after three years of wear- perhaps we should all consider not purchasing them.

As mentioned in my letter sent to [redacted] dated Sept. 11th:“The most disturbing part of all of this for me – is not the damage to my ring, but the dishonesty surrounding what really happened to my ring while being repaired by RM [redacted] & Sons. My hope for you and your Sons is that in the future [redacted] is honest with you and to your customer’s in the event she damages their jewelry. “Had she been upfront and honest - I still would have been upset, but may have taken a different approach to having the three cloudy diamonds replaced, and having the damaged side repaired. Had I known that she could not replace the same size stones, I’m not sure what I would have done- but certainly would have researched for a solution or other options.”

If my ring had “imperfections” (as stated in [redacted]'s last response) and I was having “issues” with the ring- I would have taken it back to where it was originally purchased in April 2014 rather than taking it to RM [redacted]s for “simple re-tipping”. If the ring had “imperfections” (which it did not) the setting would have been replaced at “no charge” by the company that manufactured the ring.

As a woman who loves diamonds and treats her jewelry with care and respect - I would have preferred the above solution rather than the expense and aggravation of my ring basically being destroyed to the point of needing to be replaced. I don’t think there is a Woman alive who would be happy wearing a ring valued at $8,344.99 with a shadow next to a Canary Diamond valued at over $5,000.00 and a side that didn’t resemble the other three.

I’m not sure what the “second Jeweler” looked at between July 7th and July 16th (from [redacted]’s first response to the Revdex.com and my compliant) - Quote “ when the ring came back in July, a second Jeweler looked at it and concurred that the damage would not have been caused by simply re-tipping and replacing one of the prongs on the center stone” The original repair was not to replace a ”prong” on the center stone as stated in [redacted]’s first response to the Revdex.com and this complaint. The ring was brought in to repair a (one) corner of the ring that was not located near the “center stone”. The damage to the ring in April 2014 by RMJ (cloudy/frosty diamonds and melted side) was located on one of the corners that (recommended by RMJ Jeweler) be re-tipped.

As stated in my letter- “Upon completion of the repair, I remember commenting to [redacted] that my ring was shining more than usual and asked her how she was able to make it shine as much as it was shining? Her comment was “well, when you bring jewelry here for repair, it’s like getting it refurbished”

Eleven weeks following the “initial repair” (July 4th) when the “refurbishment” had worn off, (in natural light) I discovered the damage that had been done to my ring in April 2014 while at RMJ for a “simple re-tipping”. There is NOTHING I could have done to my ring between April and July that would cause three clear diamonds to become cloudy/frosty. There is NOTHING I could have done to my ring between April and July that would have caused the gold on the side the three cloudy/frosty diamonds resided in to melt. PERIOD.

After hours of research and speaking with several Jewelers, I now have a clearer understanding of what could have (and did) happen to my ring while at RM [redacted] and Sons in April 2014 during a minor repair (“simple re-tipping”) to the corner of the ring.

Accidents happen and the damage done to my ring was not intentional. However, the intention to cover it up was. This choice of intent is dishonest and disrespectful to customers such as myself and other “Family owned Business/Jewelers” located in the Roanoke Valley who depend on consumers (such as my husband and myself) to help maintain their business.

At the end of the day – when all is said and done, it is not the “Jeweler’s” reputation, but rather the owner, and the business itself.

Sincerely,

[redacted]