Lets face it, things happen!
Jewelers break stones! Jewelers are human just like everyone else.
Jewelers can break Stones & Diamonds during Repairs. But why does this happen? And what can you do about it? Let's find out...
First off, every Gemstone on the face of the Earth can break. And yes, even Diamonds can chip or break. (Read more: Can Diamonds Break?) No Gemstone is shatter-proof! And you'd be shocked to find out how easily some Gemstones can be broken. It really doesn't take much pressure or force to chip those delicate Gems. True, Diamonds are much more durable, but Diamonds have a breaking point just like everything in life does. With the right angle, the right amount of force... And CRACK! There's a chunk taken out of your Diamond!
When Jewelers work on Jewelry, they use Steel Tools and a lot of manual force. Steel Pliers Bend Prongs and sometimes crack stones. Jewelers can't help it, they have to apply force to the edges of the stones. They push down on Channel Walls, which pushes down on stones. Every movement the Jeweler makes directly involves pressure on those Diamonds and Gemstones.
Everything about Jewelry involves some parts of the Ring or Mounting holding down those stones. Whether it's Basket Heads, Prongs, Channels, Tension Settings, Beads or Wires, Metal is always being Bent Over, Pushed Over, Pried Across or Wrapped Around those Stones. Anytime during this Repair process, it leaves your Gems and Diamonds open and vulnerable. A little too much pressure, a little too much push, a little slip of the tool is all it takes to Chip, Break, Fracture, Crack or Shatter your Beautiful Gems and Gorgeous Diamonds.
And there's nothing you can do to stop it. Jewelers try to be careful when they're dealing with Gems, but it happens to even the best of Jewelers!
You just never know how a stone will really react to force and pressure. It's like when you're chewing a piece of Gum and you break a Tooth. "You broke a Tooth chewing GUM?" Yep! You just never know when it will happen. Stones can give just as easily. If it breaks, it breaks!
So there you go. The stone is broken, now what? Hopefully the Jeweler was nice enough to call you and let you know the bad news. (It's crappy when you go in to pick up your Jewelry Repair and find out then... That sucks!) There's good news and bad to all of this. The Good news is, it happened while in the Jeweler's possession. Yah! The bad news is, you may not ever like the new stone you get! Boo!
You see, Jewelers are normally obligated and insured to replace stones that they happen to chip or break during repairs. (Large Diamonds may involve an Insurance Claim!) Most Jewelers will then pick out a new stone for you. Most will do a decent job of this and try to match the exact Size, Quality, and Color of the broken stone...
But that's bad, and I'll tell you why... Read on...
