REPLACING A BAGUETTE IN A RING
THE FUN TASK OF REPLACING A BROKEN OR CRACKED BAGUETTE
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Baguettes are an interesting shape of Diamond. No two are alike!
Baguette comes from the French name meaning “Little Sticks“, and that’s exactly what they look like, little sticks of Diamonds.
Baguettes are all different shapes and sizes. Some are really thin and long, others are short and fat. It really depends upon the design of the ring as to which shape and size is used.
Not only will you find regular Baguettes, which are Straight Baguettes, but you’ll also find Tapered Baguettes that are wider on one end than the other. These are often used in curved Channels or to enhance a Solitaire stone.
Take a look at the image below for examples of both Straight and Tapered Baguettes…
Baguettes are very cool and very elegant and classy. But they don’t sparkle very much. And by not sparkle very much, I really mean to say they don’t sparkle at all. :)
Baguettes generally only reflect light since they only have a couple of facets on the bottom of the stone. They are made to look sleek and smooth, and show off the mounting and center stone more than anything.
The Problem with Baguettes
The problem occurs when you break a Baguette or pop one out of the mounting.
Since Baguettes are long, thin and narrow, breaking them or chipping them is not too hard to do. The thin bodies and flat edges make them pretty vulnerable to damage. You’ll either look down and see the edge cracked, see it broken all the way across the stone, or just find an empty slot where the Baguette used to be. Like so…
Now comes the fun part…
Replacing the Baguette
Replacing a Baguette isn’t so easy…
Baguettes come in Diamond Parcels and generally these parcels match well, are the same color and same shape… Sizes and Carat Weights may vary, but they usually go good together.
Selecting a parcel of Baguettes and setting them into a new ring with Channel Set Walls works pretty easily and efficiently.
But now, Weeks, Months and even Years later, when you need to match that stone, it proves quite difficult! The Jeweler won’t have the same parcel, and chances are, the parcels they do have on hand might not match in Color, Clarity or Cut.
I’ve seen Baguettes in rings that have been replaced and they don’t match the rest of the stones around it. The stone may be cut deeper. The stone narrower. The facets could even be wider, they could look darker… The new stone could stand out like a sore thumb. Looking at the ring, the new Baguette just looks odd.
Matching Baguettes is a Talent
You may be stuck with what the Jewelry Store has on hand, and even if they do order in a Baguette to fit, it still may not match properly. There is no way around this task. It’s just the nature of Baguettes.
You may also see gaps around the new stone as well. Finding a Diamond that fits the open hole perfectly is like an impossible puzzle. All you can do as a consumer is to voice your opinion and hope they can find a better replacement.
It takes a little patience and a lot of luck.
Baguette Diamond Prices
The prices of these stones will vary from store to store depending upon the Clarity, Color, and Carat Weight of course. So check around and see what you can find…
One thing you will want to look at once you get your ring back is that there are no visible black spots in your Baguettes. Since these stones have no sparkle, they don’t cover up flaws like other cuts of Diamond do. Black Carbon Spots can be a real eye sore!
Expect to pay at least $100 or up for a Baguette stone. Plus, whatever Labor or work needs to be done to the mounting. Some rings can be quite a chore and quite costly.
Straight Channel Walls
One other thing to keep an eye out for is if your ring has Channel Walls or not. Once the Jeweler resets a stone, they have to secure it with the Channel Wall. Sometimes this makes a horrible mess of the wall and leaves the edges uneven, jagged and ugly. See image below…
The Channels should be nice and smooth like new. They may have to fix these, or build up the wall to make them smooth and straight again.
Insurance Covers Baguettes
Also note that most Insurance Companies will pay to cover the cost of replacing a stone (if you have your ring insured).
Your deducible will be the main obstacle to whether you have it done or not. It doesn’t hurt to call your agent and inquire.
Good luck with the stone, hopefully these pointers will help you through the process.
Just remember to take a closer look at your ring when you pick it up from repair.
It’ll either look great, or not so great…
Let’s hope it’s the first! :)