This diamond ring doesn't shine for me anymore.

August 2, 2013 6:18 AM

How to re-assure a relative that a reputable jeweler will not steal her diamonds while resizing her rings?

Someone in my family has not worn her engagement or wedding ring for years because they no longer fit her. She won't take them in to be re-sized because she is convinced the stones will be stolen and replaced by cheaper copies.

No amount of reasoning like "they couldn't stay in business if..." seems to make a difference in her thinking.

My question is: Is there any way for her to somehow mark or identify her diamonds so that she can be confident that they not swapped out during resizing?

posted by Right On Red to Shopping (6 answers total)

You could have them fingerprinted. The diamonds I mean. You can shine a light and the way they refract can be recorded. It's a process to uniquely identify the stones. But you would have to print them first, trust the person printing them, get the rings resized, print them again, and probably set them yourself.

I don't think there's a way to get past paranoia.

You might find a jeweler will to let someone watch?
posted by cjorgensen at 6:27 AM on August 2, 2013

How about she take it to jeweler A before and after being sized by jeweler B to confirm that the stones match? I expect she'd pay A to make it worth their while.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 6:27 AM on August 2, 2013 [1 favorite]

Does she have a GIA (or EGL) certificate for the stones? If so, there should be a kind of "map" of any inclusions or flaws, as well as the facets. Some people find it reassuring to see the same inclusions come back, though she would probably need a loupe for that.

Really, though, she needs to be able to trust the jeweler. Maybe there's a local jeweler who would let her watch the process, or a friend with jewelry who could talk her through the process?
posted by jetlagaddict at 6:29 AM on August 2, 2013

Weigh the stones (or weigh the entire ring) with a very accurate scale, before & after.

I'd be paranoid too... I've watched Dateline!
posted by St. Peepsburg at 6:47 AM on August 2, 2013 [2 favorites]

Best answer: My question is: Is there any way for her to somehow mark or identify her diamonds so that she can be confident that they not swapped out during resizing?

YES. A reputable jeweller should have cards to mark inclusions, and they should look at the stones with her under a loop and agree the marked inclusions. She keeps the card, and then they look at the stones again when she picks the rings up.

NEVER leave good diamonds with any jeweller who does not offer this. Every good jeweller, from Cartier to my local independent retailer, does this as standard.
posted by DarlingBri at 6:49 AM on August 2, 2013 [14 favorites]

She can ask a jeweler to document the ring - size, grade and identifying marks of each stone. Resizing probably doesn't take long; she could ask for an appointment to have it done while she waits. It's not unrealistic - the jeweler who made my engagement ring substituted crappier diamonds than the ones he showed us.
posted by theora55 at 10:07 AM on August 2, 2013