Engagement ring bought online-- need local jeweler for maintenance
September 25, 2013 11:33 AM Subscribe
My engagement ring is from Blue Nile (online Canadian retailer). My partner saved a lot of money and I absolutely love it. Apparently, I'm supposed to get it "serviced" every 6 months; however, I do not want to send it back to Blue Nile for this. Who do I go to locally to get this done-- cleaning + checking that nothing is loose/has been damaged? Do local jewelers provide this service for rings that haven't been purchased from them?
Blue Nile does cleaning + maintenance for free, I think, but we'd have to pay return shipping and insurance. Also, I just don't want to go through the hassle. The first time getting the ring was an absolute nightmare. Then we had to resize it and that took 3 months because it's a custom ring and blah blah blah.
I like to wear the ring everyday and do not want it off my finger for another 3 months just for a cleaning (also, if I really do get it cleaned every 6 months like you are apparently supposed to, and it's 3 months each time, then that's half the year that the ring is not in my possession and that kind of defeats the purpose if it).
I'd much, much rather just walk into a local jeweler's to do it, but I am not sure if jewelers provide this service for a ring that wasn't purchased from them. Who do I go to? Just walk into any jewelry store in the mall? Looking for reputable jewelers in Toronto!
Also, what if I need it resized in future if I gain/lose weight? Again, don't want to send it back to Blue Nile. Can I just take it into any jewelry store? Looking for recommendations for reputable jewelers.
Blue Nile does cleaning + maintenance for free, I think, but we'd have to pay return shipping and insurance. Also, I just don't want to go through the hassle. The first time getting the ring was an absolute nightmare. Then we had to resize it and that took 3 months because it's a custom ring and blah blah blah.
I like to wear the ring everyday and do not want it off my finger for another 3 months just for a cleaning (also, if I really do get it cleaned every 6 months like you are apparently supposed to, and it's 3 months each time, then that's half the year that the ring is not in my possession and that kind of defeats the purpose if it).
I'd much, much rather just walk into a local jeweler's to do it, but I am not sure if jewelers provide this service for a ring that wasn't purchased from them. Who do I go to? Just walk into any jewelry store in the mall? Looking for reputable jewelers in Toronto!
Also, what if I need it resized in future if I gain/lose weight? Again, don't want to send it back to Blue Nile. Can I just take it into any jewelry store? Looking for recommendations for reputable jewelers.
Basically they'll just drop it in an ultrasonic cleaner briefly, and look at it closely to make sure that, for example, the mounting isn't damaged such that an expensive stone is about to fall out. There's nothing particularly magical or brand-specific about it.
posted by jon1270 at 11:51 AM on September 25, 2013
posted by jon1270 at 11:51 AM on September 25, 2013
Best answer: Good lord, it's not like you have to change the oil or the thing's going to seize up and your engagement is broken. That every six months bit is nonsense.
Should you find yourself near a jeweler's with some time to kill, and you happen to think of it, you can have them clean your ring. Mostly they'll be happy to do it for you, even if you didn't buy it there because a) it costs them literally nothing, and b) it gets you into their store to look over their fine products.
posted by Naberius at 11:59 AM on September 25, 2013 [11 favorites]
Should you find yourself near a jeweler's with some time to kill, and you happen to think of it, you can have them clean your ring. Mostly they'll be happy to do it for you, even if you didn't buy it there because a) it costs them literally nothing, and b) it gets you into their store to look over their fine products.
posted by Naberius at 11:59 AM on September 25, 2013 [11 favorites]
Yep, 6 months is nonsense. You might want to get it looked at once, to check the prongs and setting, then only take it in when it needs real attention, like you banged it hard or hooked it on something or the metal needs professional attention. You can clean it yourself if you like, but a professional cleaning is also something that can also be done on an as-needed basis.
posted by sageleaf at 12:13 PM on September 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by sageleaf at 12:13 PM on September 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Also, what if I need it resized in future if I gain/lose weight? Again, don't want to send it back to Blue Nile. Can I just take it into any jewelry store? Looking for recommendations for reputable jewelers.
Go to a local jeweler (preferably not in the mall, but if you must, choose the one that isn't Zales or Gordon's) and ask them to clean it. While you're there, look around and say, "No, just getting my ring cleaned" to any salesperson who asks if you need any help. If they just won't leave you alone, that's not the place you want to go for resizing. Otherwise, any jeweler can do it.
posted by Etrigan at 12:31 PM on September 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
Go to a local jeweler (preferably not in the mall, but if you must, choose the one that isn't Zales or Gordon's) and ask them to clean it. While you're there, look around and say, "No, just getting my ring cleaned" to any salesperson who asks if you need any help. If they just won't leave you alone, that's not the place you want to go for resizing. Otherwise, any jeweler can do it.
posted by Etrigan at 12:31 PM on September 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
Find a local jeweler you like and take it to them for prong/setting check as well as a cleaning. Many jewelers will do this for free even if you didn't buy the ring from them. They want you in the door, looking at their offering and they are building loyalty so that you think of them when you are ready to make another jewelry purchase.
Unless you're hard on your ring, have a softer metal ring, or have a setting that is very high, every 6 months is overkill. Don't blow it off completely, though. Looking down and seeing your stone gone will make your blood run cold. An annual trip to get things checked is worth it to avoid that nightmare.
posted by quince at 1:23 PM on September 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
Unless you're hard on your ring, have a softer metal ring, or have a setting that is very high, every 6 months is overkill. Don't blow it off completely, though. Looking down and seeing your stone gone will make your blood run cold. An annual trip to get things checked is worth it to avoid that nightmare.
posted by quince at 1:23 PM on September 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
Nthing local jeweler. Not only do they clean it, but mine will buff/polish the metal, which makes my scuffed 23 year old wedding band look great!
posted by sarajane at 2:12 PM on September 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by sarajane at 2:12 PM on September 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
I bought my wife's engagement ring at a local jeweler, complete with a "warranty" that stated we had to bring it in for "service" every 6 months or else the "warranty" was null and void. When we brought it in for the first 6 month "service" we were told there really wasn't a point as the jeweler was going out of business and the warranty would be void anyway.
I went to another jeweler to buy the matching wedding ring (as by that time the original jeweler had shut its doors for good), and they told me that "warranty" was a load of crap anyway, and that any time we wanted we could bring either or both rings in for cleaning and inspection.
My wedding band, on the other hand, was "made" by my wife at one of those "wedding ring workshop" things (Google it -- it was supposed to be this big romantic thing, but ended up being a nightmare -- long story -- I made a non-wedding ring at the session so I wouldn't be bored), and when we were done with them they looked OK, but the jeweler keep them for finishing -- after the finishing, the ring I'd made looked like it had been made by a 3 year old as a kindergarten art project (we ended up selling it for extra cash), and my ring no longer fit (to the point where it would fly off if I so much as raised my hand the wrong way). I brought my ring to jeweler #2 for resizing. Obviously I had to pay for the re-sizing but it came out buffed and polished and looking better than new.
To make a long story short (too late), "servicing" a ring is not brand-specific and any jeweler will do it. (Think about it -- if you're in their shop to service a ring they might get you as a customer for something else.) Check the fine print of your warranty, though, if you have one. You may be required to send it back to Blue Nile for "service" in order to keep the warranty in force. I don't know if jewelry has the equivalent of the Manguson-Moss Act that allows you to take your car anywhere for service without voiding the warranty, but I suspect such a thing might exist.
posted by tckma at 3:19 PM on September 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
I went to another jeweler to buy the matching wedding ring (as by that time the original jeweler had shut its doors for good), and they told me that "warranty" was a load of crap anyway, and that any time we wanted we could bring either or both rings in for cleaning and inspection.
My wedding band, on the other hand, was "made" by my wife at one of those "wedding ring workshop" things (Google it -- it was supposed to be this big romantic thing, but ended up being a nightmare -- long story -- I made a non-wedding ring at the session so I wouldn't be bored), and when we were done with them they looked OK, but the jeweler keep them for finishing -- after the finishing, the ring I'd made looked like it had been made by a 3 year old as a kindergarten art project (we ended up selling it for extra cash), and my ring no longer fit (to the point where it would fly off if I so much as raised my hand the wrong way). I brought my ring to jeweler #2 for resizing. Obviously I had to pay for the re-sizing but it came out buffed and polished and looking better than new.
To make a long story short (too late), "servicing" a ring is not brand-specific and any jeweler will do it. (Think about it -- if you're in their shop to service a ring they might get you as a customer for something else.) Check the fine print of your warranty, though, if you have one. You may be required to send it back to Blue Nile for "service" in order to keep the warranty in force. I don't know if jewelry has the equivalent of the Manguson-Moss Act that allows you to take your car anywhere for service without voiding the warranty, but I suspect such a thing might exist.
posted by tckma at 3:19 PM on September 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
I bought the sapphire for my wife's ring online (Awesome 3D Vector Scans for symmetry) and then got the setting locally in an attempt to avoid these types of issues (for resizing mostly, not cleaning... its a tension ring which can't be resized by any jeweller anyways...)
I tend to agree with the other people in the thread re: Servicing & such... as far as I know, my wife has never had hers cleaned/serviced/anything and thinks things are still looking just fine.
posted by anthroprose at 5:20 PM on September 25, 2013
I tend to agree with the other people in the thread re: Servicing & such... as far as I know, my wife has never had hers cleaned/serviced/anything and thinks things are still looking just fine.
posted by anthroprose at 5:20 PM on September 25, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks MeFi; lots of great answers!
posted by spicytunaroll at 4:56 AM on October 3, 2013
posted by spicytunaroll at 4:56 AM on October 3, 2013
Sizing a ring is usually easy but you mentioned it is a bespoke piece. Usually if there are diamonds on the band it can be tricky to resize and the diamonds can pop out. Most bespoke rings - if done property have a piece of metal at the very bottom which facilitates such amendments. A resize should take one day to be honest, possibly 2 if its platinum as platinum is a bit trickier to work with.
in relation to cleaning your ring, you can do nearly as good a job at home - all you do is put your ring in a cop of boiling water, add one drop of washing up liquid and stir gently for 1 minute (if you have an old tooth brush its a good idea to scrub under the diamond).
This usually almost as good as a sonic cleaner as it removes all soap and dirt build up.
Waiting 3 months for someone to do that is a bit excessive!
posted by perfectring at 6:54 AM on November 2, 2013
in relation to cleaning your ring, you can do nearly as good a job at home - all you do is put your ring in a cop of boiling water, add one drop of washing up liquid and stir gently for 1 minute (if you have an old tooth brush its a good idea to scrub under the diamond).
This usually almost as good as a sonic cleaner as it removes all soap and dirt build up.
Waiting 3 months for someone to do that is a bit excessive!
posted by perfectring at 6:54 AM on November 2, 2013
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You do just walk into a jewelers and ask them to clean and inspect your ring. They'll be happy to do that. I do it pretty frequently. As for sizing, you don't need to send it to Blue Nile, any jeweler can do this for you too.
Most of the time this is done while you wait (perhaps not sizing, but cleaning and checking.)
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 11:43 AM on September 25, 2013 [1 favorite]