So….This happened this morning. Has this ever happened to you? See anything….MISSING…. by any chance?
I was having a great start for the day….I was driving to go play tennis today on a spectacular December morning in San Diego. I happened to look at my left hand on the wheel and noticed that I was missing a stone out of my eternity band. The not so little gap in the ring was quite noticeable. It’s like when a six year old loses their front tooth! Cute on a child….not so nice when your favorite band is missing a stone.
Very disappointing to say the least. I hate losing jewelry. LOATHE IT, actually. Despite being careful, it is very likely that a stone will come loose from an eternity band. Period. Rings especially endure day-to-day wear and tear more so than necklaces, earrings or bracelets. No matter how well they are made. The open and modern design is beautiful, but the risk is real. The shared prongs, the exposed stones without a protective channel setting are particularly vulnerable. Unfortunately, it happens.
I always encourage people to get an appraisal. Appraisals will provide all the details about a jewelry piece and assess a value for it. I provide appraisals from an independent certified jewelry appraiser to my clients when they purchase jewelry from me which values over $1,000. I also recommend that they send a copy to their insurance carrier so that the jewelry can be included in their Personal Articles Policy. That way, when situations like this occur or possibly, loss or theft….they are covered. Even with insurance, it is advised to take your fine jewelry to a reputable jewelry professional to have the prongs checked every six months. I always try to reduce the risk, but even with a concerted effort to minimize the chance….it still can happen.
Nevertheless, I ordered a new 3.2 mm square cut diamond and re-set the stone. My eternity band is beautiful and complete again. This is my favorite ring and I hardly ever take it off my hand. Utilize all necessary precautions to protect your jewelry from damage. But the MOST important lesson is to WEAR your jewelry, ENJOY it, make it part of your life. Jewelry is meant to be worn and loved…not packed away in a safe and taken out only special occasions.
——Leslie