PSA: Get your ring certificate/ appraisal before re-sizing

dmbdbk

Just some advice for the newly engaged.

I got engaged last New Year's Eve. When FI bought the ring from Zales, they didn't have the certificate for the ring in the store and told us to pick it up later. We took the ring to get sized the day after he proposed and it slipped our mind to ask about the ring certificate. When we took it last week for the Dec. cleaning, we remembered to ask for the certificate. Since the ring had been sized, the lady at Zales couldn't make out the full serial number and the serial number wasn't on the receipt like we thought. When we take it in for the June cleaning they are going to send it back to the factory where they will either check what is inscribed in the diamond or re-do the appraisal which will take about a month.

Try to have them right down the serial number before you get it sized if they don't have the certificate at the store when your FI purchases the ring.

lyndausvi

it will take a month to re-do the appraisal?

My ring is custom made and my diamond is from my MIL, so no serial numbers or certificates.  I just took my ring to our family jeweler in the states and my appraisal was done in one day.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

Ditto Lynda. My ring is 80 years old. No serial number. Our jeweler just did an appraisal for us. The end. It took 2 minutes.

MyNameIsNot

This sounds off.  Unlike PPs, my ring is new.  The diamond has some kind of number that you can see under the loupe. 

When I got it appraised for insurance, I went over to our appraiser guy and he did it while I sat there, about 20 minutes.  I've had several pieces of jewelry appraised and I've never had to leave them or have them sent off. 

irshis20

If that's what Zales wants to do, just don't go through Zales. Go to an independent appraiser. An insurance company might prefer that, anyway. My ring had no papers and I have no idea if it has a serial number or not...I had it independently appraised.

AmoroAgain

Uh yeah, those people don't know what they're talking about.  It does not require a return to the "factory" nor will it take a month.

Get an independent appraisal, and stop letting them tell you how things should be done.  Do your own research and be educated on this process so people can't walk all over you.

rainsfallsoftly

I don't understand why resizing it would affect the serial number.  The resizing should only affect the band, and the serial number should be inscribed into the diamond itself.  And if they are saying they need to send it back to the factory to read the inscription on the diamond, something is wrong because they should be able to show you right there.  I wanted to see my inscription when we picked it up after resizing to make sure it was the right one, and they just stuck it under their little diamond magnifying machine thing (yeah, I have no idea what it's called) and showed us the number.  Something sounds fishy here. 

dmbdbk

The serial number was on the band as well as the diamond. Since the ring was re-sized, she couldn't see it at the band anymore. My guess is the lady at the counter wasn't sure how to see it on diamond and just estimated it would take a month to re-weigh and inspect the diamond even though they would probably just be able to see it on the diamond then. We're going to take it in June since we need to get a scratch out of the band anyway. We're doing it through Zales since there is a guaranty and the maintenance on the ring is included. This post was more of a heads up to the newly engaged since this stuff didn't occur to us when we first got engaged. If I had known this before we got the ring sized I would have made sure to ask for the certificate then but its not a huge deal that we'd have to wait.

AmoroAgain

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_just-engaged-proposals_psa-ring-certificate-appraisal-before-re-sizing?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:683Discussion:6da219c4-c9b2-482b-8591-435e7ce57cb9Post:a1035520-a3bd-49de-9342-4192ef98b816">Re: PSA: Get your ring certificate/ appraisal before re-sizing</a>:
[QUOTE]The serial number was on the band as well as the diamond. Since the ring was re-sized, she couldn't see it at the band anymore. My guess is the lady at the counter wasn't sure how to see it on diamond and just estimated it would take a month to re-weigh and inspect the diamond even though they would probably just be able to see it on the diamond then. We're going to take it in June since we need to get a scratch out of the band anyway. We're doing it through Zales since there is a guaranty and the maintenance on the ring is included. This post was more of a heads up to the newly engaged since this stuff didn't occur to us when we first got engaged. If I had known this before we got the ring sized I would have made sure to ask for the certificate then but its not a huge deal that we'd have to wait.
Posted by dmbdbk[/QUOTE]

Dude.  Seriously, save yourself the issue and go somewhere else.  Zales will never know that you had an independent appraisal. Take it from someone who used to work in one of those chains-- it's very easy to find the serial number and to have an appraisal done (or redone in this case).  If you are totally set on staying with them (and just remember- there's a reason Zales has declared bankruptcy, mkay?) then ask when they are having one of their design events and if there will be an appraiser on site at that time.  These people don't sound like they know what the heck they're doing.

fairy_diva

How can they sell a certified diamond ring and not have the papers with the ring?  The papers/cert is kept with the ring. Mine is from Zales, at least online Zales, it has the serial number on the band as well as on the diamond.  They shipped my papers with my ring.

dmbdbk

I have no idea, but you guys have a good point. I think I'm going to look for an independent appraiser now. Thanks!

emilyinchile

A friend had an AWFUL experience sending her ring in to Zales, so I'd be careful.

PPs are right, they can see the number on the diamond in the store. I was shown mine when we bought it (we bought my ring together). And it's really weird to me that they didn't have the papers with your ring. Is there another branch of Zales you can go to? Otherwise the independent appraisal sounds like a good bet.

dmbdbk

I wasn't there when FI bought the ring, so I'm not sure. I think we're going to look into getting an independent appraisal since I feel like another branch might not be that much better than the one he had already bought from.

MyNameIsNot

Talk to your insurance company.  When we got my rings insured, our agent referred us to our appraiser and gave us a discount.  It was only like $20 to get it done.

LuckyBrideToBe0013

If your ring is a solitare be sure to check the security of the stone after getting it resized. I didn't want to wait the 10 days the jewelers said it would take to send out my ring and get it back. So, I went to an independent shop to get it appraised and sized. However, I think the work messed with the setting of my ring, because the next few days I noticed the stone shifting in my setting.  As of last week it was visably rotating and I had to send it away to have the setting fixed anyway. I hate the idea of having my ring sent away, but I didn't know what else to do.