Weirs & Sons Jewellers

Gavin Malone

Hi All

My Bad Experience is like this,

I purchased a ring for my wife from Weir & Sons GraftonStreet in March 2013; the ring has stones set into it. :)In November 2013 onlyeight months after the purchase my wife noticed one stone had split and fallenout of the ring.

I took the ring and the two halves of stone back to weirs on Grafton Streetonly to be told that it looked like the ring has been & I quote "WellWorn".:eek: I explained the ring has been worn on a ladies finger that for thelast Eight months has been on maternity leave. They said they would send it away to the manufacture for asecond opinion, two weeks later I got a call advising me it would cost €80(special price) to repair as the ring was "Well Worn"

I will get the repair done but I am left aghast about how ajeweller can think that it is perfectly normal for a stone to split & fallout of a ring and then turn around to the customer and charge €80 to repair.

Feeling very disgruntled!! :mad:

Would I shop here again? NO, NEVER

Oryx

What kind of stone was it, and what kind of setting was it in?

RoboRat

Well worn? thats crazy. What are you supposed to do with a ring, sit and look at it?

sandin

very disappointing especially as Weirs would be considered to be one of the better jewellers.

I'd ask them for an explanation of what they mean by "well worn" and if there a special way that ring must be worn other that the normal way a ring should be worn?

Considering they have a repair dept on site, (or they used to have) it is something they should have done the day you came in and at no charge.

Maybe they no longer understand how difficult it is to get customers & how easy it is to lose them?

dudara

There's a lot we don't know here, so it's hard to judge. For instance, what metal was the ring made from, what was the stone setting style and how did you wife take care of the ring?

Too many variables here to make a judgement without knowing more.

ScouseMouse

What a load of cobblers, A womans ring that doesn't last 8 months could not be classed as fit for purpose. Go back to the shop and ask for the owner/manager. Politely point this out.

Oryx

superscouse wrote: »

What a load of cobblers, A womans ring that doesn't last 8 months could not be classed as fit for purpose. Go back to the shop and ask for the owner/manager. Politely point this out.

Except in the case of stones such as pearls and opals which are delicate and not designed for everyday wear and tear. Which is why I asked the op what kind of ring it was.

ScouseMouse

The stones should be durable enough for purpose. If it is costume jewellery, thats one thing, but a quality, expensive ring should be more hardwearing than that.

Miaireland

Oryx wrote: »

Except in the case of stones such as pearls and opals which are delicate and not designed for everyday wear and tear. Which is why I asked the op what kind of ring it was.

Exactly, also a lot depends on the kind of setting on the ring. I have a ring which setting claws catches on clothing etc. I never ever wear it doing house work etc because of this because I know if I keep getting it caught in things the claws will loosen and the stone could fall out.

Oryx

superscouse wrote: »

The stones should be durable enough for purpose. If it is costume jewellery, thats one thing, but a quality, expensive ring should be more hardwearing than that.

No. A silk blouse requires different care and use than a denim shirt. The same applies to jewellery. Very expensive jewellery can be delicate.

ScouseMouse

I bought my wifes rings from a manufacturing jeweller in Abbey Street. All gold and diamonds. They have never lost a stone or broken in any way.

In my opinion, particularly with the short time span involved, they are not fit for purpose.

P. Breathnach

superscouse wrote: »

...
In my opinion, particularly with the short time span involved, they are not fit for purpose.

It's not a good idea to make a judgement when you don't have the requisite information. OP has told us almost nothing about the ring.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

superscouse wrote: »

I bought my wifes rings from a manufacturing jeweller in Abbey Street. All gold and diamonds. They have never lost a stone or broken in any way.

In my opinion, particularly with the short time span involved, they are not fit for purpose.

Gold and diamonds will both take everyday wear. Pearls and some metal, particularly depending on setting, need to be worn with care.

It's impossible to say if this ring was fit for purpose - everyday wear - without knowing ng what spec the ring has.

ScouseMouse

We are not talking claires accesories here. Its supposed to be quality stuff. If something is only supposed to be worn occasionally, there should be proper warnings.

Its unreasonable for something to not last a year at least.

P. Breathnach

superscouse wrote: »

We are not talking claires accesories here. Its supposed to be quality stuff.

High quality jewellery is not necessarily robust and suitable for everyday wear.

If something is only supposed to be worn occasionally, there should be proper warnings.

Perhaps so. But sometimes it is very obvious. Oryx mentioned the examples of opals and pearls as stones that do not take rough treatment very well.

Its unreasonable for something to not last a year at least.

In the case of jewellery, one is entitled to expect far more than a year - provided it is treated properly.

As it happens, herself has a ring supplied by Weir's many years ago. The stone and the setting mean that it is unsuitable for everyday use (or perhaps suitable if great care is taken). It came with a warning that she heeded, and it is still in perfect condition.

Gavin Malone

Hi All

To clarify, The ring is an Eternity Ring made from 18K White Gold with diamonds and aqua marine stones set into the ring.
Taken from receipt 3 Dia.27 4 Aqua.42 18K W/G 1/2 Ete Ring
The Stones are flush with the surface (top).
The ring was worn most days and was never subjected to any heavy lifting , site work or bare knuckle bouts.
It was worn by a lady who takes care of her possessions.

username123

Thats appalling.

Weirs should be repairing the ring for free.

What stone broke in half - I presume it was an aqua marine and not a diamond!

Gavin Malone

It was the aqua marine stone, still shouldn't have split in two,

username123

Phone the national consumer agency and get a detailed breakdown of your rights in this situation. Ask what legislation is relevant (probably sale of goods and supply of services 1980) - and go back to Weirs on it.

I would presume that you are entitled to repair/replace/refund - and you should not have to pay for a refund.

An eternity ring is an everyday wear ring - however, Im not an expert so thats why you should phone the national consumer agency (there may be differences for jewellery).

Ultimately Weirs have to abide by legislation for the products they sell, the goods must be fit for purpose. An eternity ring should be expected to be worn daily. I would not expect it to stand up to weightlifting, bare knuckle boxing etc, but it should be possible to wear it!

P. Breathnach

Okay, I'm closer to climbing off the fence onto OP's side. I think it is generally accepted that an eternity ring is intended for everyday wear. To my mind, that puts an onus on the seller to provide a repair unless it can be proved that the damage was due to misuse - something rougher than would arise from everyday wear.

OP, think you should challenge Weir's to show you the evidence that the ring was "well worn". If it is clearly deformed, they might have a case.

Oryx

I agree, those stones should be quite hardwearing, and neither type should have split if worn normally. (Though it is possible to break both types of stone by knocking against something).

I also recommend asking for evidence that the ring was mistreated, and if necessary, I would get a second opinion on the damage from another jeweller. An eternity ring, like engagement and wedding rings, is designed for pretty much constant wear and I wouldn't expect it to look 'well worn' after 8 months unless your wife is doing something very rough, like bricklaying, with it!

dudara

White gold is a "softer" metal, but the stones are standard and it doesn't sound as if the ring had a raised profile (i.e. any severely projecting bits that could be caught). Was the ring rhodium plated?

In either case, a second opinion sounds like a good idea.

Oryx

dudara wrote: »

White gold is a "softer" metal, but the stones are standard and it doesn't sound as if the ring had a raised profile (i.e. any severely projecting bits that could be caught). Was the ring rhodium plated?

In either case, a second opinion sounds like a good idea.

Strictly speaking its the carat of the gold that makes it harder or softer. 18ct is softer than 9ct, and much softer than platinum. The type of setting has a role in how protected the stones are too.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

From a UK jewellers web site,
Aquamarine is a relatively hard stone however it is also quite brittle and will show signs of damage if worn every day – especially in open ring settings.

Fey!

Westley Numerous Windbreak wrote: »

From a UK jewellers web site,
Aquamarine is a relatively hard stone however it is also quite brittle and will show signs of damage if worn every day – especially in open ring settings.

Stone hardness is measured on the Mohs' scale of hardness, where diamond scores a 10 (hardest substance you can find), and talc scores 1. It goes on the Knoop scale, which basically shows how easily a diamond scratches other minerals.

Aquamarine scores the same as emerald (they are both forms of beryl), which is 7.5. This means that it would be softer (or more scratchable) than, for instance, sapphire, which scores an 8. In laymans terms, it means you have to be a bit more careful with them than with diamond (despite what people may think, it is possible to chip, crack or split a diamond too).

In reality, unless it gets a heavy bang or is constantly being rubbed against something rough it shouldn't split. If it was perfect when it was purchased, then it won't have split out of the blue.

Somebody also mentioned metal hardness and how 18kt is softer than 9kt gold. In 18kt white gold the gold will usually (but not always) be mixed with palladium, where 18kt yellow gold will be usually be mixed with iron to give it strength. 9kt white gold will be a different mix, and the difference in strength will be very little due to the strength of the palladium, which is akin to platinum. Platinum will be harder than gold, but it also needs to be looked after; just because a ring is platinum does NOT make it indestrucable; it still gets worn down the same as other metals.

@OP. If you think you are being shafted then get a second opinion. Go to a reputable jeweller for this, and bear in mind that some well known jewellers will tell you that the ring is rubbish even when it isn't (there are a number of places around the country noted for this unethical behaviour).

As someone already mentioned, if the ring got a bang then there are usually signs around the setting.

Jewellery is made to be worn, and eternity rings are usually for everyday wear. Unfortunately jewellery sometimes gets banged around without the wearer noticing (car doors and filing cabinets are two of the biggest offenders when it comes to rings).

I hope that you get this sorted out.