I trusted Stephanie with resizing several sentimental pieces of jewelry--three rings and a…read morebracelet, including a family heirloom that belonged to my great-grandfather.
When I first met with her, I asked if it was even possible to make my great-grandfather's ring a few sizes smaller. I specifically asked whether resizing it would affect the stone or the integrity of the ring because it was an antique that had been in my family for years. I explained that I had waited a long time to have it resized because I wanted to make sure it was done correctly.
Stephanie assured me it would be "not a problem." She told me to trust her and to read all of her good reviews. I told her that her reviews were the reason I chose her business. I also explained that I had never had jewelry resized before and asked several questions about the process. She told me that she needed to cut out the extra silver from the band in order to bend and make the rings smaller, then soldering them to melt the metal back together. I was excited to finally be able to wear these pieces, and she made me feel confident that they were in good hands.
After examining everything I brought in, she told me the work would take about a week. I told her there was absolutely no rush because I wanted to make sure she had plenty of time to do the work carefully, so I actually left my jewelry with her for an additional week. She was pleasant at the beginning of our meeting but then became noticeably snappy, repeatedly reminding me that I would need to bring the yellow receipt to pick up my jewelry. That was understandable.
When pickup day arrived, I called a few times. During my first call, she sounded busy and told me she wasn't finished working on my rings but that they would be done by closing time. She said she would call when everything was ready, and once again reminded me--rather abruptly--that I needed to bring the yellow receipt.
As closing time got closer and I still hadn't heard from her, she finally called to say my order was ready for pickup and again reminded me to bring the yellow receipt. I assured her I hadn't forgotten.
When I arrived, she informed me that one of my rings had not been resized to the size I requested because she "didn't have enough time." This was confusing since I had already given her an extra week beyond her original estimate. It made me wonder whether my order had simply been forgotten.
She told me she had just finished working on it. I asked why she hadn't mentioned over the phone that one ring still needed more time. She admitted she should have told me and said she would take care of it.
Unfortunately, the ring she needed to resize again was the one that had belonged to my great-grandfather--the same ring I had explained meant so much to me. Having to resize it a second time was very concerning because repeated heating and soldering can increase the risk to the stone and gradually thin the silver.
I left the ring with her for additional MONTH. When I got it back, it was still too big, and the silver had been soldered and buffed so thin that I'm honestly afraid to wear it.
If Stephanie wasn't confident that she could resize these pieces properly--especially a sentimental family heirloom--she should have been honest with me from the beginning. I would have appreciated her telling me the job was beyond her comfort level or expertise so I could have taken my jewelry to someone else. Or chosen not to have it done at all. Instead, she accepted the work, assured me there would be "no problem".
Overall, I am not happy with any of the resizing work. The seams on the resized bands are not smooth or seamless, and the workmanship looks rushed rather than carefully finished. Stephanie asked whether I was happy with my rings, and I honestly told her I wasn't. She tried polishing them to make them look better, but they were still uneven and bumpy.
Another issue that disappointed me was that I was never given the silver that had been cut from my rings during the resizing process. Since this was my first time ever having jewelry resized, I didn't know I should ask for those pieces, and they were never offered or returned to me. I later learned that many jewelers return the precious metal that is removed, so I was surprised to find out mine had been kept without any discussion.
My great-grandfather's ring is now essentially unwearable for me, and I never received the silver that was removed from my rings. I trusted Stephanie with sentimental family heirlooms based on her reputation and reviews, and unfortunately, my experience was extremely disappointing.
Her rates were extremely overpriced and were almost triple the amount other jewelers quoted but was willing to pay thinking the results would be exceptional base on the reviews.
