Be careful buying rings online

Olivia I wish I could tell you! He said it was a jeweler out of California. We got engaged half a year ago and he has lost the receipt and does not remember the name (ugh). If I knew, I would have posted the name of them as fair warning.

The jeweler we went to to get it resized did not say, he simply said it was not a real diamond and was some other type of really pretty stone that looked like one, and he could only work on real diamond rings (why? I have no idea!). Your guess is as good as mine!

Jennifer,

I sold fine jewelry for 8 years. If the stones are cubic zirconia, most jewelers will not touch the ring because the stones will crack when heat is applied to them. My suggestion would be to go to a local jeweler and have the ring replicated in gold. You could use the same stones. They jeweler should be able to create the ring in your size and then set the stones. It may cost $400-$500 to recreate the ring but then it would be in your appropriate size.

It's a beautiful ring and I'd hate for you to not be able to wear it.

Like Anne said, he won't work on the ring because the heat from re sizing could destroy it. Is your FH sure the company told him it was a diamond ring? I'm more concerned that you thought you had a diamond and the rock is CZ which is lower quality usually.

Look for a jeweler that works with gemstones. Depending on the type of stone it is, it could get scratched by other stones or damaged by high heat etc. So it is best to go to someone who works with other stones.

I would try Wal-Mart, they send out for resizing and shouldn't give you an issue.

I'm about to call around when the shops open in an hour. We are both students and he was on a super strict budget (we both are) which is why he went the online rout. He isn't the type to read the small print and seemed really shocked when we found out from the jeweler it was not real diamond. Honestly it doesn't' bother me, a rock is a rock... my only concern is if I can resize it. If on down the road after we graduate the rocks start to deteriorate we can replace them. My biggest concern at the moment is getting it resized.

@Anne would it be possible to replace the stones with diamond and resize it that way for less? I am sure I will gain/lose weight over the course of my life and it's not very practical to have a new ring made every time that happens. I appreciate your POV and knowing why they won't work on it, that is very helpful!

Jennifer,

I am betting that the metal may not be sizeable. If it is a base metal, it cannot be altered. If it is Sterling silver, it can be sized, but the stones present the problem with heat. You would be looking at a $1k minimum to replace your stones with diamonds. Rather than calling around, I would take the ring to a jeweler to see what the metal is on the ring. If it is stamped 925 on the inside of the ring then it's sterling and can be resized. As a jeweler, I wouldn't have been able to give you advice without seeing the ring.

Most inexpensive cz rings are made out of other metals that can't be modified.

I wish you the absolute best of luck.

Are you planning on loosing any weight? I lost like 20lbs and had to have my ring resized. I'd hate for you to go to all the trouble of getting it sized up and then need it sized again. Best wishes!

It is stamped with 14k, and should be white gold. The jeweler yesterday didn't say anything about the metal, just the stones. I'd be really shocked if it wasn't gold... then again, I was shocked that it was not diamonds, so who knows!

The reason I am not driving around is because I live about 1 1/2 hours away from any jewelry stores other than Kay's. If I find someone willing to work with stones that are not diamond, I would be willing to drive and get them to check the rest in person. Kay's will not work on it (they opened earlier and I was already able to call and ask).

@Renee the odd thing is that my promise ring is the same size but fits completely differently, I have had them both sized on one of those rods that the jeweler uses, and the are both the same size according to that.

Maybe I should use this as my motivation to get to the gym, LOL!

If it's 14k, then sizing should be no problem. The jeweler should be able to work with the metal and if anything remove the stones and reset them after sizing. I know our store wouldn't touch czs but I found this posting online just now. No matter what the jeweler will need to see the ring before giving you a definitive answer but it looks like there is hope. I was in the industry in late 1980's early 1990's so I imagine technology has advanced in sizing tools.

Thank you! I just called around and 3 stores in Virginia Beach (1 1/2 hours from me) said they did work on CZ and other non-diamond stones, and just need to see the ring in person to give me a definitive answer. Unfortunately they all take up to a week to come back (oh well) but on the bright side one of them said the normal price range would only be $35-60, which is very doable!

I feel as if there is hope for my ring, yay!

That is awesome news!! Yes, standard sizing is usually a week or more. My FH bought me 3 rings last Christmas from Zales and they were gone 6 weeks for sizing. I didn't get to wear any of them until February. I won't be shopping at Zales in the future.

Please post an update. Good luck!

Anne, I'd be pissed if it took that long! So thankful that I have a promise ring, I feel naked without anything on my finger. Ironic that my promise ring is real diamonds and sterling silver, and this one is fake diamonds and real gold. Too bad the stones can't be swapped out (they are completely different sizes).

Even when he bought my promise ring at Walmart, it only took 2 weeks to get resized... or maybe they just placed an order for the same ring in my size? Not sure, that was before he gave it to me.

Well anyway, lesson learned. We will be a lot more careful when shopping for our wedding bands!

And yes, I will update with how it turns out, though it'll probably be a good 2-3 weeks before I make it up to Virginia to drop it off.

@Fall Bride, me too!

Live and learn, I guess.