Working with Client Supplied Gemstones

As a general best practice, we reserve our bench services for items purchased from The Classic Gem as a courtesy to our clients. We offer maintenance and repair services for products that we have manufactured to offer our clients the support and peace of mind that they have someone to go to when accidents happen. For pieces that were not manufactured by us, we may be able to assist depending on the scope of work, condition and how the piece was made, and capacity at the time of the requests. If the scope of work is outside of our areas of expertise, or risk tolerance, we will gladly reach out to our network of artisans and bench jewelers to better align the specific skills and design methodologies.

Customer Supplied Gemstones that do not meet criteria for liability/setting

• We do not service the setting of any gemstone(s) under the Moh’s scale of mineral hardness below a 9. For example Beryl’s such as Emeralds, Aquamarines or Morganites (7.5), Tanzanites (6).
• We do not service the cuts that are prone to chipping such as Marquise, Pears, or Princess cuts with sharp edges, thin or poorly cut girdles, cleavage planes, indented naturals and other inherent risks upon inspection.
• Customer Supplied Gemstones that do meet criteria for liability/setting
• We do make exceptions for diamonds and sapphires that are not considered risky cuts with sharp points or thin or poorly cut girdles, under certain circumstances and provided certain conditions are met.
• We only work with customer diamonds with the expressed understanding that The Classic Gem is not liable for any damage, loss, theft, mysterious disappearance or any other potential risks outside of our control. We strongly recommend that customers carry personal jewelry insurance for their high-value items, and that they understand the coverage deductibles and exclusions of their independent policies.

In order to ensure compliance with our policies, the following conditions must be met prior to beginning a project that involves a diamond or gemstone not purchased through the Classic Gem:

• All diamonds to be submitted to The Classic Gem must be pre-authorized, meaning evaluated for risks and if found, communicated clearly and agreed upon before any work is to be performed.
• The diamond must be lab certified by either GIA or AGS, preferably with a laser inscription by GIA or AGS. (Customers must provide the original lab certificate with the diamond).
• Upon receiving a customer’s diamond, it is inspected carefully and verified against the certificate by our staff gemologists via a laser inscription, pen tester, CVD/HPHT/Lab Diamond Testing machine and loupe. It is then photographed in detail before any work is done on it. After completion of the project the item is verified and photographed once again before shipping or delivery.
• The customer submits a copy of the insurance policy covering the diamond.
• The customer signs a legal waiver of liability.
• The Classic Gem employees and craftsman take all normal precautions to ensure the safety and security of all orders.

Melees/Heirloom Stones:
The Classic Gem does not accept customer supplied precious or semi-precious colored gemstones or diamond melee (small uncertified diamonds) for setting. We accept customer diamonds only for setting into The Classic Gem catalog settings.

In some cases, for example, if you are purchasing a TCG diamond and wish to use your existing diamonds as side stones, or if purchasing a diamond as a match to an existing diamond for earrings.

Please feel free to email us pictures to info@theclassicgem.com or text us at 312-291-1436, and we will be happy to guide you through any design, repair or restoration projects.

While our bench jewelers are some of the most well trained craftsmen in the industry, there is always an inherent risk in handling and setting diamonds and gemstones. Diamonds can chip or fracture from hard impact, especially in areas where the carbon atoms are not tightly bonded and while these types of occurrences are extremely rare for an experienced bench jeweler who specializes in setting diamonds, but just as the manner in which lighting strikes, it is difficult to predict how and when, though we can do our best to make proper judgment when their are risks. The gemstones we purchas are carefully evaluated and professionally inspected for cleavage points and potential risks and built into our internal insurance coverage plans. We cannot guarantee items that are not procured by us due to the complexity of the sources, and potential impacts due to provenance and overage age, and condition/risks.

Jewelry Repairs:
We do our best to inspect jewelry for craftsmanship and methodology differences and will do our best to weigh and point out risks due to differ. A waiver of liability is similarly required for a customer's jewelry item before work can be performed. The Classic Gem will take all precautions to safeguard the customer property but assumes no liability for any damage, loss, theft, mysterious disappearance or other hazard.

Helpful Links:
More than a MOHs Scale of Hardness - Understanding Durability
Set Center Stone at The Classic Gem / Setting Fee