What kind of warranty or guarantee should I expect on a custom ring?

Sarah brought in a 2.4 carat cushion-cut sapphire from a family trip to Ceylon, and the first thing she asked after I quoted the ring was, "What happens if something breaks?" It's the right question. Most jewelers don't volunteer the answer.

A custom ring isn't a shelf product. The warranty should reflect that. Here's what I consider honest, and where I draw lines.

What a decent warranty covers

Any jeweler who builds a ring from scratch - casting, setting, finishing - should stand behind the workmanship for at least a year. That means:

• Loose prongs or bent heads from normal wear. Not from you using the ring as a bottle opener.
• Snapped shanks, if the break isn't from a resizing you did elsewhere or a drop onto tile.
• Failed rhodium plating on white gold, within six months. I replate for free on the first go.
• Sizing adjustments within the first 90 days, up or down one full size. After that, it's shop rate, which is about $65 to $120 depending on the metal and stone count.

Most shops cap the labor at one year and give you a 50% discount on repairs in year two. That's standard. I think year one should be full coverage if the work was done right the first time.

What a warranty doesn't cover, and shouldn't

This is where clients get frustrated. Here's the honest list:

• Lost stones. If a stone falls out because the setting was loose, that's on me. If it falls out because you snagged it on a car door, that's on you. I can't tell the difference without seeing the ring. Most jewelers won't either, and they'll charge a reset fee - typically $40 to $100 per stone.
• Princess cuts and certain step cuts have sharp corners that chip. A warranty won't cover a chip that happened during wear. That's a stone issue, not a setting issue.
• Normal scratching and polishing wear. Gold scratches. Platinum deforms. No warranty unfurls that metal. You'll pay for repolish - about $40 to $80 for a ring, depending on the detail.
• Damage from chemicals, chlorine, or ultrasonic cleaners on assembled pieces (like opal doublets or glued-in stones). Read the care sheet. Believe it.

Things to ask your jeweler before you sign

• "Do you cover loose stones for the first year, or is that a separate charge?"
• "If the ring needs resizing later, is it free within a certain window?"
• "What's your policy on plating? How many free replates do I get?"
• "Who handles repairs if you retire or close your shop?" That one matters. I've seen clients stranded. A jeweler should have an arrangement with a local bench for ongoing work. Ask.

The part about stone warranties

Diamonds and most colored stones don't come with a warranty from the seller for chip or breakage during wear. If a stone cracks from a hard knock, the replacement is on you. That's why insurance exists - and why I tell clients to schedule their ring on a homeowner's or renter's policy within 30 days of receiving it. The cost is about $1 to $2 per $100 of value per year. It's cheap. The peace of mind is worth it.

Some jewelers offer a lifetime trade-up policy on diamonds - you bring back your stone, pay the difference for a larger one, and they credit what you paid. That's not a warranty. That's a sales tool. It works for some clients. Read the fine print on minimum upgrade size and return window.

Last thing. If a jeweler hands you a printed warranty card that sounds like a car lease - full of "normal wear" exceptions and limits of liability - ask to see their bench. Not the showroom. The bench. I've never met a good bench jeweler who hides behind a warranty card. The good ones just say, "If it breaks because I built it wrong, I fix it. If you break it, I fix it for what it costs me." That's the warranty that matters.