I am writing this as I just got off the phone with the owner (Kathy) from Williams Jewelers in DePere, and am fighting back tears!
I have a beautiful white gold (rhodium plated) engagement/wedding ring (that was purchased from different jewelry stores (one was a local store that has since retired (engagement) and one a national chain (wedding band).
After I got married I chose to have the rings soldered together and I did this at the national chain, got my ring back and it was perfect. Fast forward a few years and my ring didn't fit, again brought it back to the national chain, ring resized and came back to me looking shiny and new (and in case you didn't know white gold is typically rhodium plated which is what gives it the white silver-ish look, not the dull yellow look of white gold.)
about 2 months ago, I decide to take my beautiful ring in again to get resized. This time; however, I chose to bring it to a local jeweler (Williams) that would keep my ring in house and to support local. I was told it would be $200 to get the rings resized and soldered back together. I initially left it there, but then came back to get the ring after a day because I got "cold feet" on the price.
After a few weeks, I decided what the heck, I LOVE my ring and miss wearing it because it didn't fit. So I go back in to Williams and speak with the same lady as before, who re measures my finger (then another lady, who I assume is Kathy) comes up and suggests I go up a little more than we were thinking. Okay fine. I leave my ring and get a call the next day it's ready! Fantastic! I go pick it up and there it is, my beautiful ring (and it fits)! I pay, I leave... a few days or so later as I am driving the sun catches my ring and I notice it has a yellow tinge to it. I call Williams and then and only then am I informed that they do not rhodium plate because they say it compromises the integrity of the gold. Kathy basically tells me that I have to live with it.
Now a few weeks have passed since then, and while I still LOVE my ring, I am sad and upset when I look at it because the yellow of the gold is getting more pronounced. I called back and spoke to Kathy again, who proceeds to tell me she feels they did nothing wrong, they have been in business for over 30 years etc etc. I try to explain to her that as an average consumer (who has had my ring resized before) I just assumed that it would come back to me looking exactly the same! I brought in a white gold (rhodium plated ring) and expected the same thing back. If it's "not their practice" to rhodium items then I should have been informed of that because I would have chosen to NOT bring my ring there! I asked her if she would be willing to pay for at least some of the cost for me to get it rhodium plated elsewhere and she said she didn't feel she needed to do that as all I paid for was to have the ring resized and soldered back together. (Not my point)!!!
Anyway I will make it to my point from here on out to never refer anybody to Williams jewelers in DePere Wisconsin! I may not be their "typical" client but I do have a voice and friends and I do know that word of mouth does go a long way!
I am just so sad and disappointed that in me trying to help support a local business I got this treatment! Lesson learned! read more