You’re getting ready for a night out, and as you’re slipping on a bracelet, you glance at your diamond ring, and your heart stops. A diamond is missing! You sit down, feeling queasy. How could this have happened? What do you do?

Losing a diamond from any piece of fine jewelry is devastating, particularly if the ring has sentimental value or is an engagement ring. Add in the value of the missing stone, and you can’t be blamed for being in tears or panicking.

Can You Find the Missing Diamond?

First things first, if a diamond is missing out of your ring – don’t freak out. It’s easier said than done, but losing your cool isn’t going to help. Take your ring off, put it in a safe place such as your jewelry box or a small dish, and put it somewhere safe. Until you get the ring checked to make sure any other stones are safe, you don’t want to run the risk of additional damage.

Next, search the immediate area and wherever you’ve been recently. It could have fallen out in the bedroom, bathroom, or any other room. Retrace your steps and look on all surfaces. Think back to where you’ve been since the last time the ring was intact. Did you snag your hand on your coat? Get it caught on anything? Check these areas. Perhaps it ended up in a coat pocket or fell into a couch cushion.

If you find the stone, put it with your ring and call a few jewelers to see who does remounts. Reputable jewelers can give you a ballpark figure but won’t quote a firm price over the phone. Prices can vary dramatically depending on the mounting, the amount of damage to the ring, and the gemstone’s size. For instance, a prong setting is relatively easy to work with and is a simple repair. However, an elaborate mounting or channel set stone is more labor-intensive, driving up the price. After you’ve chosen a jeweler you can trust, take the ring and diamond in to get a quote.

But I Can’t Find the Diamond!

Again, don’t panic (but we feel for you, we really do!). If you can’t find the stone, you’ll need to talk to a jeweler about buying a replacement stone. This can be pricey, particularly if the lost diamond was high quality with good color and clarity. If your ring came with an appraisal, consult this paperwork. It details the quality of the stones and should have a photograph of the diamonds. You can show this to the jeweler as a starting point for finding a suitable replacement stone.

If you don’t have an appraisal, you’ll need to choose and purchase a stone based on your budget, the quality of the stone you want, and how well it works in the ring’s setting. If your ring has other diamonds, look for gems of similar quality for a unified look.

Keep in mind the volatility of the diamond market and inflation. If you bought your ring in 2000, it might cost twice the purchase price today. Even if the diamond’s value has only increased in value based on inflation, you’re going to pay more for the stone, plus the price of the work to set it into your ring. The jeweler may determine that the prongs need retipped or the band needs to be repaired, adding to the overall price. Keep this in mind when working with the jewelry store.

Was your diamond ring insured? In most situations, a homeowner’s policy doesn’t cover lost or missing diamonds unless you have a rider on our policy specifically for your diamond ring or jewelry. If you have a rider, you may be able to get full or partial replacement costs reimbursed. If the ring isn’t insured and is valuable, consider adding it to your policy for the future after you’ve had the stone replaced.

How Long Does It Take to Replace a Lost Diamond?

Depending on several variables, including the jeweler’s schedule, the size of the diamond, the intricacy of the stone, and whether your ring is gold or platinum, it can take anywhere from a few days to a few months. You’re going to be without your ring for a while.

Lost Diamond Aren’t Uncommon

Sadly, having a diamond fall out of an eternity ring isn’t unusual. Engagement rings are particularly at risk because they’re worn every day. Subjecting your ring constantly to your activities will slowly wear down the prongs and can bend the prongs or mounting out of alignment. Getting your ring caught on something can pop a side diamond out due to pressure. To minimize the chance of losing a diamond, remove your ring when you’re doing work with your hands that could damage the ring. Have the ring checked every few years and have the mounting fixed or the prong retipped when they are worn.

The Best Protection is a Guarantee

To prevent the heartache of having a diamond fall out of your ring and having to take on the expense of replacing it, buy your diamond ring from SuperJeweler. Our Lifetime Guarantee protects you from the loss of a diamond and ensures our skilled craftsmen will repair it, then return it to you as good as or better than before. The Lifetime Guarantee includes replacing any side diamond or gemstone during your lifetime and replacing the center gemstone or diamond during the first year of ownership.

Instead of shopping for a jeweler, getting quotes, and agonizing over choosing a diamond, SuperJeweler will do all repairs, select a diamond of the same quality as the missing stone, and clean and polish the ring, returning it to you in just a few weeks. The SuperJeweler Guarantee takes the sting out of losing the diamond from your ring. Shop our impressive selection of diamond rings today!