Warranty, Care & Insuring Your Ben Garelick Jewelry
There is a reason Ben Garelick has been a trusted source for fine jewelry in Buffalo, New York, since 1952. We’ve provided generations of families with the highest quality gemstones, metals, and craftsmanship that have kept them coming back and telling their friends. With our online expansion, we now serve customers all over the world who are looking for that perfect diamond engagement ring, an anniversary gift, or beautifully designed piece of fine jewelry that simply tells someone how much you care. Our commitment to our customers has always set us apart from competitors and we’ve outlined how some of those commitments can apply to your purchases.
Ben Garelick & Designer Warranties
At Ben Garelick we pride ourselves on offering the best quality jewelry made by famous designers that value quality and their reputation as much as we do. Once in a great while, a piece gets past its multiple inspections with an un-noticed defect or workmanship problem. When that rare occasion happens, we will make it right as quickly as possible.
What our warranty includes:
- Manufacturing defects and workmanship issues for 6 month after delivery to you.
- Warranty offered by our designers, based on your applicable purchase. These offers vary by designer but are often limited lifetime warranties
What our warranty excludes:
- Normal inclusions in diamonds and other gems
- Products that have been damaged from neglect or abuse
- Not keeping up with your 6-month checkup & cleaning routine at Ben Garelick or your reputable local jeweler - see jewelry checks below
- Intentional removal of stones
Get Additional Coverage with our Care Plan
Gain peace of mind by purchasing additional coverage with a Care Plan by Jewelers Mutual. Coverage is offered in 3-year or lifetime policies. Policies start at only $15 and vary depending on the value of the item purchased.
If you are purchasing a Care Plan online and you do not live locally, you can have your jewelry repaired under the Care Plan by your local Jeweler's Mutual jeweler. Jewelers Mutual works with jewelers in all 50 states and if for some reason, you do not have a local jeweler that works with Jewelers Mutual, you will receive a pre-paid label to send your jewelry either to Ben Garelick or directly to Jewelers Mutual to have your item repaired. Jewelers Mutual will cover shipping both ways.
Below are the benefits of coverage with the purchase of a Care Plan:
Below are the benefits of a Care Plan coverage :
- Covers damage from normal wear
- Goes beyond a typical manufacturer’s warranty
- Repair or replacement available
- Easy, no-fault claims process
- Fast and efficient service and repair
- Transferable upon request
What a Care Plan covers:
- Ring re-sizing
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Rhodium plating
- Refinishing and polishing
- Loss of center & side diamonds or gemstones due to defective, worn, bent, or broken setting.
- Broken, bent or worn prongs
- Cracked or thinning band or shank
Caring For Your Ben Garelick Jewelry
Jewelry, especially rings that are worn daily, do eventually show signs of normal wear and tear. The metal prongs and channels that hold the diamonds can be pushed out of place and wear down. Diamonds and other gems can chip and crack. There are things you can do to protect your jewelry:
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Take it off. Take your jewelry off in a variety of circumstances including:
- When you are using chemicals like bleach, ammonia or peroxide. Also, avoid wearing your jewelry in swimming pools and hot tubs. Chlorine is not good for gold or platinum.
- Take your jewelry off when you go to the gym, especially when you weight train. The pressure on your ring can push it out of round, and deform the settings that are holding your diamonds in place.
- When applying makeup and hair products.
- When you sleep. It's easier than you think to pull a prong, lose an earring back, strain a bracelet or tangle a chain while you sleep. Make putting your jewelry on part of your morning routine, and taking it off part of your bedtime routine.
- Clean your jewelry frequently, the right way! Don't follow questionable internet advice for homemade concoctions. Use an inexpensive, gentle jewelry cleaning solution. Better yet, drop into Ben Garelick if you are nearby and let us clean it for you, free. For more tips about cleaning your jewelry at home, read our blog here.
- Change care by jewelry item. It's important to remember that different gems require different care. For example, tanzanite, emeralds, pearls, and opals can all easily be damaged if not cared for and cleaned properly. If you have any questions about caring for and cleaning a special gem we suggest you follow the expert advice at the GIA. They offer comprehensive cleaning information here.
- Maintain regular jewelry checks at Ben Garelick. Have your jewelry, especially your rings, cleaned and checked regularly. We recommend at least once every six months. If possible have it checked here at Ben Garelick for free! If you are too far away, find a reputable, preferably independent, jeweler to check your jewelry. The prongs and channels that hold your gems in place should be checked to be sure that they aren't worn or bent, and your stones should be checked for cracks and chips. If caught early repairing metal damage is fairly inexpensive, left too long you risk losing your stones and higher repair costs. Our favorite way to remember to have your jewelry checked is to do it the same day or week you visit your dentist for your routine cleaning and check-up.
Insuring Your Jewelry
We don't sell Jewelry Insurance, but we do insure our jewelry, and strongly recommend you do the same. Most homeowner’s insurance policies only cover jewelry at a maximum of $1500. That means if your $10,000 engagement ring is stolen they will only replace $1500 of the cost. For around $1 to $2 per $100 replacement cost, you can insure your engagement ring or other fine jewelry. Find a local insurance agent you trust and schedule a time to meet with them to discuss your jewelry insurance needs. Find out if your policy covers gems from your jewelry pieces that may be lost. Still unsure who to choose, we highly recommend insuring through Jeweler’s Mutual, as they also cover future repairs down the road. You can get a direct quote for Jeweler’s Mutual here.
Chat With Us About Any Questions!
If you have any questions about our warranty, the warranty of any of our designers, or about caring for or insuring your diamond engagement ring or other fine jewelry purchase, don’t hesitate to reach out to us by phone[(716) 631-1584], text [(716) 574-0966], or our online chat. Our jewelry experts will answer all of your questions and explain any of our policies in more detail.