Kay Jewelers
Lost my engagement ring

For our 15 year wedding anniversary on Sept. 20th my husband and I went to Kay Jewelers in Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, MD and picked out a new setting for my original diamond. We were told we could only get the price we negotiated for the new setting on October 18 - their "big one day sale". We gave a deposit for the setting and were asked to leave my diamond engagement ring that day but it would have been sitting there for a month and I was uncomfortable with that so we agreed I would bring it back on Monday October 13th so it could be put into the new setting for pick up on the 18th.

When I brought the ring in on Oct. 13, I questioned the woman in the store taking the ring as to what their procedures were for tracking the ring and she repeatedly assured me that they never lose anything. She was not going to give me anything in writing in exchange for taking the ring but I made her write up a handwritten note on my original receipt in the presence of another employee stating the date and value of the ring.

To make a long story short, I was notified Friday night before I was supposed to pick up the new setting that they lost the ring. We went into the store on Saturday morning and they tried to give me a replacement and coax me to sign a general release. My original ring had a lot of sentimental value and this was a major purchase for us after 15 years of marriage. The store is offering us a replacement ring ONLY of "equal" value - nothing to compensate for sentimental value. I DO have the certification papers on the original diamond. It was relatively small -. 635 but a G, SI1, rated very good.

Not only am I truly upset about the loss of our original engagement ring, but the store just wants me to walk out with a diamond they claim is equal value and that's that - I'm supposed to trust that they are giving me something comparable??? I haven't signed anything, nor did I sign anything when I left the ring.

I've since found out that the store later filled in the slip that was supposed to accompany the ring which does state at the bottom that if anything happens they would replace it with an item of equal value. However, I did NOT sign that since the girl that took the ring on the 13th didn't fill the paperwork in.

Does anyone have any legal advice for me? If it's possible, I would like at the minimum to make them pay me the value of the ring so I can shop elsewhere. Not to mention that the ring I have worn everyday for 15 years is now lost and that has no value to them. One thing is for sure - every kiss does not begin with Kay in this house.

Company: Kay Jewelers
Country: USA
State: Maryland
City: Bethesda
Address: Montgomery Mall
Phone: 3014696524

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