- Joined
- Nov 25, 2007
- Messages
- 9,295
This is really meant for anyone who will one day wear a Coast Guard Academy ring (or already wears a Coast Guard Academy ring).
Your ring is going to get some nice dings in it. I didn't wear my ring MUCH on my cutter, but I did make a come-back when I got to CGHQ, and I continued to wear it after I got out.
Your ring has a life-time warranty with Jostens. What that means, I'm not quite sure. My ring is a satin-finish, 14k gold ring, with diamond dividers and a genuine sapphire stone. Josten's does not replace genuine stones.
Over the years my ring has seen its share of bumps and bruises. Over the recent Labor Day weekend, while swimming in my aunt's pool, as I was about to get out and dry off, I looked down and realized my sapphire had come out. I got a pair of goggles and found the stone at the bottom of the pool (lucky me).
I wouldn't usually talk "money" but anyone ordering an academy class ring will become familiar with the cost of that priceless item.
I sent my ring and stone off the next Tuesday to have the stone re-set. I had a jewelry policy with USAA, for $5,000. I would eventually find out that the policy is $5000, but won't cover a single item over $2,500. No problem, I told myself, my ring is worth less than $2,500. In 2004 when I ordered my class ring, the gold was maybe $300-$600. The sapphire (I originally had granite, but it cracked in half, so I went with a harder saphhire replacement) was $1,200. The diamond dividers were either $50 or $100. No matter how I sliced it, still less than $2,500. And I had a nice Omega watch covered under the other half of that policy.
Well, upon calling Jostens, I discovered the price of my ring had really gone up in 10 years. Now just the gold part of the ring was $1,475. And then there's everything else, $25 for the satin finish, $125 for the diamond dividers and the kicker, $3,500 for the sapphire.... for a total of $5,140.
The sapphire that fell out had a tiny chip on the edge in into the underside of it. To replace the stone would have exceded my insurance by $1,000.
Luckily, after the ring was delivered to Jostons in Minnesota, the academy account person said she thought the ring could be re-set (no replacement stone needed). I told her that was ideal. I was OK with the chip in the stone. Each ding, each dent and each chip adds character to your ring. In 40 years, my ring may look pretty nasty, but some of those dings will have sea stories with them.
So my sage advice: embrace your ugly ring.
And my very real advice, every now and then, see if your ring's value has changed. I did not expect such an increase, and now I'm planning on updating my insurance coverage. There are many things you can have insured that will likely never need a claim, jewelry is not one of them. Make sure the value of that expensive piece of eye candy is covered.
Your ring is going to get some nice dings in it. I didn't wear my ring MUCH on my cutter, but I did make a come-back when I got to CGHQ, and I continued to wear it after I got out.
Your ring has a life-time warranty with Jostens. What that means, I'm not quite sure. My ring is a satin-finish, 14k gold ring, with diamond dividers and a genuine sapphire stone. Josten's does not replace genuine stones.
Over the years my ring has seen its share of bumps and bruises. Over the recent Labor Day weekend, while swimming in my aunt's pool, as I was about to get out and dry off, I looked down and realized my sapphire had come out. I got a pair of goggles and found the stone at the bottom of the pool (lucky me).
I wouldn't usually talk "money" but anyone ordering an academy class ring will become familiar with the cost of that priceless item.
I sent my ring and stone off the next Tuesday to have the stone re-set. I had a jewelry policy with USAA, for $5,000. I would eventually find out that the policy is $5000, but won't cover a single item over $2,500. No problem, I told myself, my ring is worth less than $2,500. In 2004 when I ordered my class ring, the gold was maybe $300-$600. The sapphire (I originally had granite, but it cracked in half, so I went with a harder saphhire replacement) was $1,200. The diamond dividers were either $50 or $100. No matter how I sliced it, still less than $2,500. And I had a nice Omega watch covered under the other half of that policy.
Well, upon calling Jostens, I discovered the price of my ring had really gone up in 10 years. Now just the gold part of the ring was $1,475. And then there's everything else, $25 for the satin finish, $125 for the diamond dividers and the kicker, $3,500 for the sapphire.... for a total of $5,140.
The sapphire that fell out had a tiny chip on the edge in into the underside of it. To replace the stone would have exceded my insurance by $1,000.
Luckily, after the ring was delivered to Jostons in Minnesota, the academy account person said she thought the ring could be re-set (no replacement stone needed). I told her that was ideal. I was OK with the chip in the stone. Each ding, each dent and each chip adds character to your ring. In 40 years, my ring may look pretty nasty, but some of those dings will have sea stories with them.
So my sage advice: embrace your ugly ring.
And my very real advice, every now and then, see if your ring's value has changed. I did not expect such an increase, and now I'm planning on updating my insurance coverage. There are many things you can have insured that will likely never need a claim, jewelry is not one of them. Make sure the value of that expensive piece of eye candy is covered.
