Damaged/Defective Murano glass?
Jan 29th, 2006, 08:28 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 258
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Damaged/Defective Murano glass?
Re-posting this after accidentally putting it under United States....
Obviously I'm going to contact the manufacturer directly, but not right now as it's Sunday night, and I'm really freaking out right now so I thought I would vent and get some input.
Just returned from a quick visit to Venice; on Friday we took the vaporetto out to Murano, and in one studio I absolutely fell in love with this magical pendant and necklace. (Note, this was not in one of "those" shops, rather, it was a private studio of someone who is a real master in their field.) Anyway, their work can sell for several thousand dollars but as the highlight of this necklace was a fairly small pendant (about 2 inches) it was "only" about 300 euros. That may not sound like a lot to some people, but I've never spent that much on a piece of jewelry other than my wedding ring in my life, but like I said, the piece was heavenly, and after spending time watching the man work, and learning about his family and the "specialness" of what he does, I just felt really connected to it, if that makes any sense.
Anyway, I purchased the necklace, and wore it the next day (my birthday). It was cold, so I had several layers on, and the necklace was usually underneath 1 or 2 of these layers. But I admired it periodically throughout the day, when we were de-coated.
We went out for dinner; the waiter took my coat, all was well; at a mid-meal potty break I noted the pendant again in the mirror (I know I'm sounding so vain but I loooooooove this piece!). About 10 minutes later I absentmindedly reached up and touched the pendant and my heart sank. A piece had broken off (hard to describe, but this piece is carved and polished in an abstract pattern, and an area that sort of came to a long ridge was/is sheared off(about 1-2 mm wide and maybe 3 cm long, 1-2 mm deep)
I mean, it's still pretty, and it's wearable, but the magical perfection of it now has this big ugly "scar". I *know* I did nothing to cause this but wear it; I didn't hit it against anything, wasn't wearing any other jewelry that would have knocked against it.
And I don't know what I want done about it. (money back? have the artist play with it to try to re-make it into something else? at least blunt the sharp edges? take it back? discount?)
Like I said, I'm freaking out, but my husband tells me that it is a piece of jewelry as well as art and that it should be expected to hold up to being worn to a birthday dinner. Still, I feel like I ruined a piece of magic and paid 300 euros to do it
I'm not going to mention the name of the artist because I don't want to make it sound like "this person makes expensive stuff that breaks right away;" I'm sure it's something that "just happens" with glass like this but I don't know whether he will stand behind it or throw up his hands and tell me "that's too bad"
I've taken photographs, and I plan to call the studio tomorrow, but like I said, I don't know what I'm going to say.
Very sad
Carrie
Obviously I'm going to contact the manufacturer directly, but not right now as it's Sunday night, and I'm really freaking out right now so I thought I would vent and get some input.
Just returned from a quick visit to Venice; on Friday we took the vaporetto out to Murano, and in one studio I absolutely fell in love with this magical pendant and necklace. (Note, this was not in one of "those" shops, rather, it was a private studio of someone who is a real master in their field.) Anyway, their work can sell for several thousand dollars but as the highlight of this necklace was a fairly small pendant (about 2 inches) it was "only" about 300 euros. That may not sound like a lot to some people, but I've never spent that much on a piece of jewelry other than my wedding ring in my life, but like I said, the piece was heavenly, and after spending time watching the man work, and learning about his family and the "specialness" of what he does, I just felt really connected to it, if that makes any sense.
Anyway, I purchased the necklace, and wore it the next day (my birthday). It was cold, so I had several layers on, and the necklace was usually underneath 1 or 2 of these layers. But I admired it periodically throughout the day, when we were de-coated.
We went out for dinner; the waiter took my coat, all was well; at a mid-meal potty break I noted the pendant again in the mirror (I know I'm sounding so vain but I loooooooove this piece!). About 10 minutes later I absentmindedly reached up and touched the pendant and my heart sank. A piece had broken off (hard to describe, but this piece is carved and polished in an abstract pattern, and an area that sort of came to a long ridge was/is sheared off(about 1-2 mm wide and maybe 3 cm long, 1-2 mm deep)
I mean, it's still pretty, and it's wearable, but the magical perfection of it now has this big ugly "scar". I *know* I did nothing to cause this but wear it; I didn't hit it against anything, wasn't wearing any other jewelry that would have knocked against it.
And I don't know what I want done about it. (money back? have the artist play with it to try to re-make it into something else? at least blunt the sharp edges? take it back? discount?)
Like I said, I'm freaking out, but my husband tells me that it is a piece of jewelry as well as art and that it should be expected to hold up to being worn to a birthday dinner. Still, I feel like I ruined a piece of magic and paid 300 euros to do it
I'm not going to mention the name of the artist because I don't want to make it sound like "this person makes expensive stuff that breaks right away;" I'm sure it's something that "just happens" with glass like this but I don't know whether he will stand behind it or throw up his hands and tell me "that's too bad"
I've taken photographs, and I plan to call the studio tomorrow, but like I said, I don't know what I'm going to say.
Very sadCarrie
Jan 29th, 2006, 08:40 AM
#2
Reposting, although you have several replies on the US one as well!
++++++++++++
Call them and tell them exactly what you said here.
I asked my daughter- who blows glass- what could have caused this.
She said if there was a speck of sand in the piece, it could cause it to pop off without much other than some body heat.
Your piece may have had a very small, almost invisible defect. The artist will know this.
The big question will be if you want them to fix it or try to make another. Another one will not be identical, but at least you won't feel as though it is damaged.
You can try to smooth the sharp edges yourself by using vey fine wet sandpaper.
I'll be curious how the artist deals with you on this. That will say more about them as a business than how pretty their pieces are.
Good luck. What a disappointing end to a fun visit!
++++++++++++
Call them and tell them exactly what you said here.
I asked my daughter- who blows glass- what could have caused this.
She said if there was a speck of sand in the piece, it could cause it to pop off without much other than some body heat.
Your piece may have had a very small, almost invisible defect. The artist will know this.
The big question will be if you want them to fix it or try to make another. Another one will not be identical, but at least you won't feel as though it is damaged.
You can try to smooth the sharp edges yourself by using vey fine wet sandpaper.
I'll be curious how the artist deals with you on this. That will say more about them as a business than how pretty their pieces are.
Good luck. What a disappointing end to a fun visit!
Jan 29th, 2006, 09:31 AM
#4
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,642
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Good luck! I hope it works out. I have a Murano glass necklace I purchased in Paris several years ago and it's still fine, despite some clumsy handling. FYI, I broke the strand two years ago, spilling some of the beads, and a shop near the Porte de Namur in Brussels did a nice (and inexpensive) job repairing it.
Jan 29th, 2006, 10:30 AM
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,298
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'll be curious to see how the artist deals with this. I think you're going to have a tough time sending it back.
A friend of mine bought a vase in Murano and had it shipped ( she paid around $2,000 for this vase!). When she received it the vase was completly different and ugly! She tried talking to them on the phone to no avail. They pretended they didn't speak any english. She finally sent it back with a letter explaining it wasn't the vase she had purchased and it came back undeliverable because of import taxes or something like that( I think the company in Venice would have had to pay some sort of tax to get it out of customs).
I think she is still battling with her CC company to get her money back.
Good luck!
A friend of mine bought a vase in Murano and had it shipped ( she paid around $2,000 for this vase!). When she received it the vase was completly different and ugly! She tried talking to them on the phone to no avail. They pretended they didn't speak any english. She finally sent it back with a letter explaining it wasn't the vase she had purchased and it came back undeliverable because of import taxes or something like that( I think the company in Venice would have had to pay some sort of tax to get it out of customs).
I think she is still battling with her CC company to get her money back.
Good luck!
Jan 29th, 2006, 10:58 AM
#6
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,134
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Too bad you didn't get to go back to the artist right after it happened.
Have you contacted your credit card company? You don't have much leverage now that you are back home (if you are). Try phoning the artist, he should stand behind his work.
Let us know.
Have you contacted your credit card company? You don't have much leverage now that you are back home (if you are). Try phoning the artist, he should stand behind his work.
Let us know.
Jan 29th, 2006, 11:28 AM
#7
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,849
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
LSUvetgirl,
Please keep us informed of how this works out. I am interested in how the glass artist deals with this.
My wife is a glass artist, and I can tell you that making glass jewelry is truly an art, as much as a science. Even with careful annealing of the piece there can be reidual stresses left between different kinds of glass, and between the main body of the piece and portions that are fused to its surface later.
The artist may tell you that such things are inherent in glass art, and that you have to accept the risk that is inherent in "one Off" pieces. Stained glass artists almost always caution their clients that they can expect tiny cracks to appear in large panels because of unrelieved stresses.
From your description, it sounds as if a decoration that had been applied to the pendant had not completely fused to the main piece during a secondary firing.
On the other hand, I'm sure my wife would take the other tack, i.e., that she would try to make right any flaw that was not the result of an accident or rough handling. I'm quite sure that she would ask you to return the piece and she would try to re-fire the pendant to attempt to fuse on a new decoration to replace the part that had popped off.
Failing that, perhaps a real artist who takes pride in her work would feel obliged to make you a new pendant.
My wife just told me she would love to see your pendant. If you could send us a picture we would appreciate it. My email address is [email protected].
Hope this turns out well for you.
Please keep us informed of how this works out. I am interested in how the glass artist deals with this.
My wife is a glass artist, and I can tell you that making glass jewelry is truly an art, as much as a science. Even with careful annealing of the piece there can be reidual stresses left between different kinds of glass, and between the main body of the piece and portions that are fused to its surface later.
The artist may tell you that such things are inherent in glass art, and that you have to accept the risk that is inherent in "one Off" pieces. Stained glass artists almost always caution their clients that they can expect tiny cracks to appear in large panels because of unrelieved stresses.
From your description, it sounds as if a decoration that had been applied to the pendant had not completely fused to the main piece during a secondary firing.
On the other hand, I'm sure my wife would take the other tack, i.e., that she would try to make right any flaw that was not the result of an accident or rough handling. I'm quite sure that she would ask you to return the piece and she would try to re-fire the pendant to attempt to fuse on a new decoration to replace the part that had popped off.
Failing that, perhaps a real artist who takes pride in her work would feel obliged to make you a new pendant.
My wife just told me she would love to see your pendant. If you could send us a picture we would appreciate it. My email address is [email protected].
Hope this turns out well for you.
Jan 29th, 2006, 12:00 PM
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 258
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I would have gone straight to the shop; unfortunately, this happened on Saturday night, and we left Venice this morning (the store is closed on Sunday anyway so it wouldn't have helped.) I live in Belgium; not sure if that will make the process easier or not. I also have a little bit of optimism because there was an apprentice in the shop that was extremely friendly and spoke excellent English; hopefully she can act as my go-between.
I just e-mailed you a link to some pictures, Richard. I'd love to hear what your wife thinks.
Thanks everyone for their input, I will post follow-up when I have any.
I spoke with my aunt who is also a glass maker (she makes fused glass) and she said that some stress lines may not show up until exposed to certain temperature changes and that wearing the necklace outside and then coming inside the restaurant, if it had never been out of the studio before, could cause a fracture. she also said that *she* would make the situation right but it's all about how customer-service oriented the artist is. We shall see.
Carrie
I just e-mailed you a link to some pictures, Richard. I'd love to hear what your wife thinks.
Thanks everyone for their input, I will post follow-up when I have any.
I spoke with my aunt who is also a glass maker (she makes fused glass) and she said that some stress lines may not show up until exposed to certain temperature changes and that wearing the necklace outside and then coming inside the restaurant, if it had never been out of the studio before, could cause a fracture. she also said that *she* would make the situation right but it's all about how customer-service oriented the artist is. We shall see.
Carrie
Jan 29th, 2006, 12:32 PM
#9
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,849
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Carrie,
The link to the pictures has not shown up on my email as yet. Did you send it to:
[email protected]?
The link to the pictures has not shown up on my email as yet. Did you send it to:
[email protected]?
Jan 30th, 2006, 12:39 AM
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 258
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Richard:
I used the correct e-mail address; perhaps the photo attachment caused problems (it's kind of large to show detail). So I just sent you another e-mail with just a link to a web site where you can see some lower resolution pictures. Let me know if it comes through.
Carrie
I used the correct e-mail address; perhaps the photo attachment caused problems (it's kind of large to show detail). So I just sent you another e-mail with just a link to a web site where you can see some lower resolution pictures. Let me know if it comes through.
Carrie
Jan 30th, 2006, 05:12 AM
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 258
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I did call the shop this afternoon. It was very difficult to convey over the phone what had happened to the necklace, so I sent pictures via e-mail, but they won't be able to look at them until later. Even though they couldn't give any explanation of what happened, they seemed very set to "make it right" somehow, so I will wait and see what the options are after they have seen the piece. I do love it, and if it can be fixed that would certainly be my preference, so we shall see.
Thanks everyone for their input!
Another push for buying your souvenirs early in the trip! If this had happened a day earlier I could have taken it straight back to the shop!
Carrie
Thanks everyone for their input!
Another push for buying your souvenirs early in the trip! If this had happened a day earlier I could have taken it straight back to the shop!
Carrie
Jan 30th, 2006, 06:01 AM
#12
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,390
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Carrie
Last year I spent $1600 for some plumbing repairs. It later became clear that the plumber (knowingly) overstated the extent of the problem, and that perhaps only half of these repairs were necessary. For some reason the buyer sense I normally exhibit when dealing with travel suppliers (research alternatives, check to see if the market at large agrees with a given vendor's assessment etc.) went out the window when dealing with the nebulous (to me, anyway) world of plumbing contractors. The lesson I learned is to be ever vigilant of how emotions can affect one's buying decisions (in my case, being intimidated by things mechanical; possibly the thrill of the trip in yours.)
I'm telling you this story in the hope you will feel better about your own experience. To wit, like me, I suspect most of the value of your purchase is going to be in the learning experience, not in the value of goods or services received.
I don't think it would have made any difference if you had bought earlier in the trip. This would have no bearing on whether the shop was willing to honour any kind of implied, as opposed to written, warranty. As for the credit card company option, this generally works only if you contracted for something you didn't actually receive, or if any included (written) warranty on the good or service wasn't honoured. Unless you have a contracted, in-writing warranty on your receipt, you might be out of luck.
I'm hoping my assessment of your situation is unduly pessimistic. Otherwise, welcome to the Lessons Learned, Ouch to the Wallet club.
Last year I spent $1600 for some plumbing repairs. It later became clear that the plumber (knowingly) overstated the extent of the problem, and that perhaps only half of these repairs were necessary. For some reason the buyer sense I normally exhibit when dealing with travel suppliers (research alternatives, check to see if the market at large agrees with a given vendor's assessment etc.) went out the window when dealing with the nebulous (to me, anyway) world of plumbing contractors. The lesson I learned is to be ever vigilant of how emotions can affect one's buying decisions (in my case, being intimidated by things mechanical; possibly the thrill of the trip in yours.)
I'm telling you this story in the hope you will feel better about your own experience. To wit, like me, I suspect most of the value of your purchase is going to be in the learning experience, not in the value of goods or services received.
I don't think it would have made any difference if you had bought earlier in the trip. This would have no bearing on whether the shop was willing to honour any kind of implied, as opposed to written, warranty. As for the credit card company option, this generally works only if you contracted for something you didn't actually receive, or if any included (written) warranty on the good or service wasn't honoured. Unless you have a contracted, in-writing warranty on your receipt, you might be out of luck.
I'm hoping my assessment of your situation is unduly pessimistic. Otherwise, welcome to the Lessons Learned, Ouch to the Wallet club.
Jan 30th, 2006, 07:42 AM
#13
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,849
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
LSUvetgirl,
The link you sent me did not arrive. Could you please send it to my wife's URL? It is: [email protected].
Thanks,
The link you sent me did not arrive. Could you please send it to my wife's URL? It is: [email protected].
Thanks,
Jan 30th, 2006, 08:18 AM
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 258
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ok, I sent a link again but I will just go ahead and post it here:
Pictures from different angles are compiled at
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...&y=-mof78b
Of course the two lines have to go together.....never have figured out how to post hyperlinks outside of fodors.com......
Pictures from different angles are compiled at
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...&y=-mof78b
Of course the two lines have to go together.....never have figured out how to post hyperlinks outside of fodors.com......
