Buying expensive jewelry already comes with risk. Pieces can get lost, stolen, or damaged over time. But what most people don’t expect is for a professional jeweler to ruin a ring during a routine resizing.
That’s the situation one woman in Atlanta says she found herself in after bringing her David Yurman ring to Kay Jewelers.
Did Kay Jewelers destroy her ring during a resizing job?
TikTok creator Caitlin (@caitlinjanell) shared her experience in a storytime video that has since gotten more than 89,000 views.
First, she explains she recently needed her $1,200 ring she got at luxury jewelry brand, David Yurman, resized.
“I live about 90 minutes away from the closest David Yurman, so I figured Kay would be fine for something simple,” she says. The task was pretty simple: just size the ring down one size. She dropped it off, paid the fee, and expected to pick it up a couple of weeks later.
Instead, things went sideways.
‘The rings are actually hollow’
According to Caitlin, two weeks after she left her ring, Kay Jewelers called with bad news.
“They told me the machine they use isn’t good for David Yurman because the rings are actually hollow on the inside,” she said. Staff told her they’d be sending it to another location with a different machine.
Another week passed before the worst update came. “They called to say my ring was completely destroyed. It was burned up, and I don’t have a ring anymore,” Caitlin recalled.
The store allegedly told her she could use the $1,200 value toward a purchase in their store. But Caitlin wasn’t interested. “I bought that ring for a reason. It’s sentimental,” she said, noting she picked it up while traveling.
To make matters worse, she claims one employee brushed off the issue, saying David Yurman jewelry is “overpriced” and just about the name. “That really irritated me,” Caitlin said. “I just wanted my ring back, or for them to replace it.”
Dealing with corporate
Her situation was escalated to corporate, where Caitlin says she dealt with a representative named Kayla. The back-and-forth was frustrating. Calls weren’t returned, and when Caitlin finally got in touch, she says Kayla pushed her toward store credit again.
“She basically tried to gaslight me into thinking it was my fault for bringing a Yurman ring to Kay,” Caitlin said. “If I’d known they couldn’t handle it, I would have driven up to Atlanta to the Yurman store myself.”
Caitlin also said she started hearing from others with similar stories, customers who alleged pieces were returned, swapped out, or altered after service.
There’s an update
In a follow-up video, Caitlin explained that corporate finally made an offer. She would receive an $85 refund for the resizing fee and a check for $1,115. Still, that left her out the original $85 she had already spent. “So I’m still out money,” she said. “They aren’t negotiating, and they’re being extremely rude. I just want to be done with them.”
Caitlin added that she picked up the refund but is still waiting for the check. “I would urge all of you to spend your money somewhere else,” she told viewers. “Shop local. I learned my lesson.”
Kay Jewelers’ reputation
Her story isn’t the first time Kay Jewelers has faced scrutiny. Across Reddit threads, users complain about the store’s pricing and quality, with some saying similar pieces can be bought for far less elsewhere.
On Yelp, the company holds a 2.6-star rating out of 5, based on nearly 5,000 reviews. Reactions are mixed—some customers praise helpful staff, while others accuse the chain of poor service and low-quality products.
Commenters are furious
Users in the comments section were enraged.
“Pick out a $5,000 ring on their website, sell it online, and use the money to buy yourself another Yurman,” one suggested.
Another wrote, “How are you supposed to know they don’t take David Yurman rings when their own employees don’t even know?”
@caitlinjanell POV: You trusted Kay Jewelers with your precious David Yurman ring and instantly regretted it ? What should have been a simple service turned into my worst nightmare. Always research where you take your luxury jewelry, y'all! Learn from my mistake ? @Kay Jewelers @David Yurman #KayJewelers #DavidYurman #JewelryFail #LuxuryJewelry #JewelryRepair ♬ original sound – Caitlin.
Others recommended legal action. “Have a lawyer send a demand letter. They’ll change their tune real quick,” one person said.
Another added, “I had a friend take her ring to Kay and they changed the color of her diamonds. I think they switched them out.”
The Mary Sue has reached out to Signet Jewelers, the parent company of Kay Jewelers, for comment. We’ve also contacted Caitlin through TikTok direct messages.
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