Appleby I think your thread highlights issues that forum members may not be aware of so don't ever worry about posting "negative" comments. By doing so, you've probably helped others who haven't been aware of the durability of some jewellery.
Pepsidoodle - just a word on durability of jewellery. Just as in most things in life, jewellery has different types of durability! The things to look for are:-
1. The type of setting i.e. glue, claw, post, claw, tension, bar, bezel, pave etc etc; Some need less attention than others and will be more robust. Some protect gemstones, others expose them so they're more prone to damage.
2. Whether you've had or want to have the item resized - despite what some companies say, some items
cannot be resized otherwise it can compromise the settings of the gemstones. Unfortunately, presenters are not always informed and presenters often say something can be resized when clearly it can't. When you've been collecting for a long time (especially if you need items resizing) you get to know what can and can't be resized safely.
3. The type of metal used. All types of gold are generally durable if they have a decent gram weight to the item. If the piece is light then of course it'll be more prone to bending, snapping etc. White gold is
normally rhodium plated over the gold to give the piece a nice white finish. This can wear off over time and may need re-rhodiuming (if that's a word)! Unfortunately, there's no way to tell if your item will stay bright white and how long for. Generally most items will last a good few years if you wear them every day. Sometimes they yellow more quickly, sometimes not at all! Platinum on the other hand is very durable and the only thing you may need to do is have your item polished occasionally as it does scratch. Other than that, it's a good metal to buy - and has dropped considerably in price in the past couple of weeks - BUY BUY BUY!
4. Lastly (and I'm sure there's tons more to think of but it's early on a Sunday), the actual gemstone will have a "hardness". Gemstones are rated on a 1-10 scale. 10 being the hardest (diamond). However, the scale is not relative because no.1 is talc! So a number 5 doesn't mean that it's pretty durable. In fact, in jewellery terms, a gemstone with a 5 rating is very soft and not suitable for everyday wear - if I remember correctly Apatite (a beautiful gemstone) is a 5 and really should only be worn as a pendant or earrings but I have several rings and am very careful when I wear them.
Tanzanite is 7.5 and is considered a fragile(ish) stone. It is susceptible to thermal shock (i.e. changes in temperature) and also can crack and fracture if knocked. In a protective setting however Tanzanite is safe to wear - definitely not when washing hands - and not every day. Generally speaking, for everyday wear, diamonds, sapphires and rubies are probably the gemstones that will take the most punishment but you can still damage them.
If in doubt, don't put any jewellery near water or in a sonic cleaner UNLESS you've researched it before and know it'll be ok.
Even diamonds can chip, crack and fracture. I know somebody who caught her 2ct princess cut diamond in the car door and split it almost in two :11:
So basically, treat all jewellery with care! (Oh and buy enough so that you don't have to wear the same piece every day :32
Apologies for the long post but I hope that helps.