AboutThomas Expertise Have a question about jewelry repair or working with gold or silver jewelry and gemstones? I am a working professional bench jeweler, involved everyday with setting stones in mountings, designing and making jewelry, repairing and some custom manufacture. Over 30 years experience. If you work with jewelry as a hobby or as a profession, I might be able to help. I deal with the retail business, not mass production. Ask privately if you wish. See the box for that: It keeps your question between us. Please DO NOT ask MAKER'S MARKS, but metal quality marks are fine to ask. Please DO NOT ask diamond prices. See a gemologist for that.
Experience Education is English/Physics!Started in human resources, to advertising, to jewelry...wow, what a road. Now a jeweler for many years. I have had formal training in jewelry work and many shared experiences with top grade jewelers. We just never know were we will go or be. Follow your best, your dreams, with some discretion!
Expert: Thomas Date: 5/16/2008 Subject: bent prongs new head
Question You probably have already answered this before. If so I apologize! I had the head replaced on my engagement ring in January only to have the prongs bend in April and have my grandmother's diamond fall out and be lost. The question is, is there something I can do better to avoid this in the future? I have never had this happen before, (this was only the second time in 30 years that I had replaced the head) and was a bit upset that it happened so soon after the replacement of the head. Was something done incorrectly? Are there some tips for me so that I don't have it happen again? Of course, the insurance deductable pretty much ate up the replacement cost..
Thanks,Sue
Answer Dear Sue thanks for this question. Yes, I have been asked about lost stones and bent prongs before but you have no need to apologize. You have a question and need an answer and that is why I volunteer to do this work at allexperts.
I will start with a short story from where I work and this will be my apology for perhaps not being able to totally answer you question. Each spring a mother rabbit brings a baby bunny to where I work. Outside the business is a small island of a few trees, grass, junipers and some hedges. When the babies are large enough to start growing on their own, apparently the mothers take the little bunnies to different places to grow up. I suspect this is to help each survive and attract the least attention to the growing bunny.
Sometime while the bunny is quite small, we will see the mom come to visit. I wonder where she lives. Can I follow her home? No, that is a trail the rabbit knows and I do not. I could try to follow her and follow the bushes she would jump into and continue the chase. At the end I would be left on a trail and the rabbit would be gone. I cannot follow the rabbit trail because I do not know it. The rabbit wins.
Trying to say why the prong bent on your ring is similar. Without seeing the ring in these hands it is almost impossible to tell why the prong bent. I can suggest a few reasons and then it is up to you to check things out and see if something fits.
First, we have customers who totally abuse their jewelry. They beat it to death! : ) Since you went 30 years with no problems I suspect something else. Is this a 4 prong setting? Six prongs are more secure since if one is bent you still have 5 to help hold the stone in place against loss. Is the head yellow gold or white? Yellow is much softer than white and white is the best choice. (Most yellow gold rings with added heads use white gold prongs both for strength and for enhancing the color of the stone.) Are the prongs less heavy or thinner than in the previous head? Are the prong tips down securely on the stone or do some have air gaps between the prong tip and the crown (top) of the stone?
To see the air gaps, hold the ring with a light behind it and if you have magnification that will help. A raised prong or one not securely down on the stone is prone to catching and then perhaps bending.
You see, without seeing your ring beforehand and then following the ring around for the few days and the day the stone was lost, I cannot even guess what might have happened. What I have said in the previous paragraph outlines the most common reasons for a bent prong and stone loss: Yellow gold is softer and less strong. Thinner prongs bend easier than heavier one. A stone not very securely set and with gaps between the stone and prong tip is more likely to be caught and bent.
My suggestion is to have the head replaced…yikes..yes again! Use a white gold head and ask for a heavy style head. (These are only slightly thicker but that is what counts in strength.) Use a 6 prong head. Be certain when the ring is delivered to you that you take a good look with magnification to be certain there is not any space between the prong tip ends and the stone surface.
Sue, that is the answer. I know it is general in nature but covers most of it. You see, this rabbit is very hard to follow home.
