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!
Hello Thomas,
My engagement and wedding band will not come off. A bump of skin has formed between the rings and knuckle making it nearly impossible to remove. I had stopped wearing it a couple of months ago since I noticed it was getting tighter and more difficult to remove. I was hoping the bump would go down. I put the ring on last night and I am now unable to remove it at all. I tried various things, lotions, cold water, Windex, etc. I have yet to try the dental floss method but I might try that one tonight. Today I called a trusted jeweler about having the ring cut off. He said he had the means to do it and that it would not harm the ring because to resize it, they have to cut it anyway. I went into his store and he took one look at it and said that he couldn't cut the rings without damaging them. My engagement ring has a double row of invisibily set princess cut diamonds on each side of the 1 carat stone (the wedding band is a single row of invisibly set diamonds). He said if he cut the ring(s), they would be ruined because they generally make a cut, and then bend the ring outward for removal from finger. This would cause the invisibly set diamonds to pop out and he said they can't fix them then. He took a closer look to see if he could make 2 cuts, but he said it would still damage the ring. I told him I'd wait for cooler weather to come and then hopefully I can take the rings off then.
Let's suppose I am eventually able to remove these rings from my finger. Will I be able to have them resized? If so, how can they be resized if they have to cut the ring anyway to resize it? Won't the diamonds pop out?
I am wondering if I should try another jeweler to have it cut off, or will they tell me the same thing. Am I stuck with a ring that can never be resized?
I am attaching a photo...it's not the greatest.
Thank you,
Diana
Diana, you should get an image with the answer. The explanation is in the text below.
Diana, invisible set diamonds are difficult to reset and each stone depends on contact with the next stone to stay in place. Depending on the method used, most are like tongue and groove tiles, fitting together and then held on the sides in a groove or perhaps with a channel over the edge. When one stone comes out, most often the next one to it will also be dislodged. And, princess cuts have square corners which makes movement of the stones difficult. Movement can happen with one stone against another if the band is bend enough to remove it from your finger. The contact with pressure can chip a diamond.
The simple sketch shows one method we use to try and prevent damage to the top of a ring. Round nose pliers are inserted and with the ring held steady on the finger, the pliers are twisted to bend a section of the lower band only. This done on both sides will often allow the ring to be moved off the finger. However, with a thick and stiff band or one which is hollowed out in the area of bending, the job does not go well or cannot be done comfortably with the client wearing the ring at the time.
Two cuts would be the way to go, with one on each side just below the stones. This should allow enough room for the rings to be removed. Then again, that removed portion of the ring shank(band) would need to be replaced.
To size the rings, your photo tells me this would not be an easy job. The band should be ok but the engagement ring will likely need to be oval and not rounded out. Assuming the ring comes off your finger in one piece, the ring would be cut and only the bottom part opened enough to make the ring larger or bent in enough to make the ring smaller. This bending will not be done to the top or stone set part of the ring. The result is a more oval ring. Actually, some folks tell me oval shapes actually fit the finger better. Anyway, that is one option.
Where I work we will resize some invisible set jewelry but if stones are on the sides we recommend the ring go back to where it was purchased. Why? If something goes wrong, getting the stones reset is costly and time consuming. And, that does not make for a happy customer. In some cases, it is better to turn down a job than to have it done at the customer's risk. Even if the customer accepts the risk, there is no way we can hand a ring back in pieces. We have to find a way to get the job done, unfortunately even if not the best. Sometimes, this means sending the ring to a company specializing in invisible set styles.
You should be able to have the rings resized if the size difference in not great. I suspect 1 size might be it, sight unseen.
The very best course if possible is to contact the place the rings were purchased in the first place and see what they can tell you about resizing or resetting any stones which might come out.
I do hope this helped somewhat.
Best wishes with the removal. The thread or dental floss method does work in many cases. Just do not overwork anything causing the finger to swell. If it does not come off on first try, give it time before trying again.
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