That is ring quantity two after failed alterations. Learn Kayleigh’s story
Kayleigh needed to set her diamond larger on her engagement ring. To have her ring prongs lengthened. It didn’t go nicely. She kindly shared her footage and her expertise. On this publish I wish to dive deeper into why lengthening her ring prongs didn’t work and why. Generally whenever you begin to mess along with your ring, it may be disappointing and costly.
Lower to the Chase?
If you wish to skip the story, scroll previous it to the part the place I give recommendations on having modifications made to your ring and prongs.
Beware the Urge to Lengthen Your Prongs
A part of the issue you hit when making a change to your ring is lack of understanding. In the event you don’t make jewellery you don’t know what can and can’t be achieved. That’s comprehensible I definitely don’t know what can and might’t be achieved to make my automotive sooner or quieter. In lots of situations you possibly can change issues in your life, like slicing your hair, or including hair extensions. However altering a hoop shouldn’t be really easy and a few modifications shouldn’t be made. There is no such thing as a method you’d know this. Let’s dive into Kayleigh’s story.
Elevating Up Kayleigh’s Diamond
That is Kayleigh’s engagement ring as she first acquired it upon her engagement.
Kayleigh is within the EU and all of those adventures occurred earlier than this e-mail and with jewelers I’ve by no means met. Right here is her first message to me, chopped up so as to add explanatory footage from her.
That is the ring after having her ring prongs lengthened. There at the moment are two bars between the prongs. That is known as the gallery.
Kayleigh-
“I made the silly mistake of getting my 950 platinum diamond engagement ring setting “raised” i.e. a jeweller added size to the prongs and added a hoop as an additional gallery on prime of the present gallery in order that the diamond would sit a fraction larger.”
Neat authentic engagement ring prongs on prime. Uneven lengthened prongs beneath.
“I hated the looks of the additional ring below the diamond and the prongs have been uneven and appeared so tough and untidy.”
Poorly set heart diamond on engagement ring, with catching prongs
When Kayleigh despatched me this image of the aspect view as I’d requested I used to be speechless. Not solely was her diamond at risk of falling out, however no sweater was secure. Even after the jeweler mounted this ridiculously terrible setting job Kayleigh wasn’t loving her worked-on ring. And with good purpose.
The reworked new prongs have an uneven, lumpy look. Additionally they are very massive trying on her diamond.
“After feeling horrible for ruining what was a fantastic ring to start with, with numerous sentimental worth, I needed to only have the ring reverted to the way in which it was earlier than. As I used to be involved with the standard of the work, that had been achieved. I spoke with one other jeweller for a second opinion to see if they might take away that additional little circle and lower the prongs again to authentic size and have the ideas again to a refined modern look as earlier than.”
“The second opinion jeweller stated it wasn’t a good suggestion to have the prongs lower shorter once more as because of the earlier work, this is able to weaken them and he was involved that the prongs can be at a a lot larger danger of breaking, and that I ought to have an entire new setting made for the ring. As this is essential to me, I believed most secure to hunt your opinion as nicely, as getting a brand new ring made can be upsetting because it’s not my authentic ring, but in addition extra pricey. I’ve hooked up earlier than and after images so you’ve gotten an concept of the work that was achieved.”
Casting Integrity and Why Patching Steel is Not a Good Thought
Right here is my response to Kayleigh –
“There is no such thing as a method you can have recognized that what you have been requesting and the way they have been going to execute it have been going to be a catastrophe in your ring. This specific jeweler might have thought that the answer that she or he did would, ‘get the job achieved.’ Properly yeah, they received the job achieved. However as you’ve gotten observed, the issue is that it’s not very aesthetic.
Worst case situation. No, I didn’t do that blobby prong work, however it occurs
Your authentic ring was forged with integrity. In that I imply all of the steel poured right into a steady mould easily and evenly. When you begin slicing and chopping steel, you get uneven and sometimes blobby trying areas, and the steel shouldn’t be practically as sturdy. You want the utmost power for little prongs.” Kayleigh- “You’re proper, he actually managed to do what I requested, however after all with a poor aesthetic end result and I’d fairly have left it alone seeing the end result I used to be left with so unhappy.” Me again- “Since you might be within the UK and I’m in America I’ll undoubtedly not be the jeweler who may also help you. Nevertheless what must occur for my part, is your chosen jeweler must utterly lower away the sweeping up ‘head’ or predominant diamond setting.
This head or setting is hooked up to a hoop design with every thing however the head
As soon as it’s lower away, it is advisable to focus on how excessive you need your diamond to sit down in your finger. This ought to be measured in millimeters. Strive on a hoop that demonstrates the peak you need and use a millimeter gauge to measure the gap from the highest of your finger to the highest of the diamond. Subsequent a brand new head, (setting), must be carved in wax. It then must be forged in platinum and reattached to the bottom of your ring.
Including and subtracting bits of steel to your already labored on prongs simply received’t work. I do know it looks like it ought to be doable. A seamstress can take bits of fabric out to make one thing smaller, she will add bits of matching materials in to make one thing larger, however with heating and cooling of metals and all the issues and blobs that may happen throughout this course of, you don’t need that anyplace close to the setting of your treasured diamond.
You want the integrity and power of a completely new head.
You might hear out of your jeweler, that that’s not a head. A head, is a pre made setting and he’s proper, it’s not strictly talking a head, however I’m a jeweler I exploit my phrases the way in which I exploit my phrases. Principally you want a newly made, forged with integrity, 4 prong setting in your diamond, in the identical design fashion as your authentic.”
Why Can Damaged Prongs be Re-tipped, However my Prongs Can’t be Lengthened?
Right here’s Kayleigh’s subsequent e-mail with my interspersed responses: “Hi there, what a disgrace you’re within the states , I didn’t look to see the place you’re primarily based earlier than emailing! As I did a Google.co.uk search I assumed all outcomes have been UK however I actually respect you taking the time to answer even figuring out you received’t be capable of do enterprise with me. All the things you’ve stated makes full sense; I want I had received extra opinions earlier than dashing into this and ruining my ring. Why is it that damaged prongs will be re-tipped, however not what I did to my ring, out of curiosity?” Right here is my response- “Once I do re-tips on a hoop, I purchase pre-made prong ideas. And we now have a particular approach we use that helps us with making them as even trying as attainable.
This ring had one re-tip. It pops up. The individual ought to have gotten a brand new head
What you have been desirous to have achieved was extra structural. A tip is a really small a part of the prong. Lengthening a prong includes slicing the prong from a decrease place and hand fabricating a brand new prong. Then we solder the 2 components collectively. That soldered space will doubtless look a bit blobby. That makes it much less structurally sound. For a technical dive with extra knowledge on why the work achieved is weaker than the integrity of a forged prong learn Ring Disasters, Ring Prong Re-Tipping Professional’s and Cons.”
“Can You Soften One Ring and Make a New One?”
From Kayleigh- “In a perfect world I might have my ring again to precisely the way it was earlier than I messed with it and never change it one bit. Hindsight! I bear in mind the opposite jeweller I received the second opinion from (truly extra a diamond dealer my husband bought the ring from within the first place), saying that slicing out the pinnacle and placing a brand new one in was attainable and he appeared into it. However for some purpose after he made some calls he stated it wasn’t possible. Perhaps due to the price of doing that. Or he had bother discovering somebody that would recast the pinnacle because of the construction?”
Underside view of engagement ring
“I vaguely assume he suggested in opposition to it attributable to having weak factors within the ring and that it’s been resized earlier than. Sorry I truthfully can’t bear in mind the precise purpose. Would any of these causes sound relevant to you?”
My response-
“If somebody goes to carve a wax and create a brand new head for you they should be fairly expert and fairly acquainted with customized design. A number of jewelers who do repairs and even customized jewelers, don’t wish to take care of it. I’m a nut and I’ve achieved that kind of factor fairly a bit, as a result of I perceive the emotion concerned when somebody desires to maintain their authentic ring. But it surely’s undoubtedly not one thing most jewelers are keen to do.”
Kayleigh-
“He stated I might have a brand new ring in the identical fashion forged for not much more, which might be stronger i.e. with no joins both aspect of the pinnacle. So I leaned in the direction of getting a brand new ring altogether, though my choice would have been slicing out the outdated head as a result of then the remainder of the ring would nonetheless be mine for sentimental causes.
I even mentioned having the platinum from that ring melted down and having a brand new ring comprised of that, however he stated it couldn’t go right into a forged attributable to compatibility so it must be customized made, which might be at important price. So I made a decision in opposition to that. Why couldn’t I re-use my platinum ring to make a brand new one?”
My response-
“It does make financial sense to only get a brand new ring that’s forged multi function piece from a value in addition to a power perspective.
I’ve a weblog about reusing outdated gold. The rules mentioned in that weblog additionally work with the thought of desirous to re-use platinum steel.
Somewhat than rehash that data, I’ll simply have you ever learn it. You then’ll have an understanding of why melting your platinum to make a brand new ring wouldn’t be a good suggestion.”
Kayleigh-
“Thanks a lot for taking the day out to answer, at the very least now I do know that it’s undoubtedly not an choice to easily reduce the prongs and amend the ring again to the way it was. And good to know I used to be suggested accurately by the diamond dealer.”
I completely get it now. I’m wondering, if getting a brand new ring forged is more likely to be more economical, if I might then have the 2 heads ‘swapped over’ simply actually for the needs of protecting my authentic ring steel for sentimental causes. Sounds ludicrous however attainable? Relying on how a lot they cost on prime to cut out each heads and solder them onto the opposite shank. And power sensible, even on a hoop that was resized do you assume that will be undoubtedly secure?
My response-
“For the very best integrity in your ring, making a model new ring freshly is the very best concept. That ring will final the longest and have the least issues.”
A while later Kayleigh wrote to me-
“Thanks for all of your your useful recommendation and time. Though I really feel actually dangerous figuring out it’s not the identical ring my husband proposed to me with, I now have a brand new ring in the identical fashion, with my authentic diamond in it.
Unique engagement ring on prime and new one on the underside
I hope I’m not benefiting from your generosity, however I might love a bit extra recommendation for the final time! I’ve had a brand new ring made. The ring nonetheless appears to be like completely different to my authentic one. It’s a bit thicker (my earlier ring was resized half a measurement up so it’s attainable in the event that they used stretching that’s why it’s thinner), Me – Nope. Kayleigh – however the prongs should not formed as properly for my part.
The prongs on the unique setting have been clean and straighter as they arose and unfold out from the bottom, however the prongs on the brand new one bend spherical much more. It’s not simply on the tip the place they bend in additional to understand the stone, however the curve begins quite a bit additional down. So the brand new one is extra like a ‘U’ or bucket fairly than a ‘V’ form. That is additionally evident from the entrance. The unique ring additionally had barely extra sloping shoulders which I most popular. And fibres maintain getting trapped below the prongs which by no means occurred with the unique. I spoke to the jeweller who stated there’s just one mould, and one fashion so it needed to have been forged the identical. He stated possibly it’s all in how the setter set the diamond. I might love and respect your ideas on why there could also be these variations and what we might do to rectify them. I do know they’re refined, however I simply needed it as equivalent as attainable to my authentic ring.”
My response-
The ultimate ring.
“In my view that ring didn’t come from the identical wax mould. Maybe they carved a brand new one. Clearly the unique up sweep is extra ‘v’ like and the brand new one is extra ‘u’ like. It’s undoubtedly a extra squaty upsweep of a design. In no universe might that be from the identical mould. However I discover that when it’s on the finger it appears to be like good and possibly solely you and I might discover any distinction.”
Kayleigh-
“Would it not be okay if I used a really very tender effective grit nail buffer to reshape the shoulders simply barely and simply clean down the ‘corners’ of the prongs then take it to be polished? Not sufficient to have an effect on the power simply to clean look?”
My response-
“I wouldn’t use grit. If something get your jeweler to place it on a sprucing wheel to buff, grind it. Nevertheless once more, it’s good trying on the finger and any grinding will take away some platinum and that’s not so good.”
Kayleigh-
“I received’t bug you any extra! To make up for it I’ve household within the states so I’ll be sure I like to recommend you ”
My response-
“Get pleasure from your fairly ring set and diamond and congratulations on marrying your without end love.”
5 Suggestions For Making Modifications to Your Ring Prongs
- If one prong broke off and the others are nonetheless thick, re-tip one prong.
- In case your prongs really feel too brief, don’t have them lengthened, have a brand new ring made to your measurements.
- You probably have an older ring that has worn down prongs and the design is all collectively, get all re-tips after which test it each six months going ahead.
- In case your ring has a separate head and it’s getting worn, change the entire head, as a substitute of two or extra re-tips.
- Shortening prongs shouldn’t be a structurally sound answer to a too tall setting.
Not All Jewelers Are Craftspersons
Jewellery Restore
If you’ll have work achieved in your ring, particularly your prongs, attempt to discover a jeweler that designs jewellery and repairs jewellery. Take a look at their work and skim their critiques. Additionally take a look at my weblog Twelve Inquiries to Ask Your self When Selecting a Jeweler.
