QuestionMy son has just purchased an antique platinum diamond engagement ring. He has had it resized and you can see marks on both sides of the ring. The ring also has no markings at all. Is this normal or should he send it back. He is very dissapointed as its such a special occasion. Any advice please.
Kind Regards
Catherine
AnswerCatherine,
First, on an antique ring, it is possible that marks or purity stamps have either worn away with time or have been removed in the sizing process depending on how many times it may have been sized over the years.
Second, a good bench jeweler should be able to size a ring with no marks seen from the sizing process. Now, that being said, there are several variables involved. If the ring is platinum, did the jeweler use platinum to size it up? Platinum is much more difficult to work with and requires much higher heat and risk to the diamonds. Some Jewelers use white gold when repairing or sizing platinum pieces to minimize time and risk and to keep the price down for the customer. This should have been discussed as options before the work was done, however. If white gold is used to size a platinum piece, the color of metal will be slightly different and since the density of the two metals are also different, they do have a different look to them making it harder to blend a seam.
Of course the thickness of the shank itself, the design of the piece, how many sizes it needed to be adjusted...all of these can affect the outcome of the work. There are cases where it may be impossible to make it seamless, but you should have to inspect it closely.
My suggestion is to have a conversation with the store from which he purchased it and explain his dissatisfaction. Ask them if they can explain why you can see marks? Ask them if they used platinum to size it, and if not, why? Ask them to make it right for you. Most stores would want the opportunity to fix something if they knew a customer was unhappy. Hopefully they will, too. Good luck.
Melinda Nolan
