QuestionI have a pair of platinum earring settings that is a family heirloom. I want to be able to use to make a ring setting.
1. Is it possible for a jeweler to make a custom setting from platinum?
2. Are there limitations I should be aware of?
3. Also, are there questions I should ask a jeweler before allowing them to work on a project like this?
I am concerned about giving this platinum to someone if it's just not possible to do.
Answer1. Yes a jeweler can make custom settings from platinum if it is good enough quality to work with.
2. There are some limitations in the sense that you typically lose up to 20% of the material working with platinum. If the earrings aren't huge, you may not have enough to make a good ring with. It also can require a lot of purification to make the material usable. Some jewelers do not like to work with platinum because it is a rather volatile metal. Some jewelers I've commissioned completely backed out after hearing I wanted the work done in platinum.
3. Yes, you should ask the jeweler if they have experience working with platinum, show them the earrings you have and what you hope to make. Ask questions that give you confidence that they can do the work. They may tell you they can't do it or that it may require more platinum.
Since the platinum is old you may not know how pure it is. It may be alloyed with other metals that do not take well to being reworked a second time. In gold for example some jewelers will alloy it with zinc which can make the metal sort of crystallize and become almost brittle. It's not very friendly to work with when it becomes this way.
Best of luck.
