QuestionHi Thomas, I have a 1 carat round diamond mounted in a yellow gold setting. I do, however, believe the 6 prongs holding the stone are white gold. I've had the ring for about 4 years now and I am generally pretty careful with it (I don't wear it to bed, around the house when I'm cleaning, etc.) I do where it when I go places (including work) but like I said before, I am pretty careful with it.
I now have a bent prong. I've had one on this ring one other time (I don't know if it is the same prong that's bent now!) but a friend of mine whose husband is a jeweler bent it back into place for me. My question is, is this safe to do? He did check all the stones, including the channel set diamonds on it and said they were all secure. I was very satisfied with what he had done, and it was bent back perfectly. Unfortunately, I rarely see these people anymore. I tried taking it to a jeweler today to have it bent back into place, but they wanted to keep it for a while, and I was told the stone is still tight and the prongs are all in good condition. (I am very very leary about letting a jeweler send something out or keep it. My grandmother needed to have her stone remounted many years ago, and the well-known store she took it to swapped it with a lesser quality stone. Many family members said it was very obvious in the stone's luster...when she got it back, it completely lacked sparkle, nomatter how many times it was cleaned). Anyway, what should I do? I know you advise against on site "while you wait" repairs, but does that include just having a prong bent back into place?
(Oh, and I can't take to have a repair where I purchased it; my husband purchased it online.)
Thank you for your help.
Diana
AnswerDear Diana, thanks for this question and for telling me of your concerns.
First of all, there may be several reasons the jeweler did not want to straighten the prong while you waited. In the USA, Valentines Day is close to the second busiest holiday of the year next to Christmas and that or general workload may not allow while you wait work. The jeweler may also have wanted to take a closer look to be sure the prong has no defects from being bent and would possibly want to anneal (relieve stress) the prong to assure against a future break from bending. Who knows the reason..some stores simply do not do any while you wait work.
We would generally clean the ring thoroughly to be able to take a good magnified look at the bend prong and examine the ring overall. Then we would either straighten it or recommend what more is possibly needed to correct the situation. On an easy day, we can do that while the customer waits but lately would not have been able simply from the backlog of work we have.
In selecting a jeweler, look for the better stores in town and be sure they have a bench jeweler in house. The bench jeweler is the one who actually does the work. This way, you know the ring is not being sent to a trade shop out of the store. Call and ask and also ask if it is possible to get the prong straightened while you wait. They will want to see the ring to make that decision but can let you know on the phone if while you wait is possible.
If no store will do the work while you wait, you will have to leave the ring for the work to be done. Honestly, reputable businesses have no need or desire to switch a stone. They want to say in business and keep repeat customers. Deceit does not promote a business and will catch up with the store and cost them dearly. That is for you to work out with your comfort level with the jewelers selected. Again, choose the best in town and with the higher quality merchandise and with a bench jeweler on the premises. The price will be little different for fine work as for poor work so go with the best you can and get the best work.
Before leaving the ring, ask to have it cleaned. Then you can get a good look at the ring before leaving it. A repaired ring will often look differently than one just brought in simple because when the work is done, the ring comes back all polished and totally clean. You do take good care of your ring but I do suggest this for your personal reason of fear of leaving the item to have the work done.
Considering that the prong has possibly bent before, do tell the jeweler that and that you are not certain it is the same prong. Stress can build up in metal and although two bends will generally be ok to straighten, the prong needs to be inspected from the base to the part over the stone. Also, the prong tips should be checked to see if there is something catching which could cause the bend. Then again, it may just happen with you unaware of it from some repeated daily action over time.
If the prongs are white and the ring is yellow, the prong setting can be replaced and perhaps with one slightly heavier and stronger. That is one option to consider and certainly is not a while you wait job. Do consider replacing the prong setting with a stronger one if this happens again. White prongs are standard procedure since the metal is stronger than yellow gold for stone security and the color works better with most diamonds for visual effect.
Diana, let this holiday pass and a couple of days then call around the jewelers in your area. Ask what I mentioned previously about having a jeweler in house and if it is possible to have the work done while you wait.
If you need more, please do not hesitate to use the follow-up option to get back with me. Fair enough?
God Bless and Peace. Thomas. 02/13/2008 7:03 PM
