QuestionWould it incur a lot of cost to take the diamonds from an engagement and eternity ring and make one new engagement ring?
Thanks
AnswerHello Susan,
Well given the market price of gold, and the choice of jeweler that does the job, that is a relative question: If you remove the stones yourself ( a pair of nail clippers will do the job nicely without damaging anything around the prongs or beads holding the stones, and prongs are easily bent back and the stones removed in a matter of minutes ) and have a clear idea of the design and a drawing or have chosen a mounting already, then it's a matter of just setting the stones. Also removing the stones oneself allows you to keep the scrap, which if sent out you will probably not get back in dealing with a chain in particular as they have little control over the sub-contractor's policies.In fact many, if not most jewelry salespeople have relatively little knowledge of how jewelry is actually made start to finish, unless they have been through some specific training- which most store owners offer only after a long period of employ.The salespeople work on commission, and to have your stones set into a mounting you have already purchased would mean little profit, and commission and a tendency to not take on the job, or greatly inflate the costs associated with a relatively simple task- if the mounting is pre-made from Stuller, Hoover and Strong, or any of the major manufacturing and supplying jewelry concerns that largely supply the chain stores ( that's why it all looks the same from store to store- many of them have no bench jewelers on staff and send all their work out .
An independent jeweler rather than ANY chain store is the way to go for that job. Any independent goldsmith or metalsmith in your area can buy most standard mountings and have the job done in a day ( a matter of hours actually!) and labour runs between $35.00 and 70.00 US for bench work. If you were to go through a chain store you would pay at least three times that price for the costs, then the materials would also be marked up.
Mnay online auction sites and jewelry sellers ( I hate to use names as it is NOT an indication of my recommendation of any of them but Blue Nile (overpriced beyond worth to an excess!), JewelryTV.com, and e-bay) sell mountings. If you look there you may find exactly what you desire, then just finding a stone setter is all you would need to do. If you supply the mounting and the stones you should only expect a warranty for their setting from the jeweler that does the job.
Palladium, a white metal in the platinum group that is more white than platinum or white gold ( which contains nickel and as such may cause reactions to some skin types and due to the small amount of gold in white gold I always try and steer my clients away from its purchase particularly at today's spot market which you can check on www.kitco.com to get an idea of the costs of any raw materials you are considering.) should be considered over a white gold or platinum, unless money is not an object.Platinum with a rhodium plate is a recommended metal as it would increase the durability. Palladium can also be rhodium plated but it is less a necessity as Palladium is stronger and more scratch resistant than Pt in its raw state. If you want gold, I would recommend investing in 18kt. over 14kt as the value is worth the difference in price, if buying the mounting yourself.
If I knew where you lived I could recommend a jeweler that could do this for you.you may look in the yellow pages and contact any non-chain stores and inquire as to the time of delivery on a stone setting job- if they are backlogged more than 2 weeks they probably do not want the job! Cold calls in the jewelry business often do not yield the results you want.If you see any studio times listed in the advertising, then that is the person you want to seek out. Jewelers that are passionate about making jewelry will do a better job than any sub-contractor a chain uses for mass jobbing. If you were to buy a semi-mount and had a good pair of flat nose pliers and a dremel tool you could do it yourself !
I do want to caution you about metal clay use.It is not appropriate for the kind of piece it sounds like you want to have made from your other pieces. The metal will never be as strong as the natural raw material ( silver or gold) and the skill level of most metal clay jewelry makers is often overstated compared to the results.Since you are desiring diamonds be set, that adds to the possibility of an inclusion in the stone exploding when kiln firing the material- all-in-all, avoid a metal clay artisan for this job!
So peruse the web for briadal jewelry mountings and if you see exactly what you want do some comparative shopping and find the best price for the item chosen. Remove the stones yourself ( an easy task particularly if prong set) and if you have an appraisal from their purchase write down the number and size and clarity of the chosen stones for the new engagement piece so that you sound informed when talking to the independent goldsmith you choose to work with locally. Consider palladium as a metal if you desire white- it has a great perceived value compared to white gold and is less allergenic than white gold. If you find no mounting on line, then the jewelr should be able to offer you a design and the fabrication costs and estimate the amount of time and a delivery date if he/she is experienced in the art. If the person says they will have to send it out- keep searching.You can find one jewelr that should be able to do every part of the fabrication and setting in a well equipped studio. Avoid chain jewelers- the markup is ridiculously high compared to the worth, and the jobs are not attended to as individually as an independent jewelry maker 's focus will be. If you are creating an heirloom it is worth seeking the most reasonably priced and customer focused jeweler you can find. Also disclose the cut and clarity of the diamonds to be used when discussing their setting in your mounting or one fabricated for you, or ordered for you ( as a last result!).Diamonds are all resettable unless very heavily damaged( chipped, cracked, or an I2 class that has inclusions you can see with the naked eye), but chances are that you have SI1-2 or above if you paid a good deal for the rings initially. Don't let a jeweler tell you they can't use the diamonds you want to provide due to some odd sounding reason- if they try to invent something that doesn't sound right, chances are they just want to up the bill and in that case, that is not the right jeweler for your job. You are the customer and in that is the chance to create a lasting relationship for your luxury item purchases, any good goldsmith ,jeweler, or metalsmith will be as passionate about creating a piece that pleases you as you are about having it made. And using an independent jeweler allows for a unique design to be fabricated in one place- from design to stone setting that does not look like every other ring available from the various large manufacturers that most chains use for the majority of their offerings.
Feel free to follow up with your location if you don't have success finding a jewelr close to your locale.
best regards,Ari
