Could this hurt the stone?

[Sue777]

As some of you know, I''ve been waiting for my setting to arrive at my jeweler''s so we can set my 1.5 round diamond (that we picked out a few weeks ago) into it. The jeweler called this afternoon to say the setting was in, and that he wanted us to come see it and make sure we liked it before he sent it and the stone to his local setter for setting. I examined the setting and was very pleased, and he said "let me put the stone in so you can see how it will look". He placed the stone, table down, on a flat surface, and then pushed the crown of the setting down onto the stone. I heard a "click" or a pop/snap sound, and then he handed me the ring. It was in there, and not just balancing on the prongs like I thought it would be. I was able to walk around, move my hand, and the stone didn''t budge! I expressed my surprise that he did that, wondering if he could have chipped, scratched, or damaged the stone in any way, and he said he would have never done that had it been a platinum crown, but since it was white gold, I didn''t need to worry. I figured he knew what he was talking about, and I hopefully get to go back and pick up the finished product tomorrow. But that sound is haunting me! What was that "pop"? I can''t imagine it was a GOOD thing. If it were the prongs snapping around the stone, is it wise to do that????

I''m probably just being over-protective, but I didn''t like seeing that done, and can only hope no damage was done to either the setting or the stone. Does this seem like a safe practice to you?
Sue

 

[valeria101]

This is why jewelers do not usually work in the open !

Guess the prongs had seats cut in them already and the stone just snapped into position nicely

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

You really would not like to see anyone hammering your prongs over while the ring is held in a solid steel vice would you?

Dont worry - sounds like he knows whathe is doing?

 

[asblackrock]

Garry - I will now have terrible nightmares for the next 10 days! I didn''t realise you had a sadistic streak!!

Don''t forget to put soft pads on the vice and use your softest hammer when setting my diamond. I forgot to tell you I have installed a small camera on your workbench just to keep an eye on things.

Counting down the days.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

The vice jaws are leather (hmm hum, the smell of burning leather).

The hammer is a nice mild steel

 

[BLINGQUEEN]

UUUUMMMM... ARE WE STILL TALKING ABOUT DIAMOND SETTINGS

 

[Camellia]

Date: 1/8/2005 6:17:13 AM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)
The vice jaws are leather (hmm hum, the smell of burning leather).

The hammer is a nice mild steel

Naughty, naughty, very naughty!

 

[asblackrock]

I may need to be sedated for the next week!

 

[PhillipSchmidt]

I don''t like it...

Actually he took a risk. Pushing the setting over the back is a great way to find natural cleavage points, but one I believe he calculated for. I wouldn''t have done it.

Surely he was showing off. Not often will he have a setting with the prongs all lined up and the seats cut nice and clean. I''d imagine this setting was machined (or pressed), but not cast which is good!

It is a little rare to have a stone and setting match so well where you would hear that sweet ''snap'' when it goes in. All things considered - the ring was mostly set before it left for the setter (the setter will have to actually move the claws to get the stone out and re-adjust them again before he too enables the snap. I doubt he will do it that way. I use a tool which only touches the crown facets. I have broken some using the above method.

If your jeweller knows enough to do what he did then he knows enough to finish the setting as getting the seats to match the diamond is about 60% of the job! In graining over the prongs in round stones the job is just not that hard to do.

Note what he said about plat''

 

[Sue777]

Thanks, everyone, for the facts, the laughs, and the HORRIBLE VISUALS, GARRY!

This jeweler came highly recommended to me by my sister who has rocks to die for, and he''s been around for 22 years, so hopefully he DOES know what he''s doing. I, too, however, am a little surprised that he bothers sending the rings off to a "local setter" when he could probably do it just as well himself. Maybe he just doesn''t have the time to both be in back doing the labor and out front working with his customers.

I was WONDERING (all night as I tossed and turned) if the setter was going to remove the stone and re-set it, or if he was just going to "adjust" the pop-in job done by the jeweler, and was trying to figure out HOW he would remove it. The visuals there weren''t too pleasant.

I was going to ask all these things whe we went to pick it up today, but there was a change in plans....hubby and I decided it would be more special and romantic if HE went to pick it up, take care of the financial aspects, etc. and then could just present the ring to me and my finger at home, in a romantic setting. So no, I didn''t get to cross-examine the jeweler, but hubby assures me it looks splendid. Why don''t I know this for myself, you ask? Because I decided I want to wait til right before we go out to dinner tonight, when we''re cleaned up/made up/dressed up, and when everything is "just right". Talk about prolonging the torture, huh? I''m on the homestretch, though.... counting down....

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

We have setters we use for grain / pave and others for bezels /rubbed over etc

Sorry about the horror tales

 

[Jennifer5973]

Date: 1/8/2005 3:40:41 PM
Author: Sue777
Thanks, everyone, for the facts, the laughs, and the HORRIBLE VISUALS, GARRY!

This jeweler came highly recommended to me by my sister who has rocks to die for, and he''s been around for 22 years, so hopefully he DOES know what he''s doing. I, too, however, am a little surprised that he bothers sending the rings off to a ''local setter'' when he could probably do it just as well himself. Maybe he just doesn''t have the time to both be in back doing the labor and out front working with his customers.

I was WONDERING (all night as I tossed and turned) if the setter was going to remove the stone and re-set it, or if he was just going to ''adjust'' the pop-in job done by the jeweler, and was trying to figure out HOW he would remove it. The visuals there weren''t too pleasant.

I was going to ask all these things whe we went to pick it up today, but there was a change in plans....hubby and I decided it would be more special and romantic if HE went to pick it up, take care of the financial aspects, etc. and then could just present the ring to me and my finger at home, in a romantic setting. So no, I didn''t get to cross-examine the jeweler, but hubby assures me it looks splendid. Why don''t I know this for myself, you ask? Because I decided I want to wait til right before we go out to dinner tonight, when we''re cleaned up/made up/dressed up, and when everything is ''just right''. Talk about prolonging the torture, huh? I''m on the homestretch, though.... counting down....

Lol...Sue, you''re just like I am..."Wait--don''t give me my present yet--I have to put my lipgloss on!" (said by moi on Christmas morning)

It sounds like your stone is just perfect but I can so relate to your feeling concerned...I have seen my jewler at work and some of the stuff they do to stones/metals looks like torture!

Congrats and post many pics for us!

 

[asblackrock]

Hi Sue
How is your new ring? Hope fully no news is good news.
Was it romantically presented?

 

[Sue777]

The ring is gorgeous - I can''t get my eyes off of it. I have looked at it under several different types of lighting and it looks AWESOME everywhere. Presentation was kinda romantic, or at least as romantic as possible with a college kid home for winter break. We were in the middle of the romance and mush and placing the ring on the finger when I heard the door slam meaning my son was coming in (you know how that is, they''re in, they''re out, they''re in, they''re out....). I told hubby "wait! Don''t put it on my finger yet.... wait til he''s in and up in his room!" Afterwards we went out for a candlelit dinner and had a few drinks, etc. The next day we went to a bike show (motorcycle) and BOY do the lights in those convention centers make diamonds dance! The only problem is I''m now almost embarrassed of my OLD diamonds because this new one puts all the rest of them to shame!

Unfortunately, I think the additional weight of my new "rock" caused my accident this morning. I was leaving for the office and tripped in the foyer. Feet got all tangled up, I went down like a tree, and landed on my chin on the tile! Made it to the phone, called hubby''s cell and told him he better turn around and come back home cause I wasn''t sure how badly I was hurt, and he took me to the ER. Hairline fracture of the jaw, and my chin looks like it has a plum on it.... fat and purple! Doc says I''ll feel even worse tomorrow from the whiplash affect on my neck from landing on tile on my face.

But as you all can understand, the first thing I checked as I tried to stand up was my RING! The ring itself was fine, but I was very upset that I was getting blood on it! And hubby, who was never into diamonds until this most recent learning experience also grabbed my hand a few minutes after getting home and said "oh, good - the ring is fine."
So ladies - beware. Your sense of balance may be off for a while til you get used to your new rock.

Sue
P.S. Hubby and I became obsessed and crazy yesterday trying to take decent pictures of my ring with our digital camera. That is NO EASY TASK and I admire all of you that are able to post nice pics of your stones. I''ll try to post one or two here, but am not done trying to get something better .... tomorrow when I can get the ice off my chin and the hot compresses off my neck, maybe I''ll try some more.

 

[Sue777]

First attempt at posting a pic.....

 

[Sue777]

Whoohoo! One pic posted... let''s go for two!

 

[Sue777]

On a roll now - but don''t worry - I''ll stop.

 

[youngster]

No . . . don''t stop posting pics! That is an absolutely beautiful ring. Congratulations!

I wish you a speedy recovery from your injury. Hairline jaw fracture. That has got to hurt. I''m so sorry it happened to you.

 

[asblackrock]

Hi Sue
Your ring looks absolutely beautiful! I bet you can''t take your eyes off it. I am so sorry to hear about your chin though. You must be in a fair bit of pain.

You have done a great job with the pictures. I tried photographing my diamond when it arrived and it was hard work getting anything worth posting.

I don''t know how you had the patience to wait until the evening to have it presented - my level of patience is NIL when it comes to this ring (25th anniversary present and first ring to be worn in about 20 years apart from a wedding band). 7 more sleeps until it is ready!

 

[Patty]

It''s beautiful Sue! Maybe you should post your pictures over in the "Show Me The Ring" forum where more people will see it.

I''m sorry about your chin. Ouchy!

 

[fortheloveofdiamonds]

Oh Sue! Sorry to hear about your spill... I hope you feel better soon!

 

[glitterata]

Youch! You poor thing! Lovely ring, though.

 

[Sue777]

Thanks for the nice comments. And Angela... I''ll bet you''ll find it''s easier to wait for your ring once it''s at least in your HOUSE. I paced like a caged animal while I waited for the day to pick up my ring, but once hubby went and got it and I KNEW it was in the same building with me, the anticipation was almost bearable. (probably because I knew that if I couldn''t take it anymore I could simply threaten him with hysterical sobbing and I could have it instantly!)

I actually was going to post the pix on the "Show Me the Ring" site, but I thought I should wait til I got better pix. Maybe I will anyway, now that you''ve all twisted my arm. LOL

I''ll be counting the days til we see pix of yours, Angela . . . . 6 sleeps and counting?
Sue