Questions based on FAQ on settings

[AustenNut]

After reading the thread on settings I have several questions. I apologize in advance if this is not the correct forum for this post, but y''all are definitely a wealth of information and can at least tell me where to post this if I''m wrong!

1) How thick should the shank be in order to stand up to years of wear? And by this I''m talking 24/7 for decades.

2) How high up does a stone need to be in order to get a band to be flush with an e-ring?

3) What types of designs are most apt to catch/scratch something? Is it how high up the stone is sitting? Or whether it’s pronged or bezeled? Or …?

4) What is meant by the fact that a hammer set “weakens the ring?”

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Hi astphard,

I''ll try and take a crack at this.

1) How thick should the shank be in order to stand up to years of wear? And by this I''m talking 24/7 for decades. I''m assuming you are asking how tall the shank should be as opposed to width, and I think it really depends. My great grandmother''s ring is 89 years old with a 1mm shank, and it''s not worn through yet. She wore it every day, and then my grandmother and mother wore it on their right hsands for about 18-20 years each.

2) How high up does a stone need to be in order to get a band to be flush with an e-ring? If you''re talking about a regular basket setting or a classic Tiffany setting, the basket should start right around the height of the wedding band. So, if you''re wedding band is 1.2mm tall, you would probably want to start the basket somewhere near there. However, there are plenty of settings designed to sit flush. My husband designed mine so a wedding ring sits right up next to it, as long as it''s not taller than 3mm.

3) What types of designs are most apt to catch/scratch something? Is it how high up the stone is sitting? Or whether it’s pronged or bezeled? Or …? The hgher the setting, the more "out there" it is. I''m a big believer in low set bezel settings, simply because I feel they''re the safest. Can we prove that they''re the "safest"? Not really, but it''s peace of mind that I have gained with the experience of wearing my e-ring.

4) What is meant by the fact that a hammer set “weakens the ring?” I''m not sure I''ve ever heard this. Platinum "work hardens" with repeated stress, so the opposite would be presumed given that information.

Hope that helps!

 

[chrono]

1. Define years of wear: 20 years, 50 years, 100 years? Usually platinum tends to hold up better because they don’t get worn down as quickly as gold.
2. It depends on how high the band is. As stated by LTP, usually the basket needs to start just above the top height of the wedding band,
3. Most settings that are high whether pronged or bezeled will tend to get caught in something. A bezeled ring will be less likely to scratch though. It is also usually the lowest set style while a Cathedral style tends to be the highest setting.
4. I’m not sure what you mean by a hammer set.

 

[cellentani]

astphard, by "hammer set" are you talking about gypsy set or burnished stones? This is where a hole is drilled in the shank and a small stone is set in so that it''s flush with the shank. With this type of setting, there are no prongs holding the stone, but a small rim of metal is burnished up over the edge of the stone, sort of like a bezel. Check out this link. It''s supposedly very secure, if done right. I think you''d have to have quite a few hammer set stones in a shank to compromise the strength of the ring, and I can''t imagine a jeweler foolish enough to do that.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Date: 8/5/2009 9:47:16 PM
Author:astphard
After reading the thread on settings I have several questions. I apologize in advance if this is not the correct forum for this post, but y''all are definitely a wealth of information and can at least tell me where to post this if I''m wrong!

1) How thick should the shank be in order to stand up to years of wear? And by this I''m talking 24/7 for decades.

2) How high up does a stone need to be in order to get a band to be flush with an e-ring?

3) What types of designs are most apt to catch/scratch something? Is it how high up the stone is sitting? Or whether it’s pronged or bezeled? Or …?

4) What is meant by the fact that a hammer set “weakens the ring?”

1 - This depends on metal and lifestyle. My mother has worn a 1.5 mm silver band 24/7, very active lifestyle and it is still whole, if rather off round (but I will fix that this weekend). However, from what I read on PS, this may be the exception.

2 - This depends on the design of the e-ring and band. Basket settings need to be higher, some rings are designed to sit flush and are lower. SHop around and look at a lot of different designs.

3 - The higer the ring, the more apt it is to catch. Prongs are also more vulnerable than bezels, pave can also catch. A sleek bezel would be safest, in my opinion.

4 - I have no idea. Generally, hammering metal will make it stronger, not weaker. A fabricated ring is much more robust than a cast one because of this.

 

[AustenNut]

Wow, I knew y''all would have all of the answers!

In terms of what I mean by long-term use, I''m talking 60-70 years.

After reading through these forums I believe the hammer set is the same as gypsy/burnished set.

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[chrono]

Gyspy set will be the toughest in terms of wearing down. It will also not catch on anything due to the smoothness.