Safe Setting??? Advice desperately needed.

[AlliBaba]

Hello everyone,

I saw a setting I loved a few weeks ago- it''s relatively heavy, platinum, with a plain shank that''s thin when you look directly down at your hand, but a bit thicker than normal "height-wise" (it''s thicker in the rise from your finger- am I describing this well??). The crown has 2 prongs at 3 and 9 o''clock, but they''re each about double the size of normal prongs and curve pretty well around the diamond. Then, to add to the strength of the prongs, there''s a thin strip of metal connecting them all around underneath (like a jump ring??? I haven''t been able to really find a term for it). The setting is open on the bottom, but the diamond doesn''t come close to touching my finger, since the shank of the ring is pretty thick, see?

I love this setting for its originality, and for the fact that the diamond really "pops" without 4 prongs- even though the 2 prongs on the sides are thicker, you don''t really see them. Plus the side view of the setting is really cute. But is it safe?

I asked the jeweler if he''s had any people come in with a loose diamond, and he said that in 5 years he''s had 1 person- but stuff happens with traditional prongs all the time, too. He also seems REALLY knowledgeable about his work, and I know someone else who''s had work done with him and has been very satisfied.

What do you guys think? I REALLY love this ring and would tell my fiance that it''s my choice, but I''m concerned about the safety. If anybody knows of this jeweler and has more input, it''s Studio Vincent in Minneapolis.

Any advice is GREATLY appreciated!!!

 

[Scintillating]

Sounds a little like a semi bezel - not a true tension setting.

Do you have any pictures?

Scintillating...

 

[AlliBaba]

Unfortunately, the website doesn''t have any pics. And you''re right- it''s not really a tension setting- more of a semi-bezel; although I''ve never seen the "prongs" so small in that type of setting. Maybe I should do more research.

Thanks for the reply!!!

 

[AlliBaba]

It looks kind of like this DeBeers setting in another thread. And as regards the exposed girdle of the diamond, how is this so different than a 4-prong design??? I mean, basically you just have 4 teeny pieces of metal protecting the girdle- I don''t see how that''s so much safer.

Plus I was talking with the jeweler about this issue, and he said that in a well-cut diamond without a lot of feathers running throughout, with the ideal-sized girdle, it would be very hard to chip a diamond.

 

[AlliBaba]

Oops, couldn''t upload the picture. Anyway, it''s very close to the on in the "DeBeers Setting" thread.

 

[strmrdr]

for a 1/2 bezel the bezel needs to curve around the diamond far enough to keep it from getting knocked out the open side.
2x standard seems awefull small for anything but melee.

 

[valeria101]

Does it look anything like THIS? (sans pave) Or Whitney Boin's 'post' settings...

I am a bit nervous about the exposed girdle, but not about the diamond getting away from the two-prong cage because the ring beneath it should block the pavilion from sliding ever so little.

Now, I would think twice before either setting a large diamond in such a thing (anything large relative to the finger, that is) or making it a high setting. Around 1 carat and 6-7mm high... OK, it still makes me nervous but not quite enough to forgo an obviously charming ring! I am quite smitten with Whitney Boin's version! The ones with a bezel around the diamond look super sturdy alright, but would dare one of the others sans as well. At half carat or less (as the rings get proportionally lower etc.), wouldn't think twice about having such a thing - it just looks so right for these smaller stones.

PS. the DeBeers setting... that one not only has the girdle exposed, but it is quite high and there is no bezel (the 'jump ring) under the stone to prevent sliding. I would basically not go there.

 

[AlliBaba]

Hi Valeria- thanks for the reply!

Yes, it DOES look like that Dimend Scassi, sans pave and sans the 4 wee prongs. So just the side prongs and the strip underneath. Good detective work!

I''m pretty sure the ring beneath the prongs does not touch the diamond whatsoever. I was told it was just to add sturdiness to the two prongs- keeping the whole thing rock solid. The setting is not VERY high- certainly lower than a lot of the antique-y things we are seeing today. And I''m thinking of putting a .9-1.1 carat diamond in the center.

And I did love that Whiney Boin ring

; it''s quite the cutie.

I''m still unsure about how high the possibility of a chip is; as I said in another thread, the jeweler said it was pretty difficult to do in a well-cut, well-formed diamond. So difficult that in order to chip a diamond like that, you may be breaking your finger in the process.