A question about channel setting

[chloe062773]

Well .....this is my second attempt at finding a channel setting that does not shift around. I have .40 ct of princess cut stones in a channel set. When I got the setting the first week they were all in alinement. Now I am noticing that some are a little crooked and a little further down in the channel then the other stones. Is this normal? You can only notice it when looking at it very closely but it bothers me. My first e-ring setting the same thing happened. My FI had the jeweler give us our money back because those stones did the same thing but alot worse. They were round and only .25 ct total in the channel. We went to a different jeweler and got the princess cut stoneswhich were bigger thinking they would be easier to set in there and less of a chance in shifting.

Is this common with channel settings or am I having bad luck? Also can they be realigned?

Thanks and Merry Christmas!!

 

[chloe062773]

Does anybody out there know the answer to this?

 

[MrsFrk]

It''s Christmas Eve, so I don''t think you are going to get many replies. It is 10:30 here in California, so it''s well after midnight in most of the US.

I have a channel set ring, round diamonds, and the stones have never shifted or become loose. I think that a well made channel will not shift.

 

[valeria101]

No, no bad luck... just not too well made rings. There''s plenty out there, unfortunately.

It is not possible to guess what exactly went wrong with your ring, but there are quite a few things that could go wrong: a thin setting that gets slightly out of shape with wear and makes room for the stones to shift around, uneve stones or missmatch between the setting and the diamonds... ''bet the list goes on from here.

Channel set rings are more easily redone than repaired. Besides, if it was some construction issue that caused the problem, there isn''t much left to do with the ring as is. All in all... I''d try to replace it with one better made, regardless of how big the diamonds are: any shape of stones can be worked out well or not that well.

Just my 0.2, this is one question for a bench jeweler though.

 

[chloe062773]

Thanks everyone for your input. I guess it''s off to the jewelers!!! Merry Christmas!!!

 

[denverappraiser]

Clhoe,

This sometimes is pretty easy to fix but not always. It actually requires a pretty skilled jeweler (with a big hammer). To set the stones properly, they should be seated individually to accept the shape of each pavillion. It''s a whole lot easier to just cut a long slot, insert all of the stones and bend the top of the rail down over the edge. This actually works about 60% of the time and it produces few complaints because it''s hard to spot. It''s a common practice in the mass production type factories where speed is critical. If necessary, it can be fixed by removing the stones, repairing the channel walls and then cutting the seats properly. It''s not out of the question but this is definitely something of a chore an they won''t be anxious to do it if they have other solutions.

Neil Beaty
Independent Appraisals in Denver

 

[PhillipSchmidt]

Hi all,

Hope your xmass was good.

A photo would be helpfull. I''d know in a second...

It might just be that the walls of the setting edge are too fine, if so, the stones are easy enough to take out (without damage to the setting edge - this constitutes 30% of the job). Once out, the existing seats must be lowered .5mm (At least, as the edge will have had some damage) and put back in, with enough metal rubbed back over - this time done right!

OK, if ring was made strong enough, which 90% are

Maybe all you need it a little burnishing. Just a matter of quality control. 10 mins with a polish (assuming its gold).

What sort of support is there under the ring. Soldering some strutts under the diamonds, for strength and tightening the existing setting might do the job. It often does - then the question is, has it been rhodium plated and does the setting edge look neat.

It could be a ten minute job, a half hour job, or else you need a new ring. If you buy a ring with the setting looking neat and secure and if the whole setting job goes loose, I''d bet you are buying very poorly designed rings. Lots about, sorry.

I assume it was well made and not some cast-in rubbish that is only made to last as long as it takes you to walk out the door!

Little more info please...

Cheers,

Phillip

 

[chloe062773]

Hello all.

Thanks for responding to my post. I''ve been busy with the holidays. Well my band is platinum and is 3.5mm thicn. I have a total of 8 stones in the channels etting. 4 on each side and the ct weight is .40. The one side of the setting is perfect. However the other side is where the imperfection lies. The very last 2 stones are the ones that have shifted. Here is my description to what it looks like. The last stone is tilting in and down slightly towards the stone it "hugs". Then the stone that is next to last stone is doing the same thing. Tilting in and down towards that last stone. So if you were to picture it it would form a "V" if that makes sense. I think you may be right as the band is pretty thin.
So are you saying they may be able to remove the stones and then replace and hammer down the channel settings so that they fit more snug and then a good old buff and polish? I would hope it would be that easy!! I would ahve never noticed the ring unless I lok at it very closely and at a certain angle is how I can tell thay are not flush with band. I guess I''m a perfectionist!!! How much would a repair like that cost if it''s something simple and what could be the high end cost?

Thanks so much!!!

 

[denverappraiser]

Chloe,

With only two stones that are problems, I would expect it to cost less than $30 unless there is some other issue that isn't in your description. If it's a new item, the jeweler may be willing to do it for free. Even if they have to completely rebuild the channel, I wouldn't expect it to be over $150.

Neil Beaty
Independent Appraisals in Denver

 

[denverappraiser]

Dave,

The short answer is that I made it up. The long answer is pull 2 stones, fill the seats and rebuild the walls on those 2 stones with wire and a laser and reset the stones. It''s true I should have given more qualifiers about other potential issues that require examining the piece to determine. How much would you charge for such a job?

Neil

 

[denverappraiser]

Date: 12/28/2004 2:22:31 PM
Author: crankydave
The short answer is I wouldn''t quote a price sight unseen nor would I quote a price for another jeweler.


Dave

Agreed. I never should have answered the pricing question.

Neil

 

[Jennifer5973]

I have RBS in a channel setting that loosened a tiny bit after years of wear--I took it back to the jeweler who made the ring and he fixed it for free...maybe you cn get the ring adjusted if you go back to the vendor?

 

[PhillipSchmidt]

Based on the fact they are not straight, I''d say they are not seated right, or the stones are ill calibrated, but I wouldn''t know, till I opened up the channel and adjusted the fit and tried to reseat them. It sounds like poor-workmanship and I can''t guess at how long it would take to fine-tune the seats, edges etc, or if it would result in an adequate finish. If the offending ring were one of my own, I''d know what to do as I know my own technique. Some people, especially inexperienced setters just hack away at the seat infinatum (there is nothing to show of that, before you remove the stones) and that leaves you with a remake or a fairly large job.

Go the easy route first, have the setter loosen the channel and straighten the stones. It may be possible to take one out and extend the setting with a piercing saw as they seem to tight, then bring the setting back down for an improved, but not perfect result.

It would be hard to get a cheap quote for the reasons above. When I am working for the trade - not retail, this isn''t a problem because they already know what can and can''t be done, and choose the route we go down, then I charge for my time. Like I said above, If I can''t do it quick we just make a new ring, but we have uses for the old one, so...

Phillip