Platinum Resizing

[MrIndecisive]

Hi, my fiancee just had her platinum ring sized down significantly (1.5 sizes...ooops!) and I am really not happy at all with the results. I bought the six prong Tiffany style ring from Whiteflash and it looked great but now the band is VERY thin at the bottom (no more knife-edge) and generally doesn''t look very well polished/clean. The jeweler apparently told her that in time the seam may appear as a slightly different color and that it was already resized so she would probably see two seams. Is this normal? Did they used white gold solder, should they have used platinum solder (they knew it was a plat ring)? Does Whiteflash sell settings that have been previously resized with white gold solder?

Also, the inclusions which were obvious under 10x magnification are now in a different location. Is it common/neccesary to remove the diamond from its setting to resize a ring?

If these things are a problem, what should I do? I am just afraid that the setting has been effected structurally; is this a legit concern?

Thanks for all your help!

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 1/27/2006 7:58:11 PM
Author:MrNowIHave2PlanAWedding
Hi, my fiancee just had her platinum ring sized down significantly (1.5 sizes...ooops!) and I am really not happy at all with the results. I bought the six prong Tiffany style ring from Whiteflash and it looked great but now the band is VERY thin at the bottom (no more knife-edge) and generally doesn''t look very well polished/clean. The jeweler apparently told her that in time the seam may appear as a slightly different color and that it was already resized so she would probably see two seams. Is this normal? Did they used white gold solder, should they have used platinum solder (they knew it was a plat ring)? Does Whiteflash sell settings that have been previously resized with white gold solder?

Also, the inclusions which were obvious under 10x magnification are now in a different location. Is it common/neccesary to remove the diamond from its setting to resize a ring?

If these things are a problem, what should I do? I am just afraid that the setting has been effected structurally; is this a legit concern?

Thanks for all your help!

That jeweler is full of you know what. Too bad you didn''t send the ring back to WF to be sized. I would call WF with your other concerns. But no way do they sell settings that have been previously resized, etc....

 

[MrIndecisive]

Yeah that''s what I figured I just wanted some confirmation. I''m now kicking myself for not just sending it back to WF. My main concern is that it looks like the diamond has been moved in the setting. Do they generally remove the stone before resizing? When they reset the H&A stone the arrows are now off-centered and the inclusions are in a different location. Did the stone get loose (and could it still be loose) in the setting or do you think it was removed and reset?

Thanks.

 

[stretch4]

For a simple resizing, the stone should not be removed.

 

[denverappraiser]

It sounds like your jeweler has done you no favors. The thin shank sounds like poor workmanship and you should protest it. At the least they should replace your shank at no charge. Speak to a manager or the owner and voice your concerns.

It is not necessary to remove a stone from that type of setting to resize it but it’s certainly possible that a 1.5 size difference would loosen it up and it would require tightening. If they didn’t know the original alignment, it’s also certainly possible that it rotated some in the setting during this process. You should be able to feel if the stone is tight by wiggling the edge with your fingernail or by tapping it next to your ear and listen for a slight rattle. Look sideways at a prong tip with a loupe and a light behind. You shouldn’t be able to see any light between the surface of the stone and the prong on either the crown or pavilion side. If you do, it needs to be tightened. In any case, the jeweler should be happy to rotate the stone to the orientation of your preference and as with the sizing repair, this should come with a polite apology and no charge.

Most manufacturers make rings in a stock size, usually 6 ½, and then the jeweler who sells it will size it up or down to fit the final customer. This is part of how they keep prices reasonable. This means that it’s very common to have a new piece that has already been sized. If done properly this is no problem. You will not have a seam appear later and it is not evidence that it’s a ‘used’ item. Platinum rings should not be sized with white gold solder and I can’t imagine that WF platinumsmiths do this.

It's a good habit when sizing rings to look for pevious seams and arrange to have that be in the piece that's cut out so there should be only one seam anyway. If it's going up the second time, you make the cut right through the previous seam so that there will be only 2 (one on each end of the inserted piece)


Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver