Platinum prongs - costs and minimum size for security

[anne_h]

Hi PS team !

I have a vintage platinum setting that I want to set some stones into. I took the setting to a local jeweler for an estimate... his quote to set the stones was reasonable. But he said the prongs are too thin to be secure, in his opinion.

Questions:
1. He quoted me ~$60 USD per prong to redo / reinforce them. Does this sound about right?
2. He measured the prongs and found them to be ~0.6 - 0.7mm wide. He suggested no less that 0.8 - 0.9mm for platinum. Does that sound right? Or is he just trying to upsell me? The prongs will be holding diamonds, if that matters.

I will also seek a second opinion from another jeweler.

Thanks for any advice!

Anne

 

[Tekate]

HI Anne, I once replaced a platinum head on a ring for 900.00$ in Austin Texas.. I was pissed really and don't wear the ring anymore.

 

[anne_h]

Thanks Tekate!

His quote was to redo / reinforce just the prongs themselves... due to the style of the setting there is no 'head' per se. At least not the basket style most people refer to. But I know what you mean.

At the price he quoted, it's hundreds just to redo/reinforce all the prongs. On top of what I already paid for the setting. So I really don't want to fork out unless I have to.

He said platinum is a soft metal (softer than 18k gold according to him), that's why he suggests a minimum of 0.8 - 0.9mm width for platinum prongs.

I'm not sure I've heard that before, so wanted to check in with the PS community...

Anne

 

[anne_h]

Update... I took the setting to another jeweler. They said the same thing, prongs are too delicate. They recommend 1mm per prong. But the good news is their quote to remake all the prongs is half that of the first jeweler. And I like this place better. Bigger shop, more professional.

I have one more jeweler I want to consult with. To be continued...

 

[distracts]

Can you post a picture of the ring and prongs? I’m wondering if they’re thin like worn down in all directions.