Casting--Scared

[lilfawn]

I am shopping for a new setting for my 1/2 carat marquise. I fell in love with a 14K white gold setting with channel set diamonds and pave settings around the diamond. It works beautifully with my marquise...which is no easy feat. But I am allergic to nickel. The manager told me that the jeweler can cast the ring and make one in 18K gold for me. I went to this particular shop because they have a full time in house jeweler. He was on vacation that day though and is returning today, so I couldn''t talk to him. I have done bench work myself in college as part of my art degree. I know just enough to be scared.

Is this something that is fairly easily done by an experienced jeweler? I am concerned about the pave settings, especially since I will be using yellow gold. I want them to be good and sparkly. Should I just find another ring? Or is this a viable option?

 

[denverappraiser]

It shouldn’t be a problem for any manufacturing jeweler but frankly I’m not understanding the issue since you're doing it in yellow gold. 14k yellow gold doesn’t contain nickel in the alloy anyway. If they can do good work in 14k white they can also do good work in 18k yellow, 14k yellow or most other alloys that may interest you. If you want white, there are non-nickle bearing alloys readily available.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Jewelry Appraisals in Denver

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Personally, I like to see the finished product before ordering unless I know the work of the person very well. I''d maybe look a little more or at least go in and talk to the bench person. Did you want yellow gold in the first place? You can get white gold with other alloys than nickel, and platinum is safe, too.

 

[lilfawn]

They were going to recast it from white to yellow. I don''t necessarily prefer yellow. I just need the ring to be nickel free. I might see if the jeweler can test the original for nickel. It would be great if it were a palladium gold alloy. I will probably look around to see if I can find something I love just as much before having it cast. It was the first one that I''ve put on that caused me to go "WOW!". I am not that interested in Platinum. It is so much more than the other options and I want my money to go to the sparkly little rocks.

I wanted to go with 18K yellow because I like the brighter color. 14K yellow would be okay too.

Thanks