Diamond Fell Out with Platinum Prongs

[AmantdeChat]

I had my ring in my pocket as I was doing some yard work on Sat. I was bent over doing something and my ring fell out of my pocket. It wasn''t a very far drop (maybe a foot, foot and half from pocket to ground), but it was concrete. Anyway, one of the platinum prongs bent causing my diamond to fall out!

(No damage to the diamond, though, Thank God!) Suffice it to say, I was not very happy. Yes, I should have been more careful, etc. but I really did not think platinum would bend this easily. Is this more common than I think, or is it just a freak accident where it hit just right? Now I have to wait 7 to 10 days before I can get it back and I just got it back from the jewelers for replacing a surprise diamond that fell out!

I swear I am not that hard on this ring. In fact, I baby it alot! Just seems like a run of bad luck with it right now.

Is there anything I can do to improve the setting? Have them make the prongs thicker (it''s a four prong Scott Kay) or set it lower? Any info would be appreciated.

 

[diamondsbylauren]

Hi-
It''s far more likely that you bent the prong while it was in your pocket and bending over and doing work.

I''m not saying you can''t do such damage by dropping a ring on concrete, but it''s extremely unlikely.

Can you post a photo? - maybe if we see the design we can offer more input.

 

[AmantdeChat]

I wonder how I could have bent it in the pocket? I had placed it there just minutes before it fell out. Anyway, heres a side view that shows the prongs and height the best. ETA: Sorry so dark, that's the best pic I have. (must remember to get better pictures someday.

)

 

[diamondsbylauren]

Was it the center or one of the side diamonds?

 

[AmantdeChat]

Sorry

! It was the center stone. Just one of the prongs bent out. It actually looked like it got wrenched out of place.

 

[Odilia]

I would like to see another picture - a top view - as it is very pretty!

 

[Bagpuss]

One of my baguette diamonds fell out of one of my rings because the prong was bent backwards. I happened to see the diamond sparkling on a throw that I had over my knees. I have no memory of catching the prong on anything, but I must have done. I was just lucky to have had it happen in the house and to notice the loose diamond immediately.

The ring was almost new (it didn''t have hand picked certified diamonds, but it wasn''t a cheapie either) and my jeweller simply replaced the whole ring.

I''m sure these things do happen from time to time and most of the time it''s no-one''s fault, just an accident. It must be really scary though when it''s your big e-ring rock that falls out!

 

[AmantdeChat]

Thanks Odilia! Here''s the link to my original posting about my e-ring:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/finally-pics-of-my-e-ring.25661/


Bagpuss: Oh yeah! I picked it up and was heading towards the house with it when I looked down and no center stone!!!

Looked back and there was my diamond just sparkling in the sun, as if it was saying excuse me but you left me down here...

 

[diamondsbylauren]

Looking at the side view it''s even more likely that you bent the prong in your pocket.
It''s a lovely ring, with the center set up pretty high.
This allows you to bend a prong more easily- especially in your pocket.

 

[AmantdeChat]

Well, I guess anything is possible. The only problem with that is the diamond did not fall out until after I picked up the ring. The diamond was still "sitting" in the prongs when I picked it up. Only after I walked away and looked down at it again did I realize that the diamond was missing.
Oh well. Hopefully it was just a freak accident and not something I have to worry about happening again. I will definitely be alot more careful with it though!!

ETA: The pocket the ring was in was a shirt pocket, not a jean or shorts pocket. That's why I don't think I bent it there because the pocket was a lot looser (sp?) than a jean or short pocket would be. Really no way of bending the prong and it stills begs the question of is this normal or just a freak accident?

 

[Daniela]

Geez, that really sucks! It''s so irritating to have to be without your ring while it''s being repaired.

I''m not an expert, but I think that some settings just aren''t as secure as others, but you can''t always tell which are which! I had this inexpensive little three stone promise ring from my husband, and wore it every day for three years. Each stone was in a four-prong setting (the center stone was a four-prong basket). The stones are still as tight as the day he gave it to me. And I absolutely did not baby that ring!

Fastforward to my engagement ring, which, like yours, is a four-prong V style (Stuller solstice). I''ve had nothing but problems with it, despite the fact that I am sooo careful with it. You could blame it on the jeweller, but I''ve had the diamond re-set by three different jewellers! The thing is, there are lots of people with four-prong settings on Pricescope that have never had any trouble. But it''s just too much of a crapshoot for my liking. My experience with my engagement ring has turned me off of this type of setting forever, because you just never know. I''m moving my diamond over to a bezel setting.

I''m sharing my experience with you not so that you feel disheartened, but rather so that you know that you''re not alone! I really hope that the problem gets fixed and that your stone never comes loose again.

 

[Mara]

yikes! don''t keep that in your POCKET in the future, it''s safer on your hands!

 

[diamondsbylauren]

Date: 8/1/2005 5:18:54 PM
Author: Daniela
Geez, that really sucks! It''s so irritating to have to be without your ring while it''s being repaired.

I''m not an expert, but I think that some settings just aren''t as secure as others, but you can''t always tell which are which! I had this inexpensive little three stone promise ring from my husband, and wore it every day for three years. Each stone was in a four-prong setting (the center stone was a four-prong basket). The stones are still as tight as the day he gave it to me. And I absolutely did not baby that ring!

Fastforward to my engagement ring, which, like yours, is a four-prong V style (Stuller solstice). I''ve had nothing but problems with it, despite the fact that I am sooo careful with it. You could blame it on the jeweller, but I''ve had the diamond re-set by three different jewellers! The thing is, there are lots of people with four-prong settings on Pricescope that have never had any trouble. But it''s just too much of a crapshoot for my liking. My experience with my engagement ring has turned me off of this type of setting forever, because you just never know. I''m moving my diamond over to a bezel setting.

I''m sharing my experience with you not so that you feel disheartened, but rather so that you know that you''re not alone! I really hope that the problem gets fixed and that your stone never comes loose again.

Hey Daniela,
Some people might actually call me an "expert" while others have un-publishable names for me....hehehe

Seriously- Although a bezel seems to be more secure, it is not.
The layer of gold which covers the outside of the diamond ( obscuring it, by the way) is actually thinner than a typical prong. So, loosing a bezel set stone is still possible.

As far as having the diamond re-set 4 times in a 4 pring mounting and it''s still loose!?
Well, it sounds as though the first guy messed up the seats- or something, and the subsequent setters trying to fix this are facing an uphill battle.
Not that it can''t be fixed- it likely can- BUT- it''s far more difficult to fix someones'' mistake than it is doing right from scratch.
I suggest having the first guy make it right- even if he has to order a new head, or other parts.
After all, you paid for the work initially.

IN general a well done 4 prong setting is extremely secure, and allows the best display of the diamond.
I do feel that the lower a prong setting is, the more secure the diamond is- if for no other reason that there''s simply less prong to bend.

 

[Bagpuss]

I must admit that I think certain settings are safer than others. My big diamond is bezel set and I must admit, I feel it''s very safe in this setting.

I do have an 84 pointer in a 4 prong setting but the prongs are quite thick. Also, they are flattened off on the top where they hold the diamond, so they don''t catch on clothing or other material. This diamond is also set very low which means I rarely hit it against things.

Other rings I have are set higher and I find they do catch on stuff, but I only wear them occassionally, so it isn''t much of a problem.

 

[diamondsbylauren]

Bagpuss- It''s great to feel safe about the diamond- but a bezel can be quite delcate too- so please be careful!!

Date: 8/1/2005 7:01:49 PM
Author: Bagpuss
I must admit that I think certain settings are safer than others. My big diamond is bezel set and I must admit, I feel it''s very safe in this setting.

I do have an 84 pointer in a 4 prong setting but the prongs are quite thick. Also, they are flattened off on the top where they hold the diamond, so they don''t catch on clothing or other material. This diamond is also set very low which means I rarely hit it against things.

Other rings I have are set higher and I find they do catch on stuff, but I only wear them occassionally, so it isn''t much of a problem.

 

[sjz]

Date: 8/1/2005 6:45:45 PM
Author: diamondsbylauren

Date: 8/1/2005 5:18:54 PM
Author: Daniela
Geez, that really sucks! It''s so irritating to have to be without your ring while it''s being repaired.

I''m not an expert, but I think that some settings just aren''t as secure as others, but you can''t always tell which are which! I had this inexpensive little three stone promise ring from my husband, and wore it every day for three years. Each stone was in a four-prong setting (the center stone was a four-prong basket). The stones are still as tight as the day he gave it to me. And I absolutely did not baby that ring!

Fastforward to my engagement ring, which, like yours, is a four-prong V style (Stuller solstice). I''ve had nothing but problems with it, despite the fact that I am sooo careful with it. You could blame it on the jeweller, but I''ve had the diamond re-set by three different jewellers! The thing is, there are lots of people with four-prong settings on Pricescope that have never had any trouble. But it''s just too much of a crapshoot for my liking. My experience with my engagement ring has turned me off of this type of setting forever, because you just never know. I''m moving my diamond over to a bezel setting.

I''m sharing my experience with you not so that you feel disheartened, but rather so that you know that you''re not alone! I really hope that the problem gets fixed and that your stone never comes loose again.

Hey Daniela,
Some people might actually call me an ''expert'' while others have un-publishable names for me....hehehe

Seriously- Although a bezel seems to be more secure, it is not.
The layer of gold which covers the outside of the diamond ( obscuring it, by the way) is actually thinner than a typical prong. So, loosing a bezel set stone is still possible.

As far as having the diamond re-set 4 times in a 4 pring mounting and it''s still loose!?
Well, it sounds as though the first guy messed up the seats- or something, and the subsequent setters trying to fix this are facing an uphill battle.
Not that it can''t be fixed- it likely can- BUT- it''s far more difficult to fix someones'' mistake than it is doing right from scratch.
I suggest having the first guy make it right- even if he has to order a new head, or other parts.
After all, you paid for the work initially.

IN general a well done 4 prong setting is extremely secure, and allows the best display of the diamond.
I do feel that the lower a prong setting is, the more secure the diamond is- if for no other reason that there''s simply less prong to bend.

David,

I bet that you are correct about the seats being messed up. I had a stone set in a six prong setting once, and the stone felt loose to me. I took it back to the jeweler and he said it was fine. It still felt loose to me, so I took it to another jeweler. He tried to take the stone out of the setting and reset it, but it was still loose, and he showed me why...one of the prongs'' seats had been cut too deep, or the original jeweler had used a burr that was too big or something, and the only way to secure the stone tightly was going to make the stone look lopsided. The second jeweler tried to add a bit of solder to the gap, but the solder kept falling out. I eventually ended up taking the ring back to the first jeweler and having the stone set into an entirely different head, because that was the only solution that he could come up with.

 

[perry]

3 out of every 4 diamonds replaced by insurance was mounted in 4 prongs or less.

This includes loss by theft, fire, and all other forms of damage or loss.

To boot, the insurance companies are now validating data and looking how to restructure their insurance premiums (methinks it will get pricy by a year from now to insure a 4 prong - or less set diamond).

Bezels can be delicate, but it seems that the evidence is in on 4 prong settings.

Perry

 

[cflutist]

Date: 8/1/2005 8:41:12 PM
Author: perry
3 out of every 4 diamonds replaced by insurance was mounted in 4 prongs or less.

This includes loss by theft, fire, and all other forms of damage or loss.

To boot, the insurance companies are now validating data and looking how to restructure their insurance premiums (methinks it will get pricy by a year from now to insure a 4 prong - or less set diamond).

Bezels can be delicate, but it seems that the evidence is in on 4 prong settings.

Perry

RocDoc and Perry said the very same thing on the 4 vs 6 prong thread.

 

[diamondsbylauren]

Date: 8/1/2005 8:41:12 PM
Author: perry
3 out of every 4 diamonds replaced by insurance was mounted in 4 prongs or less.

This includes loss by theft, fire, and all other forms of damage or loss.

To boot, the insurance companies are now validating data and looking how to restructure their insurance premiums (methinks it will get pricy by a year from now to insure a 4 prong - or less set diamond).

Bezels can be delicate, but it seems that the evidence is in on 4 prong settings.

Perry

Hi Perry,
Where is this information coming from?
It's extremely misleading.

There are many stones which can only be set in 4 prongs.
I would say, without hesitation, that all the radiant, princess cut, Asscher, Emerald Cut, and assorted other 4 prong owners out there are in very good shape provided their stones are set properly, and the ring is not mis- shappen, or overly worn.

Trilliants, which are set in only three prings are more prone than some other stones.
The quality of the setting has EVERYTHING to do with stones coming loose or not.
Stones which are properly set in four prongs are totally fine.

I'd LOVE to see an insurance company come on and tell us they're raising all the Radiant Cut owners policies. Ain't gonna happen.

 

[diamondsbylauren]

Date: 8/1/2005 8:34:37 PM
Author: sjz

Date: 8/1/2005 6:45:45 PM
Author: diamondsbylauren

Date: 8/1/2005 5:18:54 PM
Author: Daniela
Geez, that really sucks! It''s so irritating to have to be without your ring while it''s being repaired.

I''m not an expert, but I think that some settings just aren''t as secure as others, but you can''t always tell which are which! I had this inexpensive little three stone promise ring from my husband, and wore it every day for three years. Each stone was in a four-prong setting (the center stone was a four-prong basket). The stones are still as tight as the day he gave it to me. And I absolutely did not baby that ring!

Fastforward to my engagement ring, which, like yours, is a four-prong V style (Stuller solstice). I''ve had nothing but problems with it, despite the fact that I am sooo careful with it. You could blame it on the jeweller, but I''ve had the diamond re-set by three different jewellers! The thing is, there are lots of people with four-prong settings on Pricescope that have never had any trouble. But it''s just too much of a crapshoot for my liking. My experience with my engagement ring has turned me off of this type of setting forever, because you just never know. I''m moving my diamond over to a bezel setting.

I''m sharing my experience with you not so that you feel disheartened, but rather so that you know that you''re not alone! I really hope that the problem gets fixed and that your stone never comes loose again.

Hey Daniela,
Some people might actually call me an ''expert'' while others have un-publishable names for me....hehehe

Seriously- Although a bezel seems to be more secure, it is not.
The layer of gold which covers the outside of the diamond ( obscuring it, by the way) is actually thinner than a typical prong. So, loosing a bezel set stone is still possible.

As far as having the diamond re-set 4 times in a 4 pring mounting and it''s still loose!?
Well, it sounds as though the first guy messed up the seats- or something, and the subsequent setters trying to fix this are facing an uphill battle.
Not that it can''t be fixed- it likely can- BUT- it''s far more difficult to fix someones'' mistake than it is doing right from scratch.
I suggest having the first guy make it right- even if he has to order a new head, or other parts.
After all, you paid for the work initially.

IN general a well done 4 prong setting is extremely secure, and allows the best display of the diamond.
I do feel that the lower a prong setting is, the more secure the diamond is- if for no other reason that there''s simply less prong to bend.

David,

I bet that you are correct about the seats being messed up. I had a stone set in a six prong setting once, and the stone felt loose to me. I took it back to the jeweler and he said it was fine. It still felt loose to me, so I took it to another jeweler. He tried to take the stone out of the setting and reset it, but it was still loose, and he showed me why...one of the prongs'' seats had been cut too deep, or the original jeweler had used a burr that was too big or something, and the only way to secure the stone tightly was going to make the stone look lopsided. The second jeweler tried to add a bit of solder to the gap, but the solder kept falling out. I eventually ended up taking the ring back to the first jeweler and having the stone set into an entirely different head, because that was the only solution that he could come up with.

Great point Suzi,
Of course once the seat is messed up you have to replace the head in many cases.
Sometimes stones simply can''t be set straight in a particular setting- or ever. This is happens occasionally with Cushions and other stones which may be asymmetrical in some aspect of shape

 

[perry]

David:

Why would you feel that the information that 3 of every 4 claims filed against the insurance industry is from a 4 prong or less loss would not be credible.

I have been on this forum for about 9 months. I believe that I have seen about a half dozen people report that their diamond fell out in that time period. All from 4 prong settings. I have been in 3 jewelry stores when someone came in because they lost their diamond (or had it fall out). Again from a 4 prong setting.

I have never in all of that time seen or heard of a single person say that they have lost a diamond from a 6 prong, bezel, or semi-bezel setting in that period.

I have seen a few people mention loosing diamonds in tension settings.

Cflutist noted the thread where I posted my original information. It came from a magazine article published I believe in March of this year. I am sure it would have been a fairly respectable magazine or I would not have paid it much mind. Sorry, I did not copy the link at the time as I was looking for other information at the time. It was only "interesting" at the time.

It is interesting to note that RocDoc recieved the same information from a different source.

The article I read only confirmed my personal observations from actual people reporting the loss of the diamond.

As far as what the insurance companies will or won''t do - that is up to them. But, they have a clear pattern of assigning cost to actual risk if they can clearly demonstrait the risk (look at how they have fragmented Auto insurance based on a dozen differerent factors). With an intial study like that - I am sure that they are busy tracking and verifying claims to figure out how much of a risk is really present (probably over a much larger data set).

I will agree that proper setting reduces the chance of loss; but it still does not cover the case described in this post where the ring is dropped and a single prong is bent...

Perry

 

[diamondsbylauren]

Date: 8/1/2005 11:51:40 PM
Author: perry
David:

Why would you feel that the information that 3 of every 4 claims filed against the insurance industry is from a 4 prong or less loss would not be credible.

I have been on this forum for about 9 months. I believe that I have seen about a half dozen people report that their diamond fell out in that time period. All from 4 prong settings. I have been in 3 jewelry stores when someone came in because they lost their diamond (or had it fall out). Again from a 4 prong setting.

I have never in all of that time seen or heard of a single person say that they have lost a diamond from a 6 prong, bezel, or semi-bezel setting in that period.

I have seen a few people mention loosing diamonds in tension settings.

Cflutist noted the thread where I posted my original information. It came from a magazine article published I believe in March of this year. I am sure it would have been a fairly respectable magazine or I would not have paid it much mind. Sorry, I did not copy the link at the time as I was looking for other information at the time. It was only 'interesting' at the time.

It is interesting to note that RocDoc recieved the same information from a different source.

The article I read only confirmed my personal observations from actual people reporting the loss of the diamond.

As far as what the insurance companies will or won't do - that is up to them. But, they have a clear pattern of assigning cost to actual risk if they can clearly demonstrait the risk (look at how they have fragmented Auto insurance based on a dozen differerent factors). With an intial study like that - I am sure that they are busy tracking and verifying claims to figure out how much of a risk is really present (probably over a much larger data set).

I will agree that proper setting reduces the chance of loss; but it still does not cover the case described in this post where the ring is dropped and a single prong is bent...

Perry

Perry- from a statistical standpoint, my 30 years in this industry is insignifigant.
Yet I've seen and been involved with the manufacture of many thousands of rings.
Although Pricescope is a terrific place to learn , it is in no way indicitive of all diamonds purchased.
That is to say, if 3 out of 4 pricescopers lost their 4 prong diamond it is statistically meaningless.

My experience has been that 4 prongs, properly done, is more than sufficient to protect the diamond.
Pull one prong off the diamond and it's not going to fall out. I'll bet Am's ring has more damage than simply one prong. Also the height of the prongs makes them far more prone to loosing a stone.
Theoretcally, if the wearer was paying no attention to thier ring, and they now pull a second prong, they lost their diamond.
But most people WILL notice if their diamond is slightly loose in the setting.

As far as insurance- the companies that insure high dollar pieces surely have ways of determining how much to charge- but I would think their main concern is that people might loose the entire piece.

Again- that's just my experience- but if there is actually a published report, I would love to read it! Maybe the statistic is correct as a broad generalization.
Perry- there's millions of stones out there that can only be set in 4 prongs.
I would again venture to say that someone buying an Asscher who has it properly set has nothing to worry about.

 

[RockDoc]

Hi David

Because there are so many more round stones than fancy shapes, the statistics really are more resultant of data from round stone insurance claims.

The statistics I mentioned were a cross section study of claims where diamonds were lost. It is the data from one insurance company, but a MAJOR one.

There is a central insurance claims informational database, but the info is only available to its insurance company members, although I am trying to get some input from jewelry loss adjuster acquaintances.

I am certain that the cause was poor setting workmanship as you allude to. However, it appears that people notice a loose stone in a 6 prong and get it fixed before the stone falls out. Because it takes less prongs to be loose to get a stone out of its setting in a 4 prong, it appears there isn''t enough "warning notice".


Another statistic of a lost stone many time may be caused by retipping, when the setting should actually have been replaced. If a tip breaks and is merely repaired with a piece of gold wire soldered to the tip of the broken or missing prong, that is sort of risky at best.

Being in NY I am sure you''ve seen really horrid setting work.

One of my mentors there in my early years in the biz used to import a lot of items from Asia I think they were made in Bangkok). The stones were set, but not well. So he had each piece gone over and "fixed" by a good setter on the street to prevent future problems. .

I commonly see work where you''d swear the setter didn''t have hands and set the stone using his feet.

I really think the key and salient issue is pride in workmanship.

Rockdoc

 

[Bagpuss]

I commonly see work where you'd swear the setter didn't have hands and set the stone using his feet.

You are so funny!

I agree that good workmanship is the deciding factor. My 4 prong setting was made by the jeweller that set the diamond and the prongs are VERY strong and well-made. The diamond looks and feels completely solid. I think it would take for me to hit it quite badly or for me to obviously catch it on material of some kind to loosen one of these prongs and I would know immediately that there was a chance I'd damaged the ring.

I do have diamonds in a 3 prong setting, but they are earrings, and I don't think they come under so much stress as a ring. WF assured me they felt the setting was quite safe for earrings.

 

[perry]

David:

Well, I found the article by an internet search. I am sure that you can as well.

I believe that I was searching for information on diamond security / theft at the time. Thus searches for "diamond" with the word "theft" or "loss" might have been the search I used at the time. This was not one of the early pages identified. I beileve it was 6 - 10 pages back, with 100 hits per page.

Have fun.

Of course, some web pages - especially periodical articles - get taken down after a while; and it may no longer be there.

Perry

 

[AmantdeChat]

Well, alot of interesting comments!

It did look like only 1 prong was bent, but I could be wrong. At least 1 prong was severely bent out of place, the others may have been a little, and I didn''t notice it.
My main question, however, was is this common for platinum prongs? I was lead to believe these are more secure and trustworthy, so I was surprised that this occurred at all, 4 prong or not. I did do a search for topics, but could not find one that talked about this being a problem. Most of them leaned towards having a platinum head, regardless of the metal of the rest of the setting.

 

[fire&ice]

Date: 8/1/2005 8:41:12 PM
Author: perry
3 out of every 4 diamonds replaced by insurance was mounted in 4 prongs or less.

Quite possibly, it''s because 3 out of 4 diamonds ARE in a 4 prong setting.

 

[diamondsbylauren]

Date: 8/2/2005 7:21:39 AM
Author: perry
David:

Well, I found the article by an internet search. I am sure that you can as well.

I believe that I was searching for information on diamond security / theft at the time. Thus searches for 'diamond' with the word 'theft' or 'loss' might have been the search I used at the time. This was not one of the early pages identified. I beileve it was 6 - 10 pages back, with 100 hits per page.

Have fun.

Of course, some web pages - especially periodical articles - get taken down after a while; and it may no longer be there.

Perry

Perry- YOU are the person making these claims- I say the claim is not valid.
If YOU can find the material to prove your point, I will glady admit I was wrong. Fair is fair- HAVE FUN and do your homework. Back up your words with something and don't ask others to prove YOUR point.
Till then, I stand by my point.


RockDoc makes very good points.
There are likely more round diamonds set than other shapes- though this may be changing. Still, if you could re-publish what you initially did RockDoc- I'd really be interested to see the figures.
GREAT point Fire and Ice- if 75% of all diamonds are set in 4 priongs that has a huge impact on these figures.
Maybe 25% of all stones are bezel set, and 50% of those have fallen out- you could still slant the figures to show more stones fall out of 4 prong rings.
That's the problem with quoting this type of stastic without any context.

Bagpuss- GREAT point about 3 prong earring settings- which are absolutely fabulous!
There's less stress on an earring so the chances of a stone falling out is far less.


AM- generally spealing, platinum IS the strongest most durable metal for prongs.
But the lenght and height of you prongs does make them more succeptable to catching and bending.

 

[Kaleigh]

If platinum is the strongest of all metals how could the prong bend just by having it in your pocket???? It seems unlikely to me????

 

[denverappraiser]

I think it is not correct to say that 6 prong heads are generally more secure than 4 although this is a broadly accepted opinion. I’ve never seen a serious study of this where the other important variables have been isolated. The most important single variable is the craftsmanship followed by the care and attention of the owner. The nature of the head is also extremely important, moreso than either the material or the prong count. ‘Tiffany’ style settings that come to a point below the stone are much more resistant to bending than tall freestanding wires for example. A seating ring, which is a small wire that sits directly below the girdle and attaches the prongs to each other makes the prongs extremely difficult to pull back from the stone.

Insurance companies would be wise to make some risk differentials for certain attributes of jewelry where the risk is higher but I would put this way down the list. Above it I would suggest:

1) Poor craftsmanship
2) Princess cut, especially those with sharp corners.
3) Emeralds, Opals, Tanzanite and other fragile stones.
4) Anything containing invisible settings
5) Extremely thin girdles

The reason that platinum prongs are generally counted as more secure than white gold is because of the way platinum wears over time, not it’s resistance to bending.

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