Do these prongs look right to you? A few aren’t touching the crown

[cottoncandy]

I’ve just received a setting from a PS vendor and noticed a couple prongs didn’t look right. I’ve already contacted the vendor to ask what to do about the 2 prongs. However I decided to take some macro photos, and I’m afraid all the prongs don’t look right.

The prong I noticed first was Prong B. It’s not touching the crown, I can actually slide a piece of paper underneath. Prong C has a similar issue, but the space is a little smaller. None of the prong tips look like they are touching the crown. Prong F seems to be the best one?

I’m not sure how prongs are supposed to look at macro. Would appreciate anyone’s input! Thank you.



The prongs are made of Platinum 900 Iridium I believe.

 

[SimoneDi]

The prongs don’t look great to me. It doesn’t appear that the diamond is resting well into the prong beds.

Also, I personally much prefer PT 950 Ru. I had a lot of prong issues with a ring that was made from PT 900Ir, so I personally avoid it now.

Did you contact the jeweler? I bet that they can correct the issue, maybe even change the alloy if it’s still early on.

 

[cottoncandy]

The prongs don’t look great to me. It doesn’t appear that the diamond is resting well into the prong beds.

Also, I personally much prefer PT 950 Ru. I had a lot of prong issues with a ring that was made from PT 900Ir, so I personally avoid it now.

Did you contact the jeweler? I bet that they can correct the issue, maybe even change the alloy if it’s still early on.

@SimoneDi Thanks for confirming my suspicions. And yes I contacted the jeweler. I don’t expect to hear back until Monday.

Unfortunately they already remade the head (for other reasons) so I don’t think I’d be able to get them to do it again with a different alloy here I did a lot of research between 950 Ru and 900 Ir and chose the latter because of some reports that it was “whiter.”

 

[oldminer]

Don't get over-absorbed by what they are made of. If they had looked right, you would have been happy and everything would be perfect. In truth, they are NOT fitted onto the diamond properly, crown or pavilion. They also are not shaped well to avoid snagging things. It can be fixed, but you have to get along with the vendor and keep your issue practical and possible. The stone needs to be unset so proper bearing surfaces can be created. Then the stone is fitted into the bearings on the pavilion, the prongs bent over and correctly fitted flush to the crown. Finally, the shaping of their tips needs to make them unavailable to snag or hook onto things. None of this is a big deal, but should have been done this way in the first place.

 

[SimoneDi]

What @oldminer said.

I wouldn’t be too worried about hurting the vendor’s feelings. They didn’t do a great job setting your stone. Knowing who the vendor is, this is rather disappointing.

PT 900Ir is a lighter grey compared to PT950Ru but in my experience the later is a more rigid metal, so I would pick it anytime.

 

[the_mother_thing]

I’m sorry this has happened; it really rains on your ‘new bling’ parade. I agree they do not look right, and I’d be cautious wearing the ring until it is resolved so as not to cause additional damage and/or risk losing the diamond. It’s good you reached out to the vendor to get the ball rolling on rectifying it. Even if they did already remake the head or the entire ring, it’s still not right, and you paid for the work to be done in a professional manner, so don’t feel bad about bringing this up to them as well to resolve. Hopefully, they will resolve it quickly, professionally, to your satisfaction and not at your expense.

It’s been said on here more times than I can count that the true test of a vendor’s reputation is more about how they resolve problems (like this) that arise for their customers. Hopefully your vendor passes that test! Good luck!

 

[cottoncandy]

Don't get over-absorbed by what they are made of. If they had looked right, you would have been happy and everything would be perfect. In truth, they are NOT fitted onto the diamond properly, crown or pavilion. They also are not shaped well to avoid snagging things. It can be fixed, but you have to get along with the vendor and keep your issue practical and possible. The stone needs to be unset so proper bearing surfaces can be created. Then the stone is fitted into the bearings on the pavilion, the prongs bent over and correctly fitted flush to the crown. Finally, the shaping of their tips needs to make them unavailable to snag or hook onto things. None of this is a big deal, but should have been done this way in the first place.

@oldminer thanks for the perspective and the breakdown of what the repair process might be! Seems like it’s more complicated than taking it to a local jeweler to get “tightened”. I just wish that the prongs were set correctly in the first place

I’m sorry this has happened; it really rains on your ‘new bling’ parade. I agree they do not look right, and I’d be cautious wearing the ring until it is resolved so as not to cause additional damage and/or risk losing the diamond. It’s good you reached out to the vendor to get the ball rolling on rectifying it. Even if they did already remake the head or the entire ring, it’s still not right, and you paid for the work to be done in a professional manner, so don’t feel bad about bringing this up to them as well to resolve. Hopefully, they will resolve it quickly, professionally, to your satisfaction and not at your expense.

It’s been said on here more times than I can count that the true test of a vendor’s reputation is more about how they resolve problems (like this) that arise for their customers. Hopefully your vendor passes that test! Good luck!

I also hope for a quick resolution! So far the vendor has worked well to resolve my first issue, so I’m hoping this issue will be resolved easily too. With my original timeline being a pre-Christmas delivery I hope this can be fixed ASAP. Phew, this is all really a true exercise in patience!

 

[tigertales]

Please tell us how things worked out ! I'm a prong fanatic, so have been following this thread...so educational. I hope all is better now, and so glad you went with your gut on this one. I would have, too!

 

[Ss52]

Yes, please show us your beautiful “dark horse.”

 

[Lvoeshinythings]

Any updates to this? I’d love to see the fixed prongs. I’m so sorry this happened to you and quite frankly, am surprised that it happened at all.

I’m new to posting in PS but I do love a good set of prongs!

 

[tigertales]

Any updates to this? I’d love to see the fixed prongs. I’m so sorry this happened to you and quite frankly, am surprised that it happened at all.

I’m new to posting in PS but I do love a good set of prongs!

Thank goodness for good benchmen. It took me years to find people I really trust. I'm lucky, I have four now who are so remarkable ( Shout out to Sal, John, Randy and Angel...you know who you are, loves) I ALWAYS go to my local people. I can wait while they work, which for me is a requirement of my insurance on some pieces, and my jeweler knows my preferences after almost 20 years. I know this site works with many, many excellent vendors on-line, but I have to say, there is nothing like personal service from people you trust and with whom you've built a rapport. And, yes, I drove them crazy several times. But they love me anyway! I think...lol!

 

[cottoncandy]

@tigertales @Lvoeshinythings — Thank you, I appreciate your concern! I’d never thought too deeply about prongs and was so disappointed to see all those space in the photos.

Update on what’s happened so far:

1. We went a local vendor who confirmed the prongs are not safe and the diamond needs to be re-set. In fact, she said the entire head needs to be reset, and cited some other issues of concern.
2. At this point we were a bit tired with the back and forth with the previous PS vendor. We already had the head redone because the prongs did not match the CAD. They graciously repaired it free of charge. However we wanted a different communication style, so we decided to cut our losses and look elsewhere for a vendor to make my ring.
3. My boyfriend and I decided to contact a different PS vendor for a new custom setting. It is currently being cast after a few rounds of CADs which look absolutely stunning and unique!

@Ss52 Not sure what you meant by “dark horse” but I will definitely update with my ring AFTER the proposal!

 

[tigertales]

Thanks for the update @cottoncandy !
I hope all goes well, I know how tense you must be right now. I generally freak out . Don't ask me why, I know it's trivial, but I guess jewelry is a little piece of artwork to wear and cherish. It would be the same to me as if a painting weren't sitting right in its frame.
Surely that makes sense!

 

[cottoncandy]

@tigertales Oh I’m with you 100% !!

It’s been an emotional experience, since this has delayed my proposal. Our original deadline for the finished ring was Christmas 2018...we’ve since had to change plans... not sure how my boyfriend is dealing with the timeline since I know he was planning a special surprise

 

[tigertales]

@tigertales Oh I’m with you 100% !!

It’s been an emotional experience, since this has delayed my proposal. Our original deadline for the finished ring was Christmas 2018...we’ve since had to change plans... not sure how my boyfriend is dealing with the timeline since I know he was planning a special surprise

Oh, that's terrible! I'm so sorry!
well, if it's any consolation, my husband proposed to me with a plastic ring that came out of a gumball machine when we stopped at a little country store one afternoon. I actually wore it till the silver coating wore off, and then, because it was a little plastic fake emerald, we commemorated it by putting two little emeralds on either side of the diamond we'd originally picked out and hadn't modified yet. Ha!
so, maybe have the proposal with a sweet little ring like a promise ring, or a guitar string wrapped in a circle, or a silver band from a concert vendor ( for now) . Just take that precious moment right out of the jewelers control. Take back your engagement, and make it special your own way. I promise you, you'll feel better.