Frusturated - Ring is Rattling!

[thebachelor12345]

Hi Everyone,

Wondering if I can get a few opinions from the community on a recent situation that has me feeling a bit uncomfortable. Any advice from jewelers or individuals who do this for a living would be very appreciated.

I recently had a diamond ring (princess cut, 4 prong platinum setting) resized from 7 to 8.5

Upon receiving the ring back, I noticed that when I shook it, I could hear an audible rattling noise.

I went back to the jeweler and explained the situation. They informed me that with the setting I have this type of rattling sound is actually common. They also noted that they didn't want to risk putting too much pressure on the diamond (assuring me that the corners of the diamond were deeply set into the prongs as it currently stands). With that said, they took the ring back anyway and promised to tighten it up for me at no charge.

I received the ring back, and it still rattled!

I called the jeweler back to let them know and they are essentially standing by this as it is. They said they would not return the ring back to me unless they were confident in the setting.

What should I do? Should I be satisfied with this or go somewhere else to see if I can get the prongs tightened even further?

 

[MissGotRocks]

Are you able to move and/or rock the stone in the setting? If so I'd have to say the stone is loose.

 

[stonewell]

If the center isn’t movable, it sounds like some of the pave may have come unsettled in sizing it up. Did the jeweler check all of the side stones too?

 

[Bron357]

Well, I heard rattling and I ignored it thinking it was my watch and tennis bracelet. Later on when I looked down at my hand I almost had a heart attack, seeing my centre diamond half out of its bezel setting.
Using your finger nail on the exposed girdle, gently try and wiggle the centre diamond. If it moves up and down or side to side, it’s loose.
I wouldn’t have thought a fully bezel set diamond could have a corner “pop out” just because it was a bit loose, but it did.
I had inadvertently put pressure on the setting (I remembered what I’d done, walking the dog with the leash wrapped around my hand / fingers she pulled hard suddenly after seeing a cat and my hand and fingers got squished hard and being it’s 18ct gold it moved the setting unbeknownst to me).
It should be firm enough not to rattle. If it’s due to resizing, you might need a new head (the prong bits) put in.

 

[thebachelor12345]

Thanks everyone. I'm taking it to a different jeweler for a second opinion. Local family run business in my area; we'll see what they have to say. I'm no expert but it does seem a bit odd to me to have brand new unworn ring that you can hear when you shake it.

 

[tyty333]

Rings arent suppose to rattle <roll eye emoji not working> ...something is still not right. Like stonewell said, check all the side stones. Get out your loupe...see if anything moves.

 

[denverappraiser]

Yes, it's common and yes, it's bad. Diamonds rattling around wear the prongs out from the inside until you finally lose the stone. Get it fixed immediately. I'd venture to guess it's the center stone but maybe also others. The reason is that loose tiny one you usually can't hear unless your hearing is extremely good and it's very loose. It doesn't matter. They should fix it.

 

[thebachelor12345]

Thanks again. So...here's an update:

After spending about an hour at another independent local jeweler, I still have a ring with a slight rattle to it. @denverappraiser is correct, it is the head stone. They agreed that the stone shouldn't rattle, but they didn't seem to think there are any major red flags or risks after inspecting the setting.

The jeweler initially couldn't even hear the rattle but another member of their staff was able to confirm it after lightly shaking it a certain way. Here's what they said:

Option 1: Remove the diamond and reset it, which could carry the risk of damaging or chipping the diamond (bending platinum, high heat, pointed edges on the princess cut, etc., they seem to be making me feel like this won't be all that simple.

Option 2: Leave it for now; according to them, the diamond isn't going anywhere despite the sound. They said come back in a month to see if anything progresses but they seemed confident given the strength of platinum.

Would it do more harm than good to continue to find a way to fix this? This is now the second (well rated) local jeweler that seems weary of correcting the noise and has confidence in the setting.

What do you think i should do? am I being obsessive about this ticking sound or should I go to a third jeweler?

Jeeze, what a headache! The ring is insured but it would be nice to get some real peace of mind...

 

[missy]

Thanks again. So...here's an update:

After spending about an hour at another independent local jeweler, I still have a ring with a slight rattle to it. @denverappraiser is correct, it is the head stone. They agreed that the stone shouldn't rattle, but they didn't seem to think there are any major red flags or risks after inspecting the setting.

The jeweler initially couldn't even hear the rattle but another member of their staff was able to confirm it after lightly shaking it a certain way. Here's what they said:

Option 1: Remove the diamond and reset it, which could carry the risk of damaging or chipping the diamond (bending platinum, high heat, pointed edges on the princess cut, etc., they seem to be making me feel like this won't be all that simple.

Option 2: Leave it for now; according to them, the diamond isn't going anywhere despite the sound. They said come back in a month to see if anything progresses but they seemed confident given the strength of platinum.

Would it do more harm than good to continue to find a way to fix this? This is now the second (well rated) local jeweler that seems weary of correcting the noise and has confidence in the setting.

What do you think i should do? am I being obsessive about this ticking sound or should I go to a third jeweler?

Jeeze, what a headache! The ring is insured but it would be nice to get some real peace of mind...

Gosh I’m sorry. It is a headache but I’d fix it. If you leave it there’s a good chance it will get worse with time. Do you trust the current jeweler to be competent enough to do the job correctly? It seems you had to prove/convince him there was a problem and I have an uneasy feeling about it. But no matter who you use yes I’d fix it if it were my ring.

Who did you purchase the ring from? How long ago? Is it insured with them? Do you have a separate insurance policy? Sorry if I’m repeating questions you already answered.

 

[thebachelor12345]

Thanks @missy

This is actually an online Costco purchase about 2 months ago. I believe that the resizing I had done voids their return policy. I believe the resizing is also what contributed to the noise it's making. When I received the ring is was fine.

The jeweler I took it to today is a 30 year run family business. I feel like they could do it, but at the same I think they just wanted to make me well aware of factors that contribute to the risk of trying to address it:

1. The platinum will require a lot of heat (which the diamond should be able to take, but I suppose they still believe it could pose some risk to the diamond?

2. They made it sound as though the setting/diamond is fragile. that applying too much pressure to the corners of the diamond could damage it.

The ring is insured separately as an upgrade to my home insurance policy. It's essentially the best home insurance policy our bank offers with $50,000 of jewelry coverage.

-------------------

I would add this as a side note if adds any insight: The jeweler said the diamond is a J in color. I didn't tell him that it's a GIA certified H:

https://www.gia.edu/report-check?reportno=1176826712

I assume some shops may be critical if you didn't buy the original ring from them?

 

[distracts]

Diamonds are fairly brittle, so exposed points like the corners of a princess diamond, the point of a pear, etc, are prone to chipping. When you are setting/unsetting a stone is one of the times of highest risk for them. So yes, there is a risk that the diamond could be damaged, and a good jeweler will warn you about that. Theoretically your insurance policy covers this - I doubt theirs covers damage to diamonds that didn't originate with them.

And yes, some shops may be critical if you didn't buy the ring from them but it's also pretty hard to tell the color of a set diamond. I wouldn't worry about it too much if they seemed nice in other respects.

 

[thebachelor12345]

Thanks @distracts

Yes, they did seem genuine and well-meaning. I guess what I'm looking for overall is peace of mind, seeing as I had a brand new ring that made no noise before, and now I unfortunately do. They told me I was very attentive to notice the rattle at all and that she likely wont even notice it herself.

If it's just a faint sound, I guess I can live with it, but if there's a corner of the diamond slowly wearing out the platinum in a prong to the point where it could fall out, I wonder if I'll be able to sleep well at night

At the end of the day, they essentially told me "we don't think this diamond is going anywhere based on it's current setting; bring it in a couple times a year and we can keep verifying that to be true".

 

[acaw2015]

I would be seriously worried about the rattling and have that issue fixed before the diamond falls out. I am also sorry to say that, imho, those prongs are not ideal for a princess cut. I would honestly change them out for the safer "v" shape prongs.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

I had a princess in a setting much like yours, same prongs and it was rattling. Took it to a very reputable jeweler and after that it didn't rattle but it looked like the head was bent in the process! I have since sold the ring but it never looked right after that adjustment.

You might want to consider a separate jewelry policy instead of having it as an addition to your homeowner's policy. If you were to have a jewelry claim you run the risk of a huge premium increase or nonrenewal. When my husband lost his wedding band (later found it) they told me if I put a claim in under my home policy it would adversely affect us. It didn't used to be that way. Just something to think about.

I hope you find a solution to the rattling, has to be annoying.

 

[denverappraiser]

The sound is a symptom, not the problem.

This is the issue with Costco. You’re correct, the sizing voided both your warranty and your return privilege, and no jeweler with sense is going to take breakage liability to tighten a stone they didn’t set. The bright side is that it’s not really a very difficult job, the risk isn’t really very high, and if the jeweler damages it during repairs, that’s generally a covered loss. Check.

This WILL get worse, and it will be no easier to fix after it does.

 

[Karl_K]

A diamond that moves around in the setting acts like a saw, cutting through the prongs until it damages them to the point it comes out.
I does not take very long to happen in many cases.

 

[Bonfire]

I would be seriously worried about the rattling and have that issue fixed before the diamond falls out. I am also sorry to say that, imho, those prongs are not ideal for a princess cut. I would honestly change them out for the safer "v" shape prongs.

I agree, v prongs are much safer all around for princess cut stones. Your prongs don’t give much protection to the corners of your stone. I vote no confidence in those prongs and I would change the prongs or head immediately. Good luck!

 

[MissGotRocks]

I would change the head too but just make sure your ring is insured before anyone starts working on it.

 

[msop04]

Another vote for V-prongs/new head.

 

[metall]

+1 for upgrading the head....

I do want to add that you would want to find a bench that's got very good at working with platnium. If i recall, anytime you have to cut into platnium there is a potential that it would leave visible lines if not done with a laser (?)

 

[LLJsmom]

If I was keeping the stone, I'd be going for a new setting with a reputable jeweler. V prongs. I don't trust that setting at all. Uhhh...rattling. No bueno.

 

[thebachelor12345]

I highly doubt this, but is there any chance that temperature fluctuations could have any impact? I decided to clean the ring today and was unable to hear that rattling sound! I really don't get it....

At any rate, I've inquired with a jeweler about potentially swapping out the head and putting in V prongs.

 

[Bonfire]

I highly doubt this, but is there any chance that temperature fluctuations could have any impact? I decided to clean the ring today and was unable to hear that rattling sound! I really don't get it....

At any rate, I've inquired with a jeweler about potentially swapping out the head and putting in V prongs.

Interesting observation but no. Your diamond and setting don’t expand or contract with weather fluctuations. Strange you aren’t hearing the rattle today. I’m glad you are moving forward with replacing the head with V prongs. It’s really essential in protecting your stone.

 

[Mikla]

I could not live with that setting making any noise and would be worried about it constantly. I would change the setting completely and have one of the Pricescope-approved vendors remake it. Of course that's just me but do make sure it's insured before anyone works on it! Best of luck to you.