Gaps between prongs and diamond?

[izedrg]

Hi Everyone,

I just received the E-ring I ordered from Brian Gavin today, and I noticed that none of the 6 prongs appear to be making good contact with the diamond. Most have contacts at 2 obvious points, with some just making contact at 1 point (see picture). I don't know anything about diamond setting, other than from this: https://www.gia.edu/quality-assurance-benchmark/setting-round-center-stone-ring-platinum-prong, so I just wanted to get others opinions on whether this is normal/acceptable for a 6-prong setting, and whether it would be reasonable for me to ask them to fix it.


Thanks for your help!

 

[kmoro]

Hi Everyone,

I just received the E-ring I ordered from Brian Gavin today, and I noticed that none of the 6 prongs appear to be making good contact with the diamond. Most have contacts at 2 obvious points, with some just making contact at 1 point (see picture). I don't know anything about diamond setting, other than from this: https://www.gia.edu/quality-assurance-benchmark/setting-round-center-stone-ring-platinum-prong, so I just wanted to get others opinions on whether this is normal/acceptable for a 6-prong setting, and whether it would be reasonable for me to ask them to fix it.


Thanks for your help!

Ummmm. I’m thinking: No way should you be seeing those gaps ...and yes it it reasonable for you to ask them to fix it.

Sorry you received a ring with such a poorly set diamond! That is disappointing

 

[Lvoeshinythings]

Wow no. No! You should not see gaps like this! This is neither normal or acceptable. Yes, they need to fix it. And with no cost to you. Totally unacceptable.

Sorry this happened to you. Hope you get this situation fixed so that you can enjoy your ring.

 

[izedrg]

Thanks kmoro and Lvoeshinythings! I wasn't sure if I was just being nitpicky or what, so thanks for confirming that it is indeed a problem. I've contacted Brian Gavin so I guess I'll see what they say. Any tips on what else I should be looking out for when inspecting the ring? Thanks!

 

[kmoro]

You’re welcome ... I just wish that the answer was that the prongs are supposed to be like that ...

In terms of what to look for ... it seems that you already know ... there should be a “seat” cut into the prong, and the diamond should rest right in it, almost secure without any of the prongs being bent in. The cuts should fit the diamond, and then the prongs should sit flush as well. You should see none of the spaces that you see in your setting.

https://www.gia.edu/quality-assurance-benchmark/setting-round-center-stone-ring-platinum-prong

 

[Lvoeshinythings]

Thanks kmoro and Lvoeshinythings! I wasn't sure if I was just being nitpicky or what, so thanks for confirming that it is indeed a problem. I've contacted Brian Gavin so I guess I'll see what they say. Any tips on what else I should be looking out for when inspecting the ring? Thanks!

From what I’ve read (haven’t purchased from them myself), Brian Gavin is supposed to be a reputable vendor. Not sure what the heck went wrong here.

All the metal parts that you think should be touching the diamond; should be touching the diamond! I can’t even get a piece of paper in between my prongs and diamond. There should be no air there but it shouldn’t be too tight, either.

Please keep us posted.

 

[Double E]

Hope BGD could fix everything for this important piece for you and the the process to be a short and simple one^^ Do keep us posted.

 

[izedrg]

One of the main reasons I chose Brian Gavin was indeed because of their stellar reputation, so imagine my surprise when I opened the box expecting a premium product, but instead got that. I'm still hopeful that they will stand behind their product and fix this, but their lack of urgency in getting back to me is getting me a little anxious, since I need the ring in 1.5 weeks. I'll keep you posted!

 

[JPie]

BGD has a stellar reputation in these parts so I'm very surprised that they let a ring leave their shop looking like that. I hope they're able to make this right in time for your proposal!

 

[kmoro]

First off, I'm confident that Brian Gavin will take care of it. Even if Brian has to replace the ring, I'm certain that he will because I've known him a long time and that's the kind of guy he is.

At the same time, I'm wondering whether the gap is visible in the glamour shots that Brian Gavin provides prior to shipment. Do you have those images and would you mind posting them and/or forwarding them to me?

While not trying to minimize the issue, I want to point out that the effect seems more dramatic because the diamond is backlit while the ring is dark and that makes the gap standout all the more.

With all due respect, and I defer to your expertise, but you are somewhat minimizing the issue by suggesting the photos make it more dramatic ... the backlight is the only way to see the gaps and there should be none. I’m not sure what you’re suggesting with the glamour shots ... that the customer should have seen the gaps before it was shipped? That the gaps are not as bad as the OP has suggested? The glamour shots will not have a backlight and those gaps would be very difficult to see. Those gaps are not minimal either - they are outrageous. I’m sorry but what business is this of yours that you would request the glamour shots? You are a competitor to BG, not a consumer, right? I find your post quite odd, actually.

I have not dealt with BG myself, but they do have a great reputation, and I expect to see that this has been resolved quickly.

 

[bmfang]

Actually @kmoro Todd isn’t a BGD competitor. He’s probably what would be known as an affiliate in my books.

Like you, I do question his line of reasoning about the glamor shots showing this type of a setting issue. I’m also surprised that it left the workshop like that.

 

[bmfang]

I'm not a competitor of BGD's because I don't sell diamonds directly anymore. I do work as an affiliate and consult for several firms online.

I'm curious whether the gap shows up in the glamour shots, nothing more, nothing less... I never suggested that the OP should have noticed the gap or not (that's actually BGD's job).

And lastly, I know Brian Gavin well enough that I'm certain he'll take care of it...

I just took a look at the glamour shots of my wife’s BG ring and they are of insufficient resolution to be able to tell whether a gap is present or it is a JPG compression artefact at high magnification levels.

 

[kmoro]

Actually @kmoro Todd isn’t a BGD competitor. He’s probably what would be known as an affiliate in my books.

Like you, I do question his line of reasoning about the glamor shots showing this type of a setting issue. I’m also surprised that it left the workshop like that.

Thanks @bmfang ... sorry @Todd Gray ... not trying to be unfair, I just don’t think this should be downplayed.

 

[PepperT]

I wondered if a small or minimal amount of gap or air space is normal with prongs? I ask because I have upgraded my diamond a few times and I am pretty OCD about the prongs. I like the pictures that illustrate the prongs flush against the diamond with what appears to be zero air space. However, when I have had diamonds set and look through my loupe with the right light in the background I have seen gaps, some worse than others. One time the setting job was pretty close to the picture, but still not completely flush. Just curious as I have been told by different jewelers (not mall jewelers) that some gap or air space is normal and not to worry.

 

[TimMD]

Funny when I saw this post I immediately looked at my glamour shots too although I doubted I would have been able to see anything. Still waiting for my girlfriend to get home from work so I can look for curiosity sakes at our recent ring from BGD but I am sure it is fine, I examined it quite well when we first got it and it looked great but these pictures definitely want to make look closer at the prongs.

I have bought multiple times from BGD and I know they will fix this for you OP. Their customer service has always been stellar for me and I hope they take care of you. I am definitely curious to hear an update.

 

[sep004]

I truly hope that you have a better experience with BGD than I did. I'm just glad my piece was a necklace and not my upcoming anniversary upgrade/reset. I would love to send the setting back and get a refund, but they won't do that OR reset the necklace again. I think that workmanship has become an issue and customer service is becoming an issue. I hope that I can soon post about a favorable outcome to my situation with them soon, but they haven't called back about it... for the past two weeks. I will keep you all posted with news, good or bad. I think that no one wants to post negatively on Pricescope, but these posts are helpful whether positive or negative.

 

[diamondnewbieny]

Hi there,

My mother’s ring have the space like that as well, it never came to my mind that I should be worried, because I thought it just meant that the diamond is set high. Now I am definitely concern about it too after seeing your post and the responses you got.

If you like, you can look at the thread that I just made. There are some pictures of the ring that show the gaps.

Another thing is, if the diamond and the prong show no space or gap, does it mean you won’t be able to see the culet of the diamond? I did ask the setter to set it in a way that shows the culet, so it would be easy for me to clean it.

I personally preferred a little space or gap so it makes the diamond sit a little higher and seem a little larger while looking from the top. I did have a 6prong settinggn before and it was set as low as possible, it didn’t have any gap or space. I did not like how it look because I hugged the diamond completely.

 

[izedrg]

@Todd Gray This is one of the glamour shots I received. Like others have said, the resolution is quite low. They are all from a top-down view as well (this is the best angle I got), so you don't really get a good look at the prongs. I also received the shots after they had already shipped the ring. In your expert opinion, how much of a gap is acceptable/tolerable? Just going off of that GIA link in my OP, it seems like there ideally shouldn't be any, so I was mainly worried about the long term durability issues in my situation.

Mini update: The delay in getting back to me was supposedly due to the fact that Brian Gavin himself had to evaluate the picture I had sent. While they insisted that it is secure, they conceded that it can be improved, and so they will be be fixing it free-of-charge. I think it reflects well on a company when they stand behind their products, so I think this is a good step in the right direction, but I'll reserve my final judgement until after all of this is over.

@sep004 So sorry to hear that, I hope you can get it resolved as well. My intention of naming Brian Gavin wasn't to spread negativity or anything of that sort. Because this is my first diamond purchase, I just wasn't sure if different vendors did things differently, or if there is a industry standard, so I just wanted to see if others who had gotten rings from Brian Gavin might chime in with their experience so I can compare. Thanks everyone for your comments!

 

[Ella]

Folks, a reminder that trade members cannot comment on other vendors, stones, or jewelry. We have removed some posts that violated this policy.

This is to help us keep the forum unbiased. Thank you for your cooperation.

 

[izedrg]

Hi there,

My mother’s ring have the space like that as well, it never came to my mind that I should be worried, because I thought it just meant that the diamond is set high. Now I am definitely concern about it too after seeing your post and the responses you got.

If you like, you can look at the thread that I just made. There are some pictures of the ring that show the gaps.

Another thing is, if the diamond and the prong show no space or gap, does it mean you won’t be able to see the culet of the diamond? I did ask the setter to set it in a way that shows the culet, so it would be easy for me to clean it.

I personally preferred a little space or gap so it makes the diamond sit a little higher and seem a little larger while looking from the top. I did have a 6prong settinggn before and it was set as low as possible, it didn’t have any gap or space. I did not like how it look because I hugged the diamond completely.

What I meant by gaps are the space around the girdle region where the prongs are supposed to grasp the diamond. In the picture I posted, it looks like the 2 prongs on the top and bottom are barely touching it, meaning its predominately held up by the other prongs.

 

[jp201845]

As Kmoro pointed out the gap between the prong and the diamond just doesn't look right and secure enough so definitely reason for concern. Brian Gavin is highly recommended and very reputable on PS so should be resolved quickly.

 

[TimMD]

I looked at my setting under 40x and 60x loupe and there is no gap between the diamond and prong so I am glad Brian is going to address the areas of concern. I hope you get quick resolution!

 

[diamondnewbieny]

What I meant by gaps are the space around the girdle region where the prongs are supposed to grasp the diamond. In the picture I posted, it looks like the 2 prongs on the top and bottom are barely touching it, meaning its predominately held up by the other prongs.

Oh I am sorry I misunderstood.

I thought that was shadow that I am seeing, so there are actually space like that around the girdle and the other prongs are not like that? Just that 2 prong? If that is the case, definitely ask them to fix it!

 

[izedrg]

@TimMD Wow! I have access to a 32x stereo microscope and 100x inverted microscope in my lab, but I'm not sure if I should expect that perfect of a fit. I think if it looks okay to the naked eye, I'll be happy.
@diamondnewbieny The other 4 are more or less like this also, but maybe have an extra contact point in the pavilion regions, so 2 points of contact. It was really hard to take a picture of it, though, since my phone camera doesn't have a macro function.

 

[izedrg]

I got a chance to examine it under a stereo microscope today at 32x magnification. It shows the gaps much more clearly, for those who were having trouble seeing it because of the lighting.

 

[diamondnewbieny]

I got a chance to examine it under a stereo microscope today at 32x magnification. It shows the gaps much more clearly, for those who were having trouble seeing it because of the lighting.

Wow, I’m surprised to see this coming from BG! Did you forward this picture to them?

 

[izedrg]

Wow, I’m surprised to see this coming from BG! Did you forward this picture to them?

Yes, I forwarded it to them, specifically asking them to share it with Brian. They assured me that he will personally inspect it this time, so I am hopeful that it will be done right this time.