Is it common for prongs to fall off the ring?

[ZhenyaH]

That''s what happened to me a week ago. It''s by true miracle that the diamond still in its prongs was found...outside a dining hall in a high traffic area as it was getting dark.

When I made an overseas phone call to the place where I got it from, the manager told me that it''s a common occurrence and that the prongs (which fell off as a set) will need to be resoldered.

Aside from his non-chalant attitude over something that caused a near heart-attack in me, I''m wondering...

1) Is it a common occurence for the prongs to come apart from the ring''s body/shank? It''s platinum by the way...
2) How secure would resoldering be?

And another thing he told me was that platinum was softer than gold and that its superiority (over gold) lies in the fact that it doesn''t wear off.

Huh??? I never heard anyone claim that platinum is softer than gold. Am I dealing with a shady character???

 

[diamondseeker2006]

No, it is not common for the head of a ring to come off the shank. I don''t recall ever hearing of such a thing, but I am sure there are some jewelers here who have.

Platinum is more dense than gold, but it is not as hard. It scratches more easily, but it is true that the metal is just displaced, not lost. So scratches can be repolished without loss of metal on platinum.

Was this an expensive ring? If so, you might want to have an appraiser check it out since the quality of the setting sounds questionable. Someone else will have to speak to whether you should repair or replace it.

 

[FireGoddess]

No, it is NOT common for prongs to fall off of rings! The fact that he even said that to you is completely shady. Prongs can get bent if the ring is hit with some force however. I have seen bent prongs, but they don''t just ''fall off!''

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 3/22/2007 8:08:13 PM
Author: FireGoddess

No, it is NOT common for prongs to fall off of rings! The fact that he even said that to you is completely shady. Prongs can get bent if the ring is hit with some force however. I have seen bent prongs, but they don''t just ''fall off!''

Ditto!!!

 

[Richard Sherwood]

Not common. A well made platinum ring should last a lifetime, or a generation at least. I''ve seen many that have lasted two or three generations without major incident.

 

[kcoursolle]

Platinum is softer than gold...but this is not an excuse for what happened. As Richard said, this sort of this shouldn''t happen in the lifetime of a well-made platinum ring.

 

[Lorelei]

Huh - maybe it is a common occurance with HIS rings

, I would take your diamond( TG you found it!) to a reputable jeweller who can set it into a new safe setting.

 

[denverappraiser]

Jen,

This is a manufacturing defect. I suppose how common it is will depend on the skills and care taken by the manufacturer. Apparently in his case it’s common. With most it’s extremely rare.
Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[oldminer]

A huge amount of jewelry is in daily use and very little breaks. Stuff happens, but not at all often in relative proportion to how much is worn without ever breaking. Manufacturing defects tend to show themselves rather early in the life of most jewelry items, just like electrical components. If it works for a few weeks, it is likely to work well for a long, long time. If it is going to break, it usually happens pretty fast and suddenly.

No point in becoming upset over a hidden defect. Nearly everything can be fixed or replaced. Insurance is good to have when something does go wrong. When the maker or seller stands behind the product and makes good on a needed fix, you are pretty well covered.

There are defects in manufacturing that are visible and can be used to reject a new item even before it is delivered. Other defects are far more hidden and just don't reveal themselves easily.