Jeweler says he can melt down Platinum for re-use?

[Clio_C]

Hi all - I have a 16-year old Tiffany-style six prong solitaire setting that has been gathering dust. I lost my wedding band a couple of years ago, and would like to have one made. My jeweler says that he can melt down the platinum setting and re-use it for a 1/2 pave diamond band with milgrain. Obviously, this would save me quite a bit of $$, but I have always been under the impression that platinum cannot be re-used? Or is it just that solid platinum cannot be melted down and mixed with platinum from another source because the alloy mix might be different?

BTW, this will be an interim wedding band - probably 2-3 years at most (long story) so durability is not a huge consideration if that is an issue.

 

[Tourmaline]

If metal is sent to a refiner, it can always be re-used. Platinum holds value. He may not have meant that he would use the exact metal in your ring. He may have meant that he would scrap your ring and give you the metal value of it.

 

[denverappraiser]

Platinum recycles just fine. The issue is directly casting or fabricating using unknown metal. Tiny amounts of contaminants are a big problem. This means that solder used in the prior construction or repairs since then can totally destroy a project. Even slightly different alloys combined in the mix is a problem. The usual solution for jewelers is to recycle the metal through a refinery and then start with ‘new’. In terms of refining, it’s vastly more efficient to do it in fairly big quantity. Kilos. They accumulate scrap together until they’ve got quite a bit and then do it as a batch. The result is that although they can make the money work, you usually don’t have the same atoms at the end.

 

[Clio_C]

Understood, thank you for that explanation. I initially thought I'd just get a plain, 2mm comfort band made, but have since decided otherwise. When it was just a plain band, he quoted $200. Would that have been a fair price? This jeweler is new to me and I'm trying to get a sense of how fair he is on pricing.

Thank you!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

$200 sounds reasonable to remake it into a plain band. But honestly, if you are looking for a temporary band, I'd look for one second hand on loupetroop, diamondbistro, and ebay.

 

[MissGotRocks]

If you have paperwork or anything that substantiates the claim of an authentic Tiffany setting, you might be able to sell it on ebay or a preloved forum and get more than $200. Tiffany's does not sell their mountings without a diamond so there are many that would love to have such a thing.

 

[alene]

Looks like you can get a 2mm plain platinum band on Amazon for less than $200: https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Fit-Platinum-Band-Size/dp/B001AEF0GY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488549179&sr=8-1&keywords=platinum+band.. I got about $200 towards the new setting for my old one that was recycled/melted down.

 

[Clio_C]

$200 sounds reasonable to remake it into a plain band. But honestly, if you are looking for a temporary band, I'd look for one second hand on loupetroop, diamondbistro, and ebay.

Thanks - I believe I've found a coordinating band on eBay for $225 (plat 950 and includes a small amount of pave diamonds to match my temp setting) from a highly rated seller that is "pre-loved" but in good condition. Can't beat it!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

$200 sounds reasonable to remake it into a plain band. But honestly, if you are looking for a temporary band, I'd look for one second hand on loupetroop, diamondbistro, and ebay.

Thanks - I believe I've found a coordinating band on eBay for $225 (plat 950 and includes a small amount of pave diamonds to match my temp setting) from a highly rated seller that is "pre-loved" but in good condition. Can't beat it!

Wow, fantastic, and you can certainly get your money back later if you reset and get a new band!