New Ring...Prongs Seem Off?

[Kickskid21]

I just received my ring from Jon at Distinctive Gem and I love everything except for the prongs

They’re supposed to be claw prongs, but seem rather bulky and come up pretty far on the stone (maybe it’s just me). Also,I checked the side profile close up since they felt pretty rough and most of them definitely aren’t sitting flush against the

 

[mwilliamanderson]

There are no pictures to look at.

 

[Kickskid21]

Fixed it

 

[Slickk]

I would not be happy with the way the diamond is seated in the prongs at all. If you zoom in on the profile shot, you should not see open space between the prong tip and crown of the diamond. I would definitely ask him to fix it as it will catch on everything.
Pretty ring though!

Edited to add a crude (new phone) mark up of what I mean...

 

[Kickskid21]

I would not be happy with the way the diamond is seated in the prongs at all. If you zoom in on the profile shot, you should not see open space between the prong tip and crown of the diamond. I would definitely ask him to fix it as it will catch on everything.
Pretty ring though!

Edited to add a crude (new phone) mark up of what I mean...

That was my exact though. Do you think it would be possible to essentially remove the “claws” and turn them into button prongs?

 

[Slickk]

That was my exact though. Do you think it would be possible to essentially remove the “claws” and turn them into button prongs?

I don’t think they can add metal to the tips without laser welding but they could most likely ‘squeeze’ the prongs down so that they meet the diamond.

 

[Bonfire]

The diamond is not positioned in the prong seats. If it were me I would reach out to Jon. It needs to be corrected. I also see what you mean about the prongs. I would ask to have them shaved back a bit.
It’s a beautiful ring otherwise!

 

[1ofakind]

yeah that has to go back. It looks like they forgot to finish the prongs at all.

Please come back with more pics after the fix though...it looks lovely overall!

 

[Slickk]

I’d like to see a pic of the ring from straight above to see the shape of the prongs.

 

[Kickskid21]

I don’t think they can add metal to the tips without laser welding but they could most likely ‘squeeze’ the prongs down so that they meet the diamond.

Wouldn’t that be removing me tail rather than adding? I meant to have it more like this

 

[Slickk]

Wouldn’t that be removing me tail rather than adding? I meant to have it more like this

Do you have a picture of the ring from the top? All I see are profile pics. I can’t tell how long they are from your shots.

ETA I do think they may be too long as well judging from the first picture in the box.

 

[Big Fat Facets]

im very very sorry you have to go through this. those prongs are completely unacceptable. I had the very same thing happen to me. this needs to be redone by the vendor. I dont understand how any bench and vendor would allow this.

 

[Kickskid21]

Do you have a picture of the ring from the top? All I see are profile pics. I can’t tell how long they are from your shots.

ETA I do think they may be too long as well judging from the first picture in the box.

 

[Kickskid21]

im very very sorry you have to go through this. those prongs are completely unacceptable. I had the very same thing happen to me.

What ended up happening?

 

[Slickk]

The prongs look decent to me from this view. Maybe the one at ~2:00 looks a tad long. But the fact that they aren’t touching the stone is a non starter for me. I would definitely get that fixed. Your hair and sweaters will get caught in them.

 

[Kickskid21]

The prongs look decent to me from this view. Maybe the one at ~2:00 looks a tad long. But the fact that they aren’t touching the stone is a non starter for me. I would definitely get that fixed. Your hair and sweaters will get caught in them.

If the can’t be made to button, I wonder how much better they could get shaved down a bit

 

[mwilliamanderson]

Now I can see what you mean. I agree with you. I think it would be reasonable to ask for them to be slimmed down and cozied up to the crown a little better.

 

[Slickk]

If the can’t be made to button, I wonder how much better they could get shaved down a bit

He probably could have the sharp tips polished down so they are more bulbous or button-like. At the same time fixing the seating of the stone.

 

[Kickskid21]

I actually prefer the sharp tips. I just hate how far up the stone they go.

 

[Big Fat Facets]

What ended up happening?

well, its a very long story... I'll try to reduce it...

essentially i had a pair of diamond studs sent to me and the prongs looked EXACTLY like how your prongs look. I was totally appalled. I called the vendor and got some ridiculous nonsensical rubbish "explanation" about how the jeweler needed to leave the extra metal to secure the stone. Otherwise the stone would fall out. I could hardly believe the utter nonsense this person was spewing. uuuhhhhm, call me silly but don't the prong tips need to actually be making contact with the surface of the diamond in order to offer security?????

So i had to speak to someone else within the business. Anyhow, it seemed i was heard and that they'd send a return label for the diamond studs. A week later, no label. I email them. They had "forgotten" about it. "So why don't you go ahead and send it back at your expense??"

I was astounded at the lack of integrity and just how generally sloppy the situation was. I felt nickel and dimed. i was fairly upset because i have experienced nothing like it.

I insisted on a return label and i got it. I had the studs for about 2 weeks. While the studs were on the way back to the vendor, I decided that i wanted larger diamond studs. so why have them "fix" the prongs?? Instead why not just upgrade the diamonds and have them in a brand new settiing??
So I furnished additional payment and selected my pair of stones. Turns out i expected to pay for a Brand new setting and was never credited for the messed up ones from 2 weeks prior. If this business would've had their way they wouldn't have credited me the first pair of diamonds...

All in all a most terrible and horrible experience. But this vendor has some BEAUTIFUL diamonds.

 

[Slickk]

I actually prefer the sharp tips. I just hate how far up the stone they go.

That can be fixed while still keeping the claws I would imagine. Looks to me like his bench has plenty of metal to work with. Good luck!

 

[stonehunter20]

i would totally have that redone. the claws would catch on anything. looks very nice from top view though!

 

[Kickskid21]

i would totally have that redone. the claws would catch on anything. looks very nice from top view though!

Yeah thats why it took a bit to realize. I’m taking it to a local jeweler on Tuesday to get an expert opinion...from the photos, he says it won’t be easy to set the stone how it should be due to the tiny diamonds, but it may be do-able

 

[Bonfire]

Yeah thats why it took a bit to realize. I’m taking it to a local jeweler on Tuesday to get an expert opinion...from the photos, he says it won’t be easy to set the stone how it should be due to the tiny diamonds, but it may be do-able

I would strongly advise you to contact the vendor who made the ring. Send it back to them for the alterations. I wouldn’t recommend having another jeweler work on this setting.

 

[Kickskid21]

I would strongly advise you to contact the vendor who made the ring. Send it back to them for the alterations. I wouldn’t recommend having another jeweler work on this setting.

I was going to get an opinion so I knew whether or not it was possible to fix. Obviously I can’t really trust the vendors word being that he had no issue sending it to me like this.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

No, I wouldn't take it to a jeweler. I'd send it back to Jonathan on Tuesday and have him send you a shipping label. He must have shipped it without examining it closely. From the top view it looks good, but the stone is not seated in the prongs at all. Was this his "best" bench? Because they seem to have been doing a good job. I'd be wary of sending this back to the bench that did set the stone because it really is totally unacceptable. I wouldn't change to ball prongs because these look good from the top. They can maybe be slightly shortened, but it is possible the prongs would have to be remade.

(I also had a problem with Good Old Gold twice on prongs, but I thought Jon had been using a better bench since he has had his own business. Be sure this is fixed by his top bench.)

@Big Fat Facets Are the prong problems from Jonathan's business which is now Distinctive Gems or are you referring to Good Old Gold where he worked in the past?

 

[Kickskid21]

No, I wouldn't take it to a jeweler. I'd send it back to Jonathan on Tuesday and have him send you a shipping label. He must have shipped it without examining it closely. From the top view it looks good, but the stone is not seated in the prongs at all. Was this his "best" bench? Because they seem to have been doing a good job. I'd be wary of sending this back to the bench that did set the stone because it really is totally unacceptable. I wouldn't change to ball prongs because these look good from the top. They can maybe be slightly shortened, but it is possible the prongs would have to be remade.

(I also had a problem with Good Old Gold twice on prongs, but I thought Jon had been using a better bench since he has had his own business. Be sure this is fixed by his top bench.)

@Big Fat Facets Are the prong problems from Jonathan's business which is now Distinctive Gems or are you referring to Good Old Gold where he worked in the past?

The setting was made by Stuller, but I’m not positive how the process works as far as if he sends them the stone and they set it or they send him the band and he gets it set elsewhere.

I was also told that the stone looks like it is set too high in the head.

 

[Big Fat Facets]

@Big Fat Facets Are the prong problems from Jonathan's business which is now Distinctive Gems or are you referring to Good Old Gold where he worked in the past?

@diamondseeker2006

Well to be fair, I did not name any names. I was responding to @Kickskid21's question.

But if you must know, this prong problem, among a host of other problems, occurred 5 years ago with Good Old Gold. A 13k+ (apologies for the lack of refinement) pair of diamonds unaccounted for. while they were sitting in the gog safe/vault. I was billed the FULL amount of the upgrade...including being charged twice for a four prong flat back open basket setting.

I never dealt with Jonathan until the very end when i became so exasperated that i was just going to give up and walk away. He stepped in and behaved honorably. Which is the ONLY reason i furnished additional payment for the larger pair of studs.

 

[MollyMalone]

The setting was made by Stuller, but I’m not positive how the process works as far as if he sends them the stone and they set it or they send him the band and he gets it set elsewhere.

I was also told that the stone looks like it is set too high in the head.

Yikes -- but this isn't Stuller's fault; Stuller doesn't set "outside" stones.

Stuller would have sent the semi-mount to Jon for him to arrange to have the diamond set. The bench who sets the center stone can also refine or somewhat reshape the prongs. See, e.g., the pics in this thread of how artfully the bench set this "wonky," old European cut diamond from Adam at Old World Diamonds, and made the prongs more pointy than Stuller made them, as PumpkinsAreAwesome wanted:

Introducing my wonky diamond ring!

Those of you that have been following my diamond search know that I ultimately picked a beautiful 1.48 GIA M stone I affectionately named "Wonky" because of its asymmetey. After sending it back to Adam (with OWD) on Monday, he had it set and back to me by yesterday! My boyfriend and I decided to...

www.pricescope.com

 

[diamondseeker2006]

@diamondseeker2006

Well to be fair, I did not name any names. I was responding to @Kickskid21's question.

But if you must know, this prong problem, among a host of other problems, occurred 5 years ago with Good Old Gold. A 13k+ (apologies for the lack of refinement) pair of diamonds unaccounted for. while they were sitting in the gog safe/vault. I was billed the FULL amount of the upgrade...including being charged twice for a four prong flat back open basket setting.

I never dealt with Jonathan until the very end when i became so exasperated that i was just going to give up and walk away. He stepped in and behaved honorably. Which is the ONLY reason i furnished additional payment for the larger pair of studs.

Thank you! The only reason I asked you that question was that it might appear to most people reading the thread was that Jonathan was responsible for the problems with your prongs, and I don't think he really handled settings at that time. I know I was always referred to someone else at that point and he only helped me with the diamonds. I just didn't want him to get the blame for our issues in the past! However, it looks like he didn't check this ring closely before sending it out. The buck stops there in this case, and I am sure he will take care of the problem!