Pave Ring Retipping

[RockHuntin]

Greetings all,

I need some opinions on pave retipping repairs (and a general sanity check).

I bought a 14kt 1 ctw pave diamond band from an estate sale at the end of last week. It is set with round brilliants; each one is held by two diagonal prongs. I took it to a jewelry store to compare it to similar rings, and to see if I got a good deal. Based on a review of items on display, I was satisfied that I got a good deal.

The manager of the store offered to take a look at it under the gemscope and noticed that some of the diamonds were loose (not his doing). He showed me what he meant and I was shocked. About 12 diamonds are loose to some degree. He suggested that the prongs need to be tightened.

Here''s the issue: I am now worried that the repair work is going to pricey.

I have three estimates to date:

Estimate #1: Jared in an upscale location (ie few doors down from Tiffany & Co., Hermes, Gucci, etc.) - the manager said she wouldn''t allow her repair staff to touch it - but generously offered (sarcasm intended) to remove all the diamonds from the ring, build me a new mounting exactly like the current one, and use my diamonds in it - this does not make a great deal of sense to me, but she seemed to be rather content with herself Price: $1,500.

Estimate #2: Mom & Pop jeweler #1 - said about 48 prongs needed to be retipped. Price $450. He offered to look into vendors he deals with to see if they could do the work for a better price for the volume of work.

Estimate #3: Mom & Pop jeweler #3 - said about 12 of the prongs needed to be retipped, and that the other prongs had enough gold that tightening would be feasible. Price: $336.

I have read about the issues with pave settings on other posts, but was wondering:

Can anyone give me insight on retipping pave diamonds and costs? Unfortunately, this situation is getting me down (even though I know she will love the ring, and it didn''t cost much).

I tried to attach a picture of the ring. I apologize for the blue flash of my camera, but the diamonds are quite nice.

 

[Michael_E]

Those prices do seem a bit steep. Tightening pave is quite simple and is accomplished by pressing and sort of rotating an appropriate beading tool while pressing down on the bead being tightened...takes about 15 seconds. Retipping them does take some skill, mostly because you want to get the solder right where it needs to be and nowhere else. It''s not brain surgery and I can''t imagine this costing so much, I''d check around a bit more and try to talk to a person who''s actually going to do the work. Prices are different all over the country and it may just be a case of them not wanting to do this so close to Christmas and so pricing it high enough to make it REALLY worthwhile during this busy season, should you decide to go for it.

 

[RockHuntin]

Sorry for the delayed attachment; I was struggling with posting the picture

 

[RockHuntin]

I appreciate your comments, Michael_E. I think you are right on the money about the estimates, my location (DC metro area), and the estimator''s work loads (my holiday timing isn''t helping).

Both estimator #2 and estimator #3 said they were personally going to do the repairs for the quoted prices. Estimator #3 gave me a quote for $100 for just tightening the prongs, but advised that it would only be a temporary fix (it didn''t sound reassuring).

I definitely appreciate the time and attention to detail that the retipping requires, but I would be thrilled to find someone trustworthy and reasonably priced.

P.S. I drove more than 70 miles today between Maryland and Virginia chasing down leads on repair shops. I have contemplated selling the ring to rid myself of the frustration.

 

[denverappraiser]

Around here (Denver) tips on a thing like that are going to run you about $10 each. I agree with Michael that it’s not that tough a job but it does take some skill and the right tools. Practice helps a lot and you don''t want to be someone''s first customer for a job like this. The cheapest craftsman may not be the best. Ask to see some examples of their work before you proceed. There''s a big difference between a hack job and a professional benchman (or woman).


Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[RockHuntin]

Thanks for your feedback, Neil. My second two estimators were each recommended by about 5 people. Both admitted that this is not that complicated of a job for them, but it would take time. They have done nice work for other people, but I am a bit caught up on the price. The $10 per retip sounds reasonable on its face, but I am not sure I can justify it for this much prong work (ie up to 48 prongs, per the second estimator).

Is it worth it to spend that kind of money on this ring? I bought it for $250.

This ring was intended to be a pre-engagement ring while I save up. I didn''t care for a small low-end promise ring, and thought this ring would be an elegant alternative. Maybe I should also pose that question:

Would this be "acceptable" as a pre-engagement/promise ring? Its quite nice in person, but I have zero talent in photography. I guess I will try to post a better picture.

 

[Hest88]

How loose are the diamonds? If re-tightening at those prices isn''t an option for you right now, and the diamonds are unlikely to fall out with normal wear, then giving it to your GF as a promise ring--letting her know that it''s a vintage piece requiring a bit of care--is fine.

Personally, I think anything given from the heart is fine as a promise ring. If she loves you she''ll be delighted even if you give her a plastic ring--and if she''s worth it she''ll be even more delighted that you''re the type of guy who would prefer to save up for a ring rather than go into debt.

 

[Michael_E]

Date: 11/25/2009 10:55:21 AM
Author: RockHuntin
(ie up to 48 prongs, per the second estimator).

That seems like an awful lot of prongs to be tipping. This type of ring usually has the tops of the beads below the tables of the diamonds and so they are very difficult to wear to the point that they will let go of the diamonds. The only place that I would expect to see any severely worn prongs on this type of setting is along the edges, (and these are easier to re-tip) . Melee can easily become slightly loose with temperature changes and slight rotations of the stones, even during shipping. Looseness is not necessarily a cause for concern, unless the beads are not covering a part of the stone or they are so thin as to have bent a bit and let the stone come loose. Do you have a loupe ? Check it yourself. Worn beads and prongs are always flat on top and can be so thin as to look like foil along their edges. Take a needle and try to move the diamonds, if they are loose and have very thin flat beads then those do need replacing, otherwise tightening is usually all that''s needed. That''s a large difference between estimates 12 tips versus 48.

Is it worth it to spend that kind of money on this ring? I bought it for $250.

If the diamonds are of good quality, then it is definitely worth fixing it. Something like that as a new piece would cost you maybe $1500 or so depending on the diamond quality.

Would this be ''acceptable'' as a pre-engagement/promise ring? Its quite nice in person, but I have zero talent in photography. I guess I will try to post a better picture.

I don''t pay much attention to what''s acceptable, so can''t answer that question. For the photography, see if your camera has a "macro setting" and use that. Some cameras will focus down really close by placing a loupe right up against there lens. If you can see the object and it''s focused it should work to get really close shots of things like prong tips. I have attached a picture that I''ve just taken through my old Nikon using it''s macro setting and a 10 power loupe held directly against the lens of the camera. The depth of field is poor, but if you get the focus right it works really well. This shots shows a ring from which I removed the diamonds The arrow points to a worn tip which is obviously flat and chisel like. This tip was on the inside and though worn, would still hold it''s diamond for years. Those outside tips were goners though...not worth fixing.

 

[tyty333]

I personally think it is a beautiful ring and if the diamonds are of good quality I think a repair is in order. Since you got
such a good price on the piece spending $300 to get it fixed would still be ok (in my book). I would happily wear that as
a pre-engagment promise ring. Maybe try calling around and asking some jewelers how much they charge for retipping.
I would try going further outside of the DC area.

 

[RockHuntin]

I really appreciate all of the feedback and support on using the ring as a pre-engagement / promise ring. I feel more comfortable in that respect. BUT, I am more nervous than ever about the repairs.

The drama continued to unfold today. I stopped by a fourth jeweler and asked for a repair estimate. He offered to inspect the ring and clean it. He handed it off to his assistant (bad omen). I got a call on my cell phone for a few minutes and was distracted (until I heard a steamer start up). Needless to say, the assistant steamed it before inspecting it (wrong order).

So guess what? Three diamonds flew out while it was being steamed. One came off the side, and two came off the curved top. My luck, huh? He couldn''t find them and apologized profusely. He replaced them with some diamonds he had on hand (VS2, G) and reset them on the spot in about 25 minutes (clearly, at no charge).

After he was done, we took a very close look at the ring and tested every diamond for looseness and looked at all the prongs. Every one of the 75+ prongs was flat on top with a foil like edge. I think this is attributed to the cushioned shape of the ring - all prongs are exposed to some degree of wear. We prodded at the diamonds to test how loose they were and I found 17 diamonds to be pretty darn loose. Each diamond is held in place by two (worn out) prongs placed at a diagonal (ie. 2 prongs per diamond x 17 diamonds = 34 prongs). The diamonds range from VS2 - SI2 in clarity and F-G in color. They are well cut with some nice fire.

Estimated repair: $340 for retipping 34 prongs ($10 per prong). He said he wouldn''t tighten any prongs, because they looked to fragile. He gave a big disclaimer that all the prongs should really addressed, and that accordingly, he couldn''t offer a warranty for the repair work. Ouch. So, that kind of makes me believe that in due time, I will have to work on the remaining 35+ prongs for about the same repair cost (or more).

On my limited budget, I''m not sure I can rationalize the (many ongoing) needed repairs.

 

[Hest88]

You know something Rock? If I were your gal and you presented me with this ring, and told me the entire story, concluding with something true and heartfelt like "I didn''t want to wait any longer to tell you how I feel. I know this isn''t the perfect ring but I know I have the perfect girl..." or some such thing I know I would melt.

I once worked with a tippy-top woman executive who was making well over 10 times my salary. She wore St. John suits and she and her executive husband could afford pretty much anything they wanted. On her right hand she wore the most fabulous sapphire. However, after 20 years of marriage, on her left hand she still wore the teeny, *maybe* 1/3 carat diamond ring he had bought for her all those years ago. She always told me that she loved wearing that ring because it was a daily reminder of how far they had come together.

So, your situation isn''t quite the same, but hopefully you get what I''m saying. If you can''t afford to replace or fix the promise ring, so be it. The important thing is how you felt when you bought it and what it will mean when you give it to her.