Pic of my e-ring with the prongs snapped off!

[ZhenyaH]

I already posted a message asking whether it''s common for the prongs to fall off and it seems like the general consensus is no, despite what the jeweler told me.
(He claimed that it was common and that it was a matter of soldering it back together...for a fee!)

I''ve had it for less than 3 years and if anything, I don''t think I should have to pay for the repair and I also believe I owe an apology. An apology I may not get but the nonchalant attitude that I got (and it almost sounded like he was blaming me!) was no excuse.

As I said, I''ll be come (I''m currently living overseas) in May to figure it out. I got the ring (and the stone and our wedding bands) from what appeared to be a higher-end(?) mall jewelry store. My questions are:

1) Judging from the picture, does it appear to be a manufacturer defect?
2) What should I expect from a decent jewelry store? (Should I pay for the cost of repair?)
3) Will resoldering help? (Remember, I live overseas and it''ll be another 6 months or so before I come home again)
4) What can I do to protect myself in case it happens again and the stone is not found? I have the GIA certificate and it''s insured separately.

This is causing me a great deal of anxiety. Any help/advice will be greatly appreciated. Sigh.

 

[Beacon]

I always wondered if this could happen. I have seen a lot of settings where it looks like the head/prongs were just soldered on and "stuck" on top of the shank. I wondered if sometimes they could get broken off. Looks like yours did.

I imagine they can solder it back on, but I hope it will stay put. It would definitely make me very nervous too. Can you imagine if the whole thing had sheared off while you were walking about and did not know it happened. Yikes!

As it stands, you are lucky and I guess they can fix that up.

If it were mine, I do not think I would deal with that same jeweler, but go find someone else who might do a better job. Maybe this is a good moment to get a whole new setting?

 

[ladykemma]

i think i see some serouis dents on the prongs. looks like the peg head took a good whack.

 

[ZhenyaH]

Actually, those aren''t dents on the prongs. There''s a slight groove in the middle of each prong -- it''s part of the design. Besides, because of the way the ring''s designed with two "legs" jutting out from the shank, I don''t see how the prongs could''ve gotten enough force to knock the head completely off.

 

[risingsun]

I would think that the head would need to be replaced. As Beacon said, it looks like a peg head that snapped off. I can't imagine that soldering it back on is going to solve the problem properly. It shouldn't be too difficult to replace the head...but I'm not an expert!

 

[poptart]

I agree about seeing the dents on the prong head. If it were me, I would probably just get a different ring from a different jeweler, and reset the ring in that, rather than soldering it back on... but that''s just me and I don''t know much about how soldering works, so I''d feel safer with something else.

*M*

 

[ladykemma]

if it were me I''d just buy a fresh peg head and have someone local put the fresh head on. three years, in my opinion, is past manufacturing defects and I would just chalk it up to normal "wear and tear".

 

[widget]

I'm confident that an expert or few will eventually see this thread and give you excellent advice.

I can only say that I understand how you must be feeling anxious about this...I'd be freaked out, and very hesitant to just settle for soldering it back together. I'd probably want a whole new mounting.

I think it's outrageous that the jeweler wants to charge you to resolder it..

Well, just count your blessings that the stone wasn't lost...

Good luck..
widget

 

[JulieN]

hard to tell because of picture quality, but it looks chipped (or sizeable natural.)

 

[ZhenyaH]

After the last post about the diamond appearing to look chipped, I had to check it out. Whew. No sizeable chip there. It''s a square radiant and each side had s triangular/trapezoidal cut? as it slopes down. But I can''t expain the funky looking shape off to the side. Maybe it is chipped. Sigh.

 

[RockDoc]

From the photos, which aren''t very good, it looks like the soldering held fine, and just the peg snapped off.
The photos are good enough to render an opinion on the cause, but it looks like the ring has taken a lot of minor hits, in its 3 year life.


If it held together for three years, I doubt there is a manufacturing defect that the jeweler should be liable for.

I believe a new peg could be made and attached to the head ( prongs) and the former peg drilled out in the shank, as it appears that there is still a piece of the old peg still soldering in soldered back in but maybe use a thicker peg this time.

No need to replace the prongs, I don''t believe.


Rockdoc

 

[ZhenyaH]

I admit that I''m not the most elegant person in the world. Since the ring has taken a lot of abuse (which I didn''t know...), what can I do to minimize yet? Is there a setting that''s really designed for someone like me? Lower setting?

 

[poptart]

A lower setting can help, along with maybe using a bezel setting to minimize wear and tear on the sides of the diamond. Really though, sometimes it''s just better to take the ring off if you know you are going to be doing something that could cause the ring to get really knocked around.

*M*

 

[kcoursolle]

Do you clean the house, do dishes, or swim with your ring on? I ask because the areas where parts are connected are soldered with an alloy that usually has nickel in it and cleaning materials and chlorine will degrade nickel and make it more susceptible to damage. I think think there was a problem with execution from you jeweler...but this could also be an explanation.

 

[ZhenyaH]

None of the above. For the last six months or so, all I did was to sit in front of computers (my work) and take care of my child (a few hours/day). Yes, I''m a workaholic. However, before that, I did everything. One thing I wonder is, I have a 5-stone diamond wedding band with shared prongs (so the side facing the e-ring is exposed). Will lowering the prongs rub worsen the rubbing against the wedding band?

 

[Cehrabehra]

IMO it needs a new head - the post that sticks down out of the head and into the little hole on the shank has busted off and I would not trust that to soldering alone.

 

[TaraLeigh]

Is that white gold?

 

[strmrdr]

new head, clean it up and solder it on.
$150 or so if its 18k gold.

Doesn''t look like a defect to me after 3 years.
Getting snagged on clothing will pull the head off that way.

 

[biblobaggins23]

what metal was used on the ring? omg thats awful!

 

[kcoursolle]

Date: 3/24/2007 5:11:29 PM
Author: ZhenyaH
None of the above. For the last six months or so, all I did was to sit in front of computers (my work) and take care of my child (a few hours/day). Yes, I''m a workaholic. However, before that, I did everything. One thing I wonder is, I have a 5-stone diamond wedding band with shared prongs (so the side facing the e-ring is exposed). Will lowering the prongs rub worsen the rubbing against the wedding band?

One last thing...do the girdles of the diamonds on your wedding band rub and touch the part where the head of your ring connects to the shank? Diamonds are very hard and they could be slowly chipping away at the platinum. Can you post a pic of your wedding band and what''s left of your e-ring shank together in a pic on your finger?

 

[Maisie]

In her previous post she said Platinum

 

[denverappraiser]

Replace the head. Even in platinum it’ll be less than a few hundred dollars. Soldering it on without dealing with the peg is a serious mistake.

Whether you or the jeweler should pay for it will depend on the nature of your relationship with the jeweler and the details his warranty. That solder seam looks ok from here and the fact that it held up for 3 years of constant wear leads credence to the idea that it’s not a manufacturing defect. There are some potential issues with metal contamination that can’t be determined from a picture. If you really want to get to the bottom of it, take it to a qualified pro and get an evaluation but, frankly, this may very well end up costing as much as simply doing the repair and getting on with your life, especially if you are going to end up absorbing the repair anyway.

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

 

[karenleah15]

This whole situation makes me really sad. I have never seen a ring do this. Thank God you found your stone. What were you doing when it snapped off?

 

[ZhenyaH]

Again, I had no idea that the diamond had fallen off. When I noticed that it was gone, I had no idea where or when it could''ve happened. It could''ve happened at work, at my son''s nursery, work place, etc. There are so many places where it could''ve happened.

 

[karenleah15]

Date: 3/25/2007 3:44:25 PM
Author: ZhenyaH
Again, I had no idea that the diamond had fallen off. When I noticed that it was gone, I had no idea where or when it could''ve happened. It could''ve happened at work, at my son''s nursery, work place, etc. There are so many places where it could''ve happened.

How did you find the diamond?

 

[NYCsparkle]

wow!! thats scary...i''d get a new setting...the jeweler will probably just solder it back on. i''d be afraid it would happen again.

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 3/24/2007 3:07:28 PM
Author:ZhenyaH
I already posted a message asking whether it''s common for the prongs to fall off and it seems like the general consensus is no, despite what the jeweler told me.
(He claimed that it was common and that it was a matter of soldering it back together...for a fee!)

I''ve had it for less than 3 years and if anything, I don''t think I should have to pay for the repair and I also believe I owe an apology. An apology I may not get but the nonchalant attitude that I got (and it almost sounded like he was blaming me!) was no excuse.

As I said, I''ll be come (I''m currently living overseas) in May to figure it out. I got the ring (and the stone and our wedding bands) from what appeared to be a higher-end(?) mall jewelry store. My questions are:

1) Judging from the picture, does it appear to be a manufacturer defect?
2) What should I expect from a decent jewelry store? (Should I pay for the cost of repair?)
3) Will resoldering help? (Remember, I live overseas and it''ll be another 6 months or so before I come home again)
4) What can I do to protect myself in case it happens again and the stone is not found? I have the GIA certificate and it''s insured separately.

This is causing me a great deal of anxiety. Any help/advice will be greatly appreciated. Sigh.

This is the first post I have read in this thread, so if it has already been answered, sorry. I am going to give my answer now as a jeweler and you all can decide if it is a good one compared to others, but this is what I see.

One, the head USED to have a peg and that peg is crystallized or at least appears to be so in this photo, I will make the assumption that this is in fact crystallized for the purpose of this reply. This is a manufacturing defect, period, end of case. The remaining portion of the peg needs to be drilled out and a new head put in. Period! End of Case!. In addition to the new head, it needs some solder attached to the base of the head as well as to the peg to help prevent loss in the case of a defective peg.

Two, I can not answer what you should expect to receive from any one else''s store, but at mine you would get an apology as well as a replacement head at no charge to you. It was NOT possible for your jeweler to know that the peg had an internal manufacturing defect, but it is a defect and he should know it instantly when he sees the piece. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, perhaps he has not yet seen your picture and he may not yet know that the peg was crystallized. In my opinion, you should not have to pay the cost of the repair, other than any shipping expenses, it is not his fault you live overseas. (Again, at most of the vendors here on Pricescope I am betting you would get a free replacement head and shipping along with your apology, we tend to work very hard to earn your business and hopefully your positive feedback.)

Three - No this head is now worthless and should be replaced. If the peg is crystallized it is also possible that one or more prongs are too.

Four - That is why you have insurance. If the stone had been lost while insured, it would have been replaced. This will not replace the sentiment of your ring, but it will replace stone with a new one of equal value, which over time would hopefully come to represent the same sentiment as the original.

That''s my story and I am sticking to it. Now go meditate for a while and be calm, all this angst is bad for your health. You were so fortunate to find the stone and the problem with the mounting is easy to repair. The crystalization that you have experienced is relatively rare and should not happen to you again with any reasonable luck! (Although if this is common for this jeweler he may have a lousy supplier and you might be better off to pay someone else to fix your ring.)

Maybe someone with a metalurgical background can fill us in more on the whats and whys of this crystallization.

Wink

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 3/24/2007 7:31:14 PM
Author: denverappraiser

Replace the head. Even in platinum it’ll be less than a few hundred dollars. Soldering it on without dealing with the peg is a serious mistake.

Whether you or the jeweler should pay for it will depend on the nature of your relationship with the jeweler and the details his warranty. That solder seam looks ok from here and the fact that it held up for 3 years of constant wear leads credence to the idea that it’s not a manufacturing defect. There are some potential issues with metal contamination that can’t be determined from a picture. If you really want to get to the bottom of it, take it to a qualified pro and get an evaluation but, frankly, this may very well end up costing as much as simply doing the repair and getting on with your life, especially if you are going to end up absorbing the repair anyway.

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

Neil,

Does the broken area of the peg not look crystallized to you? It does to me, but it is not a totally clear picture. I have seen this only a few times but always assumed that it was a defect and replaced the head without charge. Usually the crystallization will extend only partially across the peg, this one looks to me like most of the peg is crystallized.

Wink