Platinum Setting Damages Rubies?

[LadyAmythyst69]

I recently read somewhere that setting a ruby (and therefore also a sapphire I imagine) in platinum will damage the ruby/sapphire. Is this true? I''ve never heard of this before. It freaked me out a bit because I am having a sapphire ring being made right now in a platinum setting & now I am wondering if I need to make sure that the basket or prongs are done in white gold instead.

Anyone know anything about this?

 

[chrono]

I have never heard of platinum metals damaging corrundums. In fact, I have seen many rubies and sapphires set in platinum (especially antiques). My own 3 stone RHR has 2 side sapphires set in platinum and they are undamaged after a few years of wear.

 

[poshpepper]

Sapphires and Rubies are set in platinum all the time. I am wondering where you heard this from...

 

[surfgirl]

Sounds like hogwash to me! Some of the finest estate pieces are ruby/sapphires set in plat.

 

[LadyAmythyst69]

After I posted this I went and checked my yellow sapphire because I was thinking I could have sworn that was in platinum. Yep - bezel set in platinum. It''s a Martin Flyer ring so I''m pretty sure that I trust that platinum won''t damage the sapphire!

I read this in a comment someone had made on another forum about the Crown Princess of Denmark''s engagement ring which is a diamond and ruby ring set in platinum. The poster was very vehement that this would damage the stone and for a ring that was going to be of historical import they couldn''t understand why the Royal couple wasn''t advised against setting the ruby in platinum. (I''ll post a photo of the ring later in the celeb rings section.)

From other parts of the comment, I think that this opinion is a misunderstanding derived from the fact that rubies are often set with a yellow gold basket or prongs and then the rest of the ring done in platinum. I''m fairly certain that this is done for aesthetic reasons - keeping the look of the ring nice by using the warm gold color next to the warm ruby color rather than the "cold" of the platinum.

So - I think I have put the "damage" theory to rest in my own mind.

 

[whatmeworry]

I think it''s more a case of taking care with platinum because of the higher soldering temperatures involved. From the wisdom of Rock Doc:

"Platinum settings are expensive. Probably 3 x 5 time the price of gold ones. The material costs a lot more ( double ) and it is heavier than gold ( 2-3 x ) so that is why the difference, plus labor when working with platinum is a lot more intensive. The required temperature to solder it is much higher than that of gold. It is so high, that diamonds should not be in the item when soldering it, or very special precautions taken to avoid burning the diamonds. Colored stones are pretty much an absolute "no-no" when soldering a piece that has platinum.

Rockdoc"

 

[marcy]

Sounds like a fish tale to me. I see them in platinum all the time.