Question on how shared prong diamonds are set

[pebbles]

I hope I am able to explain this well...

I have a shared prong setting that has a 13 point round on each side of my center stone, then five 2 point stones on each side of the 13 pointers. I noticed the other day that the first 2 point stone (the one next to the 13 pointer) was lower than the others. Fearing that there was something wrong with the setting, I took it to my jeweler today.

My jeweler said that the stone is lower on purpose...(this is the part I probably am not going to explain well)...when two stones share prongs, the girdles cannot be totally equal or on the same plane because then there would be two notches in the prong, and the prong would either not be big enough to have these two notches on both sides, or it would compromise the stability of the prong. So what the designer did was stagger the diamonds -- have one set lower than the next. The jeweler said that because the stones are so small it is not really noticable to the naked eye.

Now I have seen many pictures of shared prong settings on this site, and I have never noticed that the diamonds were "staggered". In fact, it looked like the girdles were all even.

Is this staggering true, or was I fed a line so that I would be quiet and leave.

 

[Kaleigh]

pebbles,
Can you post a pic?? That would help a lot.

 

[pebbles]

I tried to take some pics but none came out well. I don''t have a loupe so I can''t get a really close shot anyway.

 

[Demelza]

Hmmm...I''m not sure. Just looking at my ring without a loupe, I don''t have any stones that are lower than any others. They appear to be girdle to girdle. Can you get a second opinion?

 

[FireGoddess]

This is the best loupe picture I have...but they seem to be on the same level...?!?

 

[mrssalvo]

peebles, are the stones in your eternity band set like that? comparing the two rings side by side what do you see?

 

[pebbles]

Date: 11/4/2005 10:40:59 PM
Author: mrssalvo
peebles, are the stones in your eternity band set like that? comparing the two rings side by side what do you see?

Good question!

I took a magnifying glass and looked at the eternity band. The stones are all lined up girdle to girdle.

Now I''m really confused!

 

[Kaleigh]

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 11/4/2005 11:51:31 PM
Author: pebbles

Date: 11/4/2005 10:40:59 PM
Author: mrssalvo
peebles, are the stones in your eternity band set like that? comparing the two rings side by side what do you see?

Good question!

I took a magnifying glass and looked at the eternity band. The stones are all lined up girdle to girdle.

Now I''m really confused!

Maybe the jeweler who sold you the setting is confused.

 

[pebbles]

I spent the last hour trying to take pics but I can''t seem to get one to show what the staggered effect is like.

I''m going to go to another jeweler that sells Gottlieb settings to see if they can give me a second opinion. I really like this ring but it will drive me crazy if I have to look at this uneveness everyday.

 

[MissAva]

Do you have a thread on your ring? I could not find one.

 

[AndyRosse]

Matatora, pebbles posted a pic HERE

 

[Jelly]

Pebbles, I''m sorry to hear about this occurence in your ring. From the pictures, the ring looks perfect, but it would definitely be something to check out with the other Gottlieb rings. Good luck, keep us updated!

 

[pebbles]

I did go to the jeweler yesterday. The Gottlieb setting at the other store looked exactly like mine! The first two 2 point stones (ones on each side of the center stone) are lower than the others. The prongs that they share are the same prongs that hold the 13 point stone in place. I still couldn''t get a good picture of it, but it sounds like something that''s just the design of the ring and not a flaw. I wish I had checked that out more closely before I bought it, because now that I noticed it, it will drive me crazy!