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Rattling Diamond But Jeweler Says Prongs Are Good and Tight?

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Maroon3

Rough_Rock
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Apr 1, 2005
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After I heard a slight rattling of the diamond in my engagement ring, I took it to a jeweler to check the prongs. I also told the jeweler that the diamond rattles a little. She took it to the back room, came out about 5 minutes later and told me that there is nothing wrong with my prongs and that there is something wrong with the setting instead and this is what is causing the rattle.

Has anyone had this happen to you? I am not sure whether to believe the jeweler or not--does what she said make sense? Should I take it to another jeweler?? Thanks.
 
I would take it to another jeweler. Rattling of a diamond is most usually do to loose prongs. I see nothing in a setting that could cause this other than loose prongs.

ETA: Is your setting a solitaire setting or are there sidestones, etc....
 
If the center diamond is not loose, then it must be the sidestones. Of course if you don''t have any sidestones, then I would certainly take it to another jeweler as Kaleigh suggested and get a second opinion.
 
Maroon- Did the jeweler offer any possible solution?
 
Thanks for your responses!

Stretch4, I do not have any sidestones. I found it hard to believe that it is a setting problem.

David, the only thing the jeweler said is that I need to take it back to the vendor because it is a setting problem. I didn''t mention this in my earlier post, but I did not feel comfortable with her at all and as she was twisting my diamond in the process of showing me that it is loose (which of course I already know), I fear that she may have loosened it even more.
 
Date: 7/21/2005 8:29:53 PM
Author: Maroon3
as she was twisting my diamond in the process of showing me that it is loose (which of course I already know), I fear that she may have loosened it even more.
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WHOA!!! Let me get this straight. She told you that the prongs were good and tight and then proceeded to twist your diamond around in those "tight" prongs to show you that the setting (i.e. PRONGS) were poorly made??? It sounds to me like either 1) she doesn''t know that the prongs are those little pointy metal things holding the diamond onto the ring, or 2) you were on Candid Camera and you''re about to win $1000 dollars for putting up with insanity.

Hmmm... I''m assuming your ring is in a Tiffany 4 or 6-prong or a basket solitaire setting rather than a bezel, correct? If it''s a bezel, then it is the setting. If it''s a prong setting it''s the prongs. Just trying to cover the bases... Either way, I think you''ve got a problem there in more ways than one. Is this jeweler the one that sold the ring?
 
She twisted the diamond in the prongs. That is a major NO NO in my book. That could hurt the prongs or the diamond or both. What possed her to do that? I would take the setting back to actual person who sold it to you if possible. If not I would recommend going to a jeweler who will tell you how to fix the problem and not exesterbate it.
 
Was the ring sized, sometime after it was bought, down a lot of sizes or up a lot of sizes?
 
This sounds like mostly a translation problem between whoever it was in the back room and this sales person.

Just to state the obvious:
Rattling stones = loose stones
Stones that turn in the mounting = loose stones

The real issue may be about how to cure the problem. Usually when someone asks for a prong to be tightened, this means that they want the jeweler to press on the tip of the prong with a tool that moves it down to touch the stone. Depending on what the original problem is, this may be a fine solution. It may not be. Unfortunately, there are other problems with similar looking symptoms that this won't cure. I can easily imagine a conversation like this:

-----------------------------------------------

Customer: My diamond is loose, please fix it.
Salesperson: OK.

Salesperson to Jeweler: The owner of this ring is waiting in the showroom for you to tighten the prongs please.
Jeweler: That's not what's wrong with this ring. It involves a more serious repair. Shall I prepare an estimate?
Salesperson: I'll let you know in a minute after I talk to the customer. It's a new item from one of our competitors.
Jeweler: Have them take it back to the seller and let them fix it.

Salesperson to customer: There is nothing wrong with your prongs. There is something wrong with the setting instead and this is what is causing the rattle. Go see the original jeweler.

-----------------------------------------------

If possible, speak with the person in the back who said that the prongs were ok and ask them a little more detail what they think the problem is. While your with them, get an estimate for what they would charge to fix it. By all means take it back to the vendor and ask them the same set of questions. If you get a different answer, point out that you got a different explanation somewhere else and ask them to elaborate on why that might be the case.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Independent Appraisals in Denver
 
Great pont Neil- that is exactly what I was getting at.
Any competant jeweler will understand the problem and suggest a solution-which might assist us in figuring out what is going on.

In the case of a round diamond set into a 4 prong "Tiffany Style Solitaire": If one or two of the prongs have come loose from the diamond, it is possible to twist the diamond in the prongs.
In general- this won''t make the problem worse, and it''s not easy to damage the dimond simply by spinning it.
 
Dear All,

I had a horrible day today. I took my ring to another jeweler and he said that my diamond was not loose. He then cleaned and polished it. When I came home and looked at my ring under the loupe, I noticed that a little of the side of one of the platinum prongs appeared to have chipped off, while the platinum on the bottom of another prong seemed to have melted a bit. What could have caused this????? Is it the cleaner? The guy checked my ring in front of me and then went to the back for all of 5 minutes to clean and polish my ring. What should I do? I am now scared of going to another jeweler for fear of more bad things happening. I don''t know whom to trust.
 
Hey Maroon. Sorry to hear about your bad day.
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Is there any way you can take this ring back to the original seller? If you want it to stay a surprise from your fiance or something, could he take it back for you? That would help you get informed fastest I think.
 
I would also take it back to the original person OR get it to an appraiser and have an expert who is unbiased look at it for you.

When I read that it was not the prongs being loose but the setting, I thought of the possibility that maybe something is wrong with the head or the prongs, aka what if they are not symmetrical so it could be that the prongs themselves are tight onto the stone, but maybe one of them is a bit off and so is creating a problem with the diamond. I don''t know if I am making sense here and that is just a random example, but as was already noted, prongs could be pressed firmly down but if something is wrong with one of the prongs or maybe the head itself....that could possibly be creating a problem for the diamond and how it sits.

Also, while it would take more than someone spinning the diamond in the setting to damage the DIAMOND, it has been mentioned in the past that the diamonds are set into the grooves of the prong curve quite exactly the right way, and I could see if someone spins the diamond in that setting that it could possibly wear the grooves that the diamond sit into down and therefore cause it to be loose in the prongs at some point.

So I would have it checked out by an appraiser if possible, if you have one local...or take it back to your original jeweler/seller and see if they can advise.
 
Maroon3 (cool username by the way)...

I like all of the input that Neil gave and David supported...oftentimes the salesperson might not fully be able to communicate what the jeweler is saying. So you just have to ask for clarification.

My prongs were loose on my ring a month or 2 ago. I studied up here on PS a bit on what I should do and expect, then I went shopping at the local jewelers for prices and methods. I ended up going to 5 different places, and it was only in the 5th place that I finally felt comfortable with the person with whom I spoke, what they told me was required, the price of their service and how long it would take to get it done. I would say that the key to me was how professional and respectful the people were (whether it was the jeweler who would actually do the work, or the sales person, or both) at that last place. They took all the time needed to make me feel better about it all...even though it seems like such a simple process. So I gave them my business.

I think you just need to keep asking questions to folks until you find someone who will give you the proper service to address all your needs. It is definitely frustrating at times. Maybe there might truly be something wrong with the setting. One of the places I talked to actually did quote me a price and then said "but if something is wrong with the setting, the price will change".

I''ll be interested to hear how it turns out for you.
 
Date: 7/23/2005 2:10:34 AM
Author: Mara
I would also take it back to the original person OR get it to an appraiser and have an expert who is unbiased look at it for you.

When I read that it was not the prongs being loose but the setting, I thought of the possibility that maybe something is wrong with the head or the prongs, aka what if they are not symmetrical so it could be that the prongs themselves are tight onto the stone, but maybe one of them is a bit off and so is creating a problem with the diamond. I don''t know if I am making sense here and that is just a random example, but as was already noted, prongs could be pressed firmly down but if something is wrong with one of the prongs or maybe the head itself....that could possibly be creating a problem for the diamond and how it sits.

Also, while it would take more than someone spinning the diamond in the setting to damage the DIAMOND, it has been mentioned in the past that the diamonds are set into the grooves of the prong curve quite exactly the right way, and I could see if someone spins the diamond in that setting that it could possibly wear the grooves that the diamond sit into down and therefore cause it to be loose in the prongs at some point.

So I would have it checked out by an appraiser if possible, if you have one local...or take it back to your original jeweler/seller and see if they can advise.
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Mara- It''s pretty much impossible for the head to be loose- it is soldered on, so it''s an on/off nothing in the middle situation.


Bent prongs are an obvious cause for a loose stone.
Less obvious is when someone bends the bottom of the ring, and THAT causes the stone to come loose- without noticable damge to the prong.
 
David I didn''t mean that the head was loose, but only that possibly if the prongs were set into the head ''wrong'' somehow, it could seemingly affect the diamond setting itself?
 
As in the setting could be defective???
 
yes i''m thinking more the HEAD of the setting. from what we have read in the past, setting a diamond is an art and if it was set wrong and/or the head is not symmetrical or SOMETHING...i guess there could be alot of reasons, maybe the diamond PRONG TIPS could be set firmly on the diamond but the prongs themselves are somehow wrong.

i make no sense..i know.
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not enough coffee this AM.
 
If the ring was intact at one point, then the stone became loose, it's likely that something came in contact with the ring, and did damage.

If the ring was delivered with a loose diamond, then the setter is to blame.


There are cases of bad casts.
Could a mis- shaped prong- bad detail work ( like a Lucida style ring with a messy underwire- you can't fix that detail if the cast is bad)
There's also porosity- teenie air bubbles get into the gold when they melt it to produce a casting- sometimes this does not become apparent till they start to polish the ring.

Porosity can actually becmoe worse over time and wear.
A bent part could also get worse over time- but it is something a setter or polisher should notice and correct if possible.
In this context, the term "Head" means a part which has pongs, and is soldered onto a "Shank".

In many cases "Heads" are "Die Struck" which eliminates both bent part, and porosity concerns.
 
Here''s atypical "Die Struck" head.
Die Striking is a method where the metal is literally "stamped"
 
Thank you all for your responses. I am still very perplexed as to how part of the platinum on my prongs chipped off, considering how durable platinum is. Could the chipping be caused by the ring cleaning/polishing process? I called the jeweler today who checked and cleaned my ring, and he said that it is impossible for his cleaning machine or polisher to chip platinum, since the ring is suspended in the cleaning process and there are no clamps placed on it so as to chip the platinum off. He mentioned that I can perhaps have the head of the ring replaced and it would cost about $155 (just an estimate since he has not seen the ring).

My fiance bought the ring from Blue Nile about 7 months ago. Should I send the ring back to them for inspection? It may take weeks for me to get my ring back and even then if the problem is not a manufacturer''s defect, Blue Nile probably won''t repair the ring. Or should I find a local jeweler to take a look? I am also concerned about jewelers swapping diamonds and I know this has been the subject of many threads here--I guess I am a little paranoid.
 
Date: 7/24/2005 12:16:06 AM
Author: Maroon3
Thank you all for your responses. I am still very perplexed as to how part of the platinum on my prongs chipped off, considering how durable platinum is. Could the chipping be caused by the ring cleaning/polishing process? I called the jeweler today who checked and cleaned my ring, and he said that it is impossible for his cleaning machine or polisher to chip platinum, since the ring is suspended in the cleaning process and there are no clamps placed on it so as to chip the platinum off. He mentioned that I can perhaps have the head of the ring replaced and it would cost about $155 (just an estimate since he has not seen the ring).

My fiance bought the ring from Blue Nile about 7 months ago. Should I send the ring back to them for inspection? It may take weeks for me to get my ring back and even then if the problem is not a manufacturer''s defect, Blue Nile probably won''t repair the ring. Or should I find a local jeweler to take a look? I am also concerned about jewelers swapping diamonds and I know this has been the subject of many threads here--I guess I am a little paranoid.
Click to expand...

Personally I would at least attempt to deal with the original vendor (BN). I think that you need to explain the issues to them and see what they''re willing to do in order to rectify them before you do anything else. You at least should find out if it is an issue that they can correct, possibly even free of charge. Blue Nile has a vested interest in keeping previous customers happy to the point that they would recommend them, and have even went so far to say that is their primary mode of advertising/marketing on some of their investor conference calls.
 
If your fiancee bought the ring from Blue Nile I would take this up with them. They sold you the diamond and the setting, so they would be the ones to fix the problem for you. That would be my first course of action. You can call them ahead and describe to them exactly what is going on with your ring. You also should document this for your own records and take pics if necessary. Good luck and please let us know how it works out for you, as you may be helping someone else that has a similiar problem.
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I third the notion of trying to work with BN to get things situated and the setting fixed. Good luck!
 
Thanks very much! I will definitely give Blue Nile a call.
 
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