Recycle platinum settings?

[vespergirl]

I would love to reset my diamond, but I hate the idea of the plat setting I have now just sitting around empty collecting dust, when it cost about $1500 only 3 years ago (I wouldn''t want to put a colored stone or something into it). Are there any jewelers who would melt down the plat in my setting to create another setting, instead of making me buy new plat for my new setting? For example, would Leon be able to melt down my old setting to make a new one? Or Whiteflash or Quest? Or, conversely, are there any jewelers who would buy a a setting for the plat value? I just wanted to hear about this - I don''t know what the general protocol is for this type of thing ... thanks!

 

[february2003bride]

If I remember correctly, platinum (and gold) can not be melted down and reused to make a new setting. On one of my old platinum settings, I was given the option of turning it in for scrap price ($100-$200), ebay or craiglist, or setting a different stone in the setting. I chose the scrap option but if I were you, I would ebay it. Your setting is a designer setting, and you would probably get SOME money, probably more than scrap price, on ebay. There is also Pearlman''s for consignment, which would probably get you more money than ebay.

 

[oldminer]

If a platinum ring is actually an unsoldered item, cast as a single piece, and welded at any seam for sizing, then, in theory, it can be melted and used straight away in a new casting as part of the metal. Most platinum mountings have solder present and frequently have gold solder present. This makes it undesirable to re-use the metal without refining. The real issue is the reality that your $1500 mounting probalby has somewhere around $200 worth of metal in it at spot platinum prices today. Maybe this means it would cost approximately $300 for the metal part in clean metal, fresh from a refiner. All the rest is labor, overhead, packaging, advertising and profit.

You might arrange to re-use the metal, but you''ll have to replace a big part of the money which is just not found in the old ring.

 

[Steel]

Recycling settings seems to be more fiction than fact.

I still have difficulties understanding how little scrap value there is. If I were you I would keep the setting, you never know when you will want a home for a little precious something. I got rid of a setting a couple of years ago and am now itching for a blue sapphire- and I will need to buy a setting for it, when I know it would have happily lived in my old setting had I not got rid.

Consignment seems the only viable option if you do not foresee yourself EVER using the ring.

 

[vespergirl]

Thanks so much for your replies, everyone. My current stone is larger than my original was, so it''s "jammed" in the head, and the stone now sits crooked in the head. I was told by my jeweler that I could send it back to Verragio for a new head, but the process would cost about $300. Since I like my setting but am not in love with it, I thought that instead of having this setting repaired to fit my new diamond, I may just replace the whole setting, but use the same metal.

After reading your replies, however, I now realize that most of the cost is in labor, not raw materials. I may just keep the crooked setting as is for a little longer so I get a few more years of use out of this setting. I suppose I could always set a colored stone in it down the road.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply.