Setting Risks

[tanner12oz]

i have been gettin some info on palladium settings from some local jewelers and whenever i approach them about bringing in a diamond to have set they tell me there are risks and they arent responsible for damage. that is kinda alarming to me......sooooo should i be actually worried about this or if your dealing with a reputable company its no sweat???

 

[neatfreak]

Most setters will not insure a stone that they have not provided against loss. It''s standard procedure. That being said, if you are in the US, Jeweler''s Mutual does have a way to insure the stone prior to it being set. You''d have to contact them for more information on that.

The BEST way is to have the place where your purchase the stone also set it, then you''re usually covered. There is a risk with all stones, but some have a higher risk than others depending on inclusions, girdle thickness, thin corners, etc.

Most of the time you''re fine, but there is a risk. Better to be safe than sorry in my book...

 

[tanner12oz]

im buying probably from whiteflash.......i wasn''t sure if they set diamonds.....i was looking for something in palladium and close is a lucida setting.....are there any reputable online places that have palladium lucida settings that set diamonds??? obviously having a nice selection and price of loose diamonds is necessary as well

 

[denverappraiser]

There is a possibility of damaging either the stone, the mounting or both during the setting process. It’s also possible to set the stone in a way that leaves it vulnerable to falling out in the future. In most cases the risks of all of these are small and are a little difficult to estimate without knowing the full facts because it involves details about the stone, the mounting, the skill of the setter and even your lifestyle. Many jewelers will insure against some or all of these things as part of the purchase price but it’s not unusual for this to become a problem with the setting charges are done on an ala-carte basis. Some will and some won’t. Not surprisingly, the ones who assume the most responsibility are not usually the least expensive.

Evaluating the risk is tricky and the jeweler is in a far better position than anyone else to estimate it as well as to deal with it when the rare problem occurs so I always recommend that they take on the risks and simply set their prices accordingly. If they can’t or won’t do this, Jewelers Mutual will assume the risk for a fee of about 1-2% of the value of the item depending on you zip code and will include ‘free’ a year of full coverage insurance along with the deal. I''m told that Gemshield has now introduced a similar program but I haven''t seen the details.

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

 

[oldminer]

Stones with corners or pointed ends, especially sharply pointed princess cuts are really damage prone. We have provided setting for appraisal clients and for our own manufacturing for a decades with only a very limited number of problems. I have never lost any sleep over it, but I know consumers are fed information making the job seem far more risky than it actually is and with this "high risk" in mind, they become more willing to pay more to the firm willing to take on the job.

A consumer can''t afford to take the risk of breakage. Either pay full retail to a retailer who will accept responsibility, or allow the manufacturer of the mounting to perform the work if they will accept the risk. We avoid offering setting services on princess cuts which look dangerously fragile, but other wise we do accept setting work from folks who use our appraisal services. If we break a diamond, we will either fix it with minimal weight loss, or if it is the single one we ever have broken beyond a tiny chip, we will replace it with an equal replacement and keep the old diamond in trade for our salvage. There are choices. As I said before, there is a tiny risk with diamond setting of the vast majority of stones. We have always taken that risk without any major incident that I can even recall.

 

[neatfreak]

Whiteflash of course DOES set diamonds. They have a number of gorgeous settings, of course no one will have the exact "Lucida" setting except for Tiffany''s as it is a proprietary design. I would browse through WF''s selection of settings and see if there is something that you like. The WF Legato Sleekline is a favorite around here!