Show me your tension/bridge ring! Tell me the Pros and Cons!

[kitoto]

Hi everyone,

I am a newbie working on my E-ring project. I''ve decided to go with a modern tension/bridge setting. Please show me your BLING and let me know the pros and cons about it.

Thanks!

 

[butterflyblue]

Tension set wedding rings pros

Tension set style makes your ring exceptionally beautiful. It will always be the center of attention because of its uniqueness. Your friends will look at your ring and you will hear many compliments to it.

Tension set rings can be made of any material that is used for traditional wedding rings. You can have it in yellow gold, white gold, titanium or platinum. Since tension set style gives your ring a very modernistic look, platinum and titanium are most popular materials for this style of ring.

If you are worried about loosing your beautiful diamond, don''t be. Manufacturers of tension set rings claim that the stone is hold very securely and will not get lost. You actually have more chances of loosing your diamond from a traditional channel set ring. If you handle your ring with care, your gem will stay there.


Tension set ring cons

The biggest drawback of tension set rings is that they are very difficult to resize. Resizing this style of rings can break the tension and the stone may come lose. This might be a serious problem for a wedding ring, because you are going to wear it for the rest of your life. You may gain or lose weight, and even if you don''t, with age your fingers "shrink". Most people need to resize their wedding rings as life goes on, but with tension set rings this is almost impossible.

Tension set wedding rings is gorgeous and if you are looking for something different, that would be it. If you like modernistic and unique look, go for tension set rings rather than traditional ones.

 

[kitoto]

Hi butterflyblue. That''s great input and superhelpful! Thank you so much!
Do you have one yourself? Curious about cons beside resized in the future. Any cocern about wearing it all the time 24/7?

 

[elle_chris]

The cons are that many jewelrs feel the stone can come out more easily than a prong setting and won''t carry tension rings.

Tension and bridge are the not the same thing. The SM ring you showed in your other thread is not a true tension and can be more secure due to the bridge underneath.

If I were to do a tension ring, I''d stick with Steven Kretchmer or Niessing. I''ve seen the Gelin Abaci ones in person and wasn''t impressed.

 

[elle_chris]

And here''s two linkss to tension set rings on PS

First is a kretchmer https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/steven-kretchmer-tension-finally-done.81479/

Niessing: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-niessing-tapered-tension-set-ring.82830/

 

[kitoto]

Thanks Elle. Great examples and suggestions! I think I might just go for a brige for better security and also refelction purpose

 

[butterflyblue]

Hi Kitoto.. You''re most welcome and I do not have a tension set but I was seriously thinking about one at one time. I am having my diamond as we speak being reset into a custom bezel mounting. I love the look of the tension sets, and I like the idea of no prongs. My hubby was having some major stress about me losing my diamond so we decided to go with the bezel instead. LOL

 

[D&T]

Date: 9/28/2009 2:07:14 PM
Author: kitoto
Thanks Elle. Great examples and suggestions! I think I might just go for a brige for better security and also refelction purpose

I have a Faux tension that has the bridge/bar - its actually consider a channel set by my previous jeweler. I loved it, and wore my princess cut ring for five years, without a problem!, and it was the most comfortable ring that I have. I felt that it was much safer than a true tension becuase of the bar/bridge support without actually putting pressure on the diamond.

 

[Lurchie]

Similar to D&T''s...mine has a bridge.

 

[Lurchie]

Profile.

I can't think of a single "con" to this ring! It is clean, simple, comfortable. It feels very secure and most of all I love the open profile.

 

[D&T]

Date: 10/2/2009 4:46:50 PM
Author: Lurchie
Profile.

I can''t think of a single ''con'' to this ring! It is clean, simple, comfortable. It feels very secure and most of all I love the open profile.

totally agree with Lurchie... there was no cons at all. I was able to clean it very well due to the open profile.

 

[exoticisabella]

Here''s an okay pic with my round. Gives you an idea of the look

. I love how easy it is to clean the ring, and how it makes your diamond the center of attention. The only thing I don''t like about my setting is that the bridge had to be cut out a bit so the diamond would fit well. I wish I could see more of the diamond profile.

 

[litebrite]

resizing is a very real issue - I had looked at tension set but ultimately decided against because of the cost. Instead, I went with a very well respected jeweler, and about 3 years later, I''m looking at resizing already! It makes me glad I didn''t go with a tension setting.

 

[LD]

My ring incorporates both tension and bridge! I haven't regretted setting my chameleon diamond in a tension setting but was advised to have a bridge for the side diamonds. I LOVE it. The side profile is just awesome!

 

[D&T]

Date: 10/16/2009 4:51:51 PM
Author: LovingDiamonds
My ring incorporates both tension and bridge! I haven''t regretted setting my chameleon diamond in a tension setting but was advised to have a bridge for the side diamonds. I LOVE it. The side profile is just awesome!

I love tension style design as you know

do you wear this with a wedding band?

 

[LD]

Date: 10/16/2009 4:54:51 PM
Author: D&T

Date: 10/16/2009 4:51:51 PM
Author: LovingDiamonds
My ring incorporates both tension and bridge! I haven''t regretted setting my chameleon diamond in a tension setting but was advised to have a bridge for the side diamonds. I LOVE it. The side profile is just awesome!

I love tension style design as you know

do you wear this with a wedding band?

Yes I know!!!! Just posted on your other thread again!

I do wear it with a wedding ring. The ring above is in platinum and I''ve got a plain platinum band that I wear alongside it. It doesn''t need anything else to be honest.

 

[elle_chris]

LovingDiamonds- that''s a great ring. I love tensions too and one of the reason''s i didn''t go with one is because the bigger the stone gets, the bulkier the ring becomes. Yours is the first one I''ve seen that doesn''t do that. Mind sharing the designer?

 

[secondgreatestlove]

Hiya, I had my tension-set ring re-sized (up two sizes) a couple of months ago. The jeweler informed me it would be a bit tricky and would therefore cost more. It ended up costing $80 (NZD) and he did a wonderful job. I was really worried about the tension being interfered with - but so far no problems

touch wood!

Hope that helps

 

[secondgreatestlove]

ps. I got it sized to wear on a different finger - not because I''ve suddenly gained a few sizes! hee hee

 

[artworkinform]

Hello, I introduce myself as both a designer and maker of jewelry, having over thirty years experience in this profession. Having just stumbled upon this forum, I found this thread to be of particular interest, since I''ve had extensive involvement with both tension set and non-tension set rings....most of what I make representing what''s being referred to as the "bridge" approach. A couple of people participating in this thread have already suggested problems associated with tension set rings. Having significant personal experience with the physical attributes of the metals used in both tension and non-tension set rings, I felt it might be worth offering my own experiences to reinforce what''s already been suggested.

There is little doubt that a tension set ring tends to maximize the space around the stone and creates a strong visual drama. And there''s no question these rings are indeed enticing. This is a very definite pro...

Based on many years of hands on professional experience, there are two major cons that I see:

1. In order to resize a tension set ring, the tension will definitely be compromised to some extent...creating what I refer to as a "weakest link" situation in the palm side of the ring. At minimum, the result will be some level of decrease in the compression on the stone due to the weak link, which will significantly increase the possibility for the stone to become dislodged from the ring as it continues to be worn. Additionally, during a person''s lifetime, the size of most any given finger will most likely change....often this change in size will ultimately be quite significant and most typically occur gradually rather than as a sudden and final change. This can very much compound the difficulties in resizing a tension set ring...resulting in the very real possibility that not just a single resizing will be required, but the possibility of many....with each resizing operation making it all the more vulnerable to losing the stone.

2. The loss of stones from tension set rings is, indeed, very real...this based on personal experience. I assure you it''s not just a worry or concern. While most tension set rings seem to effectively retain the stone, others definitely don''t. Over the years I''ve had no fewer than a dozen people approach me with questions about the tension set rings they''d previously purchased elsewhere...however, with the center stones having gone missing. In each case the person told me that he or she had been assured, when purchasing the ring, that it was virtually impossible for the stone to come out of the setting. And in each case, after it did, no remedy was offered or provided for the loss of the stone and they were left to figure out how best to make the ring wearable again.

While tension set rings have a visually dramatic appeal, the potential longer-term difficulties noted above would definitely cause me endless concerns....particularly having an in depth understanding of the materials involved as well as their capabilities of remaining sufficiently structurally sound to be able to retain the stone.