Tension setting - risk of diamond chipping

[dk168]

To those with tension-set diamond rings, do you worry about the stone getting chipped?

I am guessing it is no riskier than having a stone set in a setting with claws, however, I am bezel-set lover through and through.

I am thinking about having my 1.19ct EC re-set in a tension setting, after admiring the latest pics of the gorgeous rings of Craig and Kenny, plus other tension-set rings in the Men's Ring Eye Candy thread.

The current platinum setting is rather weedy on my ring finger of my right hand, and it was meant to be for my middle finger which has grown from size 9.5 to 10.5 since I had the ring made back in 2004!

I normally wear the ring with a 2mm wide titanium band as shown in this pic to give more finger coverage:



I have reservations about exposing the edges of the diamond in a tension setting, as the style I have in mind is something like this:



Your views and advice would be most appreciated, thanks in advance.

DK

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I would not set it like that picture because I do think your stone would be very at risk. I believe Kenny's band is as wide or wider than the diamond so it is not as exposed. I also think it will make your diamond look smaller than it does now in the bezel, so I'd think hard about changing it.

Regardless of the setting, you should have the ring insured just in case there was damage to the stone. Accidents do happen.

 

[ChristineRose]

I strongly suspect that no one can answer this question.

You're right of course that certain sorts of accidents will chip that tension set emerald that would bounce off the bezel. But bezeling itself has issues--they will have to destroy either the stone or the bezel to get the stone out, and of course they will try to destroy the bezel.

Likewise its possible to imagine various angles and catches that would get the bezel, but not the tension.

In order to do a fair test of this you would have to get a whole bunch of people to wear rings of both types, all set with emerald cuts just like yours, and let the typists type and let the gardeners garden, and let the people who only wear their rings one hour a week only wear them one hour a week, and on and on. Nobody's done anything like this. There are just too many variables and too few emerald cut diamonds to experiment with.

You might get a bench person in here to tell you that they have seen a higher number of chipped tension rings coming back to them, but most bench people either specialize in tension rings, or they rarely get one. And maybe they just live in the town of EveryoneClumsyHereLikesTensionSettings. Who knows?

I think the moral of the story is to find someone who knows what they are doing, let them evaluate the stone and setting, take their advice, and be willing to pay for what you get.

 

[Ashleigh]

It looks pretty risky as the 4 corners aren't protected. I actually like your current setting a lot. Then again I'm biased.

 

[kenny]

Excellent responses here, but I always love to hear myself talk, so …

I don't 'worry' about chipping the diamond, but I am conscious of the possibility so I'm careful.
I think full-bezel settings as the safest, just set it and forget it.
IMO a tension setting (TS) is the most attractive because you enjoy a less-obstructed view of your diamond's light show, though your particular full-bezel ring is really beautiful.
Of course a diamond can be damaged in any setting if you bang it just right but IMO most TSs from competent makers are safer than most prong settings since prongs can bend without your knowledge.
TSs won't since they are so beefy.

Clearly TSs vary.
Some expose more of the diamond than others. (both girdle and crown)
Some enclose the diamond more than others.



The idea you posted above is one of the least-protective I've seen not only because so much of the diamond is jutting out from the setting, but also the diamond looks free to slide within the gap.
There is no metal touching the windmill-side of the girdle to prevent sliding.
That is how my previous asscher was set and I much prefer my new setting, which Booonerings calls Side Grooves, because there's metal touching the windmills.

You could ask Bruce to let some of the diamond extend beyond the metal (in both the top and side view) to protect both the girdle and the table, or not.
Have you considered setting your EC east west?

 

[Karl_K]

I would not go with the first one because corners and a cleavage plane are exposed and it is solidly held.

Kenny's and the east west one above are much safer.
As always keep it insured.

 

[kenny]

I would not go with the first one because corners and a cleavage plane are exposed and it is solidly held.

You mention cleavage plane.

For a square asscher is one orientation better than the other?
IOW for a tension setting, should the diamond be placed so the cleavage plane is on the gap sides or on the sides touching the metal?

How can the owner or the setter know which side is the cleavage plane?

I've always asked the setter to put the inclusion against the metal, not the gap, so I don't see the inclusion in the gap, but safety is more important than cosmetics IMO so I should have been giving priority to cleavage plane when deciding how to orient the diamond in the tension setting … No?

 

[Karl_K]

Kenny,

The short side of an emerald cut is the most vulnerable with many breaks starting at the windmill corners and extending down the short side.

In an SE each side is equal.
I would not really worry about it with a reasonable girdle.

One problem with the tension setting with the ends hanging out is that the diamond is in a vise with vulnerable parts hanging out unsupported. There is no give like with prongs not that it would matter is the cleavage planes were hit right.

IMHO a tension setting like yours the stone might even be less vulnerable than in typical 4 prong setting.
The reason I say might is a traditional setting will give away and provide some lessening of force.
But as far as keeping it from getting hit it does a better job.

 

[dk168]

Ladies and Gents,

Thanks for your input and advice.

Deep down, I kind of knew the setting in the original post is likely to be a no-go due to the amount of diamond being exposed.

I have considered setting it east-west, however, my fat chunky size 10.5 finger can take a band that is 7.21mm wide (as in the length of my EC) without looking out of place for me.

My day to day ring for that finger is a 0.48ct EC set east-west in a 5mm band, and I like to wear more substantial and dressier jewellery when I go out, and shinny metal suits me.

Boone also has a twisted EC style that I like: http://boonerings.com/stone-settings/emeraldwithatwist.htm that looks like it will provide more protection to the diamond.

It was my fault that I had little input with regard to the ring's setting, and did not request for scatches/drawings to be provided. I simply requested for the diamond to be bezel-set in platinum. I probably never mentioned it is meant to be RHR to be worn alone in my middle finger.

The resultant ring looks like it is made to be worn with a band sitting flush on both sides as part of a wedding set, and the diamond is set too high for my liking. However, I did not have the heart or the fund to have it re-set at the time.

Rather than having it re-set, there is the option of keeping it as it is except to enlarge it to fit the finger, and get one or two stacker rings to wear with it (the 2mm titanium ring in the original pic cannot be enlarged and will be displaced as a result). However, I have reservations about the stacker rings taking the shin off the EC, and/or make it look like I am wearing my wedding set on my right hand instead.

Decision, decision!!!

DK