True or false? Claw prongs possible

[pearaffair]

My goldsmith (who seems to know his stuff) said I couldn’t have claw prongs on this ring because it’s a cantilever setting. (V-shape). And that it would just get pushed out. It’s platinum.

Should I get a second opinion?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Fairly sure it can be done, but all benches may not be able to do it well. Those prongs look too long on top to me.

 

[pearaffair]

Fairly sure it can be done, but all benches may not be able to do it well. Those prongs look too long on top to me.

Yeah I don’t love them. I think I’ll get a second opinion. The first bench is the one that did those prongs. I’m worried about throwing good money after bad... but also thinking I might like the setting with a garnet and claw prongs. What do you think? Sell and cut my losses, or try again?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

There's nothing to lose trying to find a better bench. But I will say I've never found one locally that I think could do the prongs we see done by vendors here on PS. So it kind of depends on where you are as to whether you can find one or not. Ask other jewelers to see rings they have set in their store and see if you see any claw prongs. Seeing is the best evidence of skill.

 

[pearaffair]

There's nothing to lose trying to find a better bench. But I will say I've never found one locally that I think could do the prongs we see done by vendors here on PS. So it kind of depends on where you are as to whether you can find one or not. Ask other jewelers to see rings they have set in their store and see if you see any claw prongs. Seeing is the best evidence of skill.

Oh that is really good advice! It’s times like these that I wish I lived closer to David Klass... or at least the same country, lol!!

 

[Karl_K]

The could be pointed a little and thinned a bit but true claw prongs, not without a new ring.
Technically he is right.

 

[pearaffair]

The could be pointed a little and thinned a bit but true claw prongs, not without a new ring.
Technically he is right.

Hey thanks for your time, I appreciate your input! I’m trying so hard to find a good local goldsmith so I’m pleased that he’s not totally pulling my leg. A jeweller in the city over told me that it’s not possible to resize a platinum ring without a visible line and I was SO upset and felt lied to. Tell me if I’m insanely but I have definitely had olatinum resized before and it’s been invisible and fantastic! Anyways that experience made me wary.

 

[Karl_K]

Here is why:
Green arrow, notice how shout the prongs are in this area.
That is because the red areas form a wedge both up and down.
There is nothing but the long lever of the prong keeping the wedge from opening the prongs like a banana.
That is how these rings fail, down pressure on the top(blue arrow) pushing the stone into the prongs and the ramp applies sideways force and opens the prongs.
This happens on both the top and bottom of the diamond.
This is why these prongs have to be stout. With cross braces near the diamond girdle you can have much more delicate prongs and claws if it is designed right to adsorb the sideways forces.
Other designs with more vertical and much shorter prongs are sometimes made without the cross braces and clawed.
What makes the difference is the force is accounted for by the design.



Edit: please excuse my sloppy art work!

 

[pearaffair]

@Karl_K thanks so much!! My poor goldsmith lost me the second he used the word “cantilever”. I had to google it

But this makes sense

 

[Karl_K]

@Karl_K thanks so much!! My poor goldsmith lost me the second he used the word “cantilever”. I had to google it

But this makes sense

lol... well not everyone has a gift for taking the complex and making it easy to understand but he did have your best interests in mind.
Your welcome, glad to be of service.

 

[the_mother_thing]

@pearaffair Just a suggestion, but if you’re unhappy with the current prong/basket for the stone, maybe just see about having that part replaced in the ring to something that you would like, that would fit the stone you’d like to swap out, that would give you not only the claw prongs you’re after, but more structural support/security. It may be easier/better in the long run to do that than to risk compromising the current ‘basket’ prongs, if it’s doable.

 

[pearaffair]

@pearaffair Just a suggestion, but if you’re unhappy with the current prong/basket for the stone, maybe just see about having that part replaced in the ring to something that you would like, that would fit the stone you’d like to swap out, that would give you not only the claw prongs you’re after, but more structural support/security. It may be easier/better in the long run to do that than to risk compromising the current ‘basket’ prongs, if it’s doable.

That’s a really good idea. I think instead I’m just going to sell this ring haha. Not like I don’t have any others...

 

[partgypsy]

Thank you Karl for explaining this, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten it either.