Upgrading my e-ring stone- help with stone size for setting?

[tigerhearted]

Hi folks, Long time no post!

Well my husband and I are wanting to upgrade my e-ring stone. It's a low-quality irradiated diamond (bought before I discovered Pricescope, woe!), and I'd like to replace it with a sapphire. I've got my eye on a couple sapphires from a vendor that was recommended here, and have been chatting with one of their cs reps (who has been very nice and helpful).

Here's where we need some advice. My e-ring setting is this one: http://www.jansjewells.com/item.php?item_id=1088&page=g&category_id=68#.UTFKczD_nTo

In the description, it says that this setting takes a 6.5mm stone. My top two favorite sapphires are 5.8mm and 7.1mm. Do you think this setting could take either of these stones, or are they too small/big? How much flexibility in size do we have?

Let's see if I can attach some pics of my e-ring. The irradiated diamond is 6.53mm according to the appraisal.

 

[pregcurious]

Re: Upgrading my e-ring stone- help with stone size for sett

I would go to the jeweler you are going to use to set your new stone, and ask them what size will fit in your current setting.

 

[chrono]

Re: Upgrading my e-ring stone- help with stone size for sett

I second the suggestion to have a jeweller make a recommendation . My guess is that you are safer looking for something around 6.2 mm to 6.8 mm. The two you are considering could be a smidge too large and a smidge too small.

 

[tigerhearted]

Re: Upgrading my e-ring stone- help with stone size for sett

Thanks guys, I went down yesterday to the jeweler I've used in the past for re-sizing and cleaning. But I think I need to find another jeweler and get a second opinion -- she said that it's dangerous to reset a ring at all because messing with the prongs weakens the metal, and tried to sell me a new ring.

Now there is probably some degree of truth to that, but surely the risk can't be that great on a setting that's only a few years old? If my setting were a real antique, maybe, but my ring is a reproduction. I was under the impression that it's rather common for people to upgrade stones using their original settings.

 

[pregcurious]

Re: Upgrading my e-ring stone- help with stone size for sett

I am not a jeweler, but I am guessing that for 1 reset, the metal will be fine. VapidLapid is more experienced in this, and he brought up metal fatigue in this post that I started [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/will-any-stores-send-my-stone-to-gia-for-me.184625/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/will-any-stores-send-my-stone-to-gia-for-me.184625/..[/URL].

The issue is not with the age of your setting, but how many times the metal has been bent. The quality of the metal also matters (e.g. density, air bubbles). For example, I would expect that prongs that are made from 1 piece of metal during hand forging, or diecast, would do better than cast, but that is only a guess.

It's like when you have a metal paper clip. If you take a piece and bend it back and forth, it will break. Since your ring was new, and only 1 stone has been set, I'm not sure how big a deal this is. You can also have prongs fixed or replaced. I think you're right to go to another jeweler.

 

[chrono]

Re: Upgrading my e-ring stone- help with stone size for sett

A reproduction ring is actually likely to be weaker than the real antique setting. These are often cast en-mass and could have porosity issues which your jeweller is unwilling to risk. My better made settings can be reset without additional work but my lower end settings usually need to have the prongs rebuilt.

 

[tigerhearted]

Re: Upgrading my e-ring stone- help with stone size for sett

A reproduction ring is actually likely to be weaker than the real antique setting. These are often cast en-mass and could have porosity issues which your jeweller is unwilling to risk. My better made settings can be reset without additional work but my lower end settings usually need to have the prongs rebuilt.

Aha, now that makes sense! Wish the jeweler would have just said that instead of trying to sell me on a new ring. I suppose we could always order a new version of the same setting, though that will add to the cost of the project. Hmm.

 

[pregcurious]

Re: Upgrading my e-ring stone- help with stone size for sett

Chrono, what is a reasonable price for having prongs rebuilt?

TH, I'm still not sure a new setting is warranted. I had a entire new head built and the old head taken off for less than the cost of a setting.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Re: Upgrading my e-ring stone- help with stone size for sett

A reproduction ring is actually likely to be weaker than the real antique setting. These are often cast en-mass and could have porosity issues which your jeweller is unwilling to risk. My better made settings can be reset without additional work but my lower end settings usually need to have the prongs rebuilt.

It also depends on the skill of the original setter. Some settings may have had too much metal removed when cutting the seat or stressed the prongs.

 

[chrono]

Re: Upgrading my e-ring stone- help with stone size for sett

The settings I've had modified or rebuilt were all platinum at the cost of $70 to $80 per prong. Lady D is correct that it also depends on the skill of the setter and the condition of the prongs itself.

 

[tigerhearted]

Re: Upgrading my e-ring stone- help with stone size for sett

Very good info to know, thank you guys. I'll need to do a bit of driving to get a second opinion, that was the only local jeweler we have in this one-horse town.

Here's an interesting turn of events though, re: the possibility of buying a new version of the same setting. I was poking at the available settings at thenaturalsapphirecompany (don't worry, I'm NOT getting my sapphire from them!), and lo and behold, they have the exact same setting! What are the odds? Of course, it is marked up from the Jan's Jewels version.
http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/Sapphires/Mountings/Rings/solitaire/stoneid=JS10Y14

I noticed that they didn't have a restriction on stone size in the description. So out of curiosity I sent an enquiry about whether this setting would accommodate a 5.8mm stone and heard back from them a couple hours later.

There's a rule against copy/pasting text from vendor emails iirc? I'll paraphrase just in case. The rep said that each of their custom made bands are hand crafted individually per the exact dimensions of each stone. And that the setting would be made specifically for my 5.8 mm stone.

What are your thoughts about that?


PS: I forgot to mention that I contacted Jan's Jewels over the weekend asking about stone size, and the reply was that they'd successfully set stones into that ring ranging from 6.0-7.0mm, but that any smaller would require an illusion setting to be added.