Band rings- cast, made from tubing, or ?

[Imdanny]

I'm interested in buying the Tiffany Lucida platinum band ring BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT IT IS MADE BY A CAST PROCESS and that this is a superior way to do it.

I'm sorry for "shouting" but I don't want to get into a discussion about Tiffany and CO per se, and I want to make my questions clear for you.

1. Are rings at this level of retail, in fact, made by a cast process? If not, how are they made?

2. Are there companies that you know of how make rings the way the Tiffany ring is made, but at a lower price point?

To clarify, I would buy a ring made from tubing, but the person in charge of this decision doesn't want to.

Thanks for any knowledge or recommendation you can give!

 

[strmrdr]

Traditional wax casting is actually the cheapest and has the most potential for problems for small and med production runs.
Die struck to near final shape is the cheapest for high production, done right it yields a stronger ring but a fine finish isn't always applied.
The most expensive is handmade from cold rolled or die struck material.

A lot of bands are die struck then cnc machined for the diamonds.

Another option is cut from extruded tubing then either die struck or cnc or hand finished.
The quality of such bands runs the whole range from as good as the best to not very good.

There are several more advanced casting processes or casting followed by die striking that give better results than traditional casting.

Hot Extrusion is another which well regarded Mémoire uses.

It combines the best elements of several other processes.
"Hot Extrusion.
Most of our mountings are made using the hot extrusion process. Before a mounting is cut, the chosen metal is pushed through a tube with enormous force and heat. This pressure eliminates porosity (air bubbles) from the metal. The result is a platinum or 18K gold mounting that is solid throughout, strong, hard and exceptionally durable. A standard cast mounting starts with liquid metal that is poured into a mold. As the metal cools and hardens, air can be trapped on the inside causing pits and porosity, which could weaken the finished product. Mémoire’s extruded mountings are laser cut for exactness directly from metal that has undergone the hot extrusion process, eliminating this problem. This process creates the strongest possible prongs to secure the diamonds and precious stones, and a more durable overall ring, designed to last a lifetime."

http://www.memoire.com/index.aspx?par=aboutus#

Which is the best?
Hot extrusion or die struck for simple bands.
A combination of die struck and hand made from die struck or cold rolled material laser welded together for more complex pieces.

 

[Imdanny]

Thank you very much. This is the kind of answer I was looking for. This is a complicated subject for the layperson. There seems to be so many different ways a ring can be made.