Die Struck ring & settting Verses Castings

[nelmr]

I''m looking for a ring to put my princess on.
I''ve heard that Die Struck are better but why? and if I have v-prong 18k white gold would that be secure enough for a head?

 

[maristidou]

According to a jeweler I talked to a Die Struck setting is denser thus heavier, heftier and stronger because of the process of making it (compressing a solid chunk of metal vs. using a mold where the hot metal displaces the wax).

Melina

 

[Griffin]

For heads such as v-prong, die struck are better mainly because of the very thin cross-section possible for a strong but light and elegant setting. When a v-prong head is cast, it will need to have a thicker cross section to work properly. This is not only for strength, but mainly a limitation of investment casting - very thin cross-sections don't come out properly.
Die struck heads do also have the advantages of being slightly denser and having better grain structure. Both types still work well however, just different looks. An 18k Yellow die-struck head will certainly be strong enough to hold the stone, however the tips do wear over time and need to be re-tipped or the head replaced eventually. This is inevitable for all v-prongs, not just 18k, but the 18k will wear a bit more quickly than 14k or plat. Nothing to overly worry about, though.

You will have to look for pictures of this on your own, as the only pictures I have of both cast and die-struck v-prong heads are of rings in my own shop, so I cannot post them here. Sorry.