Help!!! Platinum setting broke????

[bondbuyer]

This is my first post here so please be kind.

I am only engaged 4 months & the supposed platinum setting that I bought for her (NOT CHEAP) has basically cracked in 1/2 & is bent over!!!!!!!!!???????

Is this even possible for platinum to do? I thought platinum was stronger than gold?

The jeweler is taking care of shipping the ring back to them, and will fix the ring for free but my "red flags" are at full attention. Did I get duped & get sold sterling silver or something other than platinum? or does this happen with platinum - the band is very thin where it cracked/bent??????

I am now wondering if the diamond is real because of this. I would be EXTREMELY grateful for any input, advice, etc..... My head is spinning & she is very bummed out.

HELP!!!!

Thank you all - John

 

[Mara]

one possibility is that there could have been porosity in the setting, which happens when the ring is cast and air bubbles can be trapped in the metal, then it cools and the bubbles can rise to the surface over time, and compromise the setting durability. it's not 'common', but it happens and yes it can cause the ring to crack or break in one or more areas. the other option is just that the setting was too thin at the breaking point and a strike on that area or similar caused it to break. platinum is strong but it's NOT unbreakable and if it's hit at a certain point it can be damaged or break.

i would just have the setting remade and tell the jeweler to check for porosity if possible...and after you get it made, take it to an appraiser or similar to have it double checked, they can test the metal to ensure it's platinum. you should do this anyway to get the diamond checked etc.

anyway good luck. but i wouldn't totally freak out just yet, this could be a fluke but taking your entire finished piece with diamond to a reputable appraiser is a way to put your fears at rest.

 

[clairen]

John, Where did you buy your ring from ?

 

[bondbuyer]

Jewelers row in Philadelphia

 

[jaz464]

Have you ever had the diamond appraised? Is it insured?

Anyway, I would not jump to conclusions here. It is unlikely you have anything but a diamond. And others here have had platinum settings bend and break. This is even more likely with a thin shank.

 

[denverappraiser]

Yes, platinum can break. There are several reasons so don''t jump to conclusions just yet. So far, the jewelers response is entirely reasonable. Hang tight and see what they do. I do recommend having it independently appraised. You can ask the appraiser your quality questions when they examine the piece.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) CGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[RockDoc]

Look inside the ring and see if it is marked.

It is very possible that you have a plat/cobalt ring, as that is very commonly sold. See if it is marked 950plat/cob

Cobalt casts well and poished well with platinum, but it has a much lighter atomic weight than iridium, so the amount of alloy by volume is much higher. By weight it is 95% plat, but by volume much less because the alloy is light ( and cheaper than iridium or ruthenium).

There are some repair / cracking problems with this alloy.

Rockdoc

 

[LikeCandy]

So sorry about your ring breaking.

What kind of stress precipitated the breaking and bending of the ring?

I bent a 14k gold ring anniversary ring when I took a side hit in a bumper car at Busch Gardens. Never wear rings in a bumper car! The ring did not break but it was stuck on my hand all night. I didn''t want to go to the ER because I had little babies, my husband was out of town and we had a 200 dollar deductable for ER visits. It was a Sunday evening I did not sleep all night. My finger looked like a sausage and my ring looked like a pretzel. Monday morning bright and early I was waiting for my jeweler to open his store and he cut it off (the ring not my finger) saving me 200 dollars. The jeweler fixed it (the ring not my finger) and it is perfect now and thank God so is my finger.

 

[clairen]

When my wife was looking around to get her rings redone in platinum we where going to go down the casting path, then saw another jeweler who talked us out of getting one cast due to porosity possibly forming and weakening the ring. Sorry to hear your story john.

Is porosity caused by poor casting houses and lack of proper equipment, as I''ve seen alot of topics on porosity due to casting.

 

[bondbuyer]

Update!!!!!!!!!! Need advice PLEASE!!!

We sent the ring back to the store....I just spoke with the salesperson, manager & owner - they are trying to blame my fiancee for breaking the ring!!!!!!????? They want to charge me $100 (their cost ) to fix it. In some very long discussions with the owner - he then went to "splitting the cost" with me, then said why don''t you come in & get another setting?????? The diamond is mounted high, & where it cracked was thin. HELP!!!!

I am contacting my attorney because I do not think I am wrong on this - she only tapped the ring - definately not hard enough for this to have broken. I have their written warranties which they are attempting to back pedal from saying this is not "normal use" ??????

The ring is now in their posession. ADVICE PLEASE!!!!

 

[Mara]

okay first off i would get the ring back and take it to an independent appraiser. it will cost about $100-200 but they will check out the ring for you, including the metal and the setting structure and they can advise re: their thoughts. believe it or not it IS possible your fiance hit the ring hard and doesn''t remember it. that HAS happened on here before. people are not 10000% aware of what they do with their hands all of the time. anyway, if there is porosity in the ring, the appraiser should be able to tell if there are indicators, or recommend someone they suggest you take it to for more investigation.

at this point the store is just saying its not their fault, you are saying it''s not her fault, but it seems like neither of you REALLY know who could have been at fault. it''s kind of crappy for the store to want to charge you $100 or even $50 to get it fixed BUT i do think that running out and hiring an attorney is jumping the gun considering you don''t even really know what happened to the ring. i would have an expert, not related to the store, check it out and then proceed. maybe with an independent appraisal under your belt, you would feel more comfortable arguing you should not have to pay. or maybe the appraiser will find somthing that you missed that shows that a good knock could have taken care of breaking the ring. maybe porosity won''t be present at all.

but at this point you just have the store saying we''ll fix it for $50 and you saying you want to hire an attorney. on one hand i think you should just pay the $50 and move on with your life BUT if you are worried that the ring could have further structural defects then i would get it checked out by a 3rd party and then proceed armed with more accurate information. whatever you do is your decision. good luck.

 

[Beacon]

Agree with Mara. You really don''t need an attorney for a $100 dispute, unless you want to try and wrangle a whole new setting out of the deal.

I like the idea of taking the ring to an appraiser and see what the whole picture looks like. If there is more wrong, especially if the diamond has any defects/issues, you can go to your attorney and get restitution.

Definitely get the ring out of their hands until you have a path to resolution.

You could also check with your credit card company to see if you have any insurance for a loss like you describe. If you used a credit card to pay for the ring some do have different types of purchase coverage.

 

[bondbuyer]

I am definately frustrated & concerned:

- In April I spent over $7,000+ ( and traded another ring toward) in this store

- I don''t see it as a $100 dispute - will this keep happening ??? I feel like I was taken advantage of & its just bad business that they are trying to charge me anything

- The store is over an hour away - the attorney is my friend who can pick up & I will see this weekend.

- will a patch job matter or will this continue to crack / break? I guess thats where the independant appraisal comes in to check for pourosity?

- I would love to get on with my life, however this is the setting she LOVES = I won''t have a life until this ring is OK & back on her finger.

I am a guy & don''t wear jewelry nor am I knowledgable with rings , they told me platinum was stronger than gold - I thought I was buying something that would last forever, not something that I would have to worry about breaking?

I now want to get the ring back - good advice & I''ll check with my credit card co (good idea - but probably an uphill battle)

Thank you all!!!!!

 

[ladykemma]

platinum is not stronger than gold, it is quite soft. it bends and gives like a willow tree. it lasts a long time.

those super - narrow pave encrusted shanks make me nervous. give me a 4 m wide shank anytime.

 

[Kaleigh]

Oldminer who posts here is David Atlas. He is an Independent appraiser and is located in Jewelers row. I''d take it to him and see what he has to say. Good luck!!!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 7/26/2006 1:28:06 PM
Author: ladykemma
platinum is not stronger than gold, it is quite soft. it bends and gives like a willow tree. it lasts a long time.

those super - narrow pave encrusted shanks make me nervous. give me a 4 m wide shank anytime.

I like the wider shanks as well, just for the look of them... but I also thought plat was stronger than gold... I prefer the look of 18kwhite but was going to go plat for the strength... why do so many go with plat if gold is stronger? Is it just the look? I really thought plat was stronger.

 

[ladykemma]

Date: 7/26/2006 2:56:52 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 7/26/2006 1:28:06 PM
Author: ladykemma
platinum is not stronger than gold, it is quite soft. it bends and gives like a willow tree. it lasts a long time.

those super - narrow pave encrusted shanks make me nervous. give me a 4 m wide shank anytime.

I like the wider shanks as well, just for the look of them... but I also thought plat was stronger than gold... I prefer the look of 18kwhite but was going to go plat for the strength... why do so many go with plat if gold is stronger? Is it just the look? I really thought plat was stronger.

stronger is not the right word. platinum is different.

different molecular attractions and density. gold wears away, while platinum lasts longer and the molecules of platinum move around but don''t wear away... when i worked in a lab i used a 100% platinum crucible that i could squish with my fingers.

i have worn out three white gold prongs settings in 12 years. now i am trying platinum prongs on a yellow gold shank. it is two months old and already crooked from a good whack.

this amateur is having a hard time expressing ... experts?

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 7/26/2006 3:19:47 PM
Author: ladykemma

Date: 7/26/2006 2:56:52 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 7/26/2006 1:28:06 PM
Author: ladykemma
platinum is not stronger than gold, it is quite soft. it bends and gives like a willow tree. it lasts a long time.

those super - narrow pave encrusted shanks make me nervous. give me a 4 m wide shank anytime.

I like the wider shanks as well, just for the look of them... but I also thought plat was stronger than gold... I prefer the look of 18kwhite but was going to go plat for the strength... why do so many go with plat if gold is stronger? Is it just the look? I really thought plat was stronger.

stronger is not the right word. platinum is different.

different molecular attractions and density. gold wears away, while platinum lasts longer and the molecules of platinum move around but don''t wear away... when i worked in a lab i used a 100% platinum crucible that i could squish with my fingers.

So then, I imagine, the plat alloy thing comes into major play here...

i have worn out three white gold prongs settings in 12 years. now i am trying platinum prongs on a yellow gold shank. it is two months old and already crooked from a good whack.

I''m sure my ring will get a lot of whacks, so designing a ring that is really sturdy is important to me... I''ll be following what is said here closely BTW do you know what alloy your plat setting is?

this amateur is having a hard time expressing ... experts?

 

[bondbuyer]

OK, another update!

The store has given me 3 options :

1- they will fix the ring for free, BUT they will have to use solder where the ring broke

2- we can come in and pick out another setting (he was trying to steer me away from this setting - admitted others had problems )

3- he said the best bet was to call my insurance company & we could get a brand new ring??????

Now I''m really confused!!!!!!! Keep in mind she LOVES this setting

HELP AGAIN!!!!

 

[FireGoddess]

Yeesh. Okay, what would I do?

I would pick option 2. That is, come in and get a brand new setting that's something ELSE. I know she loves it, but she's had problems, others have had problems - why continue with the headache??!?!?!?

I don't like option 1 of fixing it with solder - the structural integrity there will always be weaker than if it had never broken.

I don't like option 3 of filing a claim with your insurance company. If it's their fault, why put in a claim with your insurance? They'd love that because then they're not out a thing...but the insurance company will keep track of how many claims you make. What if you have a problem later on and need to make a claim? They might see you as high risk and drop you. I would only make a claim when that's my only viable option.

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 7/26/2006 4:32:41 PM
Author: FireGoddess
Yeesh. Okay, what would I do?


I would pick option 2. That is, come in and get a brand new setting that''s something ELSE. I know she loves it, but she''s had problems, others have had problems - why continue with the headache??!?!?!?


I don''t like option 1 of fixing it with solder - the structural integrity there will always be weaker than if it had never broken.


I don''t like option 3 of filing a claim with your insurance company. If it''s their fault, why put in a claim with your insurance? They''d love that because then they''re not out a thing...but the insurance company will keep track of how many claims you make. What if you have a problem later on and need to make a claim? They might see you as high risk and drop you. I would only make a claim when that''s my only viable option.

ditto Firegoddess for the same reasons. I''m curious to see this setting. I''m sure there is something similar available? I''d go in and try to find something close or something else she loves. Dealing with a setting that has problems is just asking for more trouble IMO.

 

[Rod]

I''d take option 2 in a heart beat. If other''s have experienced problems with this setting, it''s likely not your jeweler''s fault. I know you''re pretty upset with them, but from the outside looking in, it appears they''re trying to work with you and make it right.

I had a platinum ring resized once and they had to use solder to join the metal. It held up just fine, but I could definitely see the solder line and it always bothered me a little. Again.......pick window number 2 and find something new that won''t be a problem, but still makes your girl happy.

Good luck to you........

 

[Mara]

oh hello, big clue in the whole ''others have had problems with this setting in the past''... thing!! did you know this beforehand?

when we visited BBB they told me that the vera wang settings were hugely popular but they also had huge problems with them. knowing that, i would never want to buy one! who wants to get the headache ring just cuz it''s pretty?

get another setting, option #2. if you really don''t want to be dealing with this long term, forgo the attorney and the drama and just have her choose a new setting.

 

[Beacon]

Do you mean he will give you a new setting at no additional charge? Like a free exchange? If so do it.

That he would do such an offer indicates he likely knows the setting you have will be a problem and he does not want to see you in there with a new problem to fix down the road. It also means that maybe the manufacturer of the setting knows it too and the jeweler can return it to them and recoup his cost.

A slight red flag: he knew the setting had given other people problems, but he tried to blame it on your FI. That looks pretty iffy in the ethics dept to me. Anything you do next - get it in writing.

Can you post a photo of this setting? I am curious about it

 

[bondbuyer]

THANK YOU ALL for the input - it is a BIG help!!!!!

I am taking off work & going to the jewelry store today - I will post an update when I return tonight & hopefully will be able to post a pic tomorrow.


THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE!!!!