How can the diamond pop out when the prongs are intact?

[ZhenyaH]

I discovered yesterday at work that the center diamond had fallen out. Searched every where at work, home, etc. I was in denial at first, thinking that it's definitely at home. When the reality hit me, I got depressed, sick, and now I'm pissed.

How is it possible for the center stone to pop out when the prongs (in a four-prong setting) are intact and the ring is made of platinum?

I'd post a pic but the camera battery ran out.

I presume it's due to poor workmanship? Luckily I have insurance but the jewelry store where we purchased it is now out of business (and we thought it'd be around b/c it's an international companies with stores worldwide).

 

[antelope1]

Are any prongs bent at the base? With 4 prongs, you only need to loosen 1 -> pop!

Alternatively (tradeperson jump in here), could it have been set too tightly? and popped out due to tension (not like the tension in a tension setting, but one tight prong pushing)?

 

[acebruin]

oh noooooo!! is there any sign of damage at all on any of the prongs?

 

[WinkHPD]

Impossible to say without seeing the ring, but it is possible that stress was placed on the ring in a way that popped the prongs wide enough to allow the stone to fall out and then return to position when the stress was relieved.

There are just so many things that can not be answered without seeing the ring, and sometimes even then it will remain a mystery.

Thank goodness you have insurance.

Wink

 

[denverappraiser]

There are several choices and most either boil down to poor craftsmanship or damage to the ring. What you're asking is for a forensic appraisal. Most of the professional appraisers who post here offer this as a service although it's a little out of the mainstream for the jewelry store type of appraiser. In your case I don't think it matters. It's the insurance company's problem and if they want to learn more, they can order an appraisal (and they will then be the ones to pay for it). As long as they aren't trying to deny the claim because of customer abuse or some such thing, I would leave it in their court.

 

[clgwli]

I have a friend who lost a center stone due to poor workmanship. I do believe the ring was done in platinum as well and the ring was only 4 days old (well technically made before that but she only wore it 4 days when it popped out). The prongs were intact as well. She had another jeweler look at it and they could tell that the prongs were poorly made and caused the stone to pop out.

Damage can cause it as well. I had a platinum ring bend like crazy so while the metal was still there it was warped considerably.

 

[TheDoctor]

Lightweight mountings with improperly styled and engineered settings...too slim and prone to bending at the base or midway are the subject of a considerable amount of repair work. Platinum is a soft metal, and requires a little more oomph in the design and, certainly, the manufacture. Some companies use alloys which can be heat-treated for hardness, but more commonly there is little attention paid to bend risk.
I'm sorry this happened to you as it reflects badly on the trade.