How easy is it for diamonds to scratch or chip each other?

[MamaBee]

I’ve always wondered how easy it was for my diamonds to chip or scratch each other. I see diamond melee thrown into bags together and cringe because I imagine them scratching and chipping. I’m super vigilant about keeping my diamonds separated. If one of my studs gently bumps the other one I get my loupe out to check that it’s okay. I can’t find any information on it. I would love to finally know how much it would take for scratching and chipping to happen. Thank you!

 

[Ceilimom]

I had a poorly made anniversary ring where none of the diamonds were the same size. The diamonds were spinning inside the channel scratching each other as they moved along. So yes diamonds can scratch each other

 

[MamaBee]

I had a poorly made anniversary ring where none of the diamonds were the same size. The diamonds were spinning inside the channel scratching each other as they moved along. So yes diamonds can scratch each other

@Ceilimom That’s awful..I actually had something similar happen. I had my yellow gold wedding band reset into 18k white gold. The jeweler must have used a premade setting. The spaces were too small for the diamonds. The diamonds sawed each other because they were touching. I understand something happening like what you and I had happen. I’m just wondering about diamonds that are casually stored together. Would a little bump or time inside a baggie with another diamond cause them to scratch and chip. I won’t even hold my studs together in the palm of my hand because they could bump each other. I guess better safe than sorry..

 

[Karl_K]

Improper storage is one of the most common causes of damage to jewellery.
Just say no to improper storage.
I dont have any numbers to answer your question other than its largely a matter of luck, someone may throw a bunch of stuff together and never have any damage, someone else could have 2 diamonds smack together just so and get scratches and chips on both.

I too cringe when thinking about melee getting thrown together.

 

[Karl_K]

Maybe some of our very experenced pros may have more to add.
@Wink @oldminer @Garry H (Cut Nut)

 

[Bron357]

Diamonds hardness, 10 on Mohos scale, is in relation to abrasion. Only a diamond can “cut” a diamond and because there are two directions on the crystal structure, it’s the “hard” side that can “cut” the “softer” side.
Cutting a diamond is not like putting a knife through butter, it is an hours long process to slowly abraid away / create facets on a diamond. So a diamond touching against another diamond on an irregular basis is very unlikely to cause an “abrasion” to one or both diamonds.
However, diamonds however can chip, or be fractured. Their “hardness” is not linked to an ability to withstand impact. So an accidental whack against any solid surface could result in a chip or fracture.

 

[MamaBee]

Improper storage is one of the most common causes of damage to jewellery.
Just say no to improper storage.
I dont have any numbers to answer your question other than its largely a matter of luck, someone may throw a bunch of stuff together and never have any damage, someone else could have 2 diamonds smack together just so and get scratches and chips on both.

I too cringe when thinking about melee getting thrown together.

Thank you @Karl_K! I have to say that before I joined PS I didn’t even think about it. I didn’t have a lot of jewelry before then. My first mutt studs were casually placed in a dish at night..I never worried about them hitting my engagement ring. They never got a scratch..That said..My Tiffany diamond and sapphire embrace band was put into the same dish with them. The sapphires got really abraided. Tiffany couldn’t figure out how that happened. Now that I know a little bit more..I think the diamond jewelry in the same dish were slowly sawing the sapphires in that band. Every time I put on my diamond eternity band with exposed culets I think of @GarryH (Cut Nut) who talks about the diamonds in an eternity band acting as chainsaws. That’s what got me thinking about how much damage could be done with rings or earrings slightly bumping against each other.

 

[MamaBee]

Diamonds hardness, 10 on Mohos scale, is in relation to abrasion. Only a diamond can “cut” a diamond and because there are two directions on the crystal structure, it’s the “hard” side that can “cut” the “softer” side.
Cutting a diamond is not like putting a knife through butter, it is an hours long process to slowly abraid away / create facets on a diamond. So a diamond touching against another diamond on an irregular basis is very unlikely to cause an “abrasion” to one or both diamonds.
However, diamonds however can chip, or be fractured. Their “hardness” is not linked to an ability to withstand impact. So an accidental whack against any solid surface could result in a chip or fracture.

Thank you @Bron357! That makes me feel better about the occasional bump. I do whack my right hand around..This is why I don’t usually wear precious jewelry on my right hand unless I’m going somewhere where I’ll remember to make my hand behave..

 

[Wink]

I know from sad experience, that having two rings worn together and both having exposed girdles can result in a nightmare. I learned this early in our custom design days as one incredible ring set quickly destroyed several of the melee diamonds and severely damaged the center diamond of the engagement ring. We replaced the damaged melee, soldered the rings together to prevent them striking one another and replaced the center diamond. We did repolish the damaged center diamond, which reduced our loss, but it was an expensive lesson for us. Future designs avoided this potential.

Our client was patient and gracious about the time delay, thank goodness!

Wink

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

The most common damage we jewellers see is concert damage caused by clapping when gems slip inside the hand and bash each other!
Storing in a staionary situation or taking a jewel box out of a draw and opening it is unlikely to cause any damage even between unseperated jewels.
But put that box into a car and drive over a rough track would be a no no.

 

[MamaBee]

I know from sad experience, that having two rings worn together and both having exposed girdles can result in a nightmare. I learned this early in our custom design days as one incredible ring set quickly destroyed several of the melee diamonds and severely damaged the center diamond of the engagement ring. We replaced the damaged melee, soldered the rings together to prevent them striking one another and replaced the center diamond. We did repolish the damaged center diamond, which reduced our loss, but it was an expensive lesson for us. Future designs avoided this potential.

Our client was patient and gracious about the time delay, thank goodness!

Wink

Thank you @Wink! That sounds so scary..The thought never really occurred to me..pre PS…that a band could do that much damage. I have a Tiffany baguette channel band that I won’t wear with my Tiffany Embrace. I also don’t want the diamonds from the Embrace to gouge out the platinum in the band. I purchased a less expensive baguette band to wear with it.

 

[MamaBee]

The most common damage we jewellers see is concert damage caused by clapping when gems slip inside the hand and bash each other!
Storing in a staionary situation or taking a jewel box out of a draw and opening it is unlikely to cause any damage even between unseperated jewels.
But put that box into a car and drive over a rough track would be a no no.

Thank you @Garry H (Cut Nut) ! I’ve actually seen people clapping with cupped hands. I now pretend to clap..like a seal..

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

I call this a chainsaw ring

 

[MamaBee]

I call this a chainsaw ring

That’s my ring!!!!

 

[CMN]

@Wink and @Garry H (Cut Nut) the Tiffany style of ring Garry posted above is so popular. There are so many other designs with exposed girdles as well. Why are such designs made if they are so problematic?

I ask because I have been thinking of getting a 5 stone diamond ring in an open trellis style to wear with my engagement ring but now I’m nervous…. What is the solution other than channel set and bezel (neither of which I care for as a style).

 

[MamaBee]

@Wink and @Garry H (Cut Nut) the Tiffany style of ring Garry posted above is so popular. There are so many other designs with exposed girdles as well. Why are such designs made if they are so problematic?

I ask because I have been thinking of getting a 5 stone diamond ring in an open trellis style to wear with my engagement ring but now I’m nervous…. What is the solution other than channel set and bezel (neither of which I care for as a style).

@CMN I purchased a knife edge 14k white gold band from Blue Nile to wear in between rings I want to protect. I never liked to have to wear them but it’s thin enough but also wide enough to keep the diamonds from touching the ering. I wear it a lot now.. I also bought a platinum baguette diamond channel set band that I wear in between my engagement ring and the Tiffany Embrace ring pictured above. I don’t worry about the diamonds scratching that band because it was less expensive than my Tiffany channel baguette band. I’m more aware now of what I put next to diamond bands with exposed diamond girdles.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

The fact that a design with exposed girdles can cut into the metal on a ring worn with it has been covered well in this thread. Thin "spacer" bands can be used in some cases to prevent this.

As for the question of whether light contact between diamonds in a jewelry box is a real concern, it is always good practice to keep them separate. Like parking your car too close to another in the parking lot - it increases the chance you will get a scratch.

But consider this: diamond dealers commonly store parcels of diamonds in the same paper flute with no separation. They may open and close those diamond papers dozens of times, jostling the diamonds and creating light contact among them. If diamonds did not hold up pretty well in this environment, that age-old practice would have long since ceased.

Having said that, there is something diamond dealers call "paper wear" that indicates that this practice is not perfectly safe. Therefore, you will rarely see diamonds of significant size and quality stored and handled in this way. One way dealers prevent potential damage is to put parcels in plastic containers with foam backing that prevents contact among them while being moved about.

 

[MamaBee]

The fact that a design with exposed girdles can cut into the metal on a ring worn with it has been covered well in this thread. Thin "spacer" bands can be used in some cases to prevent this.

As for the question of whether light contact between diamonds in a jewelry box is a real concern, it is always good practice to keep them separate. Like parking your car too close to another in the parking lot - it increases the chance you will get a scratch.

But consider this: diamond dealers commonly store parcels of diamonds in the same paper flute with no separation. They may open and close those diamond papers dozens of times, jostling the diamonds and creating light contact among them. If diamonds did not hold up pretty well in this environment, that age-old practice would have long since ceased.

Having said that, there is something diamond dealers call "paper wear" that indicates that this practice is not perfectly safe. Therefore, you will rarely see diamonds of significant size and quality stored and handled in this way. One way dealers prevent potential damage is to put parcels in plastic containers with foam backing that prevents contact among them while being moved about.

Thank you @Texas Leaguer.. I often think about melee diamonds. They really can’t be separated individually. They must have minute scratches on them that we can’t see with the naked eye.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

Thank you @Texas Leaguer.. I often think about melee diamonds. They really can’t be separated individually. They must have minute scratches on them that we can’t see with the naked eye.

Yes, sometimes they do. However, high quality melee is most commonly packaged and handled much more carefully than commercial grades.

 

[caolsen]

Non channel eternity bands + solitaire style ring = spacer ring

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

The most common damage we jewellers see is concert damage caused by clapping when gems slip inside the hand and bash each other!
Storing in a staionary situation or taking a jewel box out of a draw and opening it is unlikely to cause any damage even between unseperated jewels.
But put that box into a car and drive over a

So just like CDs, diamonds dont appreciate a four wheel drive adventure

rough track would be a no no.

 

[greekmike]

I’ve always wondered how easy it was for my diamonds to chip or scratch each other. I see diamond melee thrown into bags together and cringe because I imagine them scratching and chipping. I’m super vigilant about keeping my diamonds separated. If one of my studs gently bumps the other one I get my loupe out to check that it’s okay. I can’t find any information on it. I would love to finally know how much it would take for scratching and chipping to happen. Thank you!

I know this is an old thread but it’s much easier than you would think. One word of advice; never wear an eternity band on the opposite hand to another diamond because when you wash your hands, the diamonds on the eternity band WILL scratch the diamonds on your other hand if the eternity band diamonds sit proud of the setting. I learned this the hard way. Thankfully, I noticed the damage early (I work with microscopes all day) and got my diamond repolished. The damage was superficial but I had to travel to London and back twice from Liverpool to drop it off and pick it up from the diamond cutter. It’s a major pain in the ass. Just don’t do what I did. The diamond was originally cut over 200 years ago and survived unscathed until my stupidity damaged it.