True durability of pave?

[Green with Envy]

My very lucky friend has a micropave engagement ring done by LM. I am attaching the picture of an almost identical pave style ring. We know the workmanship quality is high, but there is one spot where the pave has fallen out now several times! (he has been very good about fixing)

My questions--- is this style of setting of "micropave" more fragile than regular pave? For an everyday worn ring like engagement ring- do folks find certain setting styles and micropave work better for durability? Her solitaire is NOT in a cathedral setting- but the other kind of solitaire (tiffanys?) that looks like the diamond and setting sits right on top of the band.

She says because setting sticks up- the main diamond setting gets caught on things. What suffers the consequences is the pave on the band in that corner right where the stem meets the band.

Will a cathedral type solitaire with pave be more durable? Is a style of pave more durable than micropave? i noticed some pave seems to be protected with an edge of metal- but in this style in picture- the pave along band and halo seems more delicate because the outside edges of pave not protected?

Sorry for the rambling..... ideas?

 

[Green with Envy]

pic

 

[diamondseeker2006]

All I can tell you is that a local jeweler told me they had problems with pave rings by Tacori due to the little stones falling out. My sister-in-law had a custom ring done and has also lost a couple of stones. However, there are certainly people on here who have not lost any. It really would be helpful to know how often it really is a problem.

 

[Green with Envy]

Huh. Pave bands and settings seem soooooo popular. she has had her ring for 2 years and same stone has fallen out 3 times so i thought maybe due to Certain setting style and that little corner that gets brusied. She has micorpave wedding band and none of those stones have fallen out, but obviously that sits flush to her finger.

Experiences of other pave owners chime in!!

 

[basil]

I've had a Ritani pave ring for a year and haven't lost a stone yet. I know a year isn't much in the lifetime of a ring, but honestly, I'd be annoyed if I lost a stone 3 times in that time span.

I don't baby my ring either. I wear it pretty much 24/7 except when showering or operating. The platinum has already started to develop a patina!

ETA: I don't put it in an ultrasonic cleaner. I just scrub it with a little jewelry cleaner and a soft brush. I don't know if that makes a difference or not in terms of durability.

 

[Kaleigh]

I''ve had problems with my asscher RHR. It''s an inspired Daniel K ring. I really don''t wear it much anymore, which is a shame as I love it. But the loss of stones, sending it back and forth has gotten to me. I wear it for special events. And I am gentle on my rings. So I just don''t get it.

 

[mrssalvo]

I think pave wearers need to be aware that although well done pave should hold, it is still more delicate than a shared prong setting or other types of settings that handle wear and tear much better. In my opinion, pave rings are not 24/7 type e-rings, they have to be babied and taken off when doing anything basically with your hands where the ring would come in contact with something else, i.e gym weights, garden tools etc. Unfortuately, a stone will pop out now and then, or 3 times like your friend and I think it just comes with the territory of owning and wearing a pave ring. all of this is just my opinion though

ETA: ritani's are one of the only designer rings that I don't think we've had a pricescsoper report a lost stone. somehow, they seem to manage to do it right and make it so they can be worn....

also wanted to add that there are huge differences b/t poor quality pave and the highend handmade, hand drilled pave but the latter which would be more durable will also cost a lot more and there are several brands that fall inbetween...

 

[mrssalvo]

this thread my help answer some of your questions too:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/differences-in-pave-rings-that-are-handmade-vs-cast.41084/

 

[Green with Envy]

Date: 9/20/2007 8:44:37 PM
Author: Kaleigh
I''ve had problems with my asscher RHR. It''s an inspired Daniel K ring. I really don''t wear it much anymore, which is a shame as I love it. But the loss of stones, sending it back and forth has gotten to me. I wear it for special events. And I am gentle on my rings. So I just don''t get it.

I was going to set an emerald cut stone in a daniel K inspired setting!!! Oh, no! Do you mind me asking who did the work? A ps vender or a local BM? Do you have a ps link to the RHR so I can check it out? Does the pave fall out in the same place- or different places. thus trying to figure out if some parts get bumped more, or something weird with setting of one particular melee.

 

[sera]

*sigh* this thread has me flipflopping back towards the single shared prong Ritani instead of a 3-sided micropave Leon Mege.

I knoooow that 3-sided and eternity bands are not practical... but they are soooo pretty.

 

[Green with Envy]

Date: 9/20/2007 9:14:26 PM
Author: sera
*sigh* this thread has me flipflopping back towards the single shared prong Ritani instead of a 3-sided micropave Leon Mege.

I knoooow that 3-sided and eternity bands are not practical... but they are soooo pretty.

I hear ya!!!! i wish some Loeon pave owners would chime in! i read through lots of leon posts and i could not find any who complained about pave. i checked out the ritani settings and they look like they have a very narrow metal edge along the outside of melee. i think this is key because the edge is part that gets bumped I think. in the LEON style i showed above- there doe not look to be any metal edges- but his regular 3 sides pave shanks do have metals edges. (vs micropave)

 

[Green with Envy]

Date: 9/20/2007 8:50:19 PM
Author: mrssalvo
this thread my help answer some of your questions too:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/differences-in-pave-rings-that-are-handmade-vs-cast.41084/

Thanks! this thread was very helpful!!

I am still going to go with pave since it will be hand done by Leon. on my friends ring it is the exact same place with the same stone so i think it must be something funky with just that one set melee.

 

[sera]

Date: 9/20/2007 9:34:28 PM
Author: Green with Envy

Date: 9/20/2007 9:14:26 PM

Author: sera

*sigh* this thread has me flipflopping back towards the single shared prong Ritani instead of a 3-sided micropave Leon Mege.


I knoooow that 3-sided and eternity bands are not practical... but they are soooo pretty.

I hear ya!!!! i wish some Loeon pave owners would chime in! i read through lots of leon posts and i could not find any who complained about pave. i checked out the ritani settings and they look like they have a very narrow metal edge along the outside of melee. i think this is key because the edge is part that gets bumped I think. in the LEON style i showed above- there doe not look to be any metal edges- but his regular 3 sides pave shanks do have metals edges. (vs micropave)

I like
this band better than the ones with the edges... but I imagine it''s not practical either since that is what I like.

OY... it''s so hard to decide.

I truly think with a Leon or a Ritani, the craftsmanship is there so that stones aren''t poppin'' out every time you sneeze. If it''s high quality, I imagine if/when a stone is lost, they would stand behind their ring and replace the stone.

 

[Green with Envy]

That is a nice one! it seems like the high end setters are very good about replacement of the tiny stones. there is an article about micropave on artofplatinum website and he does mention even the best rings can have melee that fall out.

http://www.artofplatinum.com/articles/micropave.php

 

[sera]

Date: 9/20/2007 10:18:07 PM
Author: Green with Envy
That is a nice one! it seems like the high end setters are very good about replacement of the tiny stones. there is an article about micropave on artofplatinum website and he does mention even the best rings can have melee that fall out.


http://www.artofplatinum.com/articles/micropave.php

Yeah, I had read that... if cost were no issue, I would get a 3-sided eternity ering and wband from Leon with a single shared prong Ritani for a staking ring... I keep thinking if I have someone else do something similar to Leon''s it would fit in the budget, but then I think I would be sacrificing quality... so I''m stuck in indecision about what to do, so when I see threads like this, it flipflops me towards one of my other options (until I see one of his rings again and I''m like oh my gosh that perfect micropave and those double claw prongs!)

 

[lovelee]

Um, can I just say... I was dead set on taking this photo (the same one Sera posted)
http://www.artofplatinum.com/4images/details.php?image_id=85
and taking it to a local custom jeweler, since my boyfriend said he only wants to deal with someone local (Dallas).

But now I''m thinking that would be a bad idea. What an informative and disappointing thread. Sigh.
I''m really interested to see what all of you decide to do. I''ll let ya''ll decide first, then I''ll probably just follow suit.

 

[Green with Envy]

I know there are people who have been happy with custom work in their local areas. If you are in dallas- i would put up a post asking other people who they used local. Or you can go with name brand.

 

[oldminer]

In the long run, you will wear metal away and thin metal will more readily bend. When it wears away or bends where small diamonds are set, they may come out. Larger diamonds are held with heavier metal and it may take more wear and time for them to get loose or fall out.

A little maintanance on a piece of jewelry you really feel good about is not a major problem to live with. Nearly all luxury items come with upkeep costs. If you have the money to pay for the little problems along the way, then you should just be glad you can enjoy these things. Few things are bought, put into daily use and never cost anything again.

I believe that a major issue of durability in all jewelry has to do with the metalurgy involved in the creation process. There are many choices about alloys and manufacturing methods which have long term consequences on durability and stone security. These choices are invisible to the consumer and mostly unknown to the retailer. When one brand stands out as being "trouble free", the liklihood is that their metal chemistry is the right choice.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/20/2007 9:58:09 PM
Author: sera

Date: 9/20/2007 9:34:28 PM
Author: Green with Envy

Date: 9/20/2007 9:14:26 PM

Author: sera

*sigh* this thread has me flipflopping back towards the single shared prong Ritani instead of a 3-sided micropave Leon Mege.


I knoooow that 3-sided and eternity bands are not practical... but they are soooo pretty.

I hear ya!!!! i wish some Loeon pave owners would chime in! i read through lots of leon posts and i could not find any who complained about pave. i checked out the ritani settings and they look like they have a very narrow metal edge along the outside of melee. i think this is key because the edge is part that gets bumped I think. in the LEON style i showed above- there doe not look to be any metal edges- but his regular 3 sides pave shanks do have metals edges. (vs micropave)

I like
this band better than the ones with the edges... but I imagine it''s not practical either since that is what I like.

OY... it''s so hard to decide.

I truly think with a Leon or a Ritani, the craftsmanship is there so that stones aren''t poppin'' out every time you sneeze. If it''s high quality, I imagine if/when a stone is lost, they would stand behind their ring and replace the stone.

I could be mistaken, but the example just above truly is pave, but aren''t the ones with single rows of diamonds with the metal edges called bead set? Even if there are 3 sides covered in diamonds, I thought pave ONLY referred to diamonds set in a honeycomb pattern? Could anyone clarify? My jeweler called my stones micropave but I wouldn''t consider 1.5 pointers micro and I wouldn''t consider a straight line pave either...

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/21/2007 8:34:36 AM
Author: oldminer
In the long run, you will wear metal away and thin metal will more readily bend. When it wears away or bends where small diamonds are set, they may come out. Larger diamonds are held with heavier metal and it may take more wear and time for them to get loose or fall out.

A little maintanance on a piece of jewelry you really feel good about is not a major problem to live with. Nearly all luxury items come with upkeep costs. If you have the money to pay for the little problems along the way, then you should just be glad you can enjoy these things. Few things are bought, put into daily use and never cost anything again.

I believe that a major issue of durability in all jewelry has to do with the metalurgy involved in the creation process. There are many choices about alloys and manufacturing methods which have long term consequences on durability and stone security. These choices are invisible to the consumer and mostly unknown to the retailer. When one brand stands out as being ''trouble free'', the liklihood is that their metal chemistry is the right choice.

good points - I went with pt 900 for the added durability.

 

[Green with Envy]

If you read the article posted above at artofplaninum.com- there are different types of pave- Micropave is with extra samall stones and there is macro pave that is still pave- but larger stones. Pave is still smaller and different style then say- channel set- or other dimaond settings in metal. Pave is when rows of diamonds cover the band like cobblestone road.

 

[poshpepper]

I have pave on my ering and have not had any problems with it yet.... I have only put it in the US twice since I have had it (3 months) and I scrub it every night with a baby toothbrush to clean it. My jeweler had no reservations about putting it in the US though and actually encouraged me to do so. I would rather err on the side of caution though.
I knew that when I decided I wanted a pave ring that I would be taking a chance with the stones falling out, but I loved the look so much that I was willing to have that as a trade off.

So no missing stones for me... yet... **knocks on wood**

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/21/2007 10:53:00 AM
Author: Green with Envy
If you read the article posted above at artofplaninum.com- there are different types of pave- Micropave is with extra samall stones and there is macro pave that is still pave- but larger stones. Pave is still smaller and different style then say- channel set- or other dimaond settings in metal. Pave is when rows of diamonds cover the band like cobblestone road.

I''ve read that article a couple times in the past, albeit not recently. I don''t see a whole lot of consistency in terminology from one designer to the next. I see a lot of what I would consider bead set called pave.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I have small melee in my Tacori setting and HAVE lost one. Granted it was AFTER I used my ultrasonic (before I knew any better) so I am not sure it is far to blame Tacori''s quality. In fact there has only been ONE designer I can think of (Ritani) that I haven''t seen anyone have any problems with (that includes PS venders). I think it is the nature of the beast. They are such small diamonds and VERY little metal holding it in there. So like David says you have to expect with time you will lose a stone or two. Luckily my jeweler replaces them for free.

 

[Sundial]

I have a Hearts on Fire setting with micro beadset pave on all three sides of the shank. I have worn it daily for more than two years now and cleaned it weekly in an ultrasonic cleaner and have yet to lose a stone. I do exercise reasonable care with it though and take it off for the gym or working around the house.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 9/21/2007 7:15:16 PM
Author: Sundial
I have a Hearts on Fire setting with micro beadset pave on all three sides of the shank. I have worn it daily for more than two years now and cleaned it weekly in an ultrasonic cleaner and have yet to lose a stone. I do exercise reasonable care with it though and take it off for the gym or working around the house.

Sundial, I still wonder if that ring does better because it is white gold. The 95% platinum is used a lot because it is easier to work with, but I wonder if that doesn''t also explain the greater likelihood of losing melee. I''ll be curious to see if Cehra''s 90% platinum melee hold up better. I''d prefer the 90% if I went with platinum, too.

 

[Sundial]

Date: 9/21/2007 7:54:34 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006

Date: 9/21/2007 7:15:16 PM
Author: Sundial
I have a Hearts on Fire setting with micro beadset pave on all three sides of the shank. I have worn it daily for more than two years now and cleaned it weekly in an ultrasonic cleaner and have yet to lose a stone. I do exercise reasonable care with it though and take it off for the gym or working around the house.

Sundial, I still wonder if that ring does better because it is white gold. The 95% platinum is used a lot because it is easier to work with, but I wonder if that doesn't also explain the greater likelihood of losing melee. I'll be curious to see if Cehra's 90% platinum melee hold up better. I'd prefer the 90% if I went with platinum, too.

That's a good question DS. I don't know the answer, but my huggie hoops are traditional pave in white gold and I have never lost a stone out of those either. In contrast one of the tiny diamonds in my platinum Tiffany Swing ring fell out after just six months and is currently out for repair. At least Tiffany's isn't charging me anything to replace it!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 9/21/2007 8:12:05 PM
Author: Sundial

Date: 9/21/2007 7:54:34 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006

Date: 9/21/2007 7:15:16 PM
Author: Sundial
I have a Hearts on Fire setting with micro beadset pave on all three sides of the shank. I have worn it daily for more than two years now and cleaned it weekly in an ultrasonic cleaner and have yet to lose a stone. I do exercise reasonable care with it though and take it off for the gym or working around the house.

Sundial, I still wonder if that ring does better because it is white gold. The 95% platinum is used a lot because it is easier to work with, but I wonder if that doesn''t also explain the greater likelihood of losing melee. I''ll be curious to see if Cehra''s 90% platinum melee hold up better. I''d prefer the 90% if I went with platinum, too.

That''s a good question DS. I don''t know the answer, but my huggie hoops are traditional pave in white gold and I have never lost a stone out of those either. In contrast one of the tiny diamonds in my platinum Tiffany Swing ring fell out after just six months and is currently out for repair. At least Tiffany''s isn''t charging me anything to replace it!

Hmmm. I think I will go with wg on my repro DBY pieces, then. That''s very interesting.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/21/2007 7:54:34 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006

Date: 9/21/2007 7:15:16 PM
Author: Sundial
I have a Hearts on Fire setting with micro beadset pave on all three sides of the shank. I have worn it daily for more than two years now and cleaned it weekly in an ultrasonic cleaner and have yet to lose a stone. I do exercise reasonable care with it though and take it off for the gym or working around the house.

Sundial, I still wonder if that ring does better because it is white gold. The 95% platinum is used a lot because it is easier to work with, but I wonder if that doesn''t also explain the greater likelihood of losing melee. I''ll be curious to see if Cehra''s 90% platinum melee hold up better. I''d prefer the 90% if I went with platinum, too.

The melee on my ring might hold up better just because of how they''re set. There is that very tiny "wall" on the outside of my stones and they''re set at an angle AND they''re set very very close to my finger and then the band down the middle acts as a shield too so it would be pretty hard to knock these stones in the first place LOL Durability was paramount for me. She set the rubies very flush, but the bottom is already getting scratched up in the pool. I swim twice a week but I do aquaerobics twice as well and whenever we do things holding on to the wall I''m very careful but its already getting dinged up. Even if you look at the pics I already posted you can see scratches and the finish was FLAWLESS when I got it lol I am still really glad I got the 90% and I''m even glad I got the platinum because just in the 6 days since I got it I''ve been in the pool 5 times lol

 

[Madam Bijoux]

I have concluded that it depends on how and when the ring was made and who made it. One of my pave' rings was made in the late 1920's and I have never had any problems with it. I've had my fancy yellow diamond ring (made in 2003 or 2004) with a micropave' halo for almost 3 years and have not had any problems. My Royal Asscher is in a cathedral type pave' setting. I haven't had it for a month yet, and I suspect that one of the pave' stones on one side of the shank might be getting loose - and this ring was a custom made, hand made job. I am extremely careful with all of my jewelry-so-if the stone really is loose, I blame it on the craftsman. I'm taking the RA to the jeweler on Monday to have it checked. If the stone is loose, I'll give them one chance to fix it. If any of the pave' gets loose again, I will get a different setting (probably a trapezoid on each side of the RA).