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What to do, what to do?!?

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Date: 8/17/2005 12:38:35 AM
Author: Demelza
Ame -- thanks for the info on your ring. Yours was one that I noticed sat flush and wondered, how did she do that? Now I know. I''ll see what I think of the stuller ring tomorrow (maybe it will miraculously fit flush
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) and take it from there.
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Before we made it this way we tried the stuller setting and I didn''t like it. Partly bec they did such a horrendous job on the prongs...this just worked much better.

I hope you get what you want!
 
Demelza.
I thought SP is 100% refound money???
not any more?
 
So...if you dont mind my asking. I am looking at getting the same set you have been wearing. I saw your pictures and just drooled. Of course now I am doing the same thing with your solitaire but I wont be getting a shiney anywhere near that HUGE!
What port of the melee was damaged?
Did you change anything from the stock design?
Were they comfertable to wear?
Hope I am not being too nosey!
 
Date: 8/16/2005 8:26:36 PM
Author: Demelza

I appreciate SP letting me exchange my mounting for another piece of merchandise. I just don't know what to get...a matching eternity band or something totally different??
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Does it have to be something from the Facets or Raphael lines (that they make) or it could also be one of the 'Signedpieces' ?
Especially if you can wait a bit, something tempting might just turn up.

Using pave instead of shared prongs will cure the diamond-rubbing problem, IMO.
 
Date: 8/17/2005 11:26:54 PM
Author: Matatora
So...if you dont mind my asking. I am looking at getting the same set you have been wearing. I saw your pictures and just drooled. Of course now I am doing the same thing with your solitaire but I wont be getting a shiney anywhere near that HUGE!

What port of the melee was damaged?

Did you change anything from the stock design?

Were they comfertable to wear?

Hope I am not being too nosey!
Click to expand...

Of course you're not being too nosy. I'm happy to answer your questions! Because the rings are shared prong, there is diamond "overhang" (for lack of a better term) which means that when you wear the rings together, the girdles of the diamonds rub against one another. And we all know that diamond to diamond contact can be problematic. There is no way around this (I don't think) with a shared prong setting. There just isn't enough metal (which is part of what makes the setting so beautiful) to protect the diamonds from each other. No, I did not change anything from the stock design. On their website they show most of the sets with a notch in the center stone prongs in order to make the rings sit flush -- according to my jeweler (just one opinion) that is not a good idea for a ring like that. He said it weakens the prongs (which are already a bit thin to begin with) and makes them flimsy. As for comfort: they're not the most comfortable rings in the world, but i definitely got used to them. I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions!!!
 
Date: 8/17/2005 11:14:50 PM
Author: flower12
Demelza.

I thought SP is 100% refound money???

not any more?
Click to expand...

They do still have their 30 day policy, but I''ve had this ring for quite a lot longer than that.
 
I am so sorry that you have encountered this problem now that you are finally happy with your new trade!

My vote is to keep the stone in its current mounting - even if you still want to lower the stone a bit - and get a great eternity band. I too think you could go with bigger stones because your center stone is over 2 ct. Needs to be a little balance there. I think that is a very pretty, classic look. As long as the prongs sit higher than the band, you won''t have to worry about damaging anything again. Good luck with your decision - let us know and see what you decide!
 
Hmm. This is a lot to think about. I relly LOVE the look of your set. I acutally made a trip into DC a dragged someone else with me so I could try that set on. It is even more lovely in person. However I really dont want to destroy my set with basic wear. I am going to email WF and Facets to see if either can make on without overhang with similiar size diamonds and a what price.
Were the diamonds over the entire band hurt or just on one part?
Thanks for the help I really appreciate it!
 
Let me know what they say. SP told me that there would not be any problem with the diamonds rubbing against each other. I''ll be interested to hear what they tell you.
 
This is taken from an e-mail " Let me help you
with this. 3.5 point diamonds are 2.15mm in diameter so if you put a
2.15mm diamond in a 2.4mm wide band there is no overhang. You can also
see in the picture on the far side where you are looking at the back
side of the ring there is no overhang. If you are reading this on PS,
someone does not know what they are talking about. We would not make
this ring with overhang unless the customer asked for larger diamonds
in a smaller width."
Here is what the Facets web page says "Facets brand new platinum 26 shared-prong-set round brilliant cut diamond mounting.
The diamonds are 0.93ct total weight and they are F-G color and VVS-VS clarity. All of the diamonds are ideal or premium cuts. The ring is size 6 (for other sizes, please call for more detailed information) and it weighs 3.5gr. The ring is 2.4mm wide and 1.9mm thick. The ring is laser-inscribed "Facets MTG", "PT950" and "D0.93ct" and it is brand new."
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Food for thought... SP has not returned my email yet.
 
matatora,
I had WF make my eternity band and asked for no overhang b/c i didn''t want it to damage other rings. they did their best but were honest when they told me the set would probably have to be replaced over time. it''s just not designed for 50 years of wear and tear. Just something to think about if you want your set to last a lifetime. If you plan on changing your setting in 5-10 years then I think you would be fine.
 
I dont ever plan on changing my set. But I know that strong thinner ones can be made. One of my mothers friends who is in her late 40''s has ahd the same eternity setting since she got married and it is really lovely. After 19 years it still looks brand new, that is the level of quality I want. I know it is possible I just have to find the right person.
 
Date: 8/20/2005 10:46:13 AM
Author: Matatora
If you are reading this on PS, someone does not know what they are talking about. We would not make

this ring with overhang unless the customer asked for larger diamonds

in a smaller width.'
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what this means. That there won't be a problem as long as you don't have overhang? As far as I can tell, the only way there won't be rubbing girdles is if there is enough metal between the rings to act as a buffer. Even without overhang, it still seems like there could be some contact since the girdle is exposed just to the edge of the mounting. Maybe I'm wrong about that -- I'm haivng a hard time envisioning a shared prong band where the diamonds are totally contained within the setting. I'm probably a bit bitter about this since my set has been nothing but a headache since I started wearing my rings together in June. To me, the shared prong look is among the beautiful AND least durable.

ETA: Just a bit of advice (something I wish I had done): If a vendor is saying that there won't be any problem with rubbing girdles, chipped or loose stones, make sure you get them to put that in writing. Ask them what they would do if there is a problem. I really regret not doing that because maybe I would be getting a refund now instead of just credit.
 
Here is a picture of Tyke''s rings that Val posted in another thread. I believe these are from Whiteflash. These stones don''t appear to have overhang and, for the most part, they don''t touch. But that is due to the fact that the prongs on the center stone prevent the rings from sitting flush AND the diamonds do not go all the way around the band. If they did, I suspect the diamonds would touch at the bottom. I''m probably being more paranoid about this than is warranted, but I feel slightly "traumatized" (ridiculous, I know) by the whole ordeal. I just wish I had known then what I know now and could have made a more educated decision. My fault, I know.

AK-2.jpg
 
I find all of this really interesting because SO many people like shared prong settings and especially those SP eternity rings or similar...and this is really the first we have heard of the scratching really being a problem so that you''d return the e-ring etc.

In my opinion, the only way to not have the shared prong diamonds either scratch each other or the metal is to do something like the pronged setting like mine rather tthan a shared prong OR there is an amount of metal on the bottom of the ring that juts out a bit to protect the shared prong diamonds like a tiny step or something from rubbing against the other rings.

I''d be interested in hearing other shared prong set wearers and those who have a shared prong and a solitaire to find out how your rings perform and if the shared prong has overhang and if it rubs against the solitaire.

Shared prong are very lovely but many of them are done to where the stones really hang out over the sides and that seems a detriment to ANY setting worn with it!
 
Oh and Matatora, I''m confused...you posted something from an email but then said that SP hasn''t emailed you yet? So where was that email info from?
 
Date: 8/20/2005 12:49:16 PM
Author: Mara
I find all of this really interesting because SO many people like shared prong settings and especially those SP eternity rings or similar...and this is really the first we have heard of the scratching really being a problem so that you'd return the e-ring etc.


In my opinion, the only way to not have the shared prong diamonds either scratch each other or the metal is to do something like the pronged setting like mine rather tthan a shared prong OR there is an amount of metal on the bottom of the ring that juts out a bit to protect the shared prong diamonds like a tiny step or something from rubbing against the other rings.


I'd be interested in hearing other shared prong set wearers and those who have a shared prong and a solitaire to find out how your rings perform and if the shared prong has overhang and if it rubs against the solitaire.


Shared prong are very lovely but many of them are done to where the stones really hang out over the sides and that seems a detriment to ANY setting worn with it!
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Wow, I feel a little ridiculous for making such a big deal out of this whole shared prong business. I'm sure most people will be fine and probably won't even notice that there might be a small chip here or there. Loose stones might be a bit more of a problem, especially if the bands are eternity. My decision to return the ring was as much about the problems I've had as it was about the problems I anticipate having down the road. But I really don't want to discourage anyone else from enjoying their rings or considering these rings for purchase. For me and my lifestyle and my temperament, I know that worrying about damage will interfere with my ability to enjoy my rings. And that's not good. Had this whole business with the head not happened, I'd probably be enjoying my rings today. But since I was forced into making a decision about the set and its limitations, I decided to go in a different direction. And I do feel a bit resentful (towards whom I don't know) that I've wasted a bunch of money on a set I am no longer able to wear. My fault, but it still ticks me off.
 
Dem I hope that my post did not make you feel ridiculous, that was not my intent at all...I actually was just marveling at how we haven''t heard too much of this before but I think it is great that you addressed the issue and have now put it out for everyone to see so that people who ARE considering sets like this at least know positives and negatives and can act accordingly. That way they won''t feel the way you do!
 
Here is a shot that I found in the picture gallery, from Firenze Jewels...that shows what looks kind of like a pave set channel. The metal on the sides would protect from any rubbing....

Also I have another image from a Tiffany ring that I can post to show something similar.

firenze shows pave a.jpg
 
This is an image I sent to WF to show what I wanted my toe rings to look like...but after discussion with Leon we decided to do it channel with the metal up around my toes vs any stones touching my feet.

Anyhow, I love the way this looks, it's from a Tiffany ring that I had saved on my machine and I think it is delicate but it seems like the pave is protected by the channel? I think that two rings like this would make a stunning eternity set! And the metal on the sides protects the stones.

channel pave setting example.jpg
 
I posted that I was going to email WF and SP. SP didnt reply yet, the email qoute was from Bob Hoskins. I am going to ask him to for further details about what they would do incase of damage to the settings or stones because of girdles touching.
 
Date: 8/20/2005 1:30:38 PM
Author: Mara
Dem I hope that my post did not make you feel ridiculous, that was not my intent at all...I actually was just marveling at how we haven't heard too much of this before but I think it is great that you addressed the issue and have now put it out for everyone to see so that people who ARE considering sets like this at least know positives and negatives and can act accordingly. That way they won't feel the way you do!
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Thanks, Mara! I was a little worried that maybe I was being too vocal about my frustration with these rings. I don't want to worry anyone unnecessarily, but I do want to be honest about the troubles I've had so that, as you say, others will know the pros and cons and can act accordingly.

I really like that ring you posted! I wish SP had something like that -- it seems like it merges the best of both worlds: the beauty of pave and the durability of pave! Good find!
 
Date: 8/20/2005 5:45:17 PM
Author: Demelza
Date: 8/20/2005 1:30:38 PM

Author: Mara

Dem I hope that my post did not make you feel ridiculous, that was not my intent at all...I actually was just marveling at how we haven''t heard too much of this before but I think it is great that you addressed the issue and have now put it out for everyone to see so that people who ARE considering sets like this at least know positives and negatives and can act accordingly. That way they won''t feel the way you do!
Click to expand...


Thanks, Mara! I was a little worried that maybe I was being too vocal about my frustration with these rings. I don''t want to worry anyone unnecessarily, but I do want to be honest about the troubles I''ve had so that, as you say, others will know the pros and cons and can act accordingly.
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Exactly. You should never apologize for full disclosure. Shared prong rings have long term (and it seems possibly short term as well) wearability issues that need to be addressed. They are beautiful, but they have more of a potential for problems than other kinds of rings. These are issues that people should be aware of so that they can make the best decision for them.

I''m really sorry to hear about your predicament. It sucks to always be having to worry about your rings. I think a plain solitaire is a great idea, and I really like Val''s idea of holding on to the credit and buying a designer something or other from Signed Pieces when something comes along.
 
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