Diamonds are forever but your jewellery is not.
11th October 2019
Wearing = wear
The only way to make your jewellery last forever is to never wear it. Not much point in that. Today we are going to look at claw settings on rings and how they can wear down over time and your diamond/gemstone be lost forever.
I made the engagement ring in the centre of this bridal set about 7 years ago. It comes back to me for regular check ups and cleans. Part of that check up is burnishing.
Article: Burnishing - the least destructive polish
Preventing a lost diamond
The claws wearing down over time.
In the photo above you can see that over time the claws are wearing down. As we are now pretty much checking the ring every year we will be able to identify the time to replace those claws well before we run the risk of losing a diamond.
The older your rings get, the more often you wear them, the more frequently you should have them checked. This article talks about some options for making your jewellery last the longest and look the best.
Article: Rashes and repairs
An example of just in time
A ring I saw the other day
I only service and repair jewellery I make so this is not an advertisement for repair work, more a cautionary tale for those reading.
Article: An end to repairs
You can see in the photo above that 3 of the 6 claws are totally missing. The other three are paper thin and ready to flake off. This diamond is ready to come out with the slightest effort and very shortly it will fall out on its own accord.
Until I pointed this out the customer had no idea of the condition of her ring. She wears her ring all the time and it had not been checked in many years. She took it off as soon as I pointed out the missing and worn claws.
What is normal wear?
The marks of one years normal wear for this person.
Normal wear is what is normal to you so everyones normal is different. If you read the burnishing article linked to earlier you will recognise that photo above. After the rings were made it was one year before I saw them again. That photo shows one years wear.
A small chip on the sapphire of a one year old ring
Whenever I make a new ring I ask the customer to bring it back in for a free checkup after one month of wear. I can then see what “normal” wear is for that person and point out any potential issues and offer advice. This is a free service and many people never come back for the checkup.
The above sapphire ring did come back to me for the one month check up and I also recently saw it for a 1 year check. This couple are happy for their ring to gather some scars through life and you should wear your jewellery and enjoy it. That is the whole point.
They are also happy for me to point out any damage that their “normal” wear might be causing so that they can perhaps modify their “normal” wear.
Existing damage to a sapphire in a ring I was asked to remodel
I often meet customers that think sapphires and diamonds are pretty much indestructible. That was the case with the owner of the ring above.
When a piece of jewellery comes to me for remodelling one of my first tasks is to point out any existing damage to gems before I accept them into my care. This customer had no idea of the damage she had done to a much loved and sentimental sapphire over her years of “normal” wear.
If you think you cannot damage a diamond then you should take the time to read this article.
Article: The age of the modest engagement ring. Part 2 of 2
What to do?
Some of the jewellery I have made for a customer over the last 15 years in for a free checkup and clean this week.
If it has been many years since you had your jewellery checked then please take it back to the place you purchased it from to have it serviced. Diamonds are forever but your jewellery is not …..unless you never wear it.
If I made your piece of jewellery and it has been years since you had me check it, then what are you waiting for? Contact me to book it in for a free checkup.