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Diamonds….Right Ring, Wrong Prongs
Posted by admin | Posted in Diamond Advice, Jewelry Advice | Posted on 01-07-2009
Let me tell you a story. This author’s story:
On our fifth wedding anniversary, my husband bought me a beautiful anniversary band; one center marquise diamond, flanked by two smaller marquise diamonds on either side. Fast forward three years later…
Getting ready to go to work on the first day after maternity leave…Dressed in a black skirt, and feeding my newborn a bottle; for some reason, I decide to look down at my ring finger. To my absolute horror, I discovered that the middle diamond was missing…Originally secured by two, apparently fragile prongs, a big gaping hole lay where there had once been a marquise stone. Panicked, I didn’t move. Suddenly, looking down, out of the corner of my eye, as I held my small son in the crook of my arm, I caught a small sparkle of light refracted from the loose diamond that sat squarely in the middle of my lap. Had I not looked down; or had I not worn a black skirt that particular morning, all would have been lost. I quickly snatched up the diamond and took the ring off. My husband took it to the jeweler later to have it re-secured.
A few years later, I lost the diamond again. Unfortunately, this time, it was not recovered. Is there a lesson in this? You bet. Prong settings do make a difference! Please keep the following in mind:
- A thin prong with a “hook” configuration can be easily pulled away. This configuration is not advised.
- Prongs should hold the diamond securely and have virtually no “wiggle room”
- Four prongs are more secure than two. Six prongs are more secure than four
- Have your ring examined by a professional jeweler at least yearly
It is hoped that my personal tale of heartache will not be yours, and also to serve as a reminder that it is possible to have the right diamond ring….but with the wrong prong. Check with your trusted jeweler to discover which prong is best for you.
