27

Apr.

Ring Disasters, Part 4 – Re-Tipping vs. a New Head

By Calla Gold

Scuba Diver

Diving into Your Choices

Let’s Dive Deeper into Your Choices for Ring Prong Repair

In Ring Disasters, Part 3 – Ring Prong Re-Tipping Pro’s and Cons, your Santa Barbara Jeweler explained what a re-tip repair is, how it’s done and why if it took ten years to break that prong,  the re-tip won’t last another ten years.

Sharon’s ring, pictured down below, had two intact prongs barely holding her diamond. Miraculously Sharon found her diamond when it fell out. It was on the floor mat of her car. This was a jewelry repair I was happy to do.

White Gold Four Prong Head

Top and Side View of a Four Prong Head

Is Re-Tipping the Only Way to Repair a Broken Prong?

No, if more than one or two prongs need to be re-tipped, I would probably choose to replace the whole head.

The “head” is a three to six pronged gemstone setting. It’s cast separately from the rest of the ring design.

Pearl and Diamond Ring in Yellow Gold

The Diamonds are in Individual Heads Soldered into the Curves

What Heads Are

In the ring pictured with the pearl and  diamonds, the mountings for the diamonds are called heads.

They were cast separately and then connected, (soldered) to the rest of the ring design.

When Are Heads Used and Why?

Yellow Gold Ring With White Gold Head

This Yellow Gold Design is Cast Without the Center Head

Some rings have a basic design that is cast up to be modified with heads after it is cast.

After the design is cast the heads are put on to accommodate the size and shapes of the gemstones for that particular order.

The Perfect Scenario for a Re-Tip

Scenario: Your ring collides with a door or something and knocks the tip of your prong off or cracks it. The rest of your prongs are thick and strong. This is the perfect time to have that prong re-tipped.

When To Replace Your Head Instead of Re-Tipping

Wedding Ring With Separate Head Setting for Main Diamond

Click image for close up of prong damage on Sharon's ring head

If five or ten years have gone by and a prong just broke off, it may not be the only troubled prong.

If the other prongs are worn down also, which with a daily wear ring they very well may be, re-tipping that one prong isn’t going to cut it.

Replacing the Head is a More Lasting Repair than Multiple Re-Tips

If you’ve broken more than one prong on a head, I’d recommend replacing the whole head instead of doing multiple re-tips. You’ll get a stronger and longer lasting repair that way. Sharon’s ring above needed a new head not re-tips for the safety of her diamond.

If only one prong was damaged on her ring, I’d recommend the re-tip.

Think About the Lifetime of Your Ring, Choose a Lasting Repair

Damaged Blue Topaz and Diamond Ring

Joan's Ring Needs Multiple Prong Re-tips

On an older ring, with cast in prongs, not heads, the other prongs next to the broken one, will be to varying degrees worn down as well and perhaps ready to crack off if they get hit just right.

For frequently worn rings, I recommend you visually check each prong under magnification before signing off on a single prong re-tip.

You may wish to do multiple re-tips for aesthetics as well as the safety it offers for the rest of your gemstones.

Danger Sign

Don't Go Into the Jewelry Red Zone

Don’t Let Your Ring Prongs Stray Into the Red Zone

Check your ring prongs at least once a year on your daily wear rings.

Whatever repair option you choose, do it sooner than later.

The Rest of the Series About Ring Prong Repairs

Ring Disasters, Part 1 – Broken or Pancaked Prongs

Ring Disasters, Part 2 – Re-Tipping Your Ring Prongs, Defining a Common Ring Repair

Ring Disasters, Part 3 – Ring Prong Re-Tipping Pro’s and Cons

Ring Disasters, Part 4 – Re-Tipping vs. New Head

Ring Disasters, Part 5 – When Re-Tipping is Your Only Option

 

 

8 Comments

Categories: Jewelry Repair, Rings, Santa Barbara Jeweler

|

8 Responses to “Ring Disasters, Part 4 – Re-Tipping vs. a New Head”

LYNNE August 11th, 2011 at 9:13 pm


I JUST BROKE A PRONG ON MY RING & THE DIAMOND
CAME OUT. I WILL NEED TO REPLACE THE HEAD OF THE RING. NORMALLY WHEN A YELLOW GOLD RING HEAD IS REPLACED IS IT REPLACED W/WHITE GOLD ALLOY OR WITH WHITE GOLD ALLOW W/GOLD TIPS OR JUST W/
YELLOW GOLD HEAD. KIND OF CONFUSED. MY JEWELER IS TALKING ABOUT USING A WHITE GOLD HEAD. I THINK MINE IS WHITE GOLD HEAD W/YELLOW GOLD TIPS.

Calla Gold August 12th, 2011 at 11:49 pm


Lynne, we jewelers like to set your nice white diamonds with white gold. White gold heads do not have yellow tips. They are cast up in all white gold. The yellow tips may just be an effect of time on your white gold and it’s reaction to life and the chemicals you come in contact with. If you were replacing a head to set a colored gemstone then you might be able to use a yellow gold head, but for diamonds white gold is the preferred choice.
Calla

Kate D. February 14th, 2013 at 3:33 pm


Hello Calla, I’m interested in a Kirk Kara platinum solitaire semi mount. Currently it’s set with a cz princess for visual purposes.
When asked if my stone would fit, she replied, “The prongs as they are now would not accommodate a stone that wide. You would have to have the entire head remade.” It looks to me like this mounting was not cast with a separate head. Would it be feasible to modify this ring for a bigger stone? IE: 8x6mm ? How much would it cost to custom fabricate a new head for a Kirk Kara ring?
Reading about heads really helped me see the difference between cast-in prongs and separately cast and soldered on heads. Calla I’m hoping you can help me.
Kate

Calla Gold February 15th, 2013 at 8:31 am


Hi Kate,
Thank you for emailing me the picture of the Kirk Kara ring. You are right that those prongs are cast-in and not a separate head.
I’d like to see a top view of the design to see if I cast you a new head if I could solder it on securely.
I am concerned that we would be changing the design somewhat. Let’s talk further by email.
I’m pleased that the post about re-tipping vs. a new head gave you helpful information.
Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla

Sam Mefford March 18th, 2013 at 3:44 pm


After my wife handed her wedding ring to a jeweler for repair, she came across this blog post. We’re now concerned because the jeweler said he should re-tip all four prongs. He says he uses a laser so the weld is just as strong as a cast crown. I see videos on youtube showing re-tipping with a laser, so that adds some validity to his position. I also see here a claim that laser welds are 95% as strong as the original metal: http://www.curtparker.com/usefulinfo/usefuinfo5.htm

Your post doesn’t mention laser repairs. Is it possible that the rules are different with laser repairs?

Calla Gold March 19th, 2013 at 9:41 am


Dear Sam,
Thank you for your well articulated questions and links offered.
This is my opinion based on experience in the workshop. In theory laser welds are very strong. However there is a big difference between open flame solder and laser solder. With open flame solder the soldering metal, for example 14kt yellow gold is heated and dribbles if you will all over, in and around the area being soldered. The two pieces of gold are brought together with the melted solder and joined. Then all is cooled and polishing takes places to make it look as good as new. That’s a pretty strong bond we have created. However solder even though 14kt is not as strong as the cast original 14kt gold. If the solder was as strong I’d have to melt the ring when putting it back together. Because solder has a lower melting point than cast in gold, it is not as strong. This is why I do not re-tip multiple prong tips but recommend the strength of a new head if that is an option.
With some designs you cannot use a new head as the prongs are part of the overall design. If that is the case the new prongs will not last as long as the cast in ones. So they’ll need to be checked sooner.
Now to laser soldering. With laser the solder is melting in smaller areas. Yes it is strong, but because there is less solder used it can create a brittle solder point.
I had the embarrassing experience of laser soldering on a design element and having it snap off in under a year. I re-soldered the broken off element very carefully with open flame solder which necessitated un-setting and resetting the surrounding gems to protect them. But the element is still successfully in place because more solder was able to hold the connection together.
I find the claim in the Curt Parker link to be false from my personal experience.
Sam if your wife’s ring offers the option, by virtue of it’s design, a new head replacement, my opinion is that a new head replacement offers her diamond more lasting protection than would 4 re-tipped prongs.
http://www.goldsmithing.com/archive/index.php?t-394.html( Read the comment of Jim Jim 75 about brittle solders.)
I figured since you so kindly provided a link I should do the same. If you Google laser soldering jewelry prongs, brittleness, you’ll get a variety of descriptions of problems with laser soldering.
I like laser soldering for many jobs. Re-tipping four prongs is not one of them.
Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla

Andrea Peach March 27th, 2013 at 9:49 pm


Dear Calla,
For my wedding, I inherited my parents wedding ring set. The center ring sat perfectly and was braced (sandwiched) in the middle of a second ring, such that the over all design of the ring made it look like a flower. After 10 years of marriage (added on to the 35 years my mother had it) 2 of the prongs pulled up. No problem, I took it to a recommended jeweler, inquired if they could repair vintage jewelry and opted for a new head. When I went to pick it up, the replacement head for the center diamond had much thicker prongs that the original one and the ring did not fit into the second ring. The jeweler offered to adjust it, saying it would be no problem. The problem is that the ring continues to “glide” out of the second mate, even after her adjustment. I am heart broken. My husband wants me to bring it back to her, but I don’t know what to do. Any suggestions would be ever so welcomed!

Calla Gold April 1st, 2013 at 5:34 am


Dear Andrea,
That is a tough problem you have there. Now that the work is done and the head is not the same as the old one, the three ring combination is not functioning as designed.
Working on older rings is it’s own specialty. Many jewelers rely on the available heads when replacing a head. And like setting a modern brilliant cut diamond to replace and match an old European cut and having it clash with the older diamonds and make them look bad, a more modern head can mess up the look of an older ring.
I recently had to cast up a new older style head for a client with a 50 year old ring. The new heads don’t look like hers, so I had a wax model made to duplicate it, cast it up and set her main diamond in the new ‘old’ setting. Not all jewelers will go to this level of work to create the same look with older rings. Not all jewelers know how, especially if they are used to using a catalog to buy replacement parts.
My recommendation to you would be to find a jeweler who custom designs and works on older jewelry and bring your ring set to them and see if they can recommend any steps to take to make your three rings snug together like they used to.
Without seeing your ring I am at a disadvantage to give good advice. I feel that there is a way, even if you start from scratch and have an older style vintage-y head created and put on to replace the one you have.
I hope you are able to resolve the head problem and have your beautiful older ring singing on your hand again.
Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla

Post a comment