It's time to get your prongs checked.
Prongs are delicate stems of metal gently folded over to secure your gemstone in its setting. If done right they provide safety without becoming the focus of the piece.
4 prongs are the most common, 6 for solitaire engagement rings, and 3 for "martini" settings...diamond studs not cocktail hour! There are even settings where stones will "share" a prong, meaning there is only 1 for every two stones; quite pretty, but yes, a little more risky.
Here is a quick check list to help prevent the loss of your precious stones:
1. Please, please don't wear your rings to the gym...you do not need to accessorize for barbells and bike handles.
2. If you don't wear gloves to garden, then you don't wear rings to garden.
3. If you sleep in your jewelry have it checked more often. Getting your hair tangled up in your necklace does not provide a safety net.
4. And ladies, don't beat your husband up...with your rings on. ;)
5. Don't bang the steering wheel in a fit of road rage!
If you're guilty of any of these or other harmful acts, don't panic!
You can even test your prongs at home.
Take a pair of tweezers and see if your stone moves. If you feel any movement at all take the piece in to your jeweler and have them tighten the prongs. In some cases, the tip of the prong has been sheared off during one of your activities, requiring it to be "re-tipped" or possibly a new prong will need to be built.
If yours is a friendly jeweler (i.e. JR's Diamonds in Sherman Oaks, CA) you can bring your piece in any time and they will check the prongs for you while you wait. Heck, they might even give you a quick cleaning in their ultrasonic!
Prongs are delicate stems of metal gently folded over to secure your gemstone in its setting. If done right they provide safety without becoming the focus of the piece.
4 prongs are the most common, 6 for solitaire engagement rings, and 3 for "martini" settings...diamond studs not cocktail hour! There are even settings where stones will "share" a prong, meaning there is only 1 for every two stones; quite pretty, but yes, a little more risky.
Here is a quick check list to help prevent the loss of your precious stones:
1. Please, please don't wear your rings to the gym...you do not need to accessorize for barbells and bike handles.
2. If you don't wear gloves to garden, then you don't wear rings to garden.
3. If you sleep in your jewelry have it checked more often. Getting your hair tangled up in your necklace does not provide a safety net.
4. And ladies, don't beat your husband up...with your rings on. ;)
5. Don't bang the steering wheel in a fit of road rage!
If you're guilty of any of these or other harmful acts, don't panic!
You can even test your prongs at home.
Take a pair of tweezers and see if your stone moves. If you feel any movement at all take the piece in to your jeweler and have them tighten the prongs. In some cases, the tip of the prong has been sheared off during one of your activities, requiring it to be "re-tipped" or possibly a new prong will need to be built.
If yours is a friendly jeweler (i.e. JR's Diamonds in Sherman Oaks, CA) you can bring your piece in any time and they will check the prongs for you while you wait. Heck, they might even give you a quick cleaning in their ultrasonic!
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