My daughter in law just called telling me her engagement ring of 6
years had split. It is a platinum band with a platinum 6 prong
finding for the diamond which was put onto the shank by a jeweler.
I know about wear and tear on 14k bands, that need to have the shank
replaced, But I have never heard of a platinum band splitting right
at the finding. She said she didn’t even notice it was split, and
doesn’t remember sharply striking it or having it get crushed or
bend.
Sounds like the platinum findings might have been soldered with low
grade white gold solder.
I had a recent experience where I was presented with a plat
engagement ring with baguettes, I was to tighten a baguette. At the
first touch of the tool the white gold solder just gave up the ghost.
The break was jagged and spongy looking. The jeweler who did it
apparently had rhodiumed so the gold didn’t show. I told the customer
I could fix it properly but he was insistent on bringing it back to
place of purchase. later i was told that jeweler said, upon hearing
my observation about low white gold solder on platinum, “There’s
only one kind of solder for jewelry”.
Maybe it was the same guy?
Gosh I hope there aren’t two of those walking around.
Properly made platinum ring should last for at least 1000 years. I
stake my reputation on it. The same applies to gold rings. The key is
been properly made.
About your particular problem. Since ring split at a place where
jeweler soldered setting; you call it finding, the most likely
reason either he soldered on a charcoal, or he was using acetylene
oxygen flame, or any other process which caused platinum become
contaminated with carbon. That make platinum brittle. In the process
of wear internal stresses built up and eventually causes ring to
split at a joint. In order to correct the problem. simply
re-soldering will not work. The contaminated part of the ring should
be completely removed and replaced or it will happen again. Find
someone who know how to work with platinum.
Hello Joan. I think that if a ring has held up for six years, it
doesn’t mean much that it broke, except that it must be repaired
immediately. Advise her not to wear it at all until it is fixed. Tell
her to take it to a jeweler she trusts, have them remove the stone,
platinum solder the break and then reset the piece and polish. It
doesn’t mean the ring is worn out, it just means it broke.