#296868 - 16/04/2007 20:54
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: hybrid8]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Quote:
They used to make a really cool ring that looked like it held the stone by horizontal clamping force only - and it didn't protrude from the top very much at all.
This is called a "tension mount" or "tension set".
Tension Ring, with some links.
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Bitt Faulk
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#296869 - 16/04/2007 21:11
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: hybrid8]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
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The type you're thinking of is tension set, which really does make a neat ring. For anyone who hasn't seen one, you basically take a very strong ring, slice it, pry it open, and insert the gemstone in, and let the ring snap back to hold the stone. It only works with hard stones that it won't crush. It's supposed to be good for active people, as the stone is held by a lot more force than the little bended prongs in a traditional mount.
Matthew
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#296870 - 16/04/2007 21:23
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: wfaulk]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 12/11/2001
Posts: 7738
Loc: Toronto, CANADA
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I don't have a problem with the ring aspect. The concept of the diamond was introduced by the diamond industry, but not the ring itself. A jewelry-based offering has been around since classical times. I know this much from school. Wikipedia seems to agree  Thanks for the link. I'll check it out and make sure not to leave any browser history...
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#296871 - 16/04/2007 21:37
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: hybrid8]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 13/02/2002
Posts: 3212
Loc: Portland, OR
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Since my girlfriend doesn't read these forums and I doubt any of her friends will catch my posts in Google, can we expand this thread to engagement rings?
That's okay with me! And congrats.
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I'll be purchasing the rock elsewhere and having the (or "a") shop set it.
You should call ahead, and find out if they'll change a setting fee. I think I got stuck with a $65 charge for doing it this way.
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Whatever it ends up being made of - I hate the idea of a diamond, but I suppose I will end up with one anyway.
I'm not too happy with the idea of diamonds, either. I ended up buying a certified Canadian diamond, since it's the closest thing to a guarantee you can get that a) it's conflict free, b) not part of the DeBeer's cartel, and c) stands a glimmer of a chance that the mine is being operated in a semi-ecological manner. (Plus, a Canadian diamond seemed apropos, given the circumstances.)
Take her to see Blood Diamond, and see how much she still wants a diamond, after that. It's a fictionalized account, but it's based very heavily on reality.
I ended up buying my diamond online. They also do custom designed rings, if you can't get the setting you want at your local store.
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The place I'm already planning to check makes all their own stuff by hand. They used to make a really cool ring that looked like it held the stone by horizontal clamping force only - and it didn't protrude from the top very much at all.
A tension setting... they're still pretty common in all the jewelry stores I was in, so I doubt you'll have any trouble finding one. There are examples present on most of the websites linked above.
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I hate rings where the stone sticks out like a weapon.
Ditto, and they can be a pain for other reasons, too -- like wearing rubber gloves for gardening, washing dishes (SWMBO's example, not mine!), or getting your hand through a rubber gasket on a dry-top.
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My soon-to-be fiance gets no voice in deciding what the ring will be like. That would just be against everything I stand for. I suggest any guys who go shopping for this stuff with their future wives should instead go looking for a pair of balls.  Or if style isn't your bag (no pun intended) then consult someone else. Judging by the excellent ring recommendations in this thread already I don't think anyone here has these issues.
Heh. We went window shopping, to find out the range of styles that she liked. I'd rather be accused of needing to find a pair of balls, than spend $$$ on something that she truthfully hates. Once I knew what sort of styles she liked (and thankfully, they lined up with mine), I did everything else without her input, and she had no knowledge of when the ring showed up, or when the proposal would be.
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Does the diamond industry still advocate spending 2 months salary on an engagement ring?
Yeah, it's pretty ridiculous. FWIW, though, I don't know anyone that's done that. In fact, I think I actually ended up spending less than a single paycheck. But you can get some pretty ugly looking stones for some hugely inflated prices, if you go down to your local mall. I recall seeing one 2 carat stone/ring pricetagged at $18k, and you could see the inclusions in the diamond with the ring sitting in the display case. :-p
The also still push the idea that buying a diamond is an investment, and that the value of a diamond will go up. Total BS, of course -- diamonds are so plentiful that, unless it's some rare colour or size, there's no "used" market for them at all. The money you put into a diamond is gone for eternity.
If you want to keep the cost down, look for an underweight stone. Once you hit the magic weights (1/2 carat, 3/4 carat, 9/10 carat, and 1 carat), prices can nearly double, yet the stone size doesn't change appreciably. The difference between a .5 carat round diamond, and a .45 carat round can't really be detected -- it's less than a millimeter change in diameter.
The best website I found online for understanding diamonds was undoubtedly PriceScope. When looking at the diamonds from the online site, I compared the prices against comparable diamonds listed on PriceScope. If they were too far out of whack, I knew I was getting ripped off -- I rejected a couple of stones that way. I also rejected a couple of stones based on the emailed certs, and plugging the numbers into the Holloway Cut Advisor.
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I know she'd rather have money spent on other things like travel anyway.
Smart girl.
Hope that helps.
Cheers,
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#296872 - 16/04/2007 23:41
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: hybrid8]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12342
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Congrats, Bruno! It sounds like you an I have similar taste in rings. My fiancee made it fairly clear that, if I were to ever get her a ring, she wasn't the type who wanted to go shopping with me. She wanted to be surprised. I was lucky that I picked a design she absolutely loved. I was pretty proud of it, too. I had gone to a store and not liked any of the settings. Then he showed me a pink piece of plastic that represented a ring he was designing at the moment. I could tell that it was exactly what I wanted, and due to my fiancee's distinctive name, he decided to name it after her if I bought it. Here is the Arista:  It's actually hard to tell, but the setting suspends the stone nicely.
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Matt
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#296874 - 17/04/2007 02:37
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: canuckInOR]
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old hand
Registered: 15/02/2002
Posts: 1049
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I'm no jeweler or metallurgist, but I am a mechanical engineer that specialized in strength analysis.
If you want it to be tough, then get a stainless steel or tungsten carbide ring. They offer two different kinds of "toughness" and it depends on the kind of "abuse" you give it.
Tungsten carbide is very *hard*, meaning it can only be scratched by diamond or corundum. If your rings get abraded, scuffed or otherwise scratched up, and you don't like that, then TC is a good choice. It also has a kind of cool appearance.
If your rings get crushed or bent, then you probably want stainless steel, which is about twice as resistant to bending as tungsten carbide.
Everyone thinks that titanium is a super-strong miracle metal. The truth is that it is merely strong for its weight. Steel is considerably stronger. Titanium is also reactive in acids, but stainless steel, gold and platinum are not. Non-reactivity is quite important in jewelry metal.
My recommendation is far and away stainless steel. Rather than having it made by a jeweler (who make rings by lost-wax casting), have it made in a machine shop. There is no reason to cast stainless steel as it is very easily machined, and casting it will anneal any heat treatment hardening that has been applied to the stock.
If you can get your hands on a lathe, you could make it yourself, which you might really enjoy. The stock should cost you less than a buck or two, and an experienced machinist could make you one very quickly.
All that said, realize that you should never wear rings around machinery that can damage them, as that means that the ring could also cost you your finger.
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#296875 - 17/04/2007 11:26
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: TigerJimmy]
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old hand
Registered: 14/04/2002
Posts: 1172
Loc: Hants, UK
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I think stainless steel would be very nice if the cost of the ring isn't important. I imagine any small engineering shop would love to make a ring for somebody.
I was going to say that it could be remade if lost, but I suspect a ring quickly gains sentimental value that outweighs any financial value.
Edited by g_attrill (17/04/2007 11:27)
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#296876 - 17/04/2007 11:40
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: TigerJimmy]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 25/08/2000
Posts: 2413
Loc: NH USA
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Another mechanical engineer chiming in here: tungsten also has an incredible weighty feel, given its very high density, which is nearly as high as gold. A few density numbers: Gold: 19300 kg/m^3 Tungsten: 19250 kg/m^3 Lead: 11340 kg/m^3 Steel: 7900 kg/m^3 Titanium: 4510 kg/m^3 Magnesium: 1170 kg/m^3 A more complete list is here.-Zeke
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#296877 - 17/04/2007 11:51
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: Ezekiel]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 13/01/2002
Posts: 1649
Loc: Louisiana, USA
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And Platinum is denser than any of those at 21450 kg/m^3.
Stu
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#296878 - 17/04/2007 12:41
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: maczrool]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 25/08/2000
Posts: 2413
Loc: NH USA
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And that's topped by Iridium at 22650 kg/m^3.  -Zeke Teasing aside, the main point is that a steel ring would be half as hefty as some other metals (design notwithstanding), which might not be a desired feel.
Edited by Ezekiel (17/04/2007 12:42)
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#296879 - 17/04/2007 12:50
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: maczrool]
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old hand
Registered: 14/08/2001
Posts: 886
Loc: London, UK
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My wedding ring is platinum and it is blumming heavy
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Rio Karma - now on ebay...
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#296880 - 17/04/2007 12:53
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: furtive]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 10/06/1999
Posts: 5916
Loc: Wivenhoe, Essex, UK
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My depleted Uranium is even heavier...
...ok, I admit it I don't have a DU wedding ring, its just Platinum.
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#296881 - 17/04/2007 12:54
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: furtive]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 13/01/2002
Posts: 1649
Loc: Louisiana, USA
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Quote:
My wedding ring is platinum and it is blumming heavy
My only experience with platinum is with bullion coins, but I'd have to agree with you there.
Stu
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If you want it to break, buy Sony!
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#296882 - 17/04/2007 13:08
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: hybrid8]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 25/08/2000
Posts: 2413
Loc: NH USA
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Another option to the tension set/mount is a bezel set/mount. It encircles the stone's periphery instead of using prongs/points. It prevents the stone from catching on things, and is more secure than mounting points, which can fail over time and lead to the zero-fun game of 'find the diamond'.
-Zeke
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#296883 - 17/04/2007 14:14
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: furtive]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 06/04/2005
Posts: 2026
Loc: Seattle transplant
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Quote:
My wedding ring is platinum and it is blumming heavy
I'd select platinum for that reason (out of a list of precious metals).
I would like to be reminded every minute of how serious I am about such a commitment.
/not married
//will marry *only*once*
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#296884 - 17/04/2007 14:59
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: Dignan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 13/02/2002
Posts: 3212
Loc: Portland, OR
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Quote:
Here is the Arista
My fiancee's ring looks similar to that. I had 4 deep blue, square sapphires channel set on each side of the diamond, though. It gives the ring a bit of colour, and makes the diamond "pop" a bit more, seeming a little bigger than it really is. On Sunday, a clerk at the mall complimented SWMBO on the ring... The wedding band has matching sapphires channel set around the top.
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#296885 - 09/05/2007 16:27
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: Robotic]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 06/04/2005
Posts: 2026
Loc: Seattle transplant
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Just saw these and thought I'd add to the list of 'quirky rings': TireRings
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#296886 - 09/05/2007 17:51
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: canuckInOR]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 12/11/2001
Posts: 7738
Loc: Toronto, CANADA
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I can use some google/ebay help... To get the really nice tension settings I'd like, it looks as if I'll probably have to order from the US. On top of that, because a tension setting cannot be resized by cutting, I will require very exact ring size... At this point I'm thinking of using a temporary ring for the proposal and then getting a measurement for the final ring which would be here about a month later. I can have the real diamond in my hands at the time of proposal though. So I'm looking for a cheap ring that doesn't look like it was designed for a gypsy, a whore, or an 80 year old. Nor something that just looks like it's more expensive than the real ring to come. On ebay most of the fake stone rings include a monster rock designed for tacky show. I'm looking for a rather simply ring with a 0.5 to 0.75ct "sized" stone (cubic zirconia, plain glass whatever). Here are some of the settings I'm trying to decide on for the final ring: http://www.sndgems.com/platinumgoldtensionsetrings2a.htmhttp://www.sndgems.com/gelin-abaci-tension-ring.htm (with square or round cut stone) http://www.sndgems.com/platinumgoldtensionsetrings4a.htmhttp://www.sndgems.com/TR054gelinabaci.htmIf I was buying the setting locally, many jewelry stores would let me borrow a ring, but I don't have this luxury. I'd really like to get a GelinAbaci setting. There are many more styles on the GelinAbaci corporate site that I also like. Obviously in a cheap ring I'm not looking for a tension setting. Something using standard prongs but as low profile as possible would be ideal. I've been unsuccessfully combing eBay and am about to start on Google...
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#296887 - 09/05/2007 19:14
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: hybrid8]
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old hand
Registered: 15/02/2002
Posts: 1049
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My mother used to buy what you're looking for from QVC. They had, what were they called?, CZ stones in gold rings for $50-$75. Looked exactly like the real deal. Since its just an ornament, its just as good as the real deal, IMHO, but that's another issue. Ah yes, they were called " Diamondique". This should be exactly what you want for your temporary ring. They have the ridiculous guady sizes, but also some that look like real diamond rings that an ordinary human would buy. Reputable company, extremely low prices due to very high volume. Jim
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#307210 - 12/02/2008 17:29
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: TigerJimmy]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 12/11/2001
Posts: 7738
Loc: Toronto, CANADA
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Going to dig up this old thread.... Dig dig dig... I did end up getting a very nice Gelin Abaci tension ring for my fiancée, model TR-005 in 18K white gold. I sent the jeweler (not the one in the link) a Canadian diamond for mounting and the whole thing looks stunning. The wedding is coming up on April 24th in Lagos, Portugal and we're looking at wedding bands now. At least starting to look. Just looking through the links for all the non-previous metal rings that were posted earlier. Has anyone come upon any other interesting designs? She'll likely get something made of gold, but I'd like to get something that looks nice but is more resilient and lesser cost (rather spend the extra cash on our new home right now to tell you the truth).
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#307214 - 12/02/2008 19:00
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: hybrid8]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 06/04/2005
Posts: 2026
Loc: Seattle transplant
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I recently read about Pat Pruitt and his interesting mixture of industrial and Native American design.
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#307440 - 19/02/2008 15:02
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: andy]
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addict
Registered: 25/06/2002
Posts: 456
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My wedding ring is platinum and it is blumming heavy My depleted Uranium is even heavier...
...ok, I admit it I don't have a DU wedding ring, its just Platinum. Actually, if you check the chart -- you both win! Gold and Tungsten are denser than Uranium. And Platinum even beats Plutonium. I'll admit I was quite surprised when I first found out that gold was heavier than uranium.
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#309021 - 10/04/2008 14:18
Re: Metallurgist/jeweller?
[Re: hybrid8]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 12/11/2001
Posts: 7738
Loc: Toronto, CANADA
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Ok, I decided what ring I'd get for myself, bought it two weeks ago and it just arrived today. I bought this tungsten ring: http://www.escapesdesign.com/rings/tungsten/ctungsten_ring_007.htmlIt's just as nice in person as it looks in the photo. Very nice weight to it as well. Now time for my disappointment. The company, Escapes Design is located in Quebec and bills themselves as designers of jewelry, both in title and in their company bio. I was under the impression these rings were designed and made by them, here in Canada. The FedEx shipment was drop-shipped from Hong Kong. The ring is made by a company called "coi" - doing an internet search brings up a number of other retailers selling the same ring for $99. I paid $225. I'm a little ticked off because if the ring had been advertised as a "coi" design I would have found the other retailers and have been able to make a more informed decision. I have no problem with retailers setting their own prices, but I can't help feel I was a little burned here.
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