Peninsula Gem & Jewelry

Prong Repair

What is a Prong?  A prong is one components on a setting of what is known to jewelers as a head, which is a claw-shaped type of setting (usually, 3, 4, 6, or 8 individual prongs per head) that is soldered to a piece of jewelry in order to set a gemstone to the jewelry item. We always recommend setting your stones in a Platinum head rather than Gold (unless you are worried about color of metal) due to Platinum being a stronger and denser metal, as while gold when it is bent gets brittle and breaks, Platinum moves and does not break as easily.

While damaging a prong doesn’t sound like a big deal, it is one of the most common ways for a diamond/gemstone to fall out and get lost. If the prongs are just bent a little, they can be usually be straightened out. If the prongs are broken off, the broken prong or prongs will most likely need to be replaced. If two or more of your prongs are broken, the entire head may need to be replaced in order to insure that your diamond/gemstone doesn't get lost. If your ring is an antique engagement ring or was an heirloom ring, the entire setting might need to be replaced due to the intricate settings where just a prong cannot be replaced. The cost of the repair depends on the severity of the broken prong but starts at $55.

*Pictured above are some examples of how a prong can wear down, only example #1,2,4,5 are retips, the others result in a replacement prong.*

***Do not wear Gold your jewelry in a pool with chlorinated water, as 10-22k Gold has alloys in it that the chlorine will break down at a molecular level and can lead to it becoming discolored and more brittle, causing prongs/ parts to break when hit or bumped to hard.

Pure gold (24k) does not have this issue neither does your Platinum Jewelry***