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Whats the Deal With Engagement Ring Tension Settings?
Lately, people have been calling and asking about diamond engagement ring tension settings.
Sample of a Diamond Tension Engagement Ring
Our company does not manufacture or carry diamond tension settings, nor do we advocate their usage.
The fact of the matter is that a tension setting engagement ring may be funky and faady, but it will not (and cannot) protect the integrity of your diamond the same way that a 4/6 prong setting will.
It is our opinion, (and that of many experts in our industry) that a tension setting engagement ring poses a great liability to the proper and adequate protection of your diamond. Given just the right knock against a hard surface your diamond will be in danger of popping right out of the setting, never to be seen again! We believe that "adequate" protection is just not adequate (pardon the pun..) when it comes to protecting your valuable diamond.
Therefore, we cannot in good conscience sell tension setting engagement rings on our website and strongly caution our customers against buying one.
As a complete aside, I happen to dislike tension settings from an aesthetic point of view, since I believe that they lack tremendously in elegance. True; they are funky at the moment but will definitely not have the staying power and timeless appeal of the more traditional diamond engagement ring settings.
Diamond Tension Setting Concept: Tension rings are created with special alloys that put anywhere from 65 to 95 pounds pressure on the center diamond. The precious metals are especially hardened by pressure or by thermal treatment. This special treatment to the precious metal results in the precious metal having a certain toughness which will grip the diamond without the need of a bezel or claws. The diamond is pressed by the girdle on each side by the metal of the of the ring. Each metal end has a small groove or concavity called the 'seat' into which a small section of the girdle fits.
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Comments
Are you honestly pathetic enough to disparage all tension mounts just because you are too cheep to buy from the true masters in the field? The late Steven Kretchmer invented tension mounting, and he guaranteed to replace any diamond that was ever lost from one of his rings. And he backed it up by personally mounting every stone, and making a record of what it was, with a written guarantee to fix any of his hand-made mountings with a new stone should that stone ever be lost (whatever the circumstances0.
So I guess you just deal with hack immitators when you speak of tension mounts.
Your customers deserve better than that.
Al
Posted by: Al on March 9, 2007 6:57 AM
Al;
Your point about the late Steven Kretchmer is well taken. He was a Master of the Tension Set and probably the only one who backed his work with this type of incredible guarantee. We were remiss in not mentioning him and pointing this out in the above posted Blog and appreciate your bringing this to our attention.
Be that as it may, we still believe that tension settings are a problem waiting to happen from a structural standpoint and don't like them from an aesthetic standpoint, as well. They detract rather than enhance the natural beauty of the diamond which should be the focus of attention.
Speaking of the late Steven Kretchmer, what are Kretchmer customers going to do now and where will they go to have their rings serviced? Will you trust someone else to handle such a very sensitive setting? Big problem IMO.
BTW, are you the "Al" who just recently posted on Diamondtalk.com the other day who owns a Kretchmer Tension setting and is asking where you can get it serviced? I really wish you the best of luck.
Posted by: Barry G. on March 9, 2007 8:34 AM
Al,
Great point re: Steven Kretchmer.
He was a visionary..and a great guy to boot.
Unfortunately, he is no longer with us.....scary thought for owners of a Kretchmer ring...
However, let's cut to the chase here.
A tension setting will never protect your diamond the same way a 4/6 prong setting will.
This is an undisputed FACT.
Will many consumers still opt for the funky look over the potential problems?
Sure.
I simply presented these facts for your consideration. Nothing "disparaging" about that. Ultimately, you choose whatever works for you. This is not a personal issue, just a factual posting.
Regards,
Posted by: Judah on March 9, 2007 10:26 AM
I think that your data on the psi value of tension on the diamond is inaccurate. I have heard values of 1,200 psi to 50,000 for higher end alloys and munfacuterers.
Posted by: Cory on March 23, 2007 1:39 PM
I used a Tension Set for my first wife. I thought that it was cute at the time. And now on to my second, my tastes have changed. I have gone with a 4 prong. But after reading what has come before me I must tell you that a diamond set in a Tension Setting will not come out. When I got the one for my 1st, I wanted to make sure of the Tension's grip. I pulled and pushed and did quite a few other things that should void a warranty. For the life of me I could not pop the stone out. There is NO possible way to "accidentally" knock out the stone. You would have to use some sort of high psi spreader.
Posted by: B. Allen on March 30, 2007 11:37 PM
Cory, I think one value reported is in units of PSI and the other in pounds... the rings are set with about 65-95 pounds clamping force over an area of a very small fraction of a square inch, making the PSI value very high.
Posted by: Anonymous on June 27, 2007 2:54 AM
To be fair... I read the other link on the last page and that seemed to be a STORE problem rather than a SETTING problem and failed to advance your argument what-so-ever. I think you just need to be careful if you want to go with a tension setting in order to avoid those types of problems.
Posted by: Anonymous on September 4, 2007 5:09 AM
It seems as though a diamond in a tension-setting is better proteced from knocks and bumps than a diamond in a traditional 4- or 6-pronged setting. A diamond of average size seems to fit within the annular shape of the ring in a tension-setting--i.e. it protrudes less than it would if set in prongs. While I would agree that prongs create a better grip on the stone, one could argue that a pronged setting exposes the diamond not only the diamond to bumps and knocks and snags, but the prongs themselves. This is significant because the very prongs that are used to hold the diamond in place were bent (by hand) into poition.
My concern with tension settings doesn't stem from the setting itself, but rather from the diamond. The tension holding the diamond i place is directed at two small areas on the girdle. Now, while diamond is the third hardest material known to man, it is far from being the toughest. Diamonds can break. I'd worry about about the girdle breaking in a tension setting, given a hard enough knock.
Posted by: KifsterDDS on September 5, 2007 11:04 AM