Invisibly Set-up for Disaster

If you carry quads (four princess cut diamonds invisibly-set to look like one larger princess cut) or invisibly set rings; be prepared.  I have nothing against the look of invisibly-set shoulders or quads.  When done-well they look fantastic.  They are very difficult to repair if a diamond comes loose, and often they are a hazard to size (as-in, you may find your goldsmith refusing to size the ring.)

Coming from the point of view of someone who does a lot of restyle business, you’ve also got to warn people that invisibly-set diamonds are way too fragile to be taken-out and reset.  One day if the ring wears-out or they want it restyled, the diamonds cannot be reused in any other way.

The other day, I had a client show me a ring bought in Mexico that had a quad top and invisibly-set shoulders.  Before leaving Mexico one diamond had already fallen-out and had been reset.  After they got back from Mexico another diamond fell-out.  I had the misfortune of having to tell her that the only thing we could reuse out of that ring was the gold.  She understood, and I hope she’s told her friends that buying jewellery when on vacation is hazardous.

As with emeralds, opals and micro-set jewellery, you should always explain the risk to your clients so that they can make in informed purchase.