Some of the most common causes of prongs breaking is from day-to-day living. Things most people never think about. Chemical products to prevent bacteria from growing is added to our drinking water, swimming pools and hot tubs. Too much exposure to chlorine and bromine which is used in our water can create durability problems for settings. The higher the concentrations, the longer the exposure and the higher the temperature, the faster the deterioration of the settings.
Other factors contributing to prong failure:
accidental abuse such as hitting a ring on a hard object which often goes unnoticed
catching prongs on clothing
wearing rings while gardening or doing other physical activities
wearing jewelry to bed
normal wear and tear
Solution - remove your jewelry:
before showering, swimming or entering a hot tub
turn rings toward your palm before putting your hand through a blouse sleeve, sweater or coat
before pulling sweaters, shirts or blouses over your head when wearing chains and necklaces
before putting your arm through a sleeve when wearing bracelets
whenever you are going to do tasks such as housework, gardening, working out, etc.
before going to bed
Recommendations:
when setting larger diamonds and gemstones use platinum or 14k palladium white settings
rhodium plate 14k or 18k white gold settings. Rhodium plating (which is in the platinum group) provides a protective coating that protects the setting.
Remember: prevention is always better than waiting for a problem to occur. Bring your jewelry in periodically for a free inspection to have prongs, clasps, and hinges checked. In the long run it will save you money.
If you have questions you would like answered, please fill out the form on my Questions & Answers
page. I will post your question(s) along with the answer(s) if it is
not already listed in this section. Thank you for your participation
in helping to make this web-site a more useful resource for everyone.