What To Do If You Think An Engagement Ring Prong Is Loose Author Cristina LaPenna Share Facebook Share on Facebook Email Email Date Feb 15, 2021 Engagement What To Do If You Think An Engagement Ring Prong Is Loose When you wear a piece of jewelry all day everyday, it is exposed to a lot of banging, tugging, and twisting. When it comes to engagement rings, which are exposed to the most wear and tear of any piece of jewelry, there are some basic maintenance checks you should be doing. One of the most significant problems that we see with engagement rings is the loosening of prongs due to daily wear. While it may not sound like a big deal, a prong being loose it one of the most common ways diamonds fall out of engagement rings and get lost! Here is what you should do if you think a prong is loose, bent, or broken: First Things First: Before you do anything, take the ring off! One of the biggest mistakes that people make is to continue wearing their engagement ring because they don't think that the problem is a big deal, or they say they will visit their jeweler later. In reality, the only thing that is keeping you from losing or chipping your gorgeous diamonds or gemstones is a few delicate little prongs, so why take the chance? How To Check If Your Prongs Are Loose: To check if your prongs are actually loose, there are two popular ways to quickly check for obvious problems. The first way is to tap the ring lightly with your fingernail and see if it makes any noise. If you hear a rattling sound, this means that your diamond is moving around and that your prongs are loose. The second way is to try to physically move your diamond around with your fingernail. If you can move the diamond or twist the diamond around with your nails you need to take your ring off right away, because your diamond has definitely gotten loose in the setting. If the diamond shakes, or you hear any noises, similar to rattling sounds when you gently hit the setting with your fingers, it's time to take your ring off and bring it to a jeweler. However, the best way to check the prongs is to bring it to an expert jeweler and ask them to look at it. A trusted, qualified jeweler will examine the ring under magnification and will tell you how your prongs look! What You Should Do: Like you would with any broken appliance or car, always get help from the professionals. Every jeweler knows how to repair or fix a bent or broken prong, so you should never attempt to fix the prongs by yourself, no matter how confident you are that you could get the job done. We have seen everything from lost to chipped diamonds from people trying to fix the prongs themselves! What Your Jeweler Will Do: Fixing prongs is a routine job for jewelers. More often than not, if the prongs are just bent a little, they can be easily straightened out. But, 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 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. How much these services cost will depend on the severity of your bent or broken prongs. Most likely, if you bring your engagement ring back to the jeweler you bought the ring from, you can get your prongs repaired free of charge, or for very little, depending on how damaged your prongs actually are. If you go to a different jeweler to get your engagement ring's prongs fixed, the cost can range from $25 to $75 per prong. The more damaged or the more the prong or prongs need to be repaired, the more expensive your engagement ring repair will be. Precautionary Steps To Take: With a piece of jewelry as precious and expensive as your diamond engagement ring, we recommend to everyone that you get your ring checked at least once a year to make sure that your prongs are holding your diamond or gemstone securely. If you are more active, or are heavier on your hands, then definitely get your ring checked more often. When the difference between happiness and heartbreak is just a few delicate pieces of metal, it is better to be safe than sorry. Do you have prongs that are loose, bent, or broken on your engagement ring? Contact us or make an appointment and one of our jewelers will be more than happy to repair your diamond engagement ring! Subscribe Email Engagement Estate Jewelry Wedding Watches Fine / Fashion Jewelry JOIN
