Great question! Most people don’t realize they need to have this done until they have lost a stone or piece of the jewelery.
A good rule of thumb is to get the prongs checked around your anniversary date, or the a date the you’ll easily remember, like your birthday.
Rings are especially problematic because they are worn on your hands and get bumped, hit, snagged, and possibly taken off multiple times per day. Even one worn or broken prong can cause a stone to loosen and potentially fall out.
Just to be safe, visit your family or local jeweler for an inspection. Most reputable jewelers won’t charge you anything to look at the prongs. However, if you’re unfamiliar with the jeweler, get a second opinion before getting the jewelery adjusted.
Be Careful
When it comes to any jewelery repairs, be sure of the following:
- The jeweler has experience working with the design style, metals, and stones in the piece you’ve presented.
- They check the prongs while you’re there so you can see them inspect the piece and with, at least, the standard equipment — a loupe.
- If the piece is obviously missing a prong, or the prong is damaged, if you have the original stone, bring it as well.
- If you do not have the original stones — maybe you inherited a piece and it’s missing some stones — you should ask about matching stone colors and the costs associated before having any work done.
- If the piece has certain quality metals, ask how the jeweler will match the metals, especially if the piece is older.
- Ask about the how the changes may impact any insurance or estimates you may have on the piece.
Feel free to stop in if you want to have the prongs checked on your jewelry. We can provide you with an estimate of any updates should be made and walk you through the process.