Can Platinum Rings be resized or Stretched? Platinum rings; you see them on your favorite celebrity, and you’ve heard it in rap songs. This coveted metal is synonymous with status and privilege, and paired with diamonds; there won’t be an end in the compliments you’ll get. What’s more, platinum can become an heirloom and thus a worthwhile investment.
Here’s a concern people have; what happens if your finger gets slimmer or chubby? If you’re in that situation, then it calls for resizing.
However, things are not as straightforward as other precious metals such as gold or silver.
Here, we’re going to explore what you need to know about resizing platinum. And you don’t have to worry, losing your finger is not part of the deal.
What are platinum rings made of?
Before we go any further, we ought to look at the basics. Platinum falls under the category of a precious metal.
It is silvery-white in color, and its best-known properties are corrosion-resistant. The metal is also dense, compared to the other precious metals that fall under the same category.
That includes platinum, palladium, silver, and gold. What makes platinum more expensive than the other metals is its rarity and how heavy it is.
What you’ll find used in jewelry making is alloyed platinum that contains about 85 percent platinum.
That’s the threshold for the jewelry to be considered “real” platinum. That’s not the case with gold; an item can contain 41.6 percent gold and still be labeled as such, as is 10k gold.
The purity of platinum makes the prices more expensive than the other precious metals in the market.
Can platinum rings be resized or stretched? Is it easy or difficult?
Since platinum is heavier and denser than other metals, it has a higher melting point. It’s that property that makes resizing quite tricky.
That makes the jeweler’s work harder to resize a ring because it is both labor-intensive and time-consuming.
Another pain point is that damaging stones on a ring are more probable because platinum conducts heat a lot faster. That also raises the issue of porosity on the metal itself, meaning it forms little holes where air and liquid can pass through.
The complexities of working with platinum mean that it’ll take a lot longer to get resized as compared to other types of rings.
For that reason, you want to get an accredited jeweler with a proven track record to do the job. Feel free to shop around for a place that you trust. Your best bet is taking it back to where you bought the ring from because they were most likely legit.
After getting the right person, remember that a lot goes into resizing platinum, as we’ll explore below.
Platinum doesn’t get stretched, but it can be resized, and that will take a while. It’s a complicated process, so you need to be patient with your jeweler as they work to alter how your ring fits on your finger.
Platinum rings resizing process
Since platinum is quite extreme when it comes to heat transfer, the first job the jeweler gets to do is take off the gemstones and the setting.
The purpose of that is to avoid any damage happening to the stones. It’s more so more critical when you’re dealing with fragile gems such as opal and emerald. The next step is now to cut the ring.
The recommended approach is to use a laser instead of a torch because it tends to be more precise in cutting the ring and heat regulation. After the ring is cut, the jeweler can remove or add platinum based on if you wanted the ring to go a size down or a size up.
Once that’s done, the jeweler uses a platinum wire to fuse the ring back together. Like the disadvantage of torching, you won’t find the jeweler soldering it back together as it produces a rougher output.
Once they are done, one won’t tell where platinum was removed or added since the surface will be smooth.
The other way of going about resizing a ring is removing the required millimeters of a shank. You can then scribe the distance you want to be removed and use a jeweler’s saw to remove the excess metal. That’s if you’re making a ring smaller.
Once you’ve cut the unwanted pieced, gently bend the shank so that it closes the gap. Make sure that each part is smooth and aligned so that the joining of the same is seamless. That’s not the end, though.
Once you’ve done that part, take a thin piece of platinum and place it between the gap formed.
The next step is torching the shank so that it can form a metallurgical bond. That speaks of heating metals’ process to give them the desired shape; in this case, having the inserted metal become part of the ring. Something to remember is that through this process, opt for tungsten tweezers because steel ones tend to leave a dark spot on the ring.
Once the ring is resized, the next step is to reset the stones that were removed. This part tends to be easier than gold or silver because platinum is more malleable.
Creating a strong setting becomes easier, so this process is completed in no time. The next step becomes cleaning and polishing the ring to remove any evidence of the resizing. As the owner, you’re the one to dictate what kind of finish you want.
You can either get a high finish or a matte or brushed finish. This part also works to remove any scratches that might have been there before the resizing. The debris left gets removed either through an ultrasonic tank or steam.
Can palladium rings be cut off?
A big fear that people have when a ring gets stuck on their finger is that they’d end up having to chop it off. That’s not the case.
First, with palladium, try using soap and water, lotion, or oil to lubricate both the finger and the ring to slide it off.
The best time to do this is in the morning when you’re rested. However, if your finger is injured and it’s swollen, you’ll need to take a different approach.
Thankfully, you can simply use a ring cutting tool to free your finger from the ring with palladium.
Only make sure that the cutter has steel blades. For thicker rings, you might need to opt for a high-speed quality steel blade.
The reason for that is that palladium tends to be denser when compared to gold or silver.
Conclusion
Knowing the process of resizing a platinum ring gives one the peace of mind that they won’t have to lose the ring or the finger.
What’s vital is that you get the right person for the job. That said, be mentally prepared to part with quite a bit of money.
You’re free to shop around for the best price and where you can get your money’s worth. Platinum is valuable and would make an ideal heirloom.
If you’ve inherited a platinum ring, then resizing is the route to take.
For more jewelry metal posts, please visit here or here. Stay cool. and see you guys in the next post!
Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.