AIBU to reset my ring?

[aibubaby]

My engagement ring is a few years old (to me) now and I've always been less than enthused about the fact that it's yellow gold as I don't wear yellow gold at all otherwise. I thought I might get used to it but I haven't.

It was passed onto us by a family member, but doesn't have any big emotional significance beyond that (it wasn't their engagement ring, for example, and it's not especially old - about 10 years).

I'd like to get it reset in white gold and DH is fine with me doing that, but I wondered if it doing so intrinsically changed the value of the ring? It's kind of irrelevant as I have no plans to ever sell it (obviously) but I didn't know if the value was in the stones or the stones & setting as a whole, and whether I'd need it revaluing for insurance once it was done.

And also, is it expensive to get a ring reset? It's a very basic trilogy setting, no bells or whistles.

Could you not get it dipped in rhodium? Rather than a whole new white gold setting? Much cheaper I would imagine.

Diamond rings are expensive when new as the price is controlled by the diamond makers. Second hand rings are worth considerably less.

I would speak to a jeweller about both dipping or resetting. I am not saying that all jewellers are untrustworthy but there have been cases, even here on MN, where what you hand over is not what you get back. Some have had 18ct gold chains swapped out for 9ct ones or stones have been replaced with lesser quality ones.

I had to have my Mother's ring reset due to the age of the ring when it was bequeathed to me and I was terrified of this happening. My receipt from the jeweller was very specific about what I was handing over rather than just yellow gold solitaire ring to reset.

@OnTheBenchOfDoom

Could you not get it dipped in rhodium? Rather than a whole new white gold setting? Much cheaper I would imagine.

Diamond rings are expensive when new as the price is controlled by the diamond makers. Second hand rings are worth considerably less.

I would speak to a jeweller about both dipping or resetting. I am not saying that all jewellers are untrustworthy but there have been cases, even here on MN, where what you hand over is not what you get back. Some have had 18ct gold chains swapped out for 9ct ones or stones have been replaced with lesser quality ones.

I had to have my Mother's ring reset due to the age of the ring when it was bequeathed to me and I was terrified of this happening. My receipt from the jeweller was very specific about what I was handing over rather than just yellow gold solitaire ring to reset.

Really good points, thank you! I did consider rhodium plating first but apparently it needs redoing every couple of years which seemed like a lot of faff.

I'll definitely speak to a handful of jewellers and get a few opinions off them, see what the consensus is. The gold itself I'm not that bothered about, but the main stone (a sapphire) is gorgeous and I'd definitely be able to tell if it was a different one - I'd be very annoyed. It's a lot of trust to put in a business really, hanging over such expensive stuff!

My engagement ring is a reset diamond from my departed MiL. It cost us a few hundred pounds to have reset. (the original ring was both tiny and very very high setting- there was no way I could have worn it).

The value of mine is in the diamond. We had it revalued and added to the house insurance once it was done.

(We also had a crystal put in the old engagement ring - just in case one of my kids every wants it. That wasn't much at all).

White gold will need rhodium plating every couple of years too. If you want a maintenance free white metal it would need to be platinum or palladium, depending on your budget.

You could have the stones put into a new setting. I considered this but I was quoted a lot more than having my ring melted down and reset. I am keeping the same colour gold and adding extra stones into my engagement though. An independent jeweller is doing this for me.

I never liked my engagement ring so I am very happy to be having this done

@Pinkywoo

White gold will need rhodium plating every couple of years too. If you want a maintenance free white metal it would need to be platinum or palladium, depending on your budget.

Oh interesting, I didn't know this! Maybe I'll look at the costs for those too then. I'm guessing the best thing to do is just go and speak to some jewellers, really.

@mogtheexcellent

You could have the stones put into a new setting. I considered this but I was quoted a lot more than having my ring melted down and reset. I am keeping the same colour gold and adding extra stones into my engagement though. An independent jeweller is doing this for me.

I never liked my engagement ring so I am very happy to be having this done

This is true! I did look online if you could just... buy the setting without the stones, take both to a jeweller and pay them to put the two together, but it turns out it's a bit more complicated than that

Excited for you getting a fancy ring upgrade!

White gold is essentially just yellow gold coated in rhodium. It does have white metals mixed in so it’s paler but the rhodium is added to make it resemble platinum.

You may want to change the setting entirely but you probably can just have it dipped

news.thediamondstore.co.uk/what-is-white-gold/

The cheapest would probably be hard plating in white precious metal. The next cheapest but permanent for the reasons PPs have said would be to have a copy made in platinum which I think is competitively priced at the moment

if you can, use a trade jeweller (Birmingham jewellery quarter for example) rather than High Street which can charge 10 x.

If you don't mind being upset, ask for a scrap value for your current ring rather than a fictional insurance valuation. Don't do this at the same time as you get a price for the work from the High Street as they'll probably know what you are doing. I suspect all the value of your current ring will be in the metal. I know you said this was a gift rather than a purchase but IME, most engagement rings sold by the UK high street have little resale value in the stones despite what people think. The worst I saw was a £15k 'designer' ring with a stone valued in the low £100s.

When you see what it's worth, you'll probably know whether you want a copy making with the existing stones.

Good luck.

White gold is essentially just yellow gold coated in rhodium. It does have white metals mixed in so it’s paler but the rhodium is added to make it resemble platinum.

Not entirely accurate (boring gold info from an ex jeweller coming up!).

Gold is a naturally yellow metal (you can't mine rose or white gold) which mixed with other metals to make different colours, eg. copper for rose, silver for white.

Also the hallmark for different carats tells you the percentage of pure gold, 375 for 9ct - 37.5%, 750 for 188ct - 75% etc. So the higher the carat the more yellow the jewellery, and this still applies for white gold. Without the rhodium plating it will be a creamy colour somewhere between platinum and yellow gold, which some people prefer as it's a softer look.

The last thing to bear in mind is the hardness of the metal, higher carat gold is purer but also softer. This is why jewellers recommend if you wear two rings together that they are the same metal/carat. Platinum and palladium are stronger still and over time will wear away a gold ring.

Lecture over!

That should be 750 for 18ct, not 188!

I’ve had mine done a couple of times as I never liked it much. Again the sentimental value for me was in the stone not the ring so was quite happy to do it

Where abouts are you OP? I have a great jeweller in the North West who has an on-site workshop.

Spot on, @Pinkywoo and good point about considering the metal of the wedding band if there is one as to prevent any platinum copy of the engagement ring wearing the wedding band away over decades of a hopefully happy wedded life.

Useful post @Pinkywoo, thanks for that.

White gold is essentially just yellow gold coated in rhodium. It does have white metals mixed in so it’s paler but the rhodium is added to make it resemble platinum.

Not entirely accurate (boring gold info from an ex jeweller coming up!).

Gold is a naturally yellow metal (you can't mine rose or white gold) which mixed with other metals to make different colours, eg. copper for rose, silver for white.

so what is incorrect about the above - rhodium is used to make it 'whiter'

**make the outside whiter

You do sometimes find yellow gold that has been plated and sold as white, it shows through much quicker and looks awful. White gold has a different mix under the plating, it's not "just yellow gold coated in rhodium".

It wouldn’t change the value, if you went platinum it may be a tad more but the value is in the diamonds, you’d need to get a new insurance valuation done just so it’s covered. If you don’t love it, would it be an idea to just get a new ring? Realistically having it reset will cost a few hundred quid at least, and if you don’t LOVE the stones, having them reset won’t make the most massive amount of difference. I’m a jeweller, and unless it’s got huge sentimental value, there’s a lot to be said for choosing something you absolutely love.

I no got platinum and I didn’t want to have to get my ring recoated. With white hold the coating wears and to get that white brightness you need it re-dipped. I have a palladium wedding ring and the jeweller kept trying to upgrade me to platinum due to the ‘wear’ but palladium and platinum have similar hardness and you can’t tell there is a shade difference.

I had mine reset as the diamonds were too high and snagged my clothes. I had emeralds added and made it into an eternity ring. Now I wear it every day whereas before only on special occasions as it was annoying.

FYI if you have a tight-ish budget don't bother asking about palladium! My nan died last year and she had a diamond and sapphire cluster that I wanted to change into an eternity ring. I got in contact with the jeweller who made and designed my engagement and wedding ring (he told me to go palladium as its just as hard wearing as Pt but cheaper so could have bigger diamond) and he told me (5 years later) he would only do it in Pt now as palladium prices have gone through the roof! Had to get my rings revalued for insurance purposes and was shocked!! DH had his dad's gold ring rhodium plated 5 years ago and still looks as good as the day we got it from the jewellers 😊

@Pinkywoo

You do sometimes find yellow gold that has been plated and sold as white, it shows through much quicker and looks awful. White gold has a different mix under the plating, it's not "just yellow gold coated in rhodium".

the post said It does have white metals mixed in so it’s paler that why i was confused

I looked at doing this a few years ago but it was going to cost lots. We bought a new engagement ring in the end-in platinum so it wouldn’t need regular polishing.

Last year I had my gold diamond earrings reset in platinum and it cost £80, I was expecting it to be a lot more.