I always laugh at this question. I sometimes wonder what customers are thinking when they ask if they can Glue their Diamonds back into their Rings and Mountings?
I mean Super Glue is supposed to hold anything, right? It holds a man by his helmet, as the commercial says. So why not Diamonds? It sounds plausible. But is it?
Nope!
You shouldn't glue your Diamonds back in if they fall out. But the question is not SHOULD you... The question is CAN you?
Sure you can!
You could put glue on the bottom of your Diamond and stick it back into the Mounting or Head.
But will it hold? Probably not!
Diamonds are very slippery suckers. The facets on Diamonds are highly polished and the sides and edges are smooth. There are no rough spots on a Diamond for the glue to hold on to.
Granted, the glue may hold for an hour, a day, or a week, but sooner or later, that glue will come undone, and you'll lose your stone. "Pop" Goodbye!
So no, I wouldn't try it.
Diamonds are not like Foil-Back Gems. Foil-Backs are fake Diamond synthetics that look like glassy faceted pieces of plastic. These Foil-Backs are often glued into cheap Gold Plated Costume Jewelry. But they pop out of those mountings just as easily. Just look at any of the old Antique Jewelry pieces found in flea markets. Half of them are probably missing stones that were glued in place.
Glue Fake Gems
Fake Gems and Gemstones have often been glued into Jewelry, but not Diamonds.
Diamonds need more elaborate means and devices to hold them into the Mountings. Things like: Prongs, Bezels, Basket Heads, Beads, Channels, and Wires. These will normally fold over the top of the Diamond (The Crown) and hold it in place. This is how Diamonds should really be set. Holding them down with Metal. That is, if you want to keep them! Which I'm sure you do!
Diamonds Have Been Glued in
Now, I have seen some instances and particular cases where Diamonds HAVE been glued in. (Hold on to your Helmets!) But it's extremely rare, and NOT advised!
Rings that have bad mountings or problem settings that lose Diamonds often, can actually be helped along with some glue. Quite often, mountings with Invisible Set Diamonds (See Picture) can be aided by adding a drop of glue to the underside of the Diamond puzzle pieces. (Read: What are Invisible-Set Diamonds?)
That drop of glue is just an added degree of security for the Diamonds. The Diamonds are already held into place by the other Diamonds, but Invisible Set Diamonds have problems and tend to loosen and fall out. Glue Helps prevent this!
I've only seen it done a couple of times over the course of many years. I can't imagine the glue would hold for long. (The Diamonds probably fell out by the time they got to the parking lot.) Eventually, the customers will have to spend the dough and have it professionally set.
Should you attempt it?
Should you attempt to glue Diamonds in yourself? No! Glueing Diamonds is tricky. You don't want the glue to show. You don't want globs of glue squeezing through the cracks and covering up your stones. (Plus, you'll end up gluing your Ring to your Fingers!)
And like I said, I would never attempt it anyways. If you must do it, leave it up to a Jeweler to try.(That's if you can find a Jeweler willing to take on such an absurd request!) And ONLY do it if there are no other possibilities left! Most Jewelers will laugh at you if you ask them this anyway. "Glue Diamonds in? You've got to be joking!"
Trust me...
Glue won't last!
It's silly, stupid and you'll probably regret it. Glue can help for holding in Pearls, Opals, Foil-Backs, Doublets, Cabochon Gemstones, But Diamonds? NOPE!
Have the Ring repaired the right way, or your Diamonds will be lost the quick way. This I will guarantee!
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