On Sat, 24 Jan 2004 10:42:35 -0800, in rec.crafts.jewelry
(porkchops) wrote:


(What happened to Typhoon News's reply? It was here a few minutes ago
but now it's gone.. hmm.)

newsgroup messages, as you see them, are what you're machine has
downloaded from your news server (in this case, AOL's news server).
once you've read it once, it's then marked as read in your machine. It
may or may not still be visible. if you delete it on your machine, then
you no longer see it, even though it still exists on the news server.
Keep in mind, too, that newsgroups don't exist as a single news server
for everyone. Each ISP has their own. So everyone reading a message is
seeing it as the copy that exists on their own ISP's news server, not as
a universal situation. Each individual news server/ISP is free to do
what they wish with messages, as far as how long, and if, they keep it
there. Some ISPs keep messages for only a short time, while others keep
them there longer.

The point to all this is that when you ask us, here in the group, what
happened to a message you were looking at, you're asking the wrong
folks. We don't know. Most likely, all that's changed is what YOU did
on your own computer's copy of the message that you downloaded. You can
usually reset the newsgroup by unsubscribing, closing down your
newsreader (in AOL this would mean signing off and closing the AOL
software and connection) and then starting it up again and
resubscribing. This will then show you all available messages on your
news server, including any you'd already read or deleted. In some
software, you're asked, when you unsubscribe, if you wish to keep the
setting and records of the group your unsubscribing from, or not. If
so, answere no, so your machine clears those records, or when you
resubscribe, it would take you back to where you left off.. Hope that
helps...

now to the rest of your questions... (more briefly)


Anyways, so I guess pliers was a definately stupid idea afterall,
LOL!!
What is everyone else's opinion on this ring's chances of completely
breaking in half, if I keep wearing it like I am?

Eventually, it will break. Everything wears out when used continuously.
Without actually seeing it, and seeing how thin it is, or signs of
stress in the metal, there's no way any of us could accuratly predict
how long this might take. Might be tomorrow, might be years away. Even
seeing it, one could only guess, but it would be a more accurate guess.
If you want a more accurate assessment from us, take a good closeup
photo, or photos, of the ring. (Or put it on a good scanner, and scan
it. That often produces a good image.). Then post those images on your
AOL home page, or elsewhere on the web. Then put the URL to those
images in a newsgroup message, so we can all go see it for ourselves.
Remember that you are NOT allowed to post actual attached messages to
the newsgroup itself. Put them on the web, and give us the link.

Since the pliers event, the ring seems to have bent again slightly..
in the opposite area.

If I took this into a jeweler.. they'd still be able to fix this for
me, even though it's a somewhat cheap ring and nothing fancy like an
engagement or wedding ring, right?

Right.

Could they be able to add an extra layer of sterling silver or
something to it to strengthen the band without fully replacing the
band?

Silver is an exceptionally good conductor of heat. This means soldering
or welding on it, without the rest of the ring heating up, can be
difficult. there are ways to do it, of course, but the ease with which
an area can be reinforced, when the ring has a probably temperature
sensative stone in it, is limited. With a laser welder, it would be
fairly easy to do, but not many jewelers have these costly machines yet.
By traditional methods, it might be possible, but probably at a cost
that would approach that of a new ring.

The gem isn't installed with prongs or anything. The gem is sort of in
thios silver oval frame with little rope-like silver design made
around it, in a circle, and the whole frame setting is sort of...
built out of the band itself. It's hard to explain unless you saw it,
but replacing the entire band would be a total mess.

I just wondered if there's some sort of reinforcement thing they can
do to already existing the band.

Probably. Just how it would be done depends on the skill, and equipment
(lasers, etc) of the jeweler you took it to, as well as the exact
details of the ring, which we cannot quite be sure of via text
descriptions. Why haven't you just asked a local jeweler? Find a shop
with a good repair or custom department, and ask their opinion.
Opinions vary of couorse, and with silver, some jewelers will just tell
you not to do it, but others will be more willing to give you some help.
It's free to ask...

Hope that helps.

Peter Rowe