DM51
Flashaholic
My wedding ring had become quite tight over recent years. I had never taken it off, and I only recently noticed the tightness was actually bothering me quite a bit. And of course, by then it was too late – I couldn't get it off at all.
Nothing else for it – off to the local jeweller to have it cut off. It is a platinum ring, so there were no particular hardness problems to worry about, and he said he would be able to enlarge it with extra platinum so the join would be invisible and it would fit again.
Just before he started cutting, I remembered the hallmark on the inside of the ring. I didn't want him to cut through that if it could be avoided. The problem was actually locating where it was, on the inside of a tightly-fitting ring. His shop was extremely well-lit, with bright spot downlights, but it was not light enough to see inside the ring and locate the hallmark. I kept trying, muttering "What I really need here is a small bright ligh…"
!!!!!!
Like an idiot, I had completely forgotten I had the perfect instrument on my keychain – my CR2 Ion XT. I pulled it out. With the jeweller holding the light for me, I was able to locate the hallmark, and he then made the cut on the opposite side, bent the ring open and off it came. Here are some pics.
The hallmark can be seen in this one:
My finger, one week later. The mark from the ring is still clearly visible.
It wasn't painful before, and it isn't now. It was just slightly bothersome. There was no great feeling of relief when it came off, but the finger feels a little more free now than it did before. I am told if I had done nothing about it, I could have started to lose circulation and function in that finger. The jeweller says it will probably be about 1 month before the finger will have settled down and returned to normal, and he will take a measurement for re-fitting the ring at that stage.
Just a small success-story for our hobby, but it was nice to have been able to save the hallmark. The jeweller seemed quite impressed, too.
Nothing else for it – off to the local jeweller to have it cut off. It is a platinum ring, so there were no particular hardness problems to worry about, and he said he would be able to enlarge it with extra platinum so the join would be invisible and it would fit again.
Just before he started cutting, I remembered the hallmark on the inside of the ring. I didn't want him to cut through that if it could be avoided. The problem was actually locating where it was, on the inside of a tightly-fitting ring. His shop was extremely well-lit, with bright spot downlights, but it was not light enough to see inside the ring and locate the hallmark. I kept trying, muttering "What I really need here is a small bright ligh…"
!!!!!!
Like an idiot, I had completely forgotten I had the perfect instrument on my keychain – my CR2 Ion XT. I pulled it out. With the jeweller holding the light for me, I was able to locate the hallmark, and he then made the cut on the opposite side, bent the ring open and off it came. Here are some pics.
The hallmark can be seen in this one:
My finger, one week later. The mark from the ring is still clearly visible.
It wasn't painful before, and it isn't now. It was just slightly bothersome. There was no great feeling of relief when it came off, but the finger feels a little more free now than it did before. I am told if I had done nothing about it, I could have started to lose circulation and function in that finger. The jeweller says it will probably be about 1 month before the finger will have settled down and returned to normal, and he will take a measurement for re-fitting the ring at that stage.
Just a small success-story for our hobby, but it was nice to have been able to save the hallmark. The jeweller seemed quite impressed, too.
