Calling MARA...Can you help?

[mintve]

Hello Mara!!!

I hope I¡¦ve found you!!!! You have contributed a lot this forum and I would love your expert opinion. If anyone else wants to chime in, the more advice I have the better!!! ƒº

MY first choice setting is available at the Shane Co. the setting is by Lieberfarb and they only sell to a few distributors. However, after reading on this forum, and educating myself I am leaning towards buying the stone online. I am in the process of acquiring info to give my FF b/c he is not comfortable with the idea of buying online (that is a whole post in and of itself). Anyway, from what I¡¦ve read in some of your previous posts, you would recommend The Shane Co for settings, but nor for loose stones. So, my question is two-fold:

1. If we buy the setting from Shane Co and the diamond from WF or GOG, who would you have set the stone? And what procedures/precautions would you recommend?

2. Bob at WF can also get the setting from the designer. It will be a little bit higher in price from WF than from Shane. Plus, all the service that come with the Shane co setting i.e. the whole polish for free, re-shank the platinum, replace lost side-stones, etc. warranty of the Shane co appeals to me. That being said, would you still suggest its OK to buy the setting from the Shane Co, or would you have WF do the whole thing?

3. I have a few questions about seeing an online stone in person before you actually buy it, but that is a question for a whole other post (unless you can refer me to threads were this as already been addressed)

THANK YOU in advance for all your help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It¡¦s truly appreciated!!!

 

[Mara]

hi mintve! its been a while since i have been in shane but from what i recall they do have a lot of settings that were reasonably priced. i did shop there but didn''t find anything i liked for my ring.

if you were going to buy a rock online and a setting from shane, i''d buy the setting from shane and have whoever has your stone set the stone. the stone is going to be the most expensive item vs the setting, so i''d much rather have safety on the stone vs the setting while the stone is being set. aka if the stone is $7k and the setting is $1k, would you feel more comfortable having the vendor who is responsible for the $7k stone setting the stone or a $1k setting owner putting your $7k stone into it...there''s no responsibility there for the stone most likely.

i would typically say just get the setting from WF and the stone as well if that is the route you go since i''m a fan of less hassles gets the same job done, but i do hear what you are saying about the whole service after the fact and local, it is tempting. and if shane will just sell you the setting and your online vendor will set the stone, then i''d go that route.

hope this helps. there are numerous threads about not seeing the stone before buying it with an online vendor but i have yet to be disappointed in a premium make stone from one of the PS vendors when i see it. and with all the photos and the scope images etc that the best online vendors offer, i feel like you do get to ''virtually'' see the stone to where you feel pretty comfortable buying it knowing that there is a return policy in place if you need it.

 

[mintve]

Thanks Mara! You are a star!!

I like the idea of the setting from shane co, then have it sent to WF for setting.

Would you want to see the loose in person before you had it set? Or would you have it set site unseen? Also, would you want to look at 1 or 2 from the same vendor, at the same time (is this possible)???) before you made your final decision?