Leon Mege "No Soup For You!"

[Rock_of_Love]

I''m posting this because I''m not quite sure what to do and I need your advice/help!

In my search for a diamond (antique style cushion) and a setting, this website has been a wealth of information. Thank you! I''ve been working with Jonathan at GOG for the stone, and I''m getting close to "the one" - and he has been truly wonderful to work with. As far as the setting, I had pretty much decided on Leon Mege after reading about his work here and viewing some spectacular pieces...you had me convinced! His work is gorgeous!

I was taking a trip out to NYC so I''d hoped to meet with him to discuss settings, but he felt that since I didn''t have the stone yet, it wouldn''t be a very productive meeting. I was a little disappointed since I was coming from the West Coast and I don''t get out to NY all that often, but I understood and it made sense since he seems to design the ring based on the stone.

Since then, I''m getting very close to finding the stone - I think I may have found one, but need to work out the $$ details! So, I''ve been frantically trying to figure out the setting. I have so many ideas of what I like that I''m almost ready to do a collage like CharmyPoo''s!! I found a setting on Leon''s website that I really liked, so I emailed him to ask more about it...there is only one pic on the website, so it is hard to tell what it really looks like all around.

He emailed me a quote, which was great, but I had initially asked for more pics...and when I asked again, I got a very harsh email back. He said he simply can''t send pics and he listed the reasons (I''m paraphrasing, but the tone defintely wasn''t nice):
1. Receives too many requests and its impossible to find the pics
2. The other images are not optimized
3. How does he know I''m not a jeweler trying to copy his work
4. My customers invest their trust in my work and prefer the piece to be unique rather than an exact replica of a past design
5. Historically not a single request for an additional image resulted in anorder placed

I emailed back explaining that I had recently talked to him on the phone and that I am definitley not a jeweler trying to copy his work. I also assured him that I had pretty much made my decision to go with him for my setting, and that I was just trying to figure out what I wanted my setting to look like. A lot of the other settings on the site have 2 views, this one didn''t so I was just trying to see what the basket/prong/whatever looked like becasue from the one pic you can''t tell. I explained this all to him.

Another harsh email back from him that pretty much cut me off from further discussions about design. He basically said I needed to place the order, then we could discuss design specifics.

I replied back and apoligized if I had offended him in any way and hoped that we could work this out.

Haven''t heard back in days, hence "NO SOUP FOR YOU!"

I''m really sad because I love his work - and I don''t think I was asking for too much! I''m not the type that can just send over my money and my diamond and trust that it will work out...I do want some say in the design process. So, I just don''t know what to do at this point...do I keep trying with Leon?? Anyone experienced this and does it work out??

Advice / Help Please!!

 

[neatfreak]

Sadly with Leon you are asking too much. Sounds like he is just not the right fit for you, he doesn't coddle customers like other vendors do. Some people don't mind it and some people need a different level of customer service which he just does not provide.

I'm sorry he was rude to you though! But it's happened to many people before and will continue, it's just his personality and business practices, so don't take offense to it.

And no, I wouldn't keep trying, my guess is that he blacklisted you already which is what he seems to do pretty quickly. Have you checked out Maytal Hannah's work? She makes beautiful settings.

 

[makemepretty]

Artists are always known to be temperamental. Probably not the one you should go with then IMHO. Look lots of places and on line for ideas, you''ll find the right setting. He''s not the only one out there and in this economy, you might find one you love more at a more reasonable price. Good luck, don''t feel down

 

[Kaleigh]

Since you are on the west coast you should consider working with Maytal, she does amazing work. I am sorry about Leon. But not suprised.

 

[autumngems]

I say pass on him. I did not have a good experience with him at all. I emailed him to ask a few questions as I had a ring I wanted him to set my diamond in because I liked his claw prongs. He emailed me back and was rude and inconsiderate and told me that he was offended by my questions and that I should take my work elsewhere.

My opinion: he think''s too much of himself, no person is "that" good. If he can''t react with the public in a decent manner than I want no part of him touchng my jewelry.

 

[Alexiszoe]

I am sorry you had to go through this experience! even though he is talented, I feel that being harsh is uncalled for - he could have said no nicely.

Like what the other posters said, how about asking other designers to work with you? this thread might help:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/who-does-the-best-customs.71739/

 

[Rock_of_Love]

Date: 2/5/2009 1:06:55 PM
Author: autumngems
I say pass on him. I did not have a good experience with him at all. I emailed him to ask a few questions as I had a ring I wanted him to set my diamond in because I liked his claw prongs. He emailed me back and was rude and inconsiderate and told me that he was offended by my questions and that I should take my work elsewhere.

My opinion: he think''s too much of himself, no person is ''that'' good. If he can''t react with the public in a decent manner than I want no part of him touchng my jewelry.

I hear ya on that one...I think maybe in the end I wouldn''t want ill feelings looking down at a ring made through a bad experience.

I can''t believe it because it is SUCH a contrast to working with Jonathan at GOG. My experience with him has been so great, fun, etc. I''m laughing, excited, giddy...which I think is what one wants from the "finding the Ering experience" (of course paired with a little stress/anxiety!!).

I will defintely check out Maytal Hannah - I''ve looked at the website, but I''ll look through PS pics as well. Does she have a store with example pieces? Maybe I should take a trip up. I also like Mark Morrell''s work.

What about Singlestone? Any thoughts?

 

[bgray]

leon can be extraordinarily difficult--he has lost a lot of business this way and not just custom pieces for individuals. let this give you piece of mind that you would probably not be pleased with the end result anyone b/c he is not often easy to work with. i did and never will again.

 

[bee*]

Date: 2/5/2009 12:55:44 PM
Author: neatfreak
Sadly with Leon you are asking too much. Sounds like he is just not the right fit for you, he doesn''t coddle customers like other vendors do. Some people don''t mind it and some people need a different level of customer service which he just does not provide.


I''m sorry he was rude to you though! But it''s happened to many people before and will continue, it''s just his personality and business practices, so don''t take offense to it.


And no, I wouldn''t keep trying, my guess is that he blacklisted you already which is what he seems to do pretty quickly. Have you checked out Maytal Hannah''s work? She makes beautiful settings.

ditto. Although I really don''t think that the OP was asking to be coddled-she just asked for photos for a setting that she''s interested in!
Hope that you find another vendor soon!!

 

[bgray]

mcteigue and mcClelland are extremely fine and accomodating jewelers and they do a lot of custom work on top of their highly regarded designs.
Quest jewelers are very good and I have also heard wonderful things about mark morrell

 

[Skippy123]

Well I would consider Ari with Single Stone; have you seen Coatimundi's rework? Claw's similar to LM https://www.pricescope.com/forum/op-requested/single-stone-oval-prong-makeover-nips-tucks-post-them-here-t101377.html
I am sorry what happened to you.

 

[mrssalvo]

first off, I''m sorry...love your thread title by the way

Unfortunately, what the others have said is true. I would try Maytal. singlestone does beautiful custom work as well.

 

[Diamond*Dana]

What a shame, I am sure you are disappointed. I have to agree with the others though, I would not want to work with anyone (or pay them my hard earned money) if I were treated like this! I would definitely find a different vendor. Good luck!

 

[Rhea]

You''re not the first to write this about Leon. For such an important piece I''m sure you want a flawless experience. Leon''s work may be nice, but it''s no nicer than a ton of others out there who don''t have the attitude to go with it.

 

[CDNinNYC]

Rock of Love,

I''m sorry to hear about your experience. It''s not the first one I''ve read and I''m sure it won''t be the last which is unfortunate because, in my opinion, his work is beautiful.

For what it''s worth, Leon is most likely at the Gem Show in Tucson. This might explain why he hasn''t responded to your last email.

Best of luck with what you decide on your ring; I''m sure it''ll be gorgeous!

 

[pixley]

Oy.

Leon strikes again. Your title is so funny, though! At least you have a sense of humor about it.

I understand where he's coming from, but my goodness that man needs a PR person to handle his quote requests. I also completely get why you'd want to know what you're getting into before you hand over your stone. I do like the jewelers recommended above, but perhaps you could link to the setting you're interested in. It may be that another PS poster from way back when has that ring and has posted other views. Or, we could let you know who might be best at executing that style of design.

 

[Rock_of_Love]

Thank you everyone for your comments...I am starting to feel a lot better! Maybe I will still hear back, CDNinNYC, but I''m tending to feel that maybe it is not a good fit.

In regards to the title - it is funny, but that is exactly how I felt! I don''t know what Leon looks like, but I can''t help but picture the Soup Nazi!!

Pixely...that is great advice...here is the setting I''be been eyeing. I want to see what the basket/prong area looks like, becasue I want something low profile. Also, I wanted to see the shank height, too. I like the main concept, but I want to modify it to make it more simple and streamlined. I''m thinking doing a more rounded shank with no detail 1/2 way back for comfort. It''s hard because I really like the simple classic solitaire a la yours...and boston jeff''s, but I want a little detail here and there.

Thoughts??
Link to Leon Setting

 

[purrfectpear]

Date: 2/5/2009 1:53:10 PM
Author: bgray
leon can be extraordinarily difficult--he has lost a lot of business this way and not just custom pieces for individuals. let this give you piece of mind that you would probably not be pleased with the end result anyone b/c he is not often easy to work with. i did and never will again.

Actually Leon has plenty of business and pleased customers, thus his 4-6 week leadtime.

 

[Rock_of_Love]

Here is the one Singlestone I''ve been eyeing, too. On this, I would want to change the shank width, and not do the pave all the way around...for comfort. But I *LOVE* the basket (see pic 2).

 

[Rock_of_Love]

pic 2

 

[brooklyngirl]

This setting looks a lot like his classic solitaire, only it has engraving and pave. Here''s a SIDE view of his solitaire:

 

[pixley]

Mmmm, that Leon setting is prrrrrty as is the Singlestone one. I can''t recall that LM setting ever appearing on a PSr''s SMTR thread, but brooklyngirl''s link to the possible side view seems pretty plausible.
I would definitely call Singlestone. They are so delightful to work with, they''re in L.A. and their work is heavenly. They also seem to have smaller pointy prongs than Maytals, which are still very elegant, but seem a bit longer than some of the ones I''ve seen on SS''s and Leon rings. I would trust them in every aspect of those designs and I know they would be collaborative with you on the design process. If you were going with a solitaire, I would say Leon''s solitaires are totally worth it because his lines are SO perfect and the polish that he gives his rings is so spectacular, but I think SS could work with you on those types of rings and give you the joyful experience that you deserve.

 

[Rock_of_Love]

Date: 2/5/2009 3:58:58 PM
Author: brooklyngirl
This setting looks a lot like his classic solitaire, only it has engraving and pave. Here''s a SIDE view of his solitaire:

So, do you think that "bar" around the stone in the solitare is just engraved in the pic I posted? To me it looks a little more like a "basket" if that is the term...one of the reasons I was drawn to it....and that is why I wanted to see that view.

 

[CDNinNYC]

Date: 2/5/2009 4:10:34 PM
Author: Rock_of_Love

So, do you think that ''bar'' around the stone in the solitare is just engraved in the pic I posted? To me it looks a little more like a ''basket'' if that is the term...one of the reasons I was drawn to it....and that is why I wanted to see that view.

Hmmm, so are you thinking of a basket like this one except with engraving instead of pave?

 

[coatimundi_org]

Hiya,
Sorry about your communication with Mege. I highly recommend working with Single Stone. Ari can modify settings for you, and he has a great bench. Customer service and communication are top notch with Ari and his staff. Definitely worth a visit! Good Luck!

 

[Rock_of_Love]

Date: 2/5/2009 4:19:45 PM
Author: CDNinNYC

Date: 2/5/2009 4:10:34 PM
Author: Rock_of_Love

So, do you think that ''bar'' around the stone in the solitare is just engraved in the pic I posted? To me it looks a little more like a ''basket'' if that is the term...one of the reasons I was drawn to it....and that is why I wanted to see that view.

Hmmm, so are you thinking of a basket like this one except with engraving instead of pave?

I don''t know what I''m looking for! Ha ha!! I do like that pic you posted...and I''ve seen that one. And, I think the engraving would like nice instead of pave. But, really, I just wanted to see what the one I posted looked like from that angle to get inspiration. It very well could be as you describe...or it could be something different.

 

[swingirl]

Regarding the photos, Leon takes photos of his work that he believes are of interest in promoting his style and designs. But once the ring is sold how could he get more photos? He does not have 2 or 3 photographers like WF has which take photos of every item from 3 different angles. You hardly see any photos of past projects from Mark Morrell, GOG, or Maytal Hannah''s site. They don''t offer nearly the selection of past projects to flip through. WF posts no custom pieces on their website and may or may not offer to dig one out from their files for you, especially if wasn''t done recently. Actually Leon seems to be the only custom vendor that has 329 photos on his website for you to get inspiration from.

Leon is also not the first vendor who declined to start work on a project before they had the stone in their hands. WF did the same and one fella on PS complained because he thought WF should have his cad going before he even bought his stone.

Leon doesn''t have a store front and is not set up for personalized customer service, especially with someone who is still looking for ideas and as you say, "I have so many ideas of what I like that I''m almost ready to do a collage like CharmyPoo''s!!" Leon does not work that way. I am guessing he could sense that without a stone and without any clear direction you aren''t ready to begin a design project.

Hopefully you will find someone to work with that is a better fit. But have your stone in hand and your ideas narrowed down.

 

[bgray]

Date: 2/5/2009 5:48:08 PM
Author: swingirl
Regarding the photos, Leon takes photos of his work that he believes are of interest in promoting his style and designs. But once the ring is sold how could he get more photos? He does not have 2 or 3 photographers like WF has which take photos of every item from 3 different angles. You hardly see any photos of past projects from Mark Morrell, GOG, or Maytal Hannah's site. They don't offer nearly the selection of past projects to flip through. WF posts no custom pieces on their website and may or may not offer to dig one out from their files for you, especially if wasn't done recently. Actually Leon seems to be the only custom vendor that has 329 photos on his website for you to get inspiration from.

Leon is also not the first vendor who declined to start work on a project before they had the stone in their hands. WF did the same and one fella on PS complained because he thought WF should have his cad going before he even bought his stone.

Leon doesn't have a store front and is not set up for personalized customer service, especially with someone who is still looking for ideas and as you say, 'I have so many ideas of what I like that I'm almost ready to do a collage like CharmyPoo's!!' Leon does not work that way. I am guessing he could sense that without a stone and without any clear direction you aren't ready to begin a design project.

Hopefully you will find someone to work with that is a better fit. But have your stone in hand and your ideas narrowed down.



you make some good points but the original poster said they wanted a cushion and the ring they were referring to was made for a cushion. it wasnt like they said i dont know what kind of stone i want. plus Leon is something of photography buff and very technical. if he didnt have more pix he could have said that. he answer was decidedly different in content. having dealt with him extensively-i am familiar with him and his workshop and have experienced his rudeness, arrogance and insulting attitude first hand. i think he was just flat out rude to Rock of Love.

 

[CharmyPoo]

I guess the question is ... can you suck it up for the good work? At first, i thought I could get both top knotch quality and top knotch customer service. I am not so sure .. I rather deal with bad customer service for amazing work .. then great customer service and so so work.

 

[bgray]

there are lots of talented people out there. try carvin french in nyc as well