LOGR "Extra" Cost

[Babyblue033]

Despite their popularity, this is my first dealing with LOGR so maybe I just had the wrong expectations, but what''s up with their pricing for extra stuff? I just won a setting for 6mm stone and asked it to be customized for 8.6mm stone. No upgraded diamonds. I was quoted $139 plus $30 non-refundable labor fee.

Which is odd because I was previously quoted much lower for a different setting (only .29ctw), again going from 6mm to 8.6mm but BIN item:
Quote #1: $239 for customization + upgrades
Quote #2: $79 just for customization

I get the diamond upgrades but how does he calculate the customization cost? I don''t mind paying, but I like to know what I''m paying for. PSers with much experience dealing with LOGR, please feel free to let me know what I''m missing.

And I didn''t realize that unless you win the setting at a really low bid, after you pay for customization, diamond upgrades, and sizing you end up paying like double the original price! Ouch!

 

[D&T]

hmmm, I''m wondering if he''s trying to recoup some of the loss as opposed to his BIN price. Mine cost $10 for ring resize. $30 for head customization, but I haven''t won any auctions, I bought a few only BIN though.

 

[T L]

Date: 7/13/2009 6:17:00 PM
Author:Babyblue033
Despite their popularity, this is my first dealing with LOGR so maybe I just had the wrong expectations, but what''s up with their pricing for extra stuff? I just won a setting for 6mm stone and asked it to be customized for 8.6mm stone. No upgraded diamonds. I was quoted $139 plus $30 non-refundable labor fee.

Which is odd because I was previously quoted much lower for a different setting (only .29ctw), again going from 6mm to 8.6mm but BIN item:
Quote #1: $239 for customization + upgrades
Quote #2: $79 just for customization

I get the diamond upgrades but how does he calculate the customization cost? I don''t mind paying, but I like to know what I''m paying for. PSers with much experience dealing with LOGR, please feel free to let me know what I''m missing.

And I didn''t realize that unless you win the setting at a really low bid, after you pay for customization, diamond upgrades, and sizing you end up paying like double the original price! Ouch!

For the $139, you''re paying for extra gold and diamonds. If you''re downsizing a piece, then you''re probably only paying the straight customization fee. I think there''s also a bit of work in the labor involved in creating a whole new mold, but I never asked him. The customization fee doesn''t cover that I assume. It''s just a tacked on fee so that people don''t customize left and right all the time.

 

[Kunzite]

Is it a halo design? Perhaps the entire halo would have to be altered and maybe diamonds added?

 

[D&T]

oh I did ask him to customize a three stone to fit a different size stone, but it would have cost $139 which included larger side stones too though.

 

[cellentani]

Date: 7/13/2009 6:17:00 PM
Author:Babyblue033
Despite their popularity, this is my first dealing with LOGR so maybe I just had the wrong expectations, but what''s up with their pricing for extra stuff? I just won a setting for 6mm stone and asked it to be customized for 8.6mm stone. No upgraded diamonds. I was quoted $139 plus $30 non-refundable labor fee.

Which is odd because I was previously quoted much lower for a different setting (only .29ctw), again going from 6mm to 8.6mm but BIN item:
Quote #1: $239 for customization + upgrades
Quote #2: $79 just for customization

I get the diamond upgrades but how does he calculate the customization cost? I don''t mind paying, but I like to know what I''m paying for. PSers with much experience dealing with LOGR, please feel free to let me know what I''m missing.

And I didn''t realize that unless you win the setting at a really low bid, after you pay for customization, diamond upgrades, and sizing you end up paying like double the original price! Ouch!

Babyblue, I agree, the customization prices can be quite a slap-in-the-face, and I think those fees are increasing. I just had a quote from him with a $50 non-refundable labor fee, instead of the usual $30. Like D&T said, maybe he''s trying to recoup lower "best offer" prices and lower winning bids on the auctions. It''s all a business, and he''s not going to be giving something for nothing.

About your specific ring, will more diamonds be needed to accomodate your larger stone? I also think he charges more fees when making something larger. I needed a 8.5mm from a 10mm cushion, and he only charged me $30. However, I paid the BIN price, and upgraded the diamonds (my upgrade price was for the amount of diamonds used in the 10mm cushion, and he did not adjust the price even though I only needed an 8.5mm). My recent inquiries about having rings modified to fit a larger have been in the ballpark of what you mentioned: anywhere from $80 - well over $100. I find that I''m having to be more careful when choosing from now on...

BTW, what setting did you get? And what stone are you trying to set? Always curious!

 

[Babyblue033]

But both customization was for going LARGER, both halos, yet one was $79 and one was $139? At the end of the day, I am going to pay since I do like the setting and ultimately it's still a fairly good price, but I was just curious and wanted to make sense of things.

TL, $79 was for customizing the split shank setting you have, original 6mm setting to fit my 8.6mm stone. I was deciding between this one and the one I ended up buying but with the higher customization cost now I'm not so sure. With just a little more I can get the split shank setting WITH upgraded diamonds. I won't be upgrading the diamonds with the this setting I bought.

D&T, that's what I'm wondering too because he did have the same setting with BIN at about $100 more.

Cellentani, this is the setting but it'll be in rose gold. It's for the BB pink tourmaline I'm dying to wear. I'm really hoping it'll work out.

 

[cellentani]

Oh heck, I asked about this exact setting - lemme check what he told me. BRB

ETA: Okay, I asked him to customize for a 7.8mm stone, and he quoted me $89 plus the $30. I also asked him to remove the basket seat and just attach the prongs directly to the inside of the halo, and this would be included for the price.

Another thing is that he has 2 auctions for this exact setting - one BIN is $380, and the other BIN is $490. They both have the same diamond weight, but the cheaper one has single cuts, and the higher one has full cut diamonds. Babyblue, did you win the auction for single cuts or full cuts?

I asked him about upgrading single cuts on another ring, and he said you can't upgrade the color/clarity of the single cuts; if you pay the upgrade fee, you get full cuts.

 

[CharmyPoo]

I find his customization fees very random as well.

 

[Babyblue033]

Hmmm... so $50 difference between our quotes, my setting a little larger than yours. I did see that he has 2 BIN auctions for the same setting, more expensive one with the full cuts. Mine would have single cuts. I don''t mind the single cuts as long as they''re decent quality, but from what I''ve read with LOGR single cuts=lower grade less sparkly melees so I am a bit worried to be honest.

CharmyPoo, that''s just the thing. I don''t mind paying the extra but I wish it made sense.

 

[cellentani]

If you were to upgrade the single cuts, I wonder if you''d just get the same quality of the higher-priced setting. And who knows, maybe these single cuts are upgradable to higher-quality single cuts.

 

[T L]

Date: 7/13/2009 6:59:29 PM
Author: Babyblue033
TL, $79 was for customizing the split shank setting you have, original 6mm setting to fit my 8.6mm stone. I was deciding between this one and the one I ended up buying but with the higher customization cost now I''m not so sure. With just a little more I can get the split shank setting WITH upgraded diamonds. I won''t be upgrading the diamonds with the this setting I bought.

I upgraded that same setting for an 8.3 mm stone and upgraded the gold (18K) and diamonds (VS full cuts) and paid for sizing. It was around $220 extra for that, which pretty much doubled the price of the setting, but I love it, it''s very delicate and well made. It has a heft to it as well since it''s 18K gold. The diamonds are really beautiful.

 

[Babyblue033]

TL, and I love your setting. It was that setting that made me get one for my tourmaline. But even that, he quoted me $240 WITHOUT the gold upgrade and my stone is only 3mm larger.

 

[SparkleSparkle]

Interesting - this is what is posted on his page:

Upgrade Your Setting

If your diamonds are of clarity better than SI, it is recommended to upgrade the 14K gold to 18K and the accent diamonds to VS. The additional cost is $249 per carat for VS diamonds and $11.8 per gram for 18K gold.

Please request this service explicitly by email after your purchase.

This service takes 5 days.

Make It a Perfect Fit

Resize to any size between 6 to 10 for $10

When I ordered mine, I had it sized to a 5 for $10.00 and the diamond and gold upgrades were $80.00. I didn''t make any changes to the setting though.

 

[T L]

When I order upgrades to a setting and I do not customize anything about it (except maybe the ring size), then I find the above noted fees calculate out exactly to his quote. However, when you do change something out, in particular if you make something larger, there is a larger fee, especially if extra diamonds are involved.

 

[LD]

Just a word of caution for the future. Some of his designs can''t be customised to fit larger/smaller gemstones so BEFORE you bid ask the question!

Actually to customise that ring I think the price is fair.

 

[Babyblue033]

Thank you everyone for your feedback. I was starting to hyperventilate a bit when things weren''t quite what I expected but feel much better now that I had a chance to talk it out with you guys

Hopefully I''ll be happy with my first LOGR setting when I receive it. How long does it normally take to receive it?

 

[Gypsy]

I gotta say I'm looking for an oval setting for a turquoise and I contacted him and Lan.bo4 (and all of his various stores) and Lan is SO MUCH more reasonable about customizations and upgrading diamonds and everything. I asked them for customizations on a couple of rings that are IDENTICAL at both vendors and LOGR price was always a lot higher.

AND his melee start out higher quality than LOGR so you don't HAVE to upgrade. Even though LOGR has the setting I prefer just because of all of that, I won't get one from him. His prices are so not competitive with Lan's. And as I already have a setting by Lan and think it's very good for what it is... I know what I'm getting.

 

[cellentani]

Date: 7/14/2009 4:26:25 PM
Author: Babyblue033
Thank you everyone for your feedback. I was starting to hyperventilate a bit when things weren''t quite what I expected but feel much better now that I had a chance to talk it out with you guys

Hopefully I''ll be happy with my first LOGR setting when I receive it. How long does it normally take to receive it?

One of my LOGR settings was customized for a different size stone, had upgraded diamonds, and needed to be sized, and it took a week to arrive. Another setting didn''t need customizing, but did have upgraded stones, and sizing, and it took a week-and-a-half. And DSL shipping is unbelievably fast, but I''m on the east coast.

Can''t wait to see your new setting - that one''s been in my eBay folder for awhile.

 

[cellentani]

Date: 7/14/2009 4:30:34 PM
Author: Gypsy
I gotta say I''m looking for an oval setting for a turquoise and I contacted him and Lan.bo4 (and all of his various stores) and Lan is SO MUCH more reasonable about customizations and upgrading diamonds and everything. I asked them for customizations on a couple of rings that are IDENTICAL at both vendors and LOGR price was always a lot higher.

AND his melee start out higher quality than LOGR so you don''t HAVE to upgrade. Even though LOGR has the setting I prefer just because of all of that, I won''t get one from him. His prices are so not competitive with Lan''s. And as I already have a setting by Lan and think it''s very good for what it is... I know what I''m getting.

Really Gypsy? You think Lan''s diamonds are better? I know sometimes they say G,VS in the auction, but that''s not what you actually get. I had that exact experience with happyday. LOGR has gotten soooo expensive, that I may try Lan''s - it''s just that the return shipping to China has always been a bit of a deterrent.

 

[T L]

Question for lan.bo4 customers:

Do you feel that he''s telling the truth about the diamond weight on many of his pieces? The reason I ask is that the diamond weight doesn''t seem to jive with what is in the picture for some of his listings. The one lan.bo4 piece I have claimed to have 60 points of diamonds, but I swear it''s around 20 points. My 29 point LOGR seems to have more diamonds than that one.

 

[brandy_z28]

I received my first LOGR setting today, well sort of, it's at home and I'm not... It took 3 days to get from China to my house. I would have had it yesterday but no one was home to sign for it.

ETA: I was quoted a week to 21 days to make my changes but it was shipped to me within 4 days and I had it 3 days after shipping. So total of 1 week after payment. Here's to hoping it's right!

Date: 7/14/2009 5:29:00 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover
Question for lan.bo4 customers:

Do you feel that he's telling the truth about the diamond weight on many of his pieces? The reason I ask is that the diamond weight doesn't seem to jive with what is in the picture for some of his listings. The one lan.bo4 piece I have claimed to have 60 points of diamonds, but I swear it's around 20 points. My 29 point LOGR seems to have more diamonds than that one.

I don't have any experience with lan.bo4 but the ring I got from jewe2004 states it's .42cts and I have a hard time believing that. I think it's actually about half of that if I compare it to my wedding set. I know you didn't ask about jewe2004 but thought I'd chime in anyway, for what it's worth. Is there any way to check diamond weight? My initial thought is no, not without unsetting the stones anyway. I'm sure there are plenty on here that could break out there math skills and give us an estimate based on cut and a mm size.

I'm not about to attempt it though.

 

[T L]

Thanks Brandy,
My question is posed not just to lan.bo4 ring owners, but people that own rings from his myriad of other stores like Jewe2004. I should have clarified.

 

[brandy_z28]

Date: 7/14/2009 6:44:31 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover
Thanks Brandy,
My question is posed not just to lan.bo4 ring owners, but people that own rings from his myriad of other stores like Jewe2004. I should have clarified.

No problem! I had something relevant to add in that case.

 

[cellentani]

Brandy, I''m curious too - would you mind posting a few pics of your setting when you get a chance? I hope you''re happy with it!

 

[T L]

Does this look like 72 points of diamonds to you ladies?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Round-9mm-Solid-14Kt-Rose-Gold-0-72Ct-Diamond-Ring_W0QQitemZ180382548705QQcmdZViewItemQQptZDiamond_Solitaire_with_Accents?hash=item29ffa342e1&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A1%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1205%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A25

The melee are so small. I always wondered why he charged less for upgrading his diamonds, and I think it's because it's only about half of what he truly indicates. I don't think this is more than 40 points by the looks of it, and if you compare it to pictures of LOGR's with 70 points, the diamond weight on those LOGR's look more substantial, and probably attributable for the higher pricing,. My Legacyesque LOGR has 42 points of diamonds and I believe that because the Tiffany&Co Legacy has 41 points and I've seen it in person, they appear to be the same amount in both rings. My Legacy LOGR even looks to have more diamond weight on it than the ring in the above link. I could be wrong, but I just wanted to put that out there for you ladies as something to question. This is one of the reasons I will not buy a lan.bo4.

 

[cellentani]

Date: 7/14/2009 8:12:16 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover
Does this look like 72 points of diamonds to you ladies?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Round-9mm-Solid-14Kt-Rose-Gold-0-72Ct-Diamond-Ring_W0QQitemZ180382548705QQcmdZViewItemQQptZDiamond_Solitaire_with_Accents?hash=item29ffa342e1&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A1%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1205%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A25

The melee are so small. I always wondered why he charged less for upgrading his diamonds, and I think it''s because it''s only about half of what he truly indicates. I don''t think this is more than 40 points by the looks of it, and if you compare it to pictures of LOGR''s with 70 points, the diamond weight on those LOGR''s look more substantial, and probably attributable for the higher pricing,. My Legacyesque LOGR has 42 points of diamonds and I believe that because the Tiffany&Co Legacy has 41 points and I''ve seen it in person, they appear to be the same amount in both rings. My Legacy LOGR even looks to have more diamond weight on it than the ring in the above link. I could be wrong, but I just wanted to put that out there for you ladies as something to question. This is one of the reasons I will not buy a lan.bo4.

Man, it''s really hard for me to tell. I counted over 116 diamonds (there are more than that actually, but I couldn''t count all of the side of the halo), but they''ve got to be no bigger than half-pointers, don''t you think? I do agree that lan.bo4''s diamonds are generally smaller and also spaced farther apart. When I thought about getting a rose gold setting, I realized that there would be a significant amount of metal showing between the diamonds in the halo. I also noticed that if the setting is yellow gold, the surface with the diamonds is rhodiumed, and sometimes you can see the dip line where the rhodium ends and the yellow gold begins.

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 7/14/2009 4:30:34 PM
Author: Gypsy
I gotta say I''m looking for an oval setting for a turquoise and I contacted him and Lan.bo4 (and all of his various stores) and Lan is SO MUCH more reasonable about customizations and upgrading diamonds and everything. I asked them for customizations on a couple of rings that are IDENTICAL at both vendors and LOGR price was always a lot higher.

AND his melee start out higher quality than LOGR so you don''t HAVE to upgrade. Even though LOGR has the setting I prefer just because of all of that, I won''t get one from him. His prices are so not competitive with Lan''s. And as I already have a setting by Lan and think it''s very good for what it is... I know what I''m getting.

Gypsy - Be prepared to return any lan.bo4 setting. I asked for, and paid for, customizations, and the ring arrived without them. He begged to let me give him another chance, but I decided to send it back to China for a refund. He did refund my money. But, I''m not willing to give a second chance. I suspect that this was no accident, and is just the way they do business.

 

[brandy_z28]

Date: 7/14/2009 7:00:39 PM
Author: cellentani
Brandy, I''m curious too - would you mind posting a few pics of your setting when you get a chance? I hope you''re happy with it!

Don''t mind at all cellentani.

I am very happy with the LOGR!

It came just as I ordered and fast!

Here they are. Please excuse my hands. I am by no means a hand model.

The empty rose gold setting is from LOGR and the white gold blank setting is from jewe2004.

 

[brandy_z28]

side view...the jewe2004 diamonds in the shank are soooo incredibly tiny