WF wedding band pics - not entirely happy

[Foureyes]

Hi all!

This is my first post, though I''ve been lurking for a while. What drew me out of lurkdom is the following: I had WF make my wedding band based on the Michael B lace band (mind you, I''m well aware that they couldn''t copy the design in its entirety because of copyright issues and whatnot, and I let them know this from the get-go). Well, I received the pictures today, but I''m not entirely sure how I feel about the end result. I feel like the beads holding the diamonds are too prominent, and aesthetically, it doesn''t really please me. Furthermore, i''m nervous that I''ll find this uncomfortable between my fingers.

I told WF that I wasn''t happy with the product, and they were really very nice about it. I talked to Leon specifically, and he told me that the beads were "more secure" than those on the original design, and that WF furthermore couldn''t copy the design exactly (which I understood), and so that''s why the beads aren''t as recessed. While I understand all this, I''m still not particularly happy with the way it looks. Maybe I''ll like it better when I see the ring in person? Leon assures me it''s not too bad in person...but still I don''t know. I''d rather change the design in some other way, i.e., remove one of the little "lace patches" where the bottom of the ring will be or something, instead of making the beads more raised than the original.

What do you all think? I''d really, really love your opinions! Thank you so much.

 

[Foureyes]

I hope this works!! Do you see what I mean by the raised portions though?

 

[TravelingGal]

I had to go find a pic of the inspiration ring and after looking at this and then the WF design, I''d have to say...

Yes, I see what you mean.

 

[ice_princess]

Ultimately it''s about what you want so if you don''t like it, have them change it, although I have to say I think it''s lovely. Maybe check it out in person first, there is a chance that you might love it when you put it on your finger...

 

[sera]

Well, I understand what you''re saying. If I had a choice between the two designs, I would absolutely want the original- not just because it''s "Michael B" but because I just like the design better.

But, knowing it couldn''t be copied exactly, I think this is a nice alternative- it''s not a copy, but an option. I do think that in person it will look smoother and hopefully feel smoother. I get soooo OCD about those magnified pictures that I pick the designs/craftmanship apart and I have to constantly remind myself "it''s magnified!" so be fair. When I have seen rings in pictures and the prongs look huge or uncomfortable, most of the time that''s not the case irl. I hope it works out that you really love it irl. It is a very pretty ring.

 

[Foureyes]

TravelingGal -

Sorry about that; I didn''t mean to make you go fishing. For everybody else, here''s a picture of the original. (It''s a square band, of course, but notice how the diamonds are recessed?)

 

[Foureyes]

And finally, here''s a pic of the rounded original:

 

[decodelighted]

To my eye it''s the difference between putting diamonds ONTO a ring vs. INTO a ring. But if you want the original design you kinda have to buy it from the original designer.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 10/19/2007 6:53:13 PM
Author:Foureyes
Hi all!

This is my first post, though I''ve been lurking for a while. What drew me out of lurkdom is the following: I had WF make my wedding band based on the Michael B lace band (mind you, I''m well aware that they couldn''t copy the design in its entirety because of copyright issues and whatnot, and I let them know this from the get-go). Well, I received the pictures today, but I''m not entirely sure how I feel about the end result. I feel like the beads holding the diamonds are too prominent, and aesthetically, it doesn''t really please me. Furthermore, i''m nervous that I''ll find this uncomfortable between my fingers.

I told WF that I wasn''t happy with the product, and they were really very nice about it. I talked to Leon specifically, and he told me that the beads were ''more secure'' than those on the original design, and that WF furthermore couldn''t copy the design exactly (which I understood), and so that''s why the beads aren''t as recessed. While I understand all this, I''m still not particularly happy with the way it looks. Maybe I''ll like it better when I see the ring in person? Leon assures me it''s not too bad in person...but still I don''t know. I''d rather change the design in some other way, i.e., remove one of the little ''lace patches'' where the bottom of the ring will be or something, instead of making the beads more raised than the original.

What do you all think? I''d really, really love your opinions! Thank you so much.

To be honest, this remark bothered me more than the pic.....To me, it would be a "clue" that it''s a real possibilty you''re not going to like it in person. "Not too bad" is not what I''d want to hear....

I prefer the look of the original to be totally honest.

 

[Kaleigh]

I know this is not want you want to hear but this design, is not one that translates well in an inspired fashion. Very hard to do IMHO. That's why I think you should have just bought the real deal. Hopefully they can shave down the prongs, making them less obtrusive. Not sure if that will hurt the integrity of the ring??
In their defense, they came pretty close, but this is one design that shouldn't be replicated. No way to do it legally , you have to alter the design by 20%. That's why I say it doesn't translate well. Just being honest.

Hopefully something can be done, tweaking etc..

 

[TravelingGal]

Thanks for posting the original.

I can say from the MAGNIFIED pic, I don''t love it. But I have to agree...magnified pics can be scary and it may look totally better in real life. You should give it a shot and see if it''s doable IRL, especially since you knew it would not be exactly like the original.

If you wanted the original, as Deco said, you should have gone with the original. As much as I love WF, I did not go with them to make a copy of my ring. First of all, they said "we can make that ring." I clarified and they did then say that they can''t make an exact copy. Well my ring is not a complicated design, but I loved the lines of it the way it was, EXACTLY. Therefore I paid more to get the original.

Not sure if that''s helpful since you have gone ahead with the custom piece.

 

[onedrop]

I do see what you mean about the prongs, but keep in mind this is a picture and sometimes you can't tell everything from a picture. Just see what happens when you actually see the ring in person. Wear for a few days and see if it will be comfortable, then you can make a more informed decision. I guess your unhappiness/misgivings are the inherent problems in trying to reproduce an already established design. If it doesn't work for you after wearing I hope that WF will make it right. Still in all I think the finished product is gorgeous.

ETA: after you posted the Michael B inspiration band, I have to say that yeah, maybe you'd better served to spring for the original. That is a VERY intricate design to reproduce. And then again reproduction will never do it justice!

 

[Gypsy]

Ditto Deco and add that the shape of the shank/band is part of the problem too. The Michael B shanks aren''t as broad over the top as the WF one is. I love the crown lace, but copying it isn''t something I think can really be done, not without an actual original band in front of you and no copyright laws to protect it.

 

[swingirl]

Why don''t you have them send it to you and at least try it on. It might not bother you when it is "real size" vs. magnified. But only if they let you return it. There is a reason, tho, why people hve something copied for less. The copy isn''t a tried and true design. Michael B probably went through many tries on this design to get the right proportions and best depth for the stones. That''s why their price is high. WF has only had a chance to do one version. If you feel the raised pave you won''t like wearing this band.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

The Michael B lace is one of my favorites. I cannot recall the price of that setting, but I remember it being kind of high, so I can see why you were trying to replicate it rather than pay for the real thing. But, as was stated by others, you may have been better off doing so, so you''d be completely satisfied.

Probably the best option is to get the ring home and get a chance to see it on your own finger before deciding your opinion. Hopefully you love it in person.

 

[E B]

I do see what you mean about the beads being a little distracting, but I agree with the others; once you get it on your finger, you might change your mind. First, you can't see any diamond sparkle in that picture, which makes the clusters look dull. But when you've got it on your finger and out in the sun, you might feel differently.

If you don't like it, I think your plan of removing one of the clusters at the bottom and sinking the diamonds into the ring is a great idea! Ask WF if removing one of the clusters will satisfy the 20% modification.

(And if it helps, I know exactly how you feel. I too had my wedding ring modeled after a 'high-profile' design and was unhappy after some miscommunication. I figured I could live with it until I realized I'd be wearing it every day and thus, had it modified to my satisfaction.)

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 10/19/2007 7:21:08 PM
Author: decodelighted
To my eye it's the difference between putting diamonds ONTO a ring vs. INTO a ring. But if you want the original design you kinda have to buy it from the original designer.

some of which I think may just the difference b/t a handmade ring and one that's cast.

I agree with the others that the Lace is one of the few rings I'd always recommend buying the original, not only is it illegal to copy, it's very difficult. I've yet to see anyone come close, at least in pics. However, I do think you should at least take a look at it in person. the giant pics really to highlight every tiny thing that you might never see with your own eyes. Then if you still are unhappy, i'm sure WF will work with you to make things satisfactory for you.

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 10/19/2007 7:25:57 PM
Author: Ellen

To be honest, this remark bothered me more than the pic.....To me, it would be a 'clue' that it's a real possibilty you're not going to like it in person. 'Not too bad' is not what I'd want to hear....

I prefer the look of the original to be totally honest.

I agree w/Ellen. I would buy the original.

 

[amy_dub]

If you''re uneasy about it now, you''re never going to be happy with it. If I were you, I''d go with the original.

 

[Fly Girl]

The original Michael B is really beautiful. The WF version is, well, great if you like that look. It does nothing for me. And, it sounds like you don''t like it much either.

I just checked on the price of the original.

I''m thinking that a plain metal band for a w-ring would work great until you have the money saved up to buy the original.

Good luck!

 

[Foureyes]

Hi everyone!

Thank you so much for your responses; I really appreciate everyone's input. I just wanted to make sure that my first impression of the ring was generally correct, and that I wasn't making too much of the size of the beads. With regard to the comments about purchasing the orginal - I understand completely what you're all saying, and I agree that the best way to get the look would be to purchase the actual band. However, I was okay with a modified or "inspired" design (though, I didn't think it would look as different as it does...). As someone said, however, this might be a hard design to produce an "inspired" piece from. The cost was also a huge factor; we just couldn't afford the $4000 price tag, and I was willing to settle for something that was inspired. Plus, I wanted control over the process, and I wanted the benefit of the beautiful ACA melee.

I am definitely going to have WF send me the ring before I make any decisions. As everyone mentioned, I may like it better in person. (EBree brings up a good point about the diamonds sparkling more because they're raised, and as a result, I might like it even better!) I am so, so happy with WF's customer service that I really have no hesitations regarding whether or not I'll be happy with the end result (whatever that happens to be). I understand the risks of getting custom work done, and this was a risk I was willing to take.

If I can figure out how to use macro mode on the camera, I will post pictures. (Must do some research first, though, on how to operate this function.)

The ring comes on Monday, and I'd love to know what you guys think about it as it appears on my hand.

Again, thank you so much everyone!

 

[Sharon101]

I dont particularly think the original looks like it is worth $4000. I would rather an eternity band with some amazing bling for that sort of budget!

I think the copy is ok, but Im not crazy about the original anyway.

 

[LE]

WF has done recessed diamonds in clusters... have you seen the "champaigne" (not sure why it''s not "champagne") engagement rings on their website? They also have a great copy of the Tiffany etoile ring. I''m not sure why this one didn''t turn out so great. I''m sure that, once they give it another try, it will be beautiful. If they offered something similar to the Michael B. ring, I''d definitely be interested for my w-band!

 

[woobug02]

I think it is very pretty Whiteflash is 1st class....they will do whatever you want

 

[Foureyes]

LE and Woobug - thank you for your comments. They made me feel a lot better; I was stressing out about it all last night and couldn't sleep - did I throw away all the money I spent to do a custom job? Would it turn out all right? Was I just asking to be unhappy with the ring because I asked WF to do something that was "too intricate"? Those comments made me worry less after that fretful night! Thank you!!

 

[777_LDY]

I''ve gotta say I like your band MUCH better than the original. The two bands really do look so different, but I find the dome shape much nicer on yours. The original seems a little thin to me, and harder to see the diamonds...I hope that makes sense! I see what you mean about the beading but only on the outer edges of the lace patches. Seeing as they really do look so different I think your band would be perfection if those outer edges were smoothed down a bit and it still wouldn''t look like an exact "copy" of the original. I really hope it all works out for you.

 

[Foureyes]

Aww, thanks LDY! Hopefully the edges won''t be too distracting in person. I''ll post pics as soon as I''m able

 

[HappyAnniversary]

Foureyes--macro pictures are really deceiving--I bet it will look amazing in real life. I can''t wait till I see the real thing on your hand.