My First Ever Custom Ring Project with DiamondsbyLauren

[stepcutnut]

I just wanted to chime in and say David is wonderful to work with! I am excited to see your finished piece I've attached a pic of my Pink Lady, that David created-the bezel is very nice!

 

[luckyblackcat]

Good morning! I hope everyone had a good weekend!

@Rfisher: Oops, I forgot to answer your question about cathedrals! Yes, I've seen them in person and still don't like when they look like cut-outs, but it's a very nitpicky personal preference. There are cathedrals I like, though!

@BeekeeperBetty: What made you pass on the pear, if you don't mind me asking? And trillions are so unique! I'd love to see a big yellow trillion in yellow gold... YUM. Please keep me posted on your project! And I really hope the rest of chemo is tolerable and that the new meds work out. Sending you good vibes!

@stepcutnut: Hello! Another one of your gorgeous DBL rings was posted earlier in here! Pink Lady is phenomenal!! Her color!!! And the bezel setting is very chic! It's great to hear from so many people who have enjoyed working with David! I can't wait to talk settings with him!

 

[Rfisher]

luckyblackcat here is only pics i have of my DBL pieces- ....

this one shows the pear pendant and sapphire necklace

this one shows my (yellow center) three stone, and double bezel (faint pinkish brown) split shank.
i do not have a photo of my teensy yellow radiant studs and don't have the pear ring anymore.

best of luck and be sure to post your finished ring!

 

[Rockdiamond]

HI all!!

Beekeeper- sending healing vibes from the entire DBL family- we hope you're feeling strong!!
Thank you to everyone who posted pics

About bezels in general- I am also a stickler. There's a number of different designs for bezels, and sometimes "gloppy" is what's actually desired. Sometimes ( more often) sharp and clean are what we are after.
My pics are pretty savage- they do not hide anything and that is also a factor in the way our bezels come across. Bezels are totally dependent on the shape of the stone and the hand that's doing to work- so they will definitely vary.
As a general rule for shoppers- make sure you see prior work of any shop you're considering to see if they make the type of bezel you love.

And thanks to Luckyblackcat for starting this thread!

 

[BeekeeperBetty]

luckyblackcat (love your name, by the way. I have an almost all black lucky cat myself) I passed simply because in my heart I really wanted it to be more yellow. That was the only reason. It was so gorgeous that I had a hard time passing it up, too.

My husband has been no help, by the way. We were looking through the DBL website this weekend and he told me to up the budget and just consider it my Christmas present as well. I'm going to think it over. He doesn't know that I already picked out something else for Christmas that's sparkly that I want. I want both, not just one. I'll have to think it over.

And I'm feeling much better, thank you all for the well wishes! I just have one more week to go and then I start another medication. I'm looking forward to not losing any more hair! I had a lot to start out with, but it's pretty thin now.

 

[luckyblackcat]

@Rfisher: Your collection is amazing!!! I love that pear necklace so much! Now I'm daydreaming of wedding day jewelry again... Thank you for sharing!

@Rockdiamond: Thanks, David! Counting down the days to have my new ring!!

@BeekeeperBetty: SO's aren't always the most helpful at picking out jewelry, are they? Sometimes, having too many choices makes it so much harder!! Have you seen the new light yellow cushion cuts on DBL? Thought of you when I saw them! This one is my fav: http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/index.php/jewelry/loose-yellow-diamond-184ct-fancy-light-yellow-vs2-cushion-cut-diamond-gia-r7183

 

[BeekeeperBetty]

Of course! But there's no fluorescence, and I'm really stuck on that.

What did you decide for your ring?

 

[luckyblackcat]

Poop! I forgot to check for fluorescence! I totally get it. I hope you find your precious soon!!

I just sent off my trade-in ring via Fed-Ex today and it was the scariest thing I've done in a while (probably a reflection of how boring my life is...)! So, once David has that, we'll know what we're working with for setting. I know the chances of anything going wrong during transit are pretty slim... but I'm SO NERVOUS!!! Also, even though I wasn't happy with my old ring, it was super hard to see it go! I'll be all mushy over a bottle of wine this evening, I think!

 

[luckyblackcat]

Hi everyone! I wanted to give an update on my project! (Though after reading Mailin's saga, I feel guilty for having such a good experience with my first project!!!)

Good news: My old ring got from Europe to David's hands safely. It was AGONIZING having to wait over the weekend for it to arrive, so my advice to anyone shipping jewelry for the first time is to ship as early on in the week as possible! Some more advice is to never google "FedEx lost jewelry" out of morbid curiosity!!! I really have to commend DBL again for holding my hand through the shipping and making it as easy as possible for me.

Slightly bad news: We broke the budget! It basically came down to me misinterpreting an email from David. Once he saw my trade-in ring in person, we had a phone conversation and he gently explained that we didn't have enough to go for the highly customized platinum setting I wanted. This was pretty hard to hear at first, but David handled it very well and I didn't feel any pressure. He even reminded me that it was never too late to turn back and that my ring could be shipped safely back to me, again on his dime.

One of the things that impressed me the most about David so far is that he's been nothing but complimentary about my trade-in ring, even when breaking the news that it wasn't quite valued at what we'd hoped for. He is very blunt and to-the-point, but honesty can be delivered with kindness. My advice for anyone working with David for the first time is to be as direct with him as possible (and maaaaaybe not email him quite as much as I did, as it made things a bit jumbled for him!!). He is very busy, but he will make time for you, so lay things out for him as openly and clearly as possible, and he will do the same for you.

In the end, we compromised to tip just slightly over our budget. I'm still getting a platinum setting with milgrain bezel, but the basket will be the simple one: http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/index.php/jewelry/semi-mount-ring-custom-bezel-ring-with-rounded-shank-so3789 I talked to David about my concerns (from the advice here) regarding letting enough light in through the basket, and he assured me it would be handled beautifully by his jewelers. I'm actually glad the setting will be as low as possible, as it makes the ring even more practical for everyday wear. I'm also getting a wedding band that will match the shank of the ring, which is extra exciting!!!

So, all in all, the bad news isn't really bad news because I'm so so so lucky that I will be getting my dream ring after all! We should have it finished in a couple of weeks or so, though I won't get my hands on it (or rather, it on my hand!) until July!

Infinite thanks to everyone for such kind words and helpful advice. I really learned a lot about bezels and baskets--and also about the complexity of custom projects I hadn't thought of before. I'll be back soon with pictures, I hope!!!

 

[stepcutnut]

So glad your ring made it safe and sound! Excited to see the finished ring

 

[tyty333]

Looking forward to seeing it in its new home! I'm sure it will be lovely!!!

 

[Tekate]

I love DBL jewelry, I like their site also, it's easy to maneuver.. I have been following your story and look forward very much to seeing your finished ring.

 

[BeekeeperBetty]

It sounds like it will be gorgeous! I can't wait to see it!

 

[tracylt]

Can't wait to see the final product!

 

[luckyblackcat]

Hello again! At long long last, the ring of my life is here!!! I still can't believe she's on my hand!!!!!! In one word: PERFECTION. In two words: UTTER PERFECTION. I'm so over the moooooooon!!!



This was just taken on my iPhone, but I'd like to do a proper SMTB thread when I get a hold of my DSLR!! Thank you so much to everyone who helped me think about the setting. Without your feedback, I probably would've just said "I'll take one bezel pls kthnx" and called it a day. I mean, considering how intuitive and talented David and the DBL team are, I'm sure it would have been fine, but this was my first custom project and I had the absolute pleasure of receiving the exact dream ring I visualized. Creating my forever ring was such a special experience! I feel so very lucky.

I could go on and on about my perfect pear, the impeccably fluid setting, and how gosh darn tooting comfortable the whole shebang is on my hand, but I've got family in town and must dash! So, thank you again, everyone, and a special thanks to David and Diamonds By Lauren!!!

 

[tyty333]

We definitely need more pics! It looks lovely right down to the fine milgrain! So glad you are happy with it and happy with the process!

 

[LLJsmom]

Congratulations luckyblackcat!!! I looks ginormous! I can't wait to see you SMTB thread and hand pics.

 

[leukolenos]

I hope you get your hands on the big camera FAST because I neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed to see more of it! It looks so great!

 

[FancyIntense]

Beautiful! I love Diamonds by Lauren bezels. I think their design is better than Tiffany's.

 

[BeekeeperBetty]

Oh my gosh, it's BEAUTIFUL! I can't wait to see more pics!

 

[luckyblackcat]

We definitely need more pics! It looks lovely right down to the fine milgrain! So glad you are happy with it and happy with the process!

Yes, I LOVE the milgrain detail!!! DBL knocked it out of the park!!! This was my inspiration photo (also found on PS): https://www.instagram.com/p/BAr_6IzkXOM/?taken-by=vramjewelry

Congratulations luckyblackcat!!! I looks ginormous! I can't wait to see you SMTB thread and hand pics.

You're so kind!! BTW, I'm very grateful for your post on jumbo backs as I didn't know they even existed!

I hope you get your hands on the big camera FAST because I neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed to see more of it! It looks so great!

You and me both!! I can't wait to play with my camera!!

Beautiful! I love Diamonds by Lauren bezels. I think their design is better than Tiffany's.

I completely agree with you!! It does remind me of the Tiffany Bezet setting, BUT BETTER!!!

Oh my gosh, it's BEAUTIFUL! I can't wait to see more pics!

Thank you so much!! I couldn't help myself and took loads more iPhone photos!!

 

[luckyblackcat]

 

[Fulvia]

Luckyblackcat: she looks SUBLIME and HUGE on your finger!!!!!!! The bezel is so fluid and lovely. Congratulations!!!!!!! This is seriously kiling me as I wait for my own MQ bezel from JbG.

More pics please! What does the gallery look like underneath??

 

[Rfisher]

Congratulations. It's beautiful, and looks lovely on your hand. Enjoy!

 

[luckyblackcat]

Luckyblackcat: she looks SUBLIME and HUGE on your finger!!!!!!! The bezel is so fluid and lovely. Congratulations!!!!!!! This is seriously kiling me as I wait for my own MQ bezel from JbG.

More pics please! What does the gallery look like underneath??

Thank you so much, Fulvia!!! Along with the Vram photo, I sent one from JbG to David, too, when we were talking settings! I love her work so much! I'd LOVE to get a RHR from her one day...

I snooped and saw your out-of-this-world marquise!!! I hope you are remembering to breathe as you wait!! I'll attach some more photos of the setting for you!

Congratulations. It's beautiful, and looks lovely on your hand. Enjoy!

Thank you so much!!! I'm now officially in the bandwagon of constantly staring at my own hand!

 

[luckyblackcat]

Point-side up.

 

[JDDN]

It turned out beautifully, I love the milgrain around the bezel. Looks stunning on your hand!!! Congratulations!!!

 

[LLJsmom]

Lbc, (sorry I abbreviated you) you have the most beautiful hands. Please will you post more hand shots or start a SMTB thread. The ring is so unique and lovely. It deserves a gazillion more pictures!!

You're welcome about the jumbos. I love my lift every day. It's like having new earrings.

 

[derbygal]

This is absolutely gorgeous. Congrats on creating your dream ring. I love pears and this bezel is just dreamy!!!!

 

[derbygal]

luckyblackcat, for reference what size are you? I'm seriously crazy about this ring.