Vendor Review for Custom Settings (long)

[Gypsy]

As some of you know I'm planning on resetting my diamond in a baguette/ trap halo. I've been interviewing jewelers for the job... and here are my experiences in order of contact.

Scale will be 1-5

1. Leon Mage. Loved the man's work... emailed him. He sent back a form letter asking me to call. So I called and we talked about my project. For the budget I gave him he said it would be impossible to the setting I wanted (qouted 6,000 for what I wanted) and that I should go with a micro pave halo. Someone on here called him The Art of Pave. I'm still not sure if he even understood my request fully, as you need to look at the email I sent with pictures to illustrate what I want in order to get it. He never read my email, or looked at the pictures I sent him. The beginning and end of it was: my budget of $3000 was too small for him, he doesn't like doing baguette/ trap work, and if he can talk you into pave-- he will. Art of Pave indeed. Customer service: 2. 1 point for the quick email response (even if generic), 1 point for getting the man himself on the phone on the first try.

2. Quest. Wow. Pete read everything I wrote, fully understood it and asked me to contact him. It took him no time at all to figure out what I wanted, get me a qoute and make a couple of fantastic suggestions. The time frame they qouted me was long-- 5 weeks-- but I was made to understand that my setting would be breaking new ground for them and they were playing it safe. I appreciated that. Also, when I had to delay the project Pete called me before taking on new ones to see where I was at. The price was very fair, he explained to my what eas costing what. Customer service: 4. Only one complaint. When I asked for a detailed qoute proposal in writing, twice, Pete didn't get it to me. Being a lawyer I like to get things in writing and well, wasn't very comfortable with that lack.

3. Maytal. She was a designer under Beaudry and has gone out on her own. Was on vacation when I emailed and didn't get back to me till a week later. After that however was on the ball and quick with a qoute. One thing, I asked to see other examples of her work and she didn't provide me with anything... which could have been an oversight. Her price was higher than Quests but lower than Leons. As the customer service wasn't as good as Quest's either, I thanked her for her time and moved on. Customer service: 3

4. Whiteflash: Well when insuring the ring resulted in delays in my sending things off to Quest I figured I should get a qoute from Whiteflash. I sent an email. Didn't get a response. 2 days later I re-sent it and got a response. Renee contacted me to tell me my request has been sent to the design team and that she'd be in touch. A few days later she was. Her price was 200 under Quests... but she had no details-- nothing except ctw-- no color, clarity, platinum weight nothing. So I kept having to ask for specifics and then she'd have to go and ask the design team. The diamond color was lower than I had requested and so was the clarity. I also asked how long they would honor the qoute. "We cannot guarantee the prices will stay the same on a quote for a custom piece over 48hrs." was the response. Which made me very unhappy. At no time did I actually talk to the person who would be doing my setting... and playing telephone through Renee was frankly annoying and time consuming. Customer service: 1.25.

5. Gary Michaels Jewelers in NJ. I wanted to go to one 'real' jeweler nearby for a qoute. They are very high end and very well respected. I did not like the assess and serve attitude of the store. I had not dressed up-- was just grocery shopping when I popped in and I recieved poor service with attitude. Then I asked about custom work and was introduced to the man who is charge of it. I tried to explain what I wanted. The man didn't know the word "halo'... so I showed him a Ritani... yo get the picture... I told him I would send him an email (really what was the point in giong in??) and he said he'd prefer that. So I sent it in. Nothing. No acknowledgement of receipt. Nothing. For a week then this, "Although we would be able to produce this ring for you, we will not be able to do better than the price that you have. Because of this, I prefer not to even quote out the ring." Yeah. Customer service: 1

6. Engagement Rings Direct: I don't know why it occured to me to call Mark at ERD since he's not a person we think of for custom setttings, but so many folks have been pleased with the service they've gotten from him that I decided to drop him a note. The response was quick, but it unfortunately didn't look like he'd done anything more than look at the pictures I had provided... and that he didn't read through the descriptions I had written out explain the pictures. So he thought I wanted a Legacy copy. Then I clarified and he called me. Once we started talking everything was great... he was VERY attentive and careful to understand EXACTLY everything I wanted. Also just a great guy to talk to. He told me he would talk to his diamond cutter and get back to me. He called yesterday and said that, before he gets a qoute he has some questions and so does his cutter, so he's going to have a computer generated model mock up of my ring made and sent to me to proof BEFORE giving me the qoute. I was floored! He wanted to put all that work in before I gave him my business? Just to make sure we were on the same page? So... the model will be ready on Monday and then he will give me the qoute. Customer service: 4.25 ... things haven't been as quick as with Quest... but then again there is A LOT more effort being expended on my behalf. Mark is a bit hard to get on the phone though.

So I'll have to update on Monday... but here's the skinny (or the fat considering the novel I just wrote) on the vendors and my experiences with them. It's either going to be Quest or ERD for me. So we'll see.

CRAP! I FORGOT TO INCLUDE ONE CRUCIAL THING: When I talked to Mark on the phone for the first time it was Monday. I had just lost my job and told him that upfront. Told him that I would not be able to do this immediately. Didn't faze him IN THE LEAST. He still doesn't know I'm employed again and he's STILL DOING ALL OF THIS! Up the customer service to a 4.5.

 

[lizz]

Wow, this is a comprehensive review of different vendors. That is awesome how ERD went the extra mile in dealing with you. Something to note and put in the back of my brain for future use!

 

[mrssalvo]

Great summery Gypsy. thanks for sharing. it will be a nice thread to point folks to who are comparing vendors. I have never worked with Mark but he always gets very good reviews around here.

 

[windowshopper]

very interesting --no real surprises there.

 

[Kaleigh]

This is most helpful for anyone wanting to go the custom route. Thank you for your summary. Yeah I wasn''t surprised either. Good luck deciding!! You can''t go wrong with either Mark or Pete. Congrats again on your new position!!!

 

[Jelly]

Thanks for the review Gypsy, great summaries!

 

[Kim N]

Great summaries, Gypsy! Thanks for the reviews. I think it''ll be very helpful to anyone looking to do custom work. I''ve just finished a project myself, so I''m balking at the thought of another, but now I know more about these vendors to make a better decision.

 

[KristyDarling]

Great reviews! Thank you for putting them together....threads like this obviously serve as a great resource for others.

It seems like vendors like Leon and WF are getting so big that they need to utilize form letters and liaison contacts in order to get their business done. I guess those are the growing pains to be expected. You are right on about Leon -- he hates communicating by email and really prefers phone calls. He''s VERY easy to get on the phone. And when he''s on the other end, he''s attentive but doesn''t beat around the bush with pleasantries. And yup, I have heard the "Art of Pave" comment about him before...that is his expertise and comfort zone and it does appear he doesn''t like venturing outside of it.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Yay, Gypsy! That was very quick to get another job! Of course, I didn't know you were a lawyer, and I would expect that would not leave you unemployed for long! Congrats on the new job, and I hope you love it!

This was interesting and parallels my recent experience in some ways. Isaac and Alexa at Dimend Scaasi have been wonderful and great about returning emails (always the same day or the next if I write in the evening). They have been very nice even though I have told them I was returning the current ring and are trying to get me an quivalent stone in higher color and clarity. Unfortunately what they have in the size I want are E VS2's, and while I know they are gorgeous, that's a color grade or so too high and clarity a grade too low. But still, one of them might work as they are not overpriced at all. His settings are among the higher quality ones on PS because each one is cast for the indivudual diamond, but that did make it take two weeks for my ring to come (which I didn't mind). They don't have quite as much information posted on the site as GOG and WF do, but they do have that neat Innerview webcam session. They have a lovely B&M store and have been in business several years which is good. They have been great and I'd not hesitate to buy from them again. I'd have to give them at least a 4.

Jonathan at GOG probably has the best customer service of the three I will mention in this post. No one has more information on each diamond than he does. He carries a fairly large amount of in-house high quality stones. He has been outstanding about returning emails and offered to send me pictures comparing 3 sizes of diamonds and did so. Offered to send me hand pics today, and I am sure he will. When I told him what I was looking for (and he did not have it in-house), he was immediately checking his suppliers for a diamond with my specs. I think he has very high standards and I could trust him to pick out an excellent diamond for me. I don't think one would always work with Jon personally since he has a staff, but I haven't heard any complaints about thier customer service in general. They are also a B&M store that has been around a long time, so I like that as far as thinking of dealing with any future issues with the ring. I'd have to keep this as a tentative grade because you can't give a final grade until you see a finished product, but as far as customer service goes, he gets a 5.

I've had on and off contact with WhiteFlash since I started looking at diamonds. Jamie has been very nice and responsive, but there were a couple of times emails weren't replied to and a couple where it was longer than a day to get a reply. That's okay, because I realize they are so busy. But my number one complaint is this. When I ask about how inclusions look with a loupe, for example, she has to get one of the "experts" to look at the stones and get back to me. Since my communication is with a person who is not looking at the stones herself, I can't then ask a follow-up question. I also asked for a photo of a couple of stones side by side, and she replied that it would be two to three days due to their workload. Again, I know this is not Jamie's fault, but it sounds like the growth at WF has left them shorthanded. WF is easy if you know the diamond you want and want a stock setting. My BIL bought from them in the last month and it was very easy and fast. But it is not as efficient for those like me who are indecisive and need some customer service. They have a great selection of diamonds, though, and give good information on them on the site. For customer service, I give them a 3. (I surely love JohnQ on here and appreciate all his commentary. I think he is their best advertisement!)

 

[Gypsy]

Diamondseeker! That''s a fabulous addition! So now we have GOG, and Scaasi. And a second experience with WF this time with diamond shopping instead of custom settings! Awesome!

I have to say I did call Isaac for a custom qoute because I have been very impressed their work. I had originally called about getting one of their English Collection (Beverly K) bands made into a setting for me. Issac was happy to do it and the price was just fabulous. So I followed up with a request for the bag/ trap halo when I decided the Bev K setting would be too fragile for everyday wear, but Isaac told me that they don''t offer the service for diamonds not purchased in house. And I can respect that, they probably don''t have the staff do deal with the volume that would come their way if they did that. So I agree with your high customer service marks for them 100%.

 

[noobie]

Nice summary Gypsy. I agree with your views as well, except I would give Quest and Mark the same score. I've posted many times about Mark's service. As far as Quest is concerned, you have nothing to worry about in price quotes. I contacted them for my 6 or 7th piece and asked Huan for a budget quote as Pete was not there. He quoted me a very low price, way less than market. I mentioned it to Pete and he insisted on honoring the price even thought it should have been about 40% more. I had to argue with him to pay him more and finally we split the difference.

Interesting that many have the same experience with WF, where the sales staff are no more than mailboxes. It was enough for me to be uncomfortable with their custom work. Others have had good success though. I've had good luck with them for stones.

 

[Mara]

What a great review!!

I think that for everyone, ''requirements'' on what you need for a good or acceptable experience can be different.

I would love to try other vendors on future projects, but it seems like from time to time everyone is just as problem-riddled as one vendor or another depending on their workload or growing pains or staff on vacation or whatever. There are always lost emails or server problems, or un-responsive vendors or mixed-up communications from someone or another it seems.

But I think that everyone can benefit from some constructive criticism on how better to build their business. Posts like these surely help these companies with their weak spots.

 

[noobie]

Bill,

I don''t think anyone is questioning Leon''s skill as a master jeweler. This review was about customer service. I think his pieces and his work is esquisite. However, what would raise concerns for me as a consumer are the posts by windowshopper and ally about their experiences and some more posts about how you are not guaranteed to get Leon working on a piece. He oversees the work, which is what led to ally''s problems with her ring. Is WS''s case he decided to take liberties with the design without consultation. In the end they were beautiful pieces, but not great customer service IMHO.

 

[KristyDarling]

Date: 5/20/2006 6:02:16 PM
Author: noobie
Bill,


I don''t think anyone is questioning Leon''s skill as a master jeweler. This review was about customer service. I think his pieces and his work is esquisite. However, what would raise concerns for me as a consumer are the posts by windowshopper and ally about their experiences and some more posts about how you are not guaranteed to get Leon working on a piece. He oversees the work, which is what led to ally''s problems with her ring. Is WS''s case he decided to take liberties with the design without consultation. In the end they were beautiful pieces, but not great customer service IMHO.

What happened to Capitol Bill''s post? It disappeared.

Anyway, Noobie I agree. No one is questioning Leon''s skill. He is a true artist and everyone here knows how talented he is....that does not need reiteration. But based on some of the feedback here we''ve heard (second-hand) how he has pushed back on some innovative, potentially technically demanding ideas and suggested pave instead. I''ve heard of this happening to at least 2 people here on PS.

I own a Leon 3-stone masterpiece and am over the moon about it. I am aware that English is his second language and have always thought that he speaks it extremely well. He may very well be a big ole teddy bear in person but on the phone, at least, he is curt and to-the-point. (nothing wrong with that, he''s a busy and successful man) In any case, I had a good experience working with him and I love, love, love my ring. Just one tiny, miniscule complaint.....I know he''s busy but it would''ve been nice if he had responded to my gushingly grateful email thanking him for his wonderful work. I would''ve appreciated even a 2-word "you''re welcome" email. Oh well, I know he''s a busy guy,

 

[Capitol Bill]

Sorry about that, ladies & gents. Apparently some or all of my post violated the forum rules and the post was deleted. I said some things I felt needed to be said, but that doesn''t excuse me from apparently transgressing on forum rules -- rules we all must endeavor to abide by.

Kind regards,

Bill Scherlag

 

[windowshopper]

Date: 5/20/2006 8:44:13 PM
Author: Capitol Bill
Sorry about that, ladies & gents. Apparently some or all of my post violated the forum rules and the post was deleted. I said some things I felt needed to be said, but that doesn''t excuse me from apparently transgressing on forum rules -- rules we all must endeavor to abide by.

Kind regards,

Bill Scherlag

gee --i just logged on and must have missed something..................

 

[windowshopper]

Date: 5/20/2006 6:02:16 PM
Author: noobie
Bill,

I don''t think anyone is questioning Leon''s skill as a master jeweler. This review was about customer service. I think his pieces and his work is esquisite. However, what would raise concerns for me as a consumer are the posts by windowshopper and ally about their experiences and some more posts about how you are not guaranteed to get Leon working on a piece. He oversees the work, which is what led to ally''s problems with her ring. Is WS''s case he decided to take liberties with the design without consultation. In the end they were beautiful pieces, but not great customer service IMHO.

just to clarify: i still have the sketch and the price quote with specifics............and in my case not only was the mounting different, it was $2000 more expensive --and unfinished with some serious issues. There was micropave only on the band--starting below the traps and going around and under???? (supposed to be all-over) and one bridge with the traps was significantly lower on one side with various little dings and marks and a little dent in the milgraining...............i was so p''o''d at that point i agreed to accept the design and cost increase (pay $2000 more) if the rest of the mounting was pave''d and the one side was "fixed"..................

AND the poor vendor ate $$$$ to because Leon refused to pave the rest at his cost.................

 

[FireGoddess]

Thanks to Gypsy and DiamondSeeker for posting such thorough reviews - it is extremely helpful to hear opinions as well as the reasons behind them. Thank you for taking the time to do this!!!

 

[windowshopper]

Date: 5/20/2006 10:26:41 PM
Author: FireGoddess
Thanks to Gypsy and DiamondSeeker for posting such thorough reviews - it is extremely helpful to hear opinions as well as the reasons behind them. Thank you for taking the time to do this!!!

yes indeed................it is good for people to go into things with their eyes open. --no jeweler or vendor is perfect but this forum is terrific but it serves to keep people honest or as best possible -- including us consumers as well