DeBeers Setting

[susana0207]

Does anyone know if any other company besides Debeers makes this setting? Is this something I could have a private jeweler make?

Any suggestions?

 

[kenny]

That''s one of the nicest settings I have ever seen.

 

[valeria101]

It looks rather simple (=> easy to create a version after). However, the large areas of exposed girdle right where this is more expose to impact in a ring does not look reassuring at all.

You may find similar designs with allot of open girdle in a reduced half bezel (Ritani has one, as far as I remember, maybe others too). However, a Fair number of such rings end up in estate sales with badly chipped girdles and crowns. Not exactly my idea of a wearable ring, all in all... despite being quite cute

My 2c

 

[belle]

yes, you can find that semi-bezel setting other than debeers.

 

[belle]

Date: 3/27/2006 10:23:26 AM
Author: valeria101


It looks rather simple (=> easy to create a version after). However, the large areas of exposed girdle right where this is more expose to impact in a ring does not look reassuring at all.

You may find similar designs with allot of open girdle in a reduced half bezel (Ritani has one, as far as I remember, maybe others too). However, a Fair number of such rings end up in estate sales with badly chipped girdles and crowns. Not exactly my idea of a wearable ring, all in all... despite being quite cute

My 2c

i totally agree with ana''s summary on this!

i would certainly think twice before putting a precious stone in such a precarious setting.

 

[valeria101]

 

[susana0207]

Valerie:

Where did you get that picture?

 

[susana0207]

I''d like to see the underside of the ring, so I can have someone design the same ring. But the DeBeers website does not show any other views.

 

[kenny]

Looks like photoshop.

The reflections on the new progs are not possible, but are exact duplicates of the original ones.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 3/27/2006 10:48:57 AM
Author: kenny
Looks like photoshop.

The reflections on the new progs are not possible, but are exact duplicates of the original ones.

Exactly. Didn''t go that far to adjust the lighting this time

Someone does make a ring like that - Judith Conway (?).

 

[belle]

of course the new design is photoshopped! ana is great at making designs come to life.

i like the four 'prong' bezel much better for the safety of the stone. if you wanted to keep the look open, you could also go with a tension setting or a mock tension setting too.

this may be an option as well:

 

[susana0207]

My boyfriend now think it''s best to get the ring from DeBeers. He thinks you get what you pay for and the diamond will be of higher quality if it is from Debeers.

Anyone have thoughts on this? I know Debeers, like Tiffany&Co. accepts/rejects diamonds. He also think that Debeers will insure that the diamond is secure in this setting and will guarantee the diamond.

Any thoughts?

 

[Sundial]

That is a beautiful setting! While I''m sure you could find someone to make you something similiar for less money, sometimes there is just nothing like the real thing. The design does seem to expose the stone quite a bit however and I would certainly express my concerns about that to Debeers. I would want to know what they say about the safety of the diamond and how they will stand behind their setting.

 

[KristyDarling]

Susana -- welcome!

If there''s anything that I''ve learned from being on this site, it''s that DeBeers/Tiffany/other name brand jewelers are NOT the only vendors in the world who will give you top-quality. There are many players in the game who can give you quality that is at least as good (in many cases, better) as the name brands. In fact, for the same amount of money, you will get more diamond (i.e. larger, better cut quality, better clarity) and perhaps even more service than the brand name players. That''s not to say that pieces by Tiffany et al are not worthwhile expenditures. Some people truly love the idea of owning a name brand piece and so, they should. Their things are undoubtedly beautiful and of high quality. But, if you surf around this forum, you''ll see many discriminating buyers who have spent the same amount of money with a PS vendor (i.e. Good Old Gold, James Allen, WhiteFlash, etc) and have been very, very happy with the quality of their rings. (and have been surprised by how far their money can go!) With a PS vendor, you also have the option of getting a custom-made ring at very reasonable cost. HTH!

 

[valeria101]

Date: 3/28/2006 9:35:32 AM
Author: susana0207

My boyfriend thinks you get what you pay for and the diamond will be of higher quality if it is from Debeers.

He also think that Debeers will insure that the diamond is secure in this setting and will guarantee the diamond.

Don''t agree with this. Branded jewelry is not quite the same deal as electronics or what not - the items are relatively simple, prone to fashion and without any function to speak of. Easily copied. The best items are more a matter of allot of labor rather than technological checks and high cost research. You may pay for technology with a computer brand, with jewelry - you pay for the advertising cost. No one can make a cell phone in the backyard - while the best jewelry comes from small workshops and more often than not from a single pair of hands too.

Besides, De Beers is nowhere as much a jewelry brand as Tiffany. Different beast altogether - sure everyone has heard of their rough diamond exploits, but De Beers jewelry? Gimme a break

Sure ''you get what you pay for'', but this doesn''t insure that you don''t get to pay twice as much as necessary for what you get. Two sides of the same coin, I suppose.


For such a simple design and a standardized item as a loose round brilliant diamond, I wouldn''t bother with any brand name whatsoever. Much can be said for the craftsmanship and design of ''big name'' jewelry (a list on which De Beers doesn''t quite get), but a ring such as this doesn''t benefit much from that, IMO. And you may get both more for the money and more quality control working it out with a custom jeweler.


''My guess? Perhaps your BF doesn''t care to spend all that much time getting into diamonds. Can''t blame him... I wouldn''t care to research non-critical purchases I have no personal interest in either. Diamonds and jewelry... well, that''s a completely different story

Would he let you do the searching?

And one more thing: brand or no brand, the design still looks terribly dicey for the life of the diamond. It is not uncommon to see impractical ''edgy'' designs from emerging brands. This is just one more on that list. After all, it is easier to stand outside the design ''crowd'' with a look no one would do because of practical reasons. Let the others convince customers that competing offers are not practical - the larger billboard will probably prevail anyway. If it breaks, who cares? It is just a ring... probably insured. You may never hear about customer complaints on such an item.

My 2c

 

[susana0207]

I agree on buying brand name diamonds...

As for the setting, they told us at DeBeers that the side clasps were rounded and hugged the stone as opposed to straight, as in a tension setting, and so, the setting was secure....

Thats another reason why he wants to go with DeBeers, bc he thinks they will back their setting 100%. I''m not sure though...

 

[valeria101]

Date: 3/28/2006 4:02:06 PM
Author: susana0207



As for the setting, they told us at DeBeers that the side clasps were rounded and hugged the stone as opposed to straight, as in a tension setting, and so, the setting was secure....

Sounds like senseless sales talk to me. It was never a question about how rounded or straight the bezel (?) was, but how wide and what happens with the girdle of the stone knocking on stuff. Of course that would not be mentioned...

That''s another reason why he wants to go with DeBeers, bc he thinks they will back their setting 100%. I''m not sure though...

Most shops offer some guarantee against ''craftsmanship flaws''. But what does that mean anyway? Ask them if they would replace a damaged diamond no questions asked .. or at least under comparable terms as an insurance company. Bet they would not - no one does. It is virtually impossible to prove if damage is a matter of craftsmanship or misuse... it shouldn''t come to that. And this is why strange design is not such a great idea.

Anyway, I am not a jeweler. You might want to ask one what they think about the setting - for example, if they would make such a ring and consider it safe. Most jewelers doing custom work would give such advice, although anything can be done no matter how crazy, as long as the buyer knows what they are asking for (i.e. asking for trouble).

Just an idea.


Anyway, perhaps I shouldn''t be crowding this thread so much. It is not that I don''t like the looks of this ring... only believe it is not wearable. Actually, so obviously not practical at all, that it is darn surprising it comes with a brand name attached.



It may also be that I am very wrong about this... I am not a jeweler after all. Hope someone with better insight chimes in

 

[susana0207]

any jewelers out there?

 

[susana0207]

I''ve spoken with a couple of designers and they feel that since this is such a custom piece, we should get it from the original manufacturer, DeBeers. Basically, since it is not your ordinary setting, they think only the "creators" would be able to design it w/ the engineering required to make it a "safe" setting.

Any thoughts?

 

[Rod]

Susana,

If your BF is set on getting a name brand and can afford it, there''s nothing wrong with that. Many of us on PS would argue that there''s no inherant increase in quality, but there is simplicity in getting something that is quality without having to deal with diamond knowledge. That can certainly be "worth" something. Your BF will spend more than he might with a non-branded purchase, but that''s a given.

If you are in a big city, see if there is a local Movado store. They sell a branded diamond in a setting virtually identical to the setting you first posted. It''s one of the branded diamonds with more facets. They''re pretty stones, but IMHO, not worth the extra $$. None-the-less, it could be a perfect solution for you and one in which you would be getting a quality stone in a setting exactly like you want.

You can check them out @ www://movado.com.

Best of luck to you........

 

[stermag]

Susana,

With respect, I think you''re missing the point. Regardless of who makes the setting and how snug the stone is inside of it, the issue we''re all concerned with is the fact that so much of the girdle of the diamond is exposed, making it susceptible to damage.

So you see, it''s less an issue with the "engineering" and more with the design itself. In other words, a setting such as this manufactured by the most skilled and talented jeweler is still going to pose some risks. Neither DeBeers nor anyone else can guarantee the safety of your diamond.

 

[indecisive]

I agree. The design looks like it is just asking for a chipped diamond, no matter who it is made by. If you want to have an engagement ring you only wear on special occasions and are very careful with it might be fine though. Not something I would risk though.

 

[JDgirl]

I didn''t know if you''ve seen this setting by Ritani. Someone on this forum has it, so you could ask how safe it''s been for her so far.

 

[JDgirl]

Here''s the top view.

 

[susana0207]

someone else sent me this picture. is it on a site somewhere? i''d love to talk to the person out there who has it!

I agree with you all. I have gotten both opinions from jewelers: both the setting being difficult to duplicate and guarantee, and also, the exposure of the diamond being a problem.

I spoke with Mark from engagement rings direct today and he was VERY helpful. we will be meeting with him in the coming weeks, but it looks like it might be back to the drawing board for us.

 

[sanfranciscoellen]

this one seems similar...

Thread

 

[AlliBaba]

Studio Vincent in Minneapolis makes something similar. www.svstudio.com But the design is not on the web page. Steven Vincent is awesome.

 

[AlliBaba]

By the way, it''s unclear to me how a setting like this is significantly riskier than the traditional 4-prong design. I mean, those little prongs don''t seem to offer much more protection than the edges on this ring.

 

[tracys126]

Hi Susana,

I believe we are on a similar quest. Tiffany makes the Etoile, and you can get a 1.23 in the really thick band with half-bezel for about $16,5k. Or you can buy a replica Etoile band from WhiteFlash. I decided to wait and look around more because the bulky band was scaring me a little (looked weird on my long fingers) and then I found this beauty from Ritani.

Robbins Brothers carries Ritani and they can have this made for you. However, I think you may have to buy a diamond from them to get the setting.

So now I am trying to figure out how to buy the diamond I want and have it set in this simple, classy understated Ritani design.

Let me know what you find out.

Tracy

 

[susana0207]

tracy -

yes, what a quest this is!!! we have been looking around quite a bit and talking to some folks. right now i have the infamous Mark from engagementringsdirect.com going over to debeers with his designer to look at the ring.

he is just amazing, i might add. we met with him and he was just so knowledgeable. i would recommend him if you are in the area.

i will let you know what he says. he''s not a huge fan of the setting, but wants to take a look. we will see. yes, that ritani one is pretty as well, but i prefer the flat, square and thinner band.

im hoping he says it''s safer than what he thought....bc i just love the band and it is the only one i have liked thus far. someone posted that they were surprised debeers makes such a dangerous setting which makes me think they figured out the engineering of this design and it isn''t as bad as it looks. maybe im being optimistic!

please keep me informed if you find something similar as well!