Show me some Van Craeynest!

[gemshow]

This (the 817 I think?) was posted on VC's facebook page. Does anyone have real-life photos or know how it compares to the 812 width-wise? I'm drooling.

 

[motownmama]

that is soooooo pretty!!!!!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I hope no one minds me asking... I was wondering what the general price range for the Van Craeynest settings are? I don't want to message them and them laugh in my face

They were around 2-3k last time I checked for the simpler carve solitaires. But I understand they've come under new management so I'm not sure how that might have affected price so please correct me if I'm wrong . They're really nice though, I'm sure if you sent an email you'd get a very polite answer.

 

[bunnycat]

I hope no one minds me asking... I was wondering what the general price range for the Van Craeynest settings are? I don't want to message them and them laugh in my face

As MTG said, I think they came under new management recently and had a price reduction. Enough so that we were able to do one of their bands for my WR. At least from the place we ordered from, the prices on the simpler bands were under $2K. Can't speak for any place else or what the cost of ordering direct might be.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

The price on the bands were reduced? Hmm..when I asked for a pendant quote it was higher than it was before, but then again, that might be accounted for by the increased gold prices.

If money were no issue, I'd go with Van Craeynest settings for everything, lol. They do exquisite work that you really just can't find anywhere else. Even compared to my friends' Ritani and Tacori rings, the attention to detail in the VC blows them out of the water. From afar my ring looks like a plain solitaire, but when people ask to see it they always are amazed by the tiny carved flowers they find! It's such a fun surprise.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Well, unless they changed ownership again, prices are higher than they were before. You used to be able to buy directly from VC at a price well below retail, but that changed when they were bought out. Not sure about prices through retailers. Those were very high before. Of course, I was looking only at platinum which is higher than pieces in gold.

 

[Aerix]

I haven't really posted in awhile, but I felt like sharing my latest finds from eBay! Here's a little back story: I had a vintage VC 484 setting that I bought for a steal of a deal on eBay a couple of years ago. It could fit a 6-6.5mm stone and I really wanted a nice sapphire or diamond to fit the setting, but I was impatient and I had some other projects I wanted to fund. So...I sold it. I always kicked myself for selling it (especially after I realized that I could've sent it back to VC to have it revamped and good as new.) This past year, I've sold quite a few of my diamond items since I just don't wear them as much...I saved one ring which was set with a 0.38ct AGS0 diamond and fake sides. I always thought about resetting it because I didn't like the fake sides, but never got around to it and I couldn't find a setting I liked that wouldn't make the diamond look smaller.

Last week I was browsing eBay (for OECs ) and low and behold, I came across a vintage Van Craeynest 484 setting set with a 0.35ct diamond! Just the right size to fit my stone, a beautiful setting that I liked, and a second chance at a piece of jewelry that I regret letting go of. Coincidentally, I'd bid on a band the week before that looked similar to another style VC makes. (I think it's the wedding band for the 448 setting? There's a platinum version on page 27 of this thread.) I thought it was a VC but it's marked GMco. Still, it's a pretty band with intricate orange blossoms carved on the side and it's very similar to VC's version but instead has a single ridge on the sides of the shank. As I suspected, it looks pretty good with the VC setting!

I have photos but they're not the best and I need to get the rings resized (up about a size) this weekend. I already had the old diamond taken out of the setting and had my AGS0 reset into it. I just can't believe I found another 484 setting with a smaller head to fit my stone! Not to mention a band that matches pretty well. I'm considering having a notch made into the bands so they fit and won't rub.

ETA: For some reason I can't seem to get the pictures to show up! I'll try again later...

 

[Aerix]

Second attempt to post pics...

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Well, I adore that setting and am sooo happy for you to have found it! I still think of getting something set in that setting but in platinum. I am amazed at how similar that wedding band is to VC! I would have bet money that it WAS VC!

 

[iluvcarats]

I did not know that VC was bought by a new company. I hope that this will be a positive change for Larry.

 

[bunnycat]

My Fi's and my band came in last month and I wanted to post the VC band in here. Mine is the 5 blossom band (can't remember the number right now) set with teeny tiny little diamonds in the middle of the flower blossom. So intricate!

thread here:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/the-group-is-all-together-now-and-exactly-one-week-to-go.178458/#post-3246540#p3246540']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/the-group-is-all-together-now-and-exactly-one-week-to-go.178458/#post-3246540#p3246540[/URL]

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Beautiful, Bastetcat!

 

[sunseeker101]

Bastetcat, excellent choice for your band, it is simply gorgeous with your e-ring and wedder

A little transitional (1.54 H VS1) action in VC 484 paired with the flower and leaf band (817) for the gallery. Good old gold sourced the stone for me in a couple of days so the hunt for an oldie was an enjoyable cakewalk. The head is the #4 fleur de lys carved down to 9 prongs. It looks a bit much in pics but gives the stone an invisible squarish boost in reality:

 

[yennyfire]

Bastecat, your ring is gorgeous and it's going to look awesome with your ering!!

Aero, you have quite the collection! The latest is a stunner! Any chance we could get a family shot?

 

[bunnycat]

Thank y'all!

Aeoli- that ring is absolutely beautiful. I knew an old cut would bring out the best in VC! Things might have gone a little differently in my e-ring hunt if I'd seen an OEC paired with VC while we were looking. Truly stunning!

 

[sunseeker101]

Yenny! Thank you and your wish is my command Behold an early morning family shot with sleepy grumpy siblings (low light) and an especially heat-swelled paw:

Bastetcat, thank you! I have the same thought -- OECs never crossed my mind when setting up the arch e-ring (VC 1007). If it could be redone, it would be transitional first and then RB (or that's how it feels now, anyway ).

 

[yennyfire]

Gulp. That's an INSANE collection! Wow! I'm going to have to come back and drool over that many, many times! How do you decide what to wear each day?

 

[iluvcarats]

Yummy! They are all gorgeous. I especially love the sapphire three stone and the red ring on your pinky. What is the stone?

 

[iluvcarats]

*double post*

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Holy Smokes!!!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Aeolianarpa!!!! Wow! My favorite 484 with a transitional!!! And what a collection! I'd love for him to make me a cross like yours but I would be very afraid to know the price.

 

[sunseeker101]

Thank you ladies!

Yenny, hehe, insane might be the word, but I claim benevolent obsession if I can get away with it! Choosing can be a minefield, I should have stopped at 10

Iluvcarats, the red stone is a sapphire. They term this a brown sapph in Sri Lanka, due to a peachy undertone. I wish it was a large droolworthy ruby so maybe one day (in the very distant future) it will be swopped out.

MTG, thank you!

Ahh, DS!! I was thinking about your VC plans when placing this order. Let's just say your ideas are top-class! I haven't been so enamored with a stone/ring combination (of mine, anyway) in quite a while. Since prices are different now, and it's anyone's guess how, I can tell you that the cross, with stones and chain included, cost $4K (July '10). At least it might not be injurious to ask Larry? Okay, enabling session over!

 

[yennyfire]

Just to be clear, INSANE was meant in the most positive way....as in AMAZING....as in I'm jealous!! You are one lucky lady!

 

[sunseeker101]

Yenny, no worries woman! I was just messing with the idea, even though I knew what you meant And thanks again!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Thanks for the info! Can you tell me how much the 484 was now? Is it platinum? I know the fleur-de-lis head is a good bit extra from the last time I asked. I decided against the setting unless I could get an old style cut to put in it...likely an AVR or AVC. I just wish I could have gotten it back when the prices were more reasonable.

 

[sunseeker101]

DS, sorry for the delay! The ring is platinum and cost $2800 with the #4 head. 4 prong would have been $2650 and the small version was $2390 (just had to check that up -- this was pricing with Emerson and Farrar, they seem to have the best pricing of all the vendors). Ah, I understand the need for an old-style stone, I was initially gunning for an AVR for this, but as luck would have it, GOG didn't have the kind of size/color I was looking for so: I asked for an oldie transitional. The Polygon search was run with AVR stats in mind so the end result is 95% of the joy of an AVR and a considerably smaller hole in my pocket.

Here's the vid for this (center stone all the way through, AVR on right then left for the window). Hope that enables, I mean, helps!

 

[sixbillionstars]

DS, sorry for the delay! The ring is platinum and cost $2800 with the #4 head. 4 prong would have been $2650 and the small version was $2390 (just had to check that up -- this was pricing with Emerson and Farrar, they seem to have the best pricing of all the vendors). Ah, I understand the need for an old-style stone, I was initially gunning for an AVR for this, but as luck would have it, GOG didn't have the kind of size/color I was looking for so: I asked for an oldie transitional. The Polygon search was run with AVR stats in mind so the end result is 95% of the joy of an AVR and a considerably smaller hole in my pocket.

Here's the vid for this (center stone all the way through, AVR on right then left for the window). Hope that enables, I mean, helps!

Aeolianarpa, WOW, I love all your VC pieces!!!!!

Hmmmm, that quote actually sounds doable! I've been hesitate to ask about VC pricing bc I thought they were exorbitantly expensive. I was quoted 15k for #1021 so I was a little scared!

I'm going to email Emerson and Farrar for some quotes!

 

[rainydaze]

The pricing I was given seems like it was in line with Emerson & Farrar's (1600 for YG, 2245 for Plat for style 457). It was from Von Bargen's, in case anyone is interested! DS, I have high hopes you got high pricing and maybe calling around will yield happier results!!

http://www.vonbargensjewelry.com/

 

[sixbillionstars]

The pricing I was given seems like it was in line with Emerson & Farrar's (1600 for YG, 2245 for Plat for style 457). It was from Von Bargen's, in case anyone is interested! DS, I have high hopes you got high pricing and maybe calling around will yield happier results!!

http://www.vonbargensjewelry.com/

That is very reasonable for how detailed that setting is. Whoa, that is super good news to see your quote!

 

[sixbillionstars]

The pricing I was given seems like it was in line with Emerson & Farrar's (1600 for YG, 2245 for Plat for style 457). It was from Von Bargen's, in case anyone is interested! DS, I have high hopes you got high pricing and maybe calling around will yield happier results!!

http://www.vonbargensjewelry.com/

Which #457 setting was it?

http://www.vancraeynest.com/index.php?page=gallery&startRow=28&pid=28
or
http://www.clay-pot.com/VAN-CRAEYNEST-Flower-Blossom-and-Shield-White-Gold-Solitaire.html

thanks!