pricing for hand made custom settings

I proposed with the loose diamond, and my girlfriend is thrilled with the beautiful stone. So now, after 2 months of looking for settings together, I have a question and would be grateful for any guidance. We both liked the Gelin and Abaci tension set rings such as TR002 at http://www.platinum-diamond.com/platinumgoldtensionsetrings5a.htm

But I have curtailed my US business travel in the current environment, and tension set rings just are not available in Italy, as far as our research shows. Instead we have found a jeweller called Scavia, which I think is very well known internationally for custom ring designs with stores in Milan, Tokyo, New York, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai, and has won many international awards.
http://www.scavia.it/ (mostly in Italian)

They can make us a white gold (we've been told by several people that Platinum scratches more easily and the scratches are not easily fixed) ring that is very similar in design but is not tension set, instead it has a very open "basket" that holds the diamond.

The price I have been quoted for them to hand make this and set our diamond in 18ct white gold within 2-3 weeks is 5 - 6 million lire, or around 2300-2750 dollars.

My question is: Scavia probably justifies some premium, but is this an outrageous price or not?

thanks
Sanjay

I'm just wondering what other people might typically charge for this kind of custom made ring, because I have no calibration scale of my own by which to judge whether Scavia's price is reasonable, or 2-3X what would be normal for an established quality jeweller with a reputation to custom make a ring. Its not a 20% difference I'm concerned about, its whether this might be several times the going rate.

many thanks for any insight

Sanjay

The price seems rather high if one compares it to so many readily available styles found in the USA. It would be unusual for an "artiste" to work in gold rather than platinum, especially at that price level. You ought to continue to shop because unless you want some very avant garde design or something quite ornate, you just don't have to spend that much money for a contemporary and fashionable mounting.

If you are adding small diamonds in the mounting, that will certainly also cause the price to rise.

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David Atlas
Accredited Gem Appraisers

David S. Atlas

GG(GIA), ASG, Sr. Mbr. NAJA

www.datlas.com

The price quoted for Plainum was 50% higher at around $4150 (9m lire). I already decided that was too high

The ring does not have any additional diamond, just the one I am supplying.

What price range would you think was reasonable for this kind of ring (simulating a tension setting - see first link above in my initial posting) hand made by an established jeweller a) in white gold b) in platinum

many thanks
Sanjay

Surely, less than $1,000 would find you many designs in our local diamond district called Philadelphia's Jeweler's Row that imitate the tension set look without the high cost.

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David Atlas
Accredited Gem Appraisers

David S. Atlas

GG(GIA), ASG, Sr. Mbr. NAJA

www.datlas.com

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StevL Dems Jewelers Eightstar Diamond Tundra Diamonds

Cheers,
Steve

A note on white gold is that for a ring, over time chromium coating will wear off since you wear it so often than necklace. With platinum, it won't change color, just stays white, you only have to polish it, and you won't lose any platinum in the process as you would the gold.