Advice needed on Silver Stuller Setting

[uyalison]

Silver setting or a 14k white gold setting?

I have asked previously here on pricescope, and taken the suggestion, going down the path of putting the CBI round k 2.02 in a temporary setting first, making sure that I am comfortable with the k color, before put it in a CvB Dahlia.

I asked Melissa (HPD) what is the most affordable ring setting she has. She suggested a continuum silver setting from Stuller for 280. She said the 14k white gold version is 500. Honestly I had never considered a silver setting. But since it is a temp setting for short term only, I thought I would just go with the cheapest option, considering that it will be a sunk cost.

Here is a picture. It is a very simple classic 6-prong setting.

I am still waiting for HPD to receive the setting, it is taking longer than the 7 day norm. I asked Melissa, she said continuum silver is not a stocked item for > 1 ct, thus the delay. (That makes me wonder.) While I waited, I thought maybe my forever stone would be a 2.5 ct, so that means I will have the 2.02 in the setting for longer periods of time, until the next upgrade, before CvB. Again I will find out, once I spend some time with the 2 ct.

I remember reading on pricescope someone said silver bezel setting is okay. However prongs in silver are not very durable. So that is a concern. So I proceed to look up ring setting in 14k. To my surprise (I know I didn't do my home work), there are setting in 14k white gold can be had in the same price range
for example this ritani one is 245:
https://www.ritani.com/engagement-r...-edge-engagement-ring-in-14kt-white-gold/6498
(Bluenile and WF also have their own version in similar price range.)

So the 14k white gold Ritani is actually slightly cheaper than the stuller's silver. Honestly, I am not exactly sure which stuller setting I am getting, so I don't know its spec - how wide the shank is, etc. I didn't ask Melissa, as I thought it is already the cheapest option, I can't be picky. I think it is probably a 2.5 mm shank, given the price.

I know the Ritani's shank is only 1.65 m.

So what do you think? is the silver and 14k going to be about the same in terms of durability? Or do you think silver will actually be more durable if the shank and head are thicker? For blueile, and wf, silver is not even an option for diamond engagement ring setting, which is making me feeling uneasy about the silver setting for longer term use. I had initially picked silver because I thought it is the cheapest option, and I will probably only use it for 1-2 months. But now I think i might have the diamond in setting for longer (6-12 months), and there are 14k setting that are more affordable than the silver one. I am asking Melissa if I can cancel the silver and order the Ritani. Sorry such long story. I guess what I am asking is - is there any reason I should pick the silver over the 14k white gold?

Thank you very much.

 

[ringo865]

Personally I would not set a 2 ct CBI in silver. Temporary settings, beyond one's intention l, can be worn for years - right @diamondseeker2006 ?

Go with the $500 setting in gold which you can sell later, or put a colored stone (or travel sim) in it.

 

[tuckie]

Agreed!

 

[ecf8503]

you can also order it in 10k, which would be even less expensive

 

[marymm]

With 6 prongs, I think your stone would be safe in silver ... but if you are certain you'd go with the CVB Dahlia as long as you are okay with the K-color of your diamond, maybe get the temp setting in the same metal/color/karat as the Dahlia would (potentially) be? That would give you a truer read on color, and then if the metal is gold or platinum, when you go with your permanent setting you could sell the temp setting and recoup some of its cost. Not much resale value on silver settings.

 

[Tourmaline]

That’s quite a markup on the silver Stuller setting. Vendors can add in a setting charge and charge as much as they want, but I suspect you could get a Stuller setting for much less from another vendor. I wouldn’t recommend a silver setting for a 2ct diamond, anyway.

 

[dkata]

I’ve got my Stuller WG four prong setting from Erica at LAD, and I think the price was 300 USD. Maybe contact her.

 

[Gussie]

I looked at the Ritani one when I was deciding on a temp setting. It was way too thin for me. It felt like it came out of a gumball machine, no weight at all. I would be afraid of losing a diamond in a setting that dainty.

 

[Gussie]

Have you checked loupetroop.com or ebay for preloved settings? You may find a nice one for a bargain?

 

[MarionC]

I agree with those who said not silver. I think it's too soft especially for such a nice larger stone.
Both of my "large" diamonds are set in 14kt Stuller white gold settings. They were supposed to be temporary settings but I like them so much that a reset rarely crosses my mind.

 

[tyty333]

Is that really the cheapest they have available?

James Allen has several that are substantial looking and inexpensive in 14k gold.
https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...mfort-fit-solitaire-engagement-ring-item-7086
https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...solitaire-engagement-ring-six-prong-item-7995
https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...nife-edge-solitaire-engagement-ring-item-7115
https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...ld-presentation-solitaire-six-prong-item-7990

Whtieflash even has lower price settings
https://www.whiteflash.com/engageme...ffany-style-solitaire-engagement-ring-582.htm
https://www.whiteflash.com/engageme...ffany-style-solitaire-engagement-ring-587.htm

 

[LightBright]

My understanding is that JA no longer sets outside stones nor sells settings empty.

I’m not sure about WF or BGD, which also has some affordable solitaires.

 

[uyalison]

you can also order it in 10k, which would be even less expensive

Thank you @ecf8503. I didn't think of 10k at all! That is a great suggestion.

 

[uyalison]

With 6 prongs, I think your stone would be safe in silver ... but if you are certain you'd go with the CVB Dahlia as long as you are okay with the K-color of your diamond, maybe get the temp setting in the same metal/color/karat as the Dahlia would (potentially) be? That would give you a truer read on color, and then if the metal is gold or platinum, when you go with your permanent setting you could sell the temp setting and recoup some of its cost. Not much resale value on silver settings.

Yes, yes, that is my plan. I did look on ebay, a silver setting goes for about 10$. So pretty much a sunk cost.

 

[uyalison]

That’s quite a markup on the silver Stuller setting. Vendors can add in a setting charge and charge as much as they want, but I suspect you could get a Stuller setting for much less from another vendor. I wouldn’t recommend a silver setting for a 2ct diamond, anyway.

I much prefer vendor (e.g. WF, Ritani) just post their price online.

For the Ritani setting that I was interested in. The price at the WF site and Ritani's site is the same. WF offers a wire discount, which makes perfect sense. I much much prefer that.

I don't know why Stuller cannot at least list MSRP like car company. At least that gives me an idea in ball park how much different setting cost. It just doesn't seem like an efficient use of consultants' time having to look up the prices every time. Maybe this is their business model. But this is causing consumer suspicion that vendors are over-charging, due to the lack of publicized pricing information. Maybe this is the whole point, so that the vendor can charge whatever they want. I am not saying any vendors are doing that - over charging.

I like HPD list their CBI diamond price. I wish they can some how list their non-custom setting price online as well. It saves everyone's time.

 

[uyalison]

I’ve got my Stuller WG four prong setting from Erica at LAD, and I think the price was 300 USD. Maybe contact her.

Hi, @dkata, is your stuller WG four prong setting 10k, 14k, or 18k gold? Thank you.

 

[uyalison]

I looked at the Ritani one when I was deciding on a temp setting. It was way too thin for me. It felt like it came out of a gumball machine, no weight at all. I would be afraid of losing a diamond in a setting that dainty.

Thank you @ceg. That is good to know.

Melissa did say that she doesn't recommend shank of 1.65 mm. It is not strong enough for daily wear for long term. Just the act of putting a 1.65mm on and off can cause warping, and 2.02 ct is a big diamond to be held with such a skinny shank.

Not that I don't trust Melissa, but to hear from you further convince me that this Ritani is probably not a suitable setting for me.

Thank you.

 

[uyalison]

Have you checked loupetroop.com or ebay for preloved settings? You may find a nice one for a bargain?

I did look. None was available.

 

[uyalison]

My understanding is that JA no longer sets outside stones nor sells settings empty.

I’m not sure about WF or BGD, which also has some affordable solitaires.

I checked with WF, their affordable settings you cannot buy separately. The one that you can buy separately are over 1000. On their website, under each setting, it lists whether it can be purchased separately.

 

[uyalison]

Is that really the cheapest they have available?

James Allen has several that are substantial looking and inexpensive in 14k gold.
https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...mfort-fit-solitaire-engagement-ring-item-7086
https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...solitaire-engagement-ring-six-prong-item-7995
https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...nife-edge-solitaire-engagement-ring-item-7115
https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...ld-presentation-solitaire-six-prong-item-7990

Whtieflash even has lower price settings
https://www.whiteflash.com/engageme...ffany-style-solitaire-engagement-ring-582.htm
https://www.whiteflash.com/engageme...ffany-style-solitaire-engagement-ring-587.htm

Yeah, any of these setting would work I think. But unfortunately I think none of them can be purchased separately without the diamonds.

 

[uyalison]

Thank you everyone. I really appreciate your opinion.

Melissa is very gracious. She sees that I prefer gold over continuum silver, so she has generously offered me the same setting in 10k for the continuum silver price that she quoted me. What service!

 

[uyalison]

I agree with those who said not silver. I think it's too soft especially for such a nice larger stone.
Both of my "large" diamonds are set in 14kt Stuller white gold settings. They were supposed to be temporary settings but I like them so much that a reset rarely crosses my mind.

Hi, @Jimmianne, can you show me some pictures of your diamonds in 14k Stuller white gold setting please?

 

[uyalison]

I’ve got my Stuller WG four prong setting from Erica at LAD, and I think the price was 300 USD. Maybe contact her.

Hi, @dkata,
Can you show me some picture of your stuller wg four prong ring?

Thank you

 

[dkata]

Hi, @dkata,
Can you show me some picture of your stuller wg four prong ring?

Thank you

My setting is 14 k, and you can find a lot of pictures in my threads, but here are a few:




By the way, there is even a thread for Stuller settings here on PS.

 

[MarionC]

Sure!
In both instances I had the prong tips made more delicate during the setting. For the oec he did exactly as I wanted and really refined them. For the asscher I had a less skilled jeweler who didn't take them down as much as I would have liked, but they do provide protection for the corners.
The oec setting was under $500 and the asscher setting was about $1000 (due to the amount of gold-it's much heavier).
Stuller has so many great designs, you might just find something!

 

[tyty333]

My understanding is that JA no longer sets outside stones nor sells settings empty.

I’m not sure about WF or BGD, which also has some affordable solitaires.

Is this recently? JA not setting outside stones? They set mine about 2 years ago. Honestly, I wasnt really suggesting to send it to another vendor
just trying to make a point that HPD should be able to find a plain gold setting that is less than $500.

 

[ecf8503]

Thank you @ecf8503. I didn't think of 10k at all! That is a great suggestion.

I have several 10k rings from Stuller - so far so good on all of them!

 

[LightBright]

Is this recently? JA not setting outside stones? They set mine about 2 years ago. Honestly, I wasnt really suggesting to send it to another vendor
just trying to make a point that HPD should be able to find a plain gold setting that is less than $500.

Hi TyTy, I just checked on JA’s site and you are correct! JA DOES sell settings for outside stones. Here is a FAQ from the JA website:

“I have my own diamond but I'd like to purchase one of your settings. Can you set my diamond into a JamesAllen ring?”

“Yes! Almost Every ring on the James Allen website is available for purchase, regardless of whether or not you purchase a center diamond from us. Many rings, however, cannot be manufactured unless we have the diamond in our possession. Tension settings, rings with diamond halos, and other unique designs fall into that category. In those instances we require that you send the diamond to our offices and charge a $100 setting fee. To order those designs, please contact our offices and we will provide you with an exact shipping and insurance quotation. For all other designs, you can complete your order through our online shopping cart. When you check out with just a setting (and not a diamond), please provide us with the exact shape and millimeter dimensions of your diamond so we can include properly sized prongs.

Please Note: While we will take every precaution to ensure that your diamond is professionally mounted into our ring setting, JamesAllen.com cannot be responsible for any damage that may occur during the setting process. CZ (cubic zirconia), diamond simulants, clarity-enhanced diamonds, gemstones, or other diamond substitutes are particularly prone to damage. Any diamond simulants or enhanced diamonds should be clearly marked as such when sent to our offices. We also reserve the right to charge additional fees for diamonds or gemstones that are greater than 7mm in diameter.”

So James Allen is definitely worth checking into! I’m sorry to have given incorrect info. I’ll try to track down the PS post that led me to believe they didn’t, but so far it seems that they DO offer settings for outside stones.

 

[LightBright]

OK my confusion about James Allen setting outside stones comes from this post:
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/james-allen-can-not-make-a-setting-for-my-oec.228254/

This post describes a situation in which JA declined to make a setting for a 3 carat OEC. It was the unique size and shape of the OEC (offround: 9.07mm x 8.65mm and likely quite deep) that made James Allen decline to make a setting for this particular old cut.

I remembered this one post and made an incorrect generalization, when in fact JA might be a very good option for a temp setting, as they do set most outside stones and frequently have sales, and they have some very affordable presentation settings.

 

[uyalison]

Just for my curiosity I contacted JA through "As a Question". I asked the lady what is the most affordable 14k white gold 6-prong setting that I can buy separately. She is very polite and nice, she said cannot find any six prong options at the moment that can be set with an outside diamond of 2 ct size.

They have so many settings, and she cannot find one single 6 prong setting for a 2 ct round diamond?

This is my thinking which I have no proof. The profit margin on their relatively inexpensive setting are very low, it makes no economical sense to sell it on its own, maybe they even lose money after all the expenses. I would imagine for their expensive settings that have higher profit margin, they will be more than willing to sell to anyone.

She did show me one for 14k white gold 4 prong
https://www.jamesallen.com/engageme...d-profile-solitaire-engagement-ring-item-9201