Are MrsSalvo or any Quest Jeweler customers here?

[pregcurious]

Hi, I am looking for MrsSalvo, or anyone who has done custom ering work with Quest Jewelers in VA. I am considering having them make me a ring, and was wondering if I could ask MrsSalvo about her experience. She had this beautiful ring made by them several years ago. I am looking for a 3 stone ring with claw prongs.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-me-your-quest-jewelers-masterpieces.35129/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-me-your-quest-jewelers-masterpieces.35129/[/URL]

 

[kelpie]

I worked with them locally and they are very gracious but their workmanship and quality control was terrible. It was astounding they could have let my piece out the door ( I'm local but in another state so they mailed it to avoid tax). Among several other complaints they hung poorly finished bezel drops backward (culet facing) from my earrings and much much worse destroyed my personally owned stones I handpicked and had to replace them with ones I didn't like as much. Not to mention the timeline....it took 5 months to get something I could wear.

Bah
But others rave about them.

 

[iheartscience]

They've had some other pretty bad reviews here as well. I personally would not use them.

 

[vc10um]

They set custom set my custom-cut sugarloaf cabachon from Swala in 18k rose gold last year. They were very expensive but I didn't bother to go anywhere else because I was working on a short timeline and they were local. The ring, imo, is fabulous, and it is exactly what I wanted. I have worn it at least 3 times a week for the past 14 months and had no issues at all with workmanship. You can see the thread on it here.

It is also were we purchased my engagment ring setting and had the diamond set. However, we have not been back since then because of miscommunications and mistakes on their part when attempting to acquire the diamond (we ended up finding THE perfect stone on Blue Nile, though...so all's well that ends well).

My first interaction with Quest was refurbishing my grandmother's wedding set which can be seen in my avatar. They also filled the empty center position with a sapphire.

 

[pregcurious]

Thank you for your story Kelpie, and for your comment thing2of2. IVc10um, your ring is gorgeous!

I had such a good experience with Quest ([URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/thanks-to-quest-jewelers-for-my-reset.163316/#post-2983052#p2983052']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/thanks-to-quest-jewelers-for-my-reset.163316/#post-2983052#p2983052[/URL]) and a bad experience with WhiteFlash. With all the controversy with LM and SK and "hand forging", I feel at a loss for which vendor to trust. It's for my 15th anniversary ring, which is to be my dream ring. I really wish I had a local jeweler whom I could work with. I live in MD.

Has anyone tried getting custom work done at Tiny Jewel Box?

 

[kelpie]

I have not done custom at tiny Jewel box but I love their collection. I wanted to buy a link bracelet there on a very short time frame and I wanted it shortened which could have been done with a hacksaw or pliers in two minutes but they couldn't accommodate because their master jeweler was out. That was my only experience trying to get modifications. Love their stuff but I bet custom would be $$$$. I was thinking if I had some pliers I'd do it myself. I love Hunt country jewelers north of leesburg and use them for everything.

Eta- whiteflash was just okay for me, kind of felt nickeled and dimed on what should have been a very inexpensive stock project. Look up Radcliffe in Towson. There is a 4ct in custom halo here they outsourced.

 

[mary poppins]

I had the wonderful people at Facets in Arlington make earrings and repair an heirloom necklace for my wedding jewelry and would recommend them.


http://www.facetsfinejewelry.com/

 

[pregcurious]

Thanks MP!

 

[mrssalvo]

Hi pregcurious, I can tell you that my experience with Quest was very good. They were all very helpful and kind. I worked with them long distance but they were always easy to get ahold of by phone or email if and when necessary. I feel the price was fair for what I got. That said, if I were doing another custom project there would be other jewelers I'd go to first. I know there are a lot of threads and questions regarding LM and SK and their methods around here lately but honestly, I still think that both produce a wonderful product and depending on the project would use them. I think Victor does amazing work as well. Brian Gavin doesn't claim to hand forge rings but produces a great product too. It really depends what your exact goals are as to who might be the best fit. I personally believe there are pros and cons to both entirely hand forged vs. cast or a combo of both. Technology is a wonderful thing and I think casting and partial casting is taking a beating here lately as being inferior for some reason when it isn't necessarily the case IMO. All of the designers I mentioned aren't local though and that might be a big priority for you. None of them or local for me, neither was Quest so that isn't a determining factor for me. Folks here seem to love Leon or hate him but he really does have a wonderful eye for proportions when making 3 stone rings and somehow manages to make them look so delicate. For a project so straight forward, I'd probably choose him because of his artistic eye and ignore his bedside manner I hope that helps!!

 

[pregcurious]

MrsSalvo, that's very helpful. I was leaning heavily towards SK because I am not sure the LM will follow through if I am unhappy with something. The advantage of CAD, for me, is that I won't have to be anxious about what something will look like, but you're right that the project is very straight forward. I do want a unique element, but even that will be straight forward. I am considering Hunt County Jeweler's at Kelpie's recommendation. I agree with you that someone's artistic eye if very important.

 

[kelpie]

My pieces from hunt county aren't CAD but hand carved wax. I suspect from pictures of CAD made rings the results of of my hand carved rings are more refined than those produced by CAD but I've never commissioned a CAD piece before.