Basic procedural question from a newbie

[acleary]

So, I''ve learned a lot of very useful things about diamonds and buying them on the ''net here, thanks! I''m prepared to buy a diamond on the ''net. But I''m unclear on the procedure to follow vis a vis getting that put into a ring.

Previously, I had done a bunch of scoping rings with my soon-to-be-fiancee, and I had come to the conclusion that a particular Scott Kay ring would be good.

The question is: how do I go about getting a diamond from a PS vendor put into that ring? Will most diamond vendors also sell me that particular ring, or do they only sell their own designs? Are such designs comparable or preferable to the "big name" designers like Kay? Can I buy the ring separately and then take both the ring and stone somewhere to get them worked on?

Thanks in advance... it''s such a newbie question, it doesn''t really appear explicitly in any of the FAQs that I saw...

Andy

 

[MissAva]

Which Scott Kay setting are you looking at?

 

[Kaleigh]

Hi and welcome to PS!!! You've come to the right place, that's for sure. As far as I know Scott kay will not sell his settings separately. If you want a scott Kay ring then you have to buy the diamond as well. Many vendors here have similair settings, so you might give that a try.

 

[acleary]

Date: 6/16/2005 5:10:16 PM
Author: Matatora
Which Scott Kay setting are you looking at?

I can''t find it at his site, but I saw it at Joe Escobar... It''s really quite simple, just a solitaire. I believe it is "reverse taper" and "cathedral", but in more plain english, it kind of gets skinnier as it gets closer to the stone and when viewed from the side sort of arches up. At Escobar, this setting (in platinum I guess I should say) was around 1300 bucks. The stone I''ll buy will be about 1.7C princess.

Does that ring any bells or suggest anything?

Thanks,
Andy

 

[michela002]

Pearlman''s jewelers (http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com) and Solomon Brothers (http://www.solomonbros.com) both sell a bunch of Scott Kay settings. Solomon Bros also sell diamonds. Alternatively, if you buy the diamond elsewhere I believe you can either have the diamond shipped to who you buy the setting for, or vice versa - just discuss it with the vendors you end up choosing.

Alternatively, you can always go the custom route - lots of people here have had great experiences with Whiteflash (http://www.whiteflash.com) and also Quest Manufacturing (sorry, don''t know the address - try a search in PS for Quest). The custom work is amazing and I''d argue in no way inferior to getting the "designer" setting. It''s also great for tinkering with little things you might not like quite as much in the original Scott Kay design.

Good luck!

 

[MissAva]

What metal are you looking for? Humm...have you tried looking through the online catalongs atPricescope Vendors? If you can find one that is close you can post a pic and then tell us what is different, Mara Belle Blue234 Aljdewey and Kaleigh are all really good at finding pictures on the net and quite generous with their time. Good Luck!

 

[acleary]

Date: 6/16/2005 5:10:28 PM
Author: kaleigh
Hi and welcome to PS!!! You''ve come to the right place, that''s for sure. As far as I know Scott kay will not sell his settings separately. If you want a scott Kay ring then you have to buy the diamond as well. Many vendors here have similair settings, so you might give that a try.

Well, thanks for the welcome...

So, to be really dense, you''re saying that if I''ve found a stone I''m interested in, I should then go to that vendor''s website and basically just browse the settings that they have?

I guess what I wasn''t sure of was, well, just because a company can broker diamonds (which are nice and certified and all that), how do I know anything about the quality of their rings? Unless I''m mistaken, I won''t ever get to see the ring before buying it, right (though I suppose they usually have a return policy)?

Also, I noted, and not to be a price snob, that the prices of the vendor''s rings were considerably cheaper than the Scott Kay I had seen... Cheaper is "better" of course, but sometimes it''s also an indication of quality, and I certainly don''t want to plunk 10K or more on a diamond and have a ring that isn''t sufficient. My fiancee and I are agreed that eventually, she''ll probably get the diamond reset eventually, so I really only want this ring to be appropriate for the diamond and the first couple of years, not a "knock your socks off" type deal...

Thanks!
Andy

 

[hoorray]

Joe Escobar might be able to find you a great stone at a competitive price, so that would make things simplist. I hear that they are pretty competitive to Internet pricing. You probably need to do some searching and homework on the web to know what pricing is reasonable for what you are looking for, and then give them a chance to see if they can be close. I know that Joe picks high quality stones, and does high quality work, so that is how I would start. (I have bought several things form them in the past, but not a center stone. I did spend a fair amount of time with Mr. Escobar discussing stones and settings, and would expect him to come up with some good options.)

If it doesn't work out, then I would consider having a close version made. You could tweak it to be just what you want in a custom setting. (This is assuming that kaleigh is right that they won't sell the stone without the setting -- I don't know the specifics on how Scott Kay works.)

 

[MissAva]

Is it something like this? I am sorry I am not 100% about how to interpret your description...

 

[acleary]

Date: 6/16/2005 5:21:47 PM
Author: Indecisive
Pearlman''s jewelers (http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com) and Solomon Brothers (http://www.solomonbros.com) both sell a bunch of Scott Kay settings. Solomon Bros also sell diamonds. Alternatively, if you buy the diamond elsewhere I believe you can either have the diamond shipped to who you buy the setting for, or vice versa - just discuss it with the vendors you end up choosing.

Alternatively, you can always go the custom route - lots of people here have had great experiences with Whiteflash (http://www.whiteflash.com) and also Quest Manufacturing (sorry, don''t know the address - try a search in PS for Quest). The custom work is amazing and I''d argue in no way inferior to getting the ''designer'' setting. It''s also great for tinkering with little things you might not like quite as much in the original Scott Kay design.

Good luck!

I''m checking these sites out, though one caveat: solomonbros.com is a clothing manufacturer in Australia. solomonbrothers.com is the jeweller, apparently...

 

[MissAva]

The last one was from WhiteFlash and this one is from DirtCheapDiamonds

 

[MissAva]

Or this one from Engagementringsdirect?

 

[acleary]

Date: 6/16/2005 5:25:13 PM
Author: Matatora
Is it something like this? I am sorry I am not 100% about how to interpret your description...

I like that ring a fair amount, actually, but I think the one I was looking at was slightly different... it''s kind of hard to tell from the angles presented in those pictures, but when you look from the top (as if you were looking at the top of the stone), the ring gets skinnier just as it approaches the ring (it''s an effect my GF liked). From the side, I can''t remember if the Kay design was as fancy as that "lattice" in your pictures, though honestly, I''m not all that locked in and that looks pretty cool.

Andy

 

[MissAva]

I really wish I knew how to attach more then one picture at a time....

 

[Novella]

Hi there! I actually just purchased a Scott Kay setting, and they don''t require you to purchase a diamond as well. I bought the setting separately and am planning to set an heirloom stone in it. The only caution is that the warranty that comes with all Scott Kay settings is void once anyone other than Scott Kay works on it. In my case however, the jeweler I ordered the setting from is taking all responsibility for the setting of the diamond (if there was ever a problem with the setting, the jeweler would handle sending repairs to Scott Kay directly, or order me an entirely new mounting) . It was also an option to send the diamond directly to Scott Kay and have one of their setters set the stone, but I''m more comfortable having it done locally.

I hope this helps!

 

[acleary]

Date: 6/16/2005 5:24:24 PM
Author: lop
Joe Escobar might be able to find you a great stone at a competitive price, so that would make things simplist. I hear that they are pretty competitive to Internet pricing. You probably need to do some searching and homework on the web to know what pricing is reasonable for what you are looking for, and then give them a chance to see if they can be close. I know that Joe picks high quality stones, and does high quality work, so that is how I would start. (I have bought several things form them in the past, but not a center stone. I did spend a fair amount of time with Mr. Escobar discussing stones and settings, and would expect him to come up with some good options.)

If it doesn''t work out, then I would consider having a close version made. You could tweak it to be just what you want in a custom setting. (This is assuming that kaleigh is right that they won''t sell the stone without the setting -- I don''t know the specifics on how Scott Kay works.)

So far, I''ve seen stones more to my liking on the PS vendors than at Joe Escobar... I asked Escobar for G-H, VS2-SI1, around 1.7C, and the lady calls me back with "we have a fabulous D diamond for you to look for..." Arrgh. D is not G or H. They''ve only had 2-3 diamonds within very broad parameters, whereas I can get much closer to exactly what I want with the PS search.

If I bought a diamond over the ''net, could I then take it into Escobar and have them set it in a Scott Kay ring (which they would sell me obviously)? Or would they get cranky since I didn''t buy my diamond from them? Is this not something that they do?

 

[acleary]

Date: 6/16/2005 5:47:04 PM
Author: Novella
Hi there! I actually just purchased a Scott Kay setting, and they don''t require you to purchase a diamond as well. I bought the setting separately and am planning to set an heirloom stone in it. The only caution is that the warranty that comes with all Scott Kay settings is void once anyone other than Scott Kay works on it. In my case however, the jeweler I ordered the setting from is taking all responsibility for the setting of the diamond (if there was ever a problem with the setting, the jeweler would handle sending repairs to Scott Kay directly, or order me an entirely new mounting) . It was also an option to send the diamond directly to Scott Kay and have one of their setters set the stone, but I''m more comfortable having it done locally.

I hope this helps!

How did this work, e.g., from whom did you buy the setting? Directly from Scott Kay.com or something, or rather through a local jeweller who stocks Scott Kay?

Thanks,
Andy

 

[acleary]

Aha, I found it at Pearleman''s: http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/Product.asp?DesignerID=23&ItemTypeID=1&ItemID=1085&start=18

Item 31U1.

Andy

 

[Novella]

SK doesn''t sell to the public directly, I bought it throgh a local B&M store in Boston that is a licensed Sk retailer. Unfortunately, I found that the fancy schmancy designer settings all seem to be the same price everywhere (it''s really hard to find a discounted SK dealer). I was able to bargain a bit with the store though...

I looked into having the setting custom made, but it wouldn''t have saved us very much money-- so we went with the "original" since I loved it so much! The jeweler placed a special order for the mounting (est. time 3-6 weeks, it''s taking about 5). Once the mounting is in, I''ll bring my stone to the store, where they''ll set it for me where I can watch (cost: $40, since I''m not buying a diamond from them). Since SK won''t warranty the piece once someone else has worked on it, it''s really important to purchase from a reputable dealer (OK, this is important for many reasons!), as they should be able to stand behind the work since Scott Kay claims that they won''t. Scott Kay pieces come with an appraisal that can be submitted for insurance purposes, but my stone will be appraised independently,set and then brought back to be appraised as a set ring for my insurance.

 

[acleary]

Date: 6/16/2005 6:59:30 PM
Author: Novella
SK doesn''t sell to the public directly, I bought it throgh a local B&M store in Boston that is a licensed Sk retailer. Unfortunately, I found that the fancy schmancy designer settings all seem to be the same price everywhere (it''s really hard to find a discounted SK dealer). I was able to bargain a bit with the store though...

I looked into having the setting custom made, but it wouldn''t have saved us very much money-- so we went with the ''original'' since I loved it so much! The jeweler placed a special order for the mounting (est. time 3-6 weeks, it''s taking about 5). Once the mounting is in, I''ll bring my stone to the store, where they''ll set it for me where I can watch (cost: $40, since I''m not buying a diamond from them). Since SK won''t warranty the piece once someone else has worked on it, it''s really important to purchase from a reputable dealer (OK, this is important for many reasons!), as they should be able to stand behind the work since Scott Kay claims that they won''t. Scott Kay pieces come with an appraisal that can be submitted for insurance purposes, but my stone will be appraised independently,set and then brought back to be appraised as a set ring for my insurance.

OK, thanks, this is making "procedure" much more clear to me... I can just go ahead and buy the stone as a "loose stone", have it shipped to me, and then I''m basically in the same boat that you are: with a stone that I can then take to a B&M that carries SK (there seem be plenty of them near where I am), "custom order" the mounting, and then have them set the stone in there for me. Or, I guess some B&Ms will ship the stone off to SK to mount themselves, as you mentioned... then I''m just sort of dealing with who I want to do the mounting.

Thanks!
Andy

 

[Novella]

Good luck! It''s a beautiful setting and I''m sure she''ll love it!

one last "hint".... it''s a good idea to have the stone when you buy the mounting. The jeweler was able to take measurements of the stone to make sure the setting head was exactly the right size for my stone, instead of trying to finagle my stone into the standard prongs (I took the stone home with me after ordering). Hence the longer tmie period. If you get a standard setting with no special touches (I had different prongs put in mine) i think it only takes a couple of weeks.

I don''t know how your area is, but I kept hearing stories of B&M stores coming down on internet sales of diamonds (refusing to set them etc.) I was originally going to buy a stone from Whiteflash before I was offered a family stone, and my plan was to tell the setting place that I inherited the stone/bought it from a friend with a failed engagement/etc. just in case! But, it turns out, my jeweler is super nice and reads pricescope too!

Oh,and, congratulations!!

 

[acleary]

Date: 6/16/2005 7:40:08 PM
Author: Novella
Good luck! It''s a beautiful setting and I''m sure she''ll love it!

one last ''hint''.... it''s a good idea to have the stone when you buy the mounting. The jeweler was able to take measurements of the stone to make sure the setting head was exactly the right size for my stone, instead of trying to finagle my stone into the standard prongs (I took the stone home with me after ordering). Hence the longer tmie period. If you get a standard setting with no special touches (I had different prongs put in mine) i think it only takes a couple of weeks.

I don''t know how your area is, but I kept hearing stories of B&M stores coming down on internet sales of diamonds (refusing to set them etc.) I was originally going to buy a stone from Whiteflash before I was offered a family stone, and my plan was to tell the setting place that I inherited the stone/bought it from a friend with a failed engagement/etc. just in case! But, it turns out, my jeweler is super nice and reads pricescope too!

Oh,and, congratulations!!

Thanks for the hints and the info and the congratulations!

Now, I need to go get a "gut check" on the stone I was thinking of getting... If you (or someone else is still reading), what do you think of this one?

http://www.bluenile.com/diamonds_details.asp?pid=LD00145829

It''s part of their "signature stone" series which I saw mentioned in one of the forums... 1.71-Carat Signature Princess Cut Diamond
This Ideal-cut, H-color, and SI1-clarity diamond...

After hanging out in pricescope for a while, I''ve gleaned that most here are much more fond of the round stones, but my GF has her heart set on a princess... I wouldn''t want to go below an H or SI1, but that''s a nice-sized stone and if cut makes a difference for princesses, that seems like a nice sweet spot...

Andy

 

[MissAva]

Oh this is the setting....posting for others who dont want to link it. Have you seen this exact setting with the princess stone? I noticed 34U1 has a princess had but doesnt have the taper inward the way this one does. Will this mean you need to special order? I would look into the policies for the jewler where you were planning on buying the setting. I know that they will at times set an heirloom stone but not a stone bought anywhere else.

 

[acleary]

Date: 6/16/2005 8:45:31 PM
Author: Matatora
Oh this is the setting....posting for others who dont want to link it. Have you seen this exact setting with the princess stone? I noticed 34U1 has a princess had but doesnt have the taper inward the way this one does. Will this mean you need to special order? I would look into the policies for the jewler where you were planning on buying the setting. I know that they will at times set an heirloom stone but not a stone bought anywhere else.

Drats... just as I was thinking I had this all figured out, I see there are more potential "gotchas"...

Nope, I haven''t done the research that you''ve suggested. There are about a dozen places around here listed as having Scott Kay, so I just assumed I''d find at least *one* that would sell it to me with a stone bought somewhere else...

I''m also a little unclear on the specifics of which stones take round vs princess, but I kind of had it in my head that I''d have to special order. That''s ok, I''m not in that big of a hurry (I have to go out of the country for 4 weeks in about a week so if it comes back after that, that''s fine).

OK, thanks for the note, I will followup by going to a jeweller...

Andy

 

[hoorray]

Hi Andy,

Too bad you didn''t have better luck with J. Escobars. They are much bigger than they were when I first dealt with them.

Have you checked out Geoffrey''s in San Carlos? Several people here have had great experiences with them, so they might be a good alternative if they sell the Scott Kay designs.

 

[Hest88]

Have you tried contacting the PS vendor from which you want to buy the diamond and seeing if they can get the setting you want?

 

[acleary]

Date: 6/17/2005 12:07:55 PM
Author: lop
Hi Andy,

Too bad you didn''t have better luck with J. Escobars. They are much bigger than they were when I first dealt with them.

Have you checked out Geoffrey''s in San Carlos? Several people here have had great experiences with them, so they might be a good alternative if they sell the Scott Kay designs.

No, I haven''t checked out Geoffrey''s, but as it''s about 3 miles from my house, I will!

Thanks!

Andy

 

[acleary]

Date: 6/17/2005 12:27:37 PM
Author: Hest88
Have you tried contacting the PS vendor from which you want to buy the diamond and seeing if they can get the setting you want?

You see, this is why a place like PriceScope is so useful: I wouldn''t have even thought that was an option. \

So, no, I haven''t, but I will!

Thanks,
Andy