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Best custom fabricator for an octagonal bezel?

nebe

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
954
Hello again!

My SO and I purchased a 1.01 F Jubilee from GOG a few (long) months ago and had a temporary setting made at the time of purchase. Now, we're looking for the best bench to commission a different setting for the stone. For $700 we got the first in 18kWG, but I'm still on a bit of a budget when it comes to the new setting and I want to stay around saaaay- double the original.

I know I definitely want [#1] a 1.5mm, impeccably symmetrical octagonal shaped bezel to accentuate the outline of the Jubilee stone (such as lil_misfit's beautiful BGD asscher :love: ), [#2] a low setting to keep from catching on things [#3] a reasonably thin 2mm-ish comfort shank with no melee [#4] budget permitting: an art deco feeling to the setting (like maybe a semi-precious stone halo or shoulder details/some sort of scroll or flora design on the profile.


JubileeStone.jpg Sample Jubilee stone.

haloMK1-Brian-Gavin.jpg lil_misfit's reset.

1faycullen.jpg Fay Cullen sold compete.

1ebay.jpg Random ebay ring.

So, my lovely and all-knowing PSers... who should I be contacting for quotes? :read:
 

Gypsy

Super_Ideal_Rock
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What's your budget again? Best and 1400 aren't going to happen. You can try Hunt Country or Daniel M on etsy. They are the only ones that might be able to do what you want in your budget.

You'd need about 2100-2700 for what you want as the 'best' jeweler... which would be CAD for this project. And BGD would be my choice.
 

NOYFB

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 16, 2008
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2,649
I'm flattered that you are inspired by my ring :) And Gypsy is right. BGD would be the best one to do this job, IMO (Of course, I might be a little biased) but you will need to increase your budget if you want him to do it. For reference, my setting was $2375.

I've never worked with Daniel M but I know Natascha (who also has a bezel setting) did and she ultimately was not entirely pleased with her ring. Not saying you wouldn't be, but just something to think about. I've never heard of Hunt Country, so I can't say anything about them.

Good luck with whoever you decide to go with. I am looking forward to seeing how it turns out!
 

nebe

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
954
What's your budget again? Best and 1400 aren't going to happen.

$50 or $500,000- there is always a "best" option available for any budget. No, I am not looking to commission a pave setting with 3 cts of melee from Neil Lane- but that does not mean I should give up completely. Sometimes the best options are hard won and there is no rule that the best work will only come from the top name of a rolodex.

Gypsy- I posted here for help, not to be ridiculed for trying to work with a budget.
 

sphenequeen

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 16, 2009
Messages
640
nebe|1318288570|3037314 said:
What's your budget again? Best and 1400 aren't going to happen.

$50 or $500,000- there is always a "best" option available for any budget. No, I am not looking to commission a pave setting with 3 cts of melee from Neil Lane- but that does not mean I should give up completely. Sometimes the best options are hard won and there is no rule that the best work will only come from the top name of a rolodex.

Gypsy- I posted here for help, not to be ridiculed for trying to work with a budget.

I honestly don't think Gypsy was trying to ridicule you - she was just being straight forward with her advice (I think ridicule would entail her not offering any useful information).

I love the idea of calibrated colored stones around your Jubilee cut - keep in mind that the stone cutting process for a project such as this could be very expensive, but well worth it.

I happen to favor the BGD bezel that you posted. It really makes that diamond sing!
 

Gypsy

Super_Ideal_Rock
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40,225
I didn't ridicule you. I told you very honestly that you aren't going to get what your post title says from your budget.

That is helpful. Now if you want to be defensive and read a 'tone' into my post that *I* certainly didn't put in there, go ahead.

Daniel M is one I have worked with for bezels and I would not hire him for bezel work again. At all. Mine was fortunately just for earrings so I don't care but for a ring bezel I would never recommend him for someone who wants a good outcome.

Hunt Country is a custom vendor that I have not seen the bezel work from... but I am hiring them for a different type of project. They are affordable and creative. But they don't use CAD.

And that's what you need for a 'best' outcome: for an octagonal bezel your best bet for good results on a budget is CAD. But, AS I SAID, your budget is too low for the CAD vendors that we recommend because of their work quality.

SO YES, you are right there are 'best options' for every budget. And YOUR BEST OPTION IS TO RAISE YOUR BUDGET OR CONSIDER A DIFFERENT DESIGN. Okay?
 

diamondseeker2006

Super_Ideal_Rock
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I was thinking what Gypsy said, so I am sure she did not mean it in any other way than realistic advice! Those deco rings are gorgeous, and it would be horrible to have them made with poor workmanship. Sadly, settings are very expensive now, and especially if you go custom, want custom cut colored stones, plus a bezel, I think you would easily be looking at double your proposed budget. BG does do nice milgrain bezels, so I think he might be as reasonable as you will find for that style ring with nice workmanship. I'd be interested in seeing some work from Hunt Country, though.
 

MissStepcut

Brilliant_Rock
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I worked with Daniel M on a pronged ring and it was nice for the price but it wasn't perfect. For my colored stone, it was great, but for an engagement ring? If you want something perfectly symmetrical I don't think he's the way to go unless price is your first concern.

No one is trying to ridicule you, we are just trying to give you reasonable expectations.
 

nebe

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
954
MissStepcut|1318289949|3037337 said:
we are just trying to give you reasonable expectations.

Reasonable expectations can be shared in a much more kind (albeit diplomatic) fashion, is all I'm saying. However the deliverance, thank you.
 

MissStepcut

Brilliant_Rock
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Are you sure you need to go fully custom? If you can find a setting intended for an asscher, that might not be necessary.

Have you looked at all locally? In my experience, the PS vendors don't price out better than my local jewelers for settings. My mom's jeweler who is local to her small town offered to do a very intricate custom pave setting for $1k, and based on his work that I've seen in person, I would certainly trust it. The same setting from a PS vendor would likely be $2500+, based on what I've seen and priced out.

Also, for my BGD project, we're spending an extra $100 on insurance and shipping: yikes! That's a big bite out of the budget.
 

NOYFB

Ideal_Rock
Joined
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Since you are looking for a perfectly symmetrical bezel, you need to go with a vendor who does CAD. No doubt about it. And, the truth is, custom CAD work is going to cost you a bit more than your proposed budget. If it's not feasible to increase your budget at this time, would it be possible to save up for a little while longer before proceeding with this project?

I'm not sure if you are familiar with the story of how my BGD reset came to be. But, in the picture you posted of my ring, that setting next to it is what happened when I took my ring to my local jeweler and asked him for a bezel milgrain setting. It was not symmetrical at all and I was severely disappointed in it. I was also working on a budget and that is what my budget at the time got me. It was a very expensive lesson to learn that I would need to increase my budget to get what I wanted. Once I did, I was blown away at the quality! My point is, you get what you pay for.

I would call BGD and get a quote. Good luck!
 

nebe

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
954
MissStepcut|1318290746|3037342 said:
Are you sure you need to go fully custom? If you can find a setting intended for an asscher, that might not be necessary.

Have you looked at all locally? In my experience, the PS vendors don't price out better than my local jewelers for settings. My mom's jeweler who is local to her small town offered to do a very intricate custom pave setting for $1k, and based on his work that I've seen in person, I would certainly trust it. The same setting from a PS vendor would likely be $2500+, based on what I've seen and priced out.

Also, for my BGD project, we're spending an extra $100 on insurance and shipping: yikes! That's a big bite out of the budget.

I'm not convinced I do need to go fully custom because what I'm looking for is not anything out of this world and the stone would fit in an asscher setting pretty easily. I haven't looked locally because the benches in my area are not particularly trustworthy (I've already had one ring ruined with TWO different local shops). I did email BGD- we'll see what they say. I'm going to do a bit more searching :sick: for a stock or antique setting I could have a little tweaked as well. Nothing yet though.
 

cookies

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jun 5, 2010
Messages
706
No offense, but the bezel in that Fay Cullen ring doesn't look perfect to me.

The best hand-made bezel I have seen so far is James Meyer's bezel. But he doesn't take customer's stones, and his quote will be something like $1400 ~ $2500, depending on the size & shape of the stone.
 

nebe

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
954
Lil Misfit|1318291088|3037348 said:
Since you are looking for a perfectly symmetrical bezel, you need to go with a vendor who does CAD. No doubt about it. And, the truth is, custom CAD work is going to cost you a bit more than your proposed budget. If it's not feasible to increase your budget at this time, would it be possible to save up for a little while longer before proceeding with this project?
I'm not sure if you are familiar with the story of how my BGD reset came to be. But, in the picture you posted of my ring, that setting next to it is what happened when I took my ring to my local jeweler and asked him for a bezel milgrain setting. It was not symmetrical at all and I was severely disappointed in it. I was also working on a budget and that is what my budget at the time got me. It was a very expensive lesson to learn that I would need to increase my budget to get what I wanted. Once I did, I was blown away at the quality! My point is, you get what you pay for.

I would call BGD and get a quote. Good luck!

The stone may or may not be 100% safe as it is now, so don't want to wait too long before having it redone, unfortunately. I didn't know how your reset came about; I'm sorry you had a problem with your first try but I'm glad your outcome was ultimately so beautiful :)) I did contact BGD, so we'll see. Thank you
 

MissStepcut

Brilliant_Rock
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nebe|1318291675|3037355 said:
MissStepcut|1318290746|3037342 said:
Are you sure you need to go fully custom? If you can find a setting intended for an asscher, that might not be necessary.

Have you looked at all locally? In my experience, the PS vendors don't price out better than my local jewelers for settings. My mom's jeweler who is local to her small town offered to do a very intricate custom pave setting for $1k, and based on his work that I've seen in person, I would certainly trust it. The same setting from a PS vendor would likely be $2500+, based on what I've seen and priced out.

Also, for my BGD project, we're spending an extra $100 on insurance and shipping: yikes! That's a big bite out of the budget.

I'm not convinced I do need to go fully custom because what I'm looking for is not anything out of this world and the stone would fit in an asscher setting pretty easily. I haven't looked locally because the benches in my area are not particularly trustworthy (I've already had one ring ruined with TWO different local shops). I did email BGD- we'll see what they say. I'm going to do a bit more searching :sick: for a stock or antique setting I could have a little tweaked as well. Nothing yet though.

Or maybe you can find just the thing that doesn't need tweaking at all, which might bring you out of your budget again. I found this that's still out of budget but seems close to your wishlist; maybe if you found its analogue without those pricy sidestones:

http://www.greenwichjewelers.com/store/products/beverley-k-square-bezel-set-diamond-engagement-ring
 

nebe

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
954
Cookie|1318291732|3037357 said:
No offense, but the bezel in that Fay Cullen ring doesn't look perfect to me.

The best hand-made bezel I have seen so far is James Meyer's bezel. But he doesn't take customer's stones, and his quote will be something like $1400 ~ $2500, depending on the size & shape of the stone.

It's not perfect, but it's also listed as an antique- so we'll cut them some slack ;)) James Meyer wouldn't be an option for me because we're very happy with the stone from GOG, but thank you.
 

slg47

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 4, 2010
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9,667
I think it is a beautiful diamond. However I also think that for what you want your budget is not adequate. Perhaps wait a while to reset?
 

nebe

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
954
MissStepcut|1318292229|3037364 said:
nebe|1318291675|3037355 said:
MissStepcut|1318290746|3037342 said:
or maybe you can find just the thing that doesn't need tweaking at all, which might bring you out of your budget again. I found this that's still out of budget but seems close to your wishlist; maybe if you found its analogue without those pricy sidestones:

http://www.greenwichjewelers.com/store/products/beverley-k-square-bezel-set-diamond-engagement-ring

That's a little different than I'm looking for, but man, I love calibrated french cuts :lickout: ty!!
 

MissStepcut

Brilliant_Rock
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nebe|1318292964|3037371 said:
That's a little different than I'm looking for, but man, I love calibrated french cuts :lickout: ty!!
Yeah, I know, but Beverley K might be the way to go, if you can find one you like. Stock setting, pretty reasonable pricing generally, and GOG might even be able to order and set it for you, if your experience there has been good. Has that vintage-y feel and a pretty big selection.
 

nebe

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
954
MissStepcut|1318293334|3037375 said:
nebe|1318292964|3037371 said:
That's a little different than I'm looking for, but man, I love calibrated french cuts :lickout: ty!!
Yeah, I know, but Beverley K might be the way to go, if you can find one you like. Stock setting, pretty reasonable pricing generally, and GOG might even be able to order and set it for you, if your experience there has been good. Has that vintage-y feel and a pretty big selection.


I'll definitely give the brand a much closer inspection! My experience with GOG has been nothing short of phenomenal- as soon as my ring is completely finished I'm going to make a SMTR(B) post with a glowing review with lots and lots of pictures. You've been very helpful as well, thank you so much :appl:
 

Bella_mezzo

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Messages
5,760
I would look for a Beverly K stock setting that you can slightly modify or get a quote from Hunt Country. The ring they did for kelpie is gorgeous and they might be abel to come up with a design that you like than would stay within budget. Your budget is definitely tight to get the design and quality that you want, so hopefully one of those two options will work out for you...
 

Gypsy

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
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Messages
40,225
Okay so I just got off the phone with Hunt. I was finalizing my design details for my project and decided to ask about your bezel.

Caroline said that if it's a plain metal 18K WG bezel and there isn't a ton of filigree or piercing or anything like that and you don't want any additional stones (those would be extra, obviously) then it would be under 1500.

She sent me these pics of others they have done... she knows it's not the look you are going for as these are heavy and masculine plus one is not a full bezel... but it's the only ones she had handy of an octagonal bezel they've done.

Hope this helps. FWIW they've been great with the communication with me. They do have a long lead time of 8-12 weeks since it is just before the holidays and the orders are pouring in. I'm excited to be working with them and hopeful that the project will be done correctly and that I'll be apprized of any issues on time.

www.huntcountry.com is their website.

3008.jpg

2965.jpg
 

nebe

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
954
Gypsy|1318295540|3037403 said:
Okay so I just got off the phone with Hunt. I was finalizing my design details for my project and decided to ask about your bezel.

Caroline said that if it's a plain metal 18K WG bezel and there isn't a ton of filigree or piercing or anything like that and you don't want any additional stones (those would be extra, obviously) then it would be under 1500.

She sent me these pics of others they have done... she knows it's not the look you are going for as these are heavy and masculine plus one is not a full bezel... but it's the only ones she had handy of an octagonal bezel they've done.

Hope this helps. FWIW they've been great with the communication with me. They do have a long lead time of 8-12 weeks since it is just before the holidays and the orders are pouring in. I'm excited to be working with them and hopeful that the project will be done correctly and that I'll be apprized of any issues on time.

www.huntcountry.com is their website.

Thank you very much for doing that :)) Wait time is not a considerable factor, I'm not worried about it as long as the piece is finished correctly. I sent them an email, thank you again :wavey:
 

stargurl78

Ideal_Rock
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Those bezels look awesome Gypsy!
 

Gypsy

Super_Ideal_Rock
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40,225
stargurl78|1318297487|3037426 said:
Those bezels look awesome Gypsy!

I think the orange one is awesome. The purple one... I can't tell if it's reflections or angles or what but I would want it crisper-- the outside of the bottom is too rounded for me. But if they can execute like the orange one then I think it would be perfect.

Good luck nebe.
 

isaku5

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 15, 2005
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Nebe, How geat it is to see you posting again!!! :appl: :appl: :wavey:

(Sorry for the threadjack :mrgreen: )
 

nebe

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
954
isaku5|1318300656|3037458 said:
Nebe, How geat it is to see you posting again!!! :appl: :appl: :wavey:

(Sorry for the threadjack :mrgreen: )

Thank you Isa! It's good to "see" you too :wink2:
 

NOYFB

Ideal_Rock
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Any update, Nebe?
 

nebe

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
954
Lil Misfit|1318466262|3038923 said:
Any update, Nebe?

Thank you for asking, Love! There was a slight miscommunication (on my part) about the original setting, so I'm going to end up getting a stock setting from one of GOGs affiliates. I emailed Marie back a list of different possibilities and will hear back about prices on Tuesday. I'm really loving the Beverly K 8WR1191, but I can't find a dollar amount anywhere online so right I'm not sure if I can get my grubby little paws on it. :$$): :Up_to_something:
8WR1191A60ECDDM.jpg

Before I knew I was going to need to stick with GOG for the setting, I did speak extensively with Carolyn from Hunt's Country and really wish it would have been feasible to commission a setting from them right now- I was really impressed with the communication and level of flexibility their company was offering. I think when I finally do start my Amethyst project, the setting will be from them!

I'll pop back in when things aren't so up-in-air. :wavey:
 

audball

Ideal_Rock
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Oct 2, 2008
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nebe!! Check in over at LIW! We haven't heard from you in 7 months and you're slated to be removed on the next cleaning! We want to hear from you and see if your ring is ready and waiting!! Update us, please!
 
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