Brian Gavin, Victor Canera, or WhiteFlash (Stone + Setting)

[sparlie]

Just to clarify that I’ve not spoken to Victor directly on any of the inquiries about rings or settings. Both times I’ve reached out it was through the email or live chat channel. Does Victor normally communicate directly with the buyer if the buyer isn’t buying something extraordinarily pricey?

Yes, Victor will communicate with you. Just ask that he call you. I did not purchase my stone through Victor (although it is a Canera Antique Cushion, I purchased it pre-owned directly from the owner, not Victor). I then had the diamond sent to him to be set it in the Emilya setting, so what I paid to Victor was not unusually pricey. I spoke directly with Victor prior to purchasing the stone. My stone happened to be a Canera diamond, but I know he sets diamonds that aren't his. He was always my first choice because I loved his Emilya setting. I also thought his diamonds were beautiful. The only other stones I was considering were through BG or Whiteflash. (Not that there aren't other vendors with ideal cuts, but since I am new to the diamond world and cannot evaluate diamonds on my own, I only felt comfortable sticking to these 3 vendors). However, I have seen many posts on CBI diamonds (Wink at HPD) and I would explore those also, given that cut is very important to you.

 

[Irving]

Thanks for the suggestion on the Lily 3 stone. I went back to the VC website and found a few 3 stone settings featuring a center stone of about 1.5 carats, including one with side pears! Apparently they have 2 models with side pears, one featuring a bigger center stone with of course bigger side pears, and another setting that’s a smaller version. Which brings me to the point that when I inquired about a setting with side pears, why didn’t the sales person let me know about the smaller one?

Anyway, so many lovely choices, VC, BGD, and all other vendors mentioned here. I’m suffering from a paradox of choice and want to buy one from each!

Diamonds...Whiteflash or Victor (if he has a diamond you want and are getting him to make the setting). I have diamonds from WF and recommend them very highly. I think you'd need to look at both vendors and see who has the diamond with the specs you want.

You should thank Victor for being honest. People can be very disappointed when they choose a setting that was made for a 3 ct stone and then see it with their 1-1.5 ct diamond. Some settings DO work better with a larger center. I personally would not make a round with pear sides with less than a 2 ct center because the sides won't land at the right place with a smaller stone in the center. However, he does a fabulous Lily three stone with side diamonds that is great with a 1.5 ct center. Take a look a that. I think that is one of the best choices for a smaller stone unless you go with a solitaire or halo. Victor is concerned with aesthetics, not selling you a larger diamond. The price of the item has ZERO to do with Victor's communication. He has staff to handle much of the communication so he can be involved in design and production of his jewelry. I always communicate by email.

 

[Acinom]

Just to clarify that I’ve not spoken to Victor directly on any of the inquiries about rings or settings. Both times I’ve reached out it was through the email or live chat channel. Does Victor normally communicate directly with the buyer if the buyer isn’t buying something extraordinarily pricey?

I have worked with Victor four times and in all cases I communicated with him directly via email (I am a long distance customer from Europe). A few times I conmunicated with Paige or Nicholas on more practical aspects like payments etc. In all cases the communication and customer service was top notch. I would not give up on Victor just yet.

I am sure Victor can create a beautiful setting with your stone.
He can create gorgeous settings for both small and large setting stones. I have only worked with him for settings:
- Sophia tapered french cut setting for my 5+ carat OEC
- multi sided halo for my small zircon
- a Grymera inspired setting for my large tourmaline (it has the cuffs, tri-wire shank and is set with ‘regular’ claw prongs
- Emilya halo for my blue topaz

 

[arkieb1]

Ditto to what Diamondseeker said. I have a number of rings made by Victor and he 110% gets proportions what that means is if his staff are saying that the rings you have selected will look far better or can only be made with stones a minimum size there is a good reason for that.

Someone like David Klass or Caysie Van B will make a far more fluid looking scaled down version of that ring than either Whiteflash or Brian Gavin. I have also purchased rings from Brian Gavin, they are nice well made but are not in the same league as something handmade by Victor.

I also call B/S on the poster stating Brian Gavin has better diamonds than the other two vendors, yes they might have a larger inventory (I actually think Whiteflash has the largest inventory) so you have more to select from, but diamonds are a numbers game and if you select a diamond with the numbers you like it will look no different to the next vendor. If anyone tells you different you are being bombarded by marketing hype.

 

[LLJsmom]

I would call and ask to speak to Victor directly. Ask him questions directly. Not that Nicholas isn’t nice but don’t take his answers as final. Victor makes the rings. Nicholas takes care of admin, a world apart. And I would also try calling after 4 pm and would try even after 5 pm. He works late.

 

[vintageloves]

If you're interested in round with pears, it's a fairly common arrangement made popular by Tiffany and many vendors do that ring. Whiteflash has a setting with different sized pears for different sized center stone so it looks proportional. What looks "right" can be a matter of opinion. I actually like a smaller center with pears and wouldn't even go as high as 1.5.

 

[carbonfan]

Just to clarify that I’ve not spoken to Victor directly on any of the inquiries about rings or settings. Both times I’ve reached out it was through the email or live chat channel. Does Victor normally communicate directly with the buyer if the buyer isn’t buying something extraordinarily pricey?

Just to echo what @diamondseeker2006, @LLJsmom, and others have said, you should definitely reach out to Victor directly by phone or e-mail. He will take a personal interest in your project and he will make recommendations based on the specific stone you have in mind. Victor is a master at his craft, and his artistic vision and eye for proportion are impeccable. And don't even get me started on the quality of his pieces... it is truly amazing! Above all, he wants his clients to adore the end result, and any preferences you share will be used to create something beautiful. If a particular design works best with a certain size of stone he is doing you a favor by telling you this as it will save you disappointment in the long run, but there are endless possibilities of designs that he can create and he is happy to work with any size of center stone. And I should add that the Lily trilogy is absolutely gorgeous!

In any case, I think you will feel better after you interact with Victor directly, and if nothing else you will ultimately feel better about whatever decision you make!

 

[Victor Canera]

Hi Odina,

I was notified by some friends about this thread. I’m very sorry if there’s been some mis-communication between members of my staff and you. Nicholas has a more direct communication style in emails (maybe because he’s from Italy, ha) but I promise the messages from him come from a good place. Feel free to give me a call at any time to discuss your project. I’m more comfortable communicating by phone than email.

Regarding the proportions, yes, I can absolutely scale a trilogy for a 1.5ct or even smaller stone depending on the size/shape of the side stones. I’ve done numerous trilogies with 1ct diamonds in the past with tapered baguettes which can look great. I think these types of trilogies look even better with my groove set side stone system which minimizes metal. With pear trilogies, I typically choose a few pairs of side stones that I think look good with a specific center stone and then present those options to the client with photos of them next to their center stone. So the selection process is usually done hand in hand.

The Grymera on the other hand is really hard to scale below a certain size not because I don’t want to do it but because of the minimum gauge platinum wire that’s needed to assemble the ring. The Grymera is made up of literally separate strands of platinum wire just like copper wire used on speakers. You can only go so thin with them at which point the wires wouldn’t be strong enough to support the ring. I’m really sorry if this wasn’t what you expected but my aim is not just to sell jewelry but to present beautiful, proportionate jewelry. I know that I can be a little more "opinionated" on some things than other jewelers. There are only a few designs like the Grymera that can’t scale well with smaller center stones.

As for the center stones, I absolutely agree that the center stone is the focal point of the ring which is why we launched our Canera Ideal Hearts line. One thing that I’m very proud of with the CIH is that we actually have the diamonds specifically and exclusively cut for us based on our specifications and performance benchmarks. This means that we have ultimate control over even the tiniest nuances in the parameters of the diamond. The goal of the line is to aim for the highest level of physical symmetry and optical symmetry in 3d space that modern cutting technology and human hands can achieve.

Again, feel free to reach out by phone at any time. I’m happy to discuss your project.

 

[lovedogs]

This is one of the reasons I love PS--because vendors can learn about these threads and provide clarification

 

[Irving]

Never mind the below. Saw his forum post

(Maybe a silly question, but how do you (did you) contact Victor directly? What’s his direct line or email address? I assume all contacts made via website (chat or email) goes to his team members instead.)

 

[Irving]

Thank you for your reply, Victor. I will call you later this week to talk. Do I just call the main line on the site and ask for you?

Victor Canera" data-source="post: 4418234" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">

Hi Odina,

I was notified by some friends about this thread. I’m very sorry if there’s been some mis-communication between members of my staff and you. Nicholas has a more direct communication style in emails (maybe because he’s from Italy, ha) but I promise the messages from him come from a good place. Feel free to give me a call at any time to discuss your project. I’m more comfortable communicating by phone than email.

Regarding the proportions, yes, I can absolutely scale a trilogy for a 1.5ct or even smaller stone depending on the size/shape of the side stones. I’ve done numerous trilogies with 1ct diamonds in the past with tapered baguettes which can look great. I think these types of trilogies look even better with my groove set side stone system which minimizes metal. With pear trilogies, I typically choose a few pairs of side stones that I think look good with a specific center stone and then present those options to the client with photos of them next to their center stone. So the selection process is usually done hand in hand.

The Grymera on the other hand is really hard to scale below a certain size not because I don’t want to do it but because of the minimum gauge platinum wire that’s needed to assemble the ring. The Grymera is made up of literally separate strands of platinum wire just like copper wire used on speakers. You can only go so thin with them at which point the wires wouldn’t be strong enough to support the ring. I’m really sorry if this wasn’t what you expected but my aim is not just to sell jewelry but to present beautiful, proportionate jewelry. I know that I can be a little more "opinionated" on some things than other jewelers. There are only a few designs like the Grymera that can’t scale well with smaller center stones.

As for the center stones, I absolutely agree that the center stone is the focal point of the ring which is why we launched our Canera Ideal Hearts line. One thing that I’m very proud of with the CIH is that we actually have the diamonds specifically and exclusively cut for us based on our specifications and performance benchmarks. This means that we have ultimate control over even the tiniest nuances in the parameters of the diamond. The goal of the line is to aim for the highest level of physical symmetry and optical symmetry in 3d space that modern cutting technology and human hands can achieve.

Again, feel free to reach out by phone at any time. I’m happy to discuss your project.

 

[sparlie]

Never mind the below. Saw his forum post

(Maybe a silly question, but how do you (did you) contact Victor directly? What’s his direct line or email address? I assume all contacts made via website (chat or email) goes to his team members instead.)

I either called the number on his website or emailed and Nicholas relayed the message and victor called me back.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Yes, call the number on his website and ask for him. Note that he is on Pacific time.

I hadn't read all the posts until now, and I did want to say that I see zero reason to have a stone between 1-1.5 cts custom cut because superideal cut stones in that size range are plentiful.

Victor has these two that fit your parameters:

https://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/7ypxtu-1.081-f-vs1-ideal-hearts-arrows-round

https://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/c8v9cl-1.511-e-vs1-ideal-hearts-arrows-round

and this, which is my favorite!

https://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/lrx5kj-1.030-e-vs1-ideal-estimated-old-european-cut


Whiteflash has actually has 14 ACA diamonds in E-F VS1 from 1.05-1.5 cts. They generally have the largest selection of superideal cuts.

Here are a few examples:

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4011136.htm

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3682316.htm

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3984575.htm

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4028001.htm

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4008480.htm

 

[KirstLWA]

Hi @Victor Canera

I hope you don’t mind but I sent an email through your request a quote system and asked you to contact me personally. I also experienced less than good customer service a while ago from your staff and walked away from using your talent so would love to reopen that opportunity.

Thanks!!

 

[Irving]

Hi, thanks for this! Reason for the custom cut (or why that topic even came up with BGD) was because I had asked if they had something just shy of 1 carat (like in the .9x range), that's when BGD replied with their custom cut.

Yes, call the number on his website and ask for him. Note that he is on Pacific time.

I hadn't read all the posts until now, and I did want to say that I see zero reason to have a stone between 1-1.5 cts custom cut because superideal cut stones in that size range are plentiful.

Victor has these two that fit your parameters:

https://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/7ypxtu-1.081-f-vs1-ideal-hearts-arrows-round

https://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/c8v9cl-1.511-e-vs1-ideal-hearts-arrows-round

and this, which is my favorite!

https://www.victorcanera.com/diamonds/lrx5kj-1.030-e-vs1-ideal-estimated-old-european-cut


Whiteflash has actually has 14 ACA diamonds in E-F VS1 from 1.05-1.5 cts. They generally have the largest selection of superideal cuts.

Here are a few examples:

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4011136.htm

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3682316.htm

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-3984575.htm

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4028001.htm

https://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-4008480.htm

 

[Irving]

Thank you very much for this, Victor! I really appreciate your excellent service

To those following this thread, I learned from communicating with Victor is that it's not technically impossible to make the Grymera setting fit a 1 carat (or anything below 2 carats), it's just that it won't be so aesthetically pleasing, and having a well-proportioned and great-looking ring is very important.

I'll keep looking for settings that fit a <2 carat, and/or just save up for the 2+ carat Grymera

Thanks everyone!

Victor Canera" data-source="post: 4418234" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">

Hi Odina,

I was notified by some friends about this thread. I’m very sorry if there’s been some mis-communication between members of my staff and you. Nicholas has a more direct communication style in emails (maybe because he’s from Italy, ha) but I promise the messages from him come from a good place. Feel free to give me a call at any time to discuss your project. I’m more comfortable communicating by phone than email.

Regarding the proportions, yes, I can absolutely scale a trilogy for a 1.5ct or even smaller stone depending on the size/shape of the side stones. I’ve done numerous trilogies with 1ct diamonds in the past with tapered baguettes which can look great. I think these types of trilogies look even better with my groove set side stone system which minimizes metal. With pear trilogies, I typically choose a few pairs of side stones that I think look good with a specific center stone and then present those options to the client with photos of them next to their center stone. So the selection process is usually done hand in hand.

The Grymera on the other hand is really hard to scale below a certain size not because I don’t want to do it but because of the minimum gauge platinum wire that’s needed to assemble the ring. The Grymera is made up of literally separate strands of platinum wire just like copper wire used on speakers. You can only go so thin with them at which point the wires wouldn’t be strong enough to support the ring. I’m really sorry if this wasn’t what you expected but my aim is not just to sell jewelry but to present beautiful, proportionate jewelry. I know that I can be a little more "opinionated" on some things than other jewelers. There are only a few designs like the Grymera that can’t scale well with smaller center stones.

As for the center stones, I absolutely agree that the center stone is the focal point of the ring which is why we launched our Canera Ideal Hearts line. One thing that I’m very proud of with the CIH is that we actually have the diamonds specifically and exclusively cut for us based on our specifications and performance benchmarks. This means that we have ultimate control over even the tiniest nuances in the parameters of the diamond. The goal of the line is to aim for the highest level of physical symmetry and optical symmetry in 3d space that modern cutting technology and human hands can achieve.

Again, feel free to reach out by phone at any time. I’m happy to discuss your project.

 

[LLJsmom]

Hi @Victor Canera

I hope you don’t mind but I sent an email through your request a quote system and asked you to contact me personally. I also experienced less than good customer service a while ago from your staff and walked away from using your talent so would love to reopen that opportunity.

Thanks!!

Just call him and ask to speak directly to him. Tell him that you saw his message on PriceScope and that you are contacting him directly like he said to. Not that I don’t trust people but I trust my own ears more. Takes the interpretation out of communications. I’m old school and find a good old fashioned phone call to be highly effective. I always call my clients when I want their attention, even when they don’t want to give it.

888-860-6430
213-623-8318

 

[Edie]

I have also been disappointed with communication via VC website email and felt my questions and concerns were not being addressed in stark contrast to replies I received from another very popular jeweller whose ring designs are highly rated by PS'ers and is my second choice. I'm so relieved to read these posts and this has given me the confidence to phone Victor directly as I was about to walk away and have my recently purchased WF diamond sent elsewhere.