Calling Goodsoul (again)....

[Chris380]

Hi Goodsoul,

I am about to place an order with Leon and would like a set very similar to yours (style 401 - medium height, small doughnut). I read your thread with Pannini''s questions and found it extremely helpful. I actually have a 1.35 RB that I want to reset -- so my ring will be similar in dimension to both of your rings. I''ve waited 9 years for a reset and I am so excited!!!

My last hesitation before starting the order process with Leon is about wearing the e-ring and matching band together and potential damage to the pave. Did you talk to Leon about this? Any problems so far?

Would you mind posting a handshot of the e-ring and band together? The one you posted for Pannini was a close-up of the pave.

Thanks in advance,
Chris

 

[GoodSoul]

Hi Chris,

Congratulations on your upcoming reset! I love my ring and there has not been any issue so far. I did not speak to Leon about wearing it together. I ordered it as a matching wedding ring set so I presume he knows that I am going to wear it together and he didn''t say anything.

Due to the donut, there is always a small gap between the rings. Having said that, there are still some areas that would touch at times. I wear my ring before I leave the house and take it off once I get home. I do not wear it to do any heavy duty stuff. Although the ring is on the delicate (but still feels sturdy) side, it''s just my personal preference of not wearing ring around the house, not that I am trying to baby it. Hope you know what I mean.

Here are some hand shots that I had taken in the past. Hope this is what you are looking for. Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[Chris380]

I''m so happy you found my post

I actually just submitted my quote request to Leon and then saw your response- perfect timing. Thanks so much for posting the handshots with the band -- I just wanted to make sure I like the look of the two together with a bit of a gap (my current set sits flush). I LOVE it! I like how it makes the band stand out.

Now the waiting begins! Did it take a long time to get your quote back? My husband really wants to give the set to me for Christmas, but I know it is Leon''s busy time of year (gotta love picking out your own present)!

BTW, I was all set to submit my 401 quote request when I saw Diamondnut''s new e-ring and I started second guessing my choice. All of his work is so amazing. Ultimately, I think this style suits me best. Hopefully it will turn out as perfect as yours!

Thank you so much for replying!
Chris

 

[GoodSoul]

I don''t remember how long it took for the quote to come back, probably a couple of days (I would have remembered if it was too long). However, if you didn''t hear back from him, give him a call. Somehow, I think he responds faster with a call.

Once we firmed up the order and paid the deposit, my ring took about 6 weeks to finish. Once it''s done, you will have to wire the balance to him (which will take a few days) and then he will then mail the ring out. If you want it back before Christmas, then do firm up the order soon.

My recommendation to you is be very specific to him on what is important to you and he will have it down in his work order so that both of you are on the same page. You can call him and change stuff if he has not started work on it. I did that like a week or 2 after we paid the deposit and he was ok with it. We also received an updated work order. Hope that helps!

Do come back and post when you get your ring back!!

Congrats again!!

 

[Chris380]

Hmmmm...

So I just talked to Leon this morning to review the quote before I send my stone in.

The conversation went well except for the discussion of the setting height. It didn''t go badly, but there was definitely a communication issue. I had put a note that I wanted the stone set "medium height" and attached a side-view picture of your ring to illustrate what I meant by that. He began by telling me that he sets all of his stones low because he feels this is how they look best and asked me why I wanted mine set high. I tried to clarify that I didn''t want it set "high," just similar to the picture I sent him. He went on to tell me how the picture (your ring) was actually set low and that I would have to trust him. "I can count on one hand the number of times I have placed a stone higher."

I tried to clarify that I loved how it is set in the picture, so if that is his basic setting then I would be happy. Now, I don''t care what he calls it... high, low, medium, whatever. But, do you think I should be worried? I tried to confirm at the end of the conversation that he would set is similarly to the picture, but I just had this little nagging doubt.

Thoughts?

 

[tyty333]

Date: 10/27/2009 10:12:34 AM
Author: Chris380
Hmmmm...

So I just talked to Leon this morning to review the quote before I send my stone in.

The conversation went well except for the discussion of the setting height. It didn''t go badly, but there was definitely a communication issue. I had put a note that I wanted the stone set ''medium height'' and attached a side-view picture of your ring to illustrate what I meant by that. He began by telling me that he sets all of his stones low because he feels this is how they look best and asked me why I wanted mine set high. I tried to clarify that I didn''t want it set ''high,'' just similar to the picture I sent him. He went on to tell me how the picture (your ring) was actually set low and that I would have to trust him. ''I can count on one hand the number of times I have placed a stone higher.''

I tried to clarify that I loved how it is set in the picture, so if that is his basic setting then I would be happy. Now, I don''t care what he calls it... high, low, medium, whatever. But, do you think I should be worried? I tried to confirm at the end of the conversation that he would set is similarly to the picture, but I just had this little nagging doubt.

Thoughts?

Chris,
I was just reading your post...Goodsouls ring is gorgeous! I woudnt have called her stone set medium. It looks
like it is set fairly low to me. Somewhere along the line you might just want to ask if he is setting it like the picture
to make sure. Sounds like he is going to do it his usual height anyway (which he considers low) and you''ll be
ok. Cant wait to see it (I''m sure you cant either!)
tyty

 

[Chris380]

tyty333,

Thanks for your comment. I think you are right. I mentioned the medium height to Leon because that is what Goodsoul said she requested. What it seems like in retrospect is what you said, that he has a standard height he likes to set the stone at (that he alters slightly based on the particular stone dimensions). He probably does this regardless of what the customer calls it. I''m okay with that b/c I love his work. He made a comment about setting it how he thinks it looks best and if it turns out a little too high or low I would basically have to live with it. That didn''t thrill me. But, at the conclusion of the call I clarified that we were on the same wavelength and I think it will be okay.

He just kept confusing the issue with semantics, which was difficult given that English is his second language. What would have helped is if he said "I can see what you are after from the picture. That is how I usually set my stones and I will do the same with yours."

I think that I will just confirm again on the work order that the height will be set similar to the picture provided. Fingers crossed!!
Chris

 

[GoodSoul]

Hi Chris,

I''m sorry that the conversation with him didn''t go as planned.

I pulled up the work order to see what was in there. The first work order had it as "not too low" and I went back and get him or his assistant to add in "Medium height" and some other changes the 2nd day. He didn''t question me though. Reason I had that in was because of another PSer''s experience right before I placed my order with Leon (Panda0.

Maybe Leon normal height is like my ring height as Panda08 did ask to set as low as possible per her post. I wasn''t too sure as all these are relative... so for my piece of mind, I had it in my work order and crossed my finger.

I''m with tyty333 that my stone is not considered medium height by the general standard (mine is the lowest amongst all my friends and what I had seen in the stores) but thank goodness that''s just the right height for me. Maybe he associates "medium" as a much higher setting, so I guess by saying "not too low" might be more palatable for him??

Btw, I noticed that my work order was done on the 23/24th Oct 08 (a yr ago)!! I received my final invoice on 3rd Dec. So.. I am guessing that after payments and shipping, my then FI received the ring before Christmas! Hopefully yours will make it in time!!

 

[Chris380]

Thanks GoodSoul!

I agree that yours is set "low" by most standards, but since I also read panda08''s thread I was worried about going too low. You made a good point about panda08 requesting that her setting be "as low as possible." As a side note, he was very pleasant throughout the whole conversation. When I said I wanted to clarify again about the ring height, he said we could talk about it as much as I wanted to feel comfortable. But, ultimately, I think the best I''m going to get from him is that he will set it where he thinks it looks the best

I''m deciding between him and whiteflash customizing the harmony ring and band. WIth Leon, there is a little more left to chance, but I''m thinking that I''m just going to go for it. I really love his work & do trust his judgement. Plus, it is a replica of a design he has done many times before.

Can I ask you a few more questions? Thank you, btw, for being so amazing and helping me with this process.

Are you happy with the ''match'' between your e-ring and wedding ring? I read one thread (melanie611) where there seemed to be a slight mismatch, though he agreed to correct it.

Also, do you feel that his sizing runs big or small? I ask because I am currently wearing 4.5, but I find that it is a bit tight during the summer and it drives me crazy. I''m debating whether to go 4 5/8 or 4 3/4.

Chris

 

[GoodSoul]

You are most welcome, Chris.

I''m glad that I can be of some help here as I''ve gained alot from the PS community. It''s time that I contribute something!

I was like you then. I love Leon''s work and took a chance. I do not think that you could go wrong with Whiteflash either (from what I read from here).

My WB is a perfect match the ER in terms of width and height/depth. For melanie611''s case, she mentioned in her post that Leon "intentionally designed the wedding band thinner so that it doesn''t cover the head of the ering from the side". The 401 style is just like the wedding band, but with the basket, so the depth should not be an issue. That''s just my take on it.

As for his ring sizing, I am not too sure though. It''s a little tight on some hot days during summer (I''m CA) for me but it''s also quite loose for me during winter months. As it''s thinner band, sliding on and off my finger during summer months has not been an issue. It does rotate a lot during winter months (as it''s much looser) though.

From what I know, thinner band measures differently from thicker band. So if your current setting is thicker, you may want to try a thin band to figure out your size just to be sure.

You can go ahead and place the order now and change the size later (I changed it to bigger after my order was placed), if that''s holding you back.

Hope it helps.

 

[Chris380]

Okay, one more question.

Leon''s site says that I can''t ship FedEx as they do not insure jewelry; however, I have an insurance policy that covers loss and damage in the mail. Is there any reason that I couldn''t just ship FedEx overnight? I really don''t want to pay UPS ~$400 for coverage I already have! Leon''s site is so detailed, but I still find it totally confusing...

I guess I should probably check with my insurance agent

Thank you again so very much! I am crossing my fingers that my set will be as stunning as yours!

 

[GoodSoul]

He said that as Fedex does not provide insurance coverage for it. However, if you have insurance coverage for it, then it''s not an issue. I used FedEx as I had insurance coverage through Jeweler Mutual.

So you are going with him??

Pls do come back and post the final result and of course, the infamous ring box

 

[Chris380]

Just got the thumbs up from my insurance agent. As soon as my son wakes up from his nap I am running to the FedEx store to overnight it! I''m just getting all of the packaging together now. I am so excited!!!

Thanks again for walking me through the process. PS is amazing - so glad I found it, though my DH doesn''t agree. I''ve always wanted the e-ring reset, but now have a wish list a mile long. I might be a little obsessed at this point

I will definitely post once I get it - hopefully before the holidays. When I dream of the day it arrives in a beautiful box rather than a ziplock baggie...

 

[pannini]

Hey Chris,

Good luck on the process! I love how my leon came out, it was a bit worrisome for me as well, when you are long distance you never know what will happen. Trust me, he knows what he is doing. I just got my ring sent back to him because it is a bit looser than I thought it would be. I miss my ering so much! You will fall in love.