CUSTOM and HAPPY???

[decodelighted]

After hearing more & more custom tales of woe ... I''d like to find out how many truly happy custom customers are out there in Pscope land right now.

 

[MoonWater]

ack! I''m nervous about this thread. I''m about to do custom!!!

 

[Pandora II]

I went custom, and I was delighted with the interpretation of my design, but the finish was not as good as I had anticipated. All is being put to rights, so I have no complaints really.

If you are going custom - make sure your design is technically possible, have a guarantee from your vendor that they will put things right if they go wrong, be prepared to compromise to a certain extent and .. if you are totally OCD on details, make that very clear from the beginning and make sure that it is communicated to the benchman.

It can also take a long time - I probably took more time than most due to being in the UK. I was engaged last Christmas and I'm hoping to have the final version for this!

 

[mrssalvo]

I did a custom ring with Quest. I was happy with the end result but boy the process really stressed me out. Do do design issues and my finger size the ring kept having to be reworked and it took twice as long as the quoted. Not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things but so stressful while going though it. I won''t do it again for an e-ring I don''t think.

 

[MoonWater]

Date: 11/2/2007 11:13:07 AM
Author: Pandora II
I went custom, and I was delighted with the interpretation of my design, but the finish was not as good as I had anticipated. All is being put to rights, so I have no complaints really.

If you are going custom - make sure your design is technically possible, have a guarantee from your vendor that they will put things right if they go wrong, be prepared to compromise to a certain extent and .. if you are totally OCD on details, make that very clear from the beginning.

Ack, I''m OCD on details!!

 

[onedrop]

I voted that I was very, very happy with the final product when I received my custom made ring. The design I chose was relatively simple and I had seen this particular vendor replicate the design a few times with good results so I went for it. The only reason I would say I wasn't 100% happy is that I am realizing that I should have gone with a three stone design like I orginially wanted! However the workmanship was right on point.

I am of the notion that if you see a specific design that you want, particularly if it's intricately contructed, that you should suck it up or save up, and go with the original. If not be prepared for just short of perfection or even far from perfection if you go custom. Because let's face it, no one can do a Leon like Leon or a Michael B like Michael B.

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 11/2/2007 11:53:56 AM
Author: onedrop

I am of the notion that if you see a specific design that you want, particularly if it''s intricately contructed, that you should suck it up or save up, and go with the original. If not be prepared for just short of perfection or even far from perfection if you go custom. Because let''s face it, no one can do a Leon like Leon or a Michael B like Michael B.

I would agree here, unless it''s a very simple setting, you are more likely to be disappointed than not - especially if you are comparing it with the ''original''.

If it''s something totally unique - then you have to go custom...

 

[Gypsy]

Can''t comment yet. Talk to me in about 10 days. : )

 

[elmo]

Happy but frustrating. Looking back though, the frustrations were majority my fault e.g. changing my mind about something, going against the tide, etc. The more you do it, the better a client you are I think and the smoother the process.

 

[rainydaze]

Date: 11/2/2007 12:56:40 PM
Author: Gypsy
Can''t comment yet. Talk to me in about 10 days. : )

(threadjack alert) 10 DAYS!!!! 10 DAYS!!!!!! 10 DAYS!!!!! WHOPPEE...... WE''RE GOING TO SEE IT SOON!?!?!! AND IS THIS THE FIRST YOU ARE POSTING ABOUT IT MISSY, SLIPPING IT IN THERE ALL STEALTH?!!?!!!

sorry decodelighted, i hope you don''t mind the diversion there. i love this thread though, as i am very interested in what everyone has to say. sorry also that i cannot offer you an answer myself, i''ve never had something made custom. i came very close with mark morrell and leon (got quotes from both and was in a position to procede) but mark was too busy and pushed me off three times (the last time being that i''d have to wait til 2008 to even start in depth discussion, and i was just too anxious to wait that much longer since i first contacted him in early july) and with leon, the day after i got his quote i found a setting i loved so i went that route.

 

[strmrdr]

For my and wifey2b''s ring I went to my benchman and we made a quick sketch and he made it exactly the way I wanted it made.
I''m thinking of having another one done for me a little different but that''s because my tastes have changed a little and wifey2b ring design changed when we upgraded (round to flat band so I''m thinking of switching to match)
There was 0 stress he gave me a price and I picked it up a week later.
The key is finding a benchman and not a designer for the project.

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 11/2/2007 1:23:25 PM
Author: rainydaze

Date: 11/2/2007 12:56:40 PM
Author: Gypsy
Can''t comment yet. Talk to me in about 10 days. : )

(threadjack alert) 10 DAYS!!!! 10 DAYS!!!!!! 10 DAYS!!!!! WHOPPEE...... WE''RE GOING TO SEE IT SOON!?!?!! AND IS THIS THE FIRST YOU ARE POSTING ABOUT IT MISSY, SLIPPING IT IN THERE ALL STEALTH?!!?!!!

sorry decodelighted, i hope you don''t mind the diversion there.

Ditto Deco. Yes, she''s commited to having it done by next Friday, then it goes to Neil, then to me (hopefully). So about 10 days, give or take.

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 11/2/2007 12:56:40 PM
Author: Gypsy
Can''t comment yet. Talk to me in about 10 days. : )

Oooops. Bad timing for this poll, huh?

I sure hope you''re 100% happy with your ring, Gypsy! I, for one, can''t wait to see the finished product! And I''d LOVE to see more successful custom projects around here. Ocean could be a great resource.

It''s just that I don''t remember very many happy endings ... at least when the dust settles etc. It''s easy to look through a bunch of threads around here & get the idea that people can just get whatever fanciful thing they dream up created expertly & cheaply! Who wouldn''t want that??!!! But they might not dig further to see the gripes a week later ... the 2nd guessing two months later ... the popped out stones/crushed edges etc six months later ... the decision to no longer wear the ring eight months later ... and the re-set a year later.

Of course people switcharoo w/designer settings too -- but the dream vs. reality of custom is a real issue. And one that deserves some airing out ... especially with the new custom wave crashing over us.

 

[CaptAubrey]

Another suggestion I would make: Find a store that has an in-house jeweler, or at the very least, one who will let you work directly with their contract jeweler. Most small stores in fact don''t have a jeweler working in house and send custom jobs to one or more contract jewelers. It''s just more efficient for them that way.

The problem you can run into, however, is that instructions can get garbled or misinterpreted when the jeweler is working at a distance. I once, years ago, had a custom job come back in which the jeweler had disregarded some very simple, straightforward instructions because he didn''t like the way my design looked (the stones were supposed to be arranged in a specific order by their identity as birthstones; he decided he didn''t like the way the colors went together and did it differently). Even the store owner I was working with threw up his hands in exasperation and declared "these designers think they know everything!" And unfortunately, we were out of time to fix it, since it was a gift for a specific occasion.

 

[Lord Summerisle]

100% for me...

i designed it, passed the cad drawing onto my local chap... who did an excellent job. And you could tell he was proud of his work when he was finished, it was a great experiance. little one man band.

well ok... the one thing i would change was the scrotes who ram raided his shop a couple of days after i''d dropped the stone off with him... causes so much damage and made off with about £100 ($50) worth of stuff.... and distroyed in the process about $500 of stock and several $$$$ in structural damage to the shop.

 

[Fly Girl]

My favorite local jewelry store (the owner is the designer and benchman) has samples of his work, and your piece is made for you custom, with the tweeks that you want. I had admired his work for years, so I had no concerns about it coming out poorly. I described what I wanted, came in and approved the drawings, then the wax, and then the final piece. My only complaint is that it is a bit heavy, but apparently that comes with "heirloom" quality platinum (it''s thick). So, providing I don''t lose it, my ring has enough platinum in it to last for generations.

I have gone by a couple times a week for over 20 years to gaze at the eye candy. A guilty pleasure of mine. Now I have PS, so I am a doubly spoiled lady.

 

[chas]

I am very happy with my custom work! The communication was great and I got exactly what I was looking for! I listened to the ideas of the makers and incorporated some of there thoughts into my projects! This made for a smooth and easy process!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

I did custom with David Keeling for some earrings and pendant and was very happy. Stunning result--very high craftsmanship. I gave him a design/sketch--he responded with another drawing; and I saw the partially made pieces while in my hometown for a holiday. I wasn''t in a hurry for the items--as it took longer than I originally imagined, but really no complaints. I really didn''t think or stress about it a heck of a lot--honestly the minuate wasn''t that important to me; he took care of those details and that was fine with me.

Two years ago I had another vendor in town design a fancy pendant incorportaing a large golden pearl and a kite shaped champagne diamond--the result was wonderful! He provided a sketch, I saw no waxes, and then saw only the final product. Very happy with that result as well as the goldsmith was a Euopean master and very talented.

Several years ago I had some ruby and diamond earrinng/pendant designed--I saw the drawings but the result was not at all what I imagined or pictured; I was unhappy, but said nothing. I rarely wore the pieces and eventually had them redesigned by David which was a success.

I have yet to have a ring custom designed--most of my custom was for other jewellery pieces.

cheers--Sharon

 

[Miscka]

Date: 11/2/2007 3:47:11 PM
Author: canuk-gal
HI:


Two years ago I had another vendor in town design a fancy pendant incorportaing a large golden pearl and a kite shaped champagne diamond--the result was wonderful! He provided a sketch, I saw no waxes, and then saw only the final product. Very happy with that result as well as the goldsmith was a Euopean master and very talented.

Wow.....sorry to threadjack but are there pictures of that around here?? Sounds AMAZING!

 

[LaurenThePartier]

The only reason I didn''t select 100% happy has nothing to do with my vendor at all. My husband worked with Whiteflash, and I couldn''t be more pleased with the design and workmanship, but because we were on such a tight schedule, and budget, my husband opted to have it made in 14k white gold, and sometimes, I really, really wish he would have had it made in platinum, or at least 18K gold.

However, sometimes I look at my poor platinum band (that has since been retired in favour of an 18k gold band), I realize how much I abuse my poor rings, and I don''t imagine the platinum halo would have made as unscathed as the white gold one has.

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 11/2/2007 3:58:04 PM
Author: Miscka

Date: 11/2/2007 3:47:11 PM
Author: canuk-gal
HI:


Two years ago I had another vendor in town design a fancy pendant incorportaing a large golden pearl and a kite shaped champagne diamond--the result was wonderful! He provided a sketch, I saw no waxes, and then saw only the final product. Very happy with that result as well as the goldsmith was a Euopean master and very talented.

Wow.....sorry to threadjack but are there pictures of that around here?? Sounds AMAZING!

HI:

Yanno, I might have had one on my old harddrive---but not this new one....SORRY! Recently, I gave the golden pearl suite (earrings, pendant, and ring) to my sister, or I''d oblige you by taking a photo!

cheers--Sharon

 

[kcoursolle]

I am so very happy with the custom rings I have purchased from WF and knox. They did an awesome job!!!

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 11/2/2007 1:40:59 PM
Author: decodelighted

It's just that I don't remember very many happy endings ... at least when the dust settles etc. It's easy to look through a bunch of threads around here & get the idea that people can just get whatever fanciful thing they dream up created expertly & cheaply! Who wouldn't want that??!!! But they might not dig further to see the gripes a week later ... the 2nd guessing two months later ... the popped out stones/crushed edges etc six months later ... the decision to no longer wear the ring eight months later ... and the re-set a year later.

Deco, I've done custom three times, and been totally delighted. The first was my e-ring (w/ring was done too, but in a fairly classic 7-stone design--nothing special). Second was designing my halo pendant; third was my leverback earrings.

I think one's satisfaction level with custom really depends on his/her expectations going into it. Custom isn't the equivalent of saying "ok, I like these three colors, now please paint me a RENOIR!" LOL

Custom is a process. I told Brian 'here are the things I want' and listed them. He said 'all of these will work together, but this and that won't, so you have to choose which of those two mean more to you OR let's find an alternative. I wanted a thinner band on my e-ring, but he was right....there's no way a tiny little mm band was going to support the huge weight of my 3-stone; it's like expecting to balance a bag of cement on a strip of balsa wood. Our compromise was to pinch in the ends closest to the side diamonds to give the appearance of thin on the top half while keeping more width on the underside to carry the burden.

Custom works well if you're prepared to take input from the expert. If he says "pave band less than 2mm won't have enough strength to stand up to daily wear with a heavy 2 ct stone perched on it", listen to him. He's not trying to rain on your parade; he wants you to be happy with the end result and have a product that will last. I initially wanted a solitaire and a wrap; he explained why wraps don't often stay in place and the wear they can create. Armed with that info, I choose to go 3-stone instead. (Had I decided I could live with the nuisances he listed, I'd have stuck with the wrap plan. He would have done anything I asked; he just wanted me to have pertinent information to shape my choices so I'd be happy with the end result---again, setting expectations properly.)

Custom is based on communication, and even the best communicators aren't always on exactly the same page....so even if you think you're specific, it's possible that the first try won't be exactly what you envisioned, and you have to accept that as part of the deal and be willing to accept a slightly longer timeline to make adjustments/modifications. When the halo pendant was done and pics came, the bezel was a bit thicker than I'd wanted. That doesn't mean they didn't do the job right; it just meant that I wanted it thinner and had to ask them to modify it.

Custom is like fine cooking; the recipe is a baseline, you follow the instructions and then you taste. You decide what it needs more/less of, and you adjust the seasonings. You taste again, and you adjust until you're happy with the dish. Maybe this time, the sage is more flavorful than last, so you need less of it. Ingredients are variable, so adjustment is part of getting the dish to what you want.

Custom means a uniquely created piece.....think freehand. It's the difference between drawing an entire heart and cutting it out with scissors VS. folding a piece of paper in half and cuttting half the design. If you want the 'paper folded in half so both sides are absolutely perfectly measureably the same' precision, then you're better suited for a stock pieces, not for custom. Custom is not about six-ways-from-sunday perfectly evenly measured to the thousandth degree. It's like eating in a unique restaurant instead of a chain. Chain restaurants appeal to those who want to know exactly what they'll get (so met expectations) and want consistency/repeatability of the meal. If I eat at Outback Steakhouse in Vegas, I will get a meal identical to the one I'd get in their Boston location. If I eat at House of Prime Rib in SF, I'll get a unique experience.

Custom is like finding beauty in a person's face; it looks symmetrical and matched in normal life viewing, but there are tons of little variances you'd find if you were to measure and graph it. Also, just as elements of our faces can look skewed and off when magnified to 100x mag (as many of our macro photos on PS demonstrate), customs pieces can look skewed under 100x mag. This doesn't make them flawed or amount to shoddy workmanship.

People who understand all of this (i.e. what handmade and individual really means) are far more likely to be be happy with custom work.

Last thought: Sometimes, the reasons people stop wearing their custom pieces have more to do with lack of thought prior to execution. Some don't consider how their vision would fit into their lifestyle. People who are rough with their hands probably shouldn't pursue micropave rings or high-set stones.....just as people who don't like to spend more than 10 minutes grooming in the morning shouldn't pick an intricate hairstyle that requires curling irons or special efforts to replicate. Others get infatuated with a 'trend of the moment', have it made, and find it doesn't appeal to them for the long term. Those events can occur whether a piece is custom or off-the-shelf.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 11/2/2007 5:23:14 PM
Author: kcoursolle
I am so very happy with the custom rings I have purchased from WF and knox. They did an awesome job!!!

k, how would you say their pricing compares?

 

[aljdewey]

How does pricing compare to what? Stock pieces, or to each other?

 

[Dee*Jay]

Custom drove me to drink... I''ll be in Betty Ford for a long time...

 

[Kaleigh]

Custom can be a great way to go as long as your expectations are realistic and have good communication with the jeweler or vendor that is executing the design. Most of my projects have gone extremely well. Since being here for a few years, I have only had one project that didn''t go well. I see now, that what I wanted is being executed, so if anything am glad I spoke up. I think more women need to be involved in the custom end on the vendors side. Earrings are something that we women know and understand.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 11/2/2007 10:19:42 PM
Author: aljdewey
How does pricing compare to what? Stock pieces, or to each other?

How the two companies prices compared (on custom).



And Dee, no kidding! Although, I do miss meeting you at the corner bar for drinks.

when''s yer next project??

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Lol, Dee Jay!

Can someone tell us the totals occasionally? I haven''t done custom yet, but I''d really like to know the poll results.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 11/2/2007 11:02:35 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
Lol, Dee Jay!

Can someone tell us the totals occasionally? I haven''t done custom yet, but I''d really like to know the poll results.

Me too!