Custom made ring - not happy with final product?

[mginthecity]

Hi everyone,
I had a ring custom made and the people were very careful to follow my sketches and photos. However once I came to pick up the ring, there were a few things that weren't what I expected. I didn't know what to say because I assumed at that stage youre SOL and maybe some small deviations are to be expected with the custom process. But now I just can't stop thinking about it and want to make sure it's the right thing to do before bringing it up to them or my fiancé. I have a cut corner radiant w/ a halo setting and small side stones, but I am not happy with how it is in the corners. It looks like the prongs are totally hiding the halo there and that the halo needed to extend more and have bigger pave stones there to not be "lost" under the prongs. Then, they suggested a certain cut for my side stones that was not what I wanted, but I assumed they knew something I didn't and followed their advice. Now I really wish I went with the side stones I had originally asked for. I assume to fix these issues I'd need an entirely new ring. Is it ok to say I'm not totally happy or is it to be expected with custom that it will never be exact because by the time you see it in person it's too late to fix? Please weigh in!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I think you'll need to show us the pictures you showed them of how you wanted the ring to be made and the actual pictures of the finished ring. I am following you but I would like to see it. I am curious about the sidestones as I can only think of one good choice for radiant sides.

 

[motownmama]

Man, I would tell THEM exactly what you told us. I'm sure they want you to be happy and would want your future business.

 

[CharmyPoo]

Show us photos so we can visualize what you are talking about.

I think you should always be honest as soon as possible before it is too late. The worst that can happen is that they say no. I know it is not a good situation but it has happened to many of us where our first custom project doesn't turn out right. We learn with each custom project until we get the process right. This is one of the reasons why VC and SK are so popular these days - they have predictable outcomes.

 

[mginthecity]

Thanks, everyone. Trying to avoid posting pics that someone could see before I figure out if I'm going to keep it or not. I don't want my fiance to be disappointed as he really wanted me to be totally overjoyed with this ring. It's just hard going the custom route and not seeing the finished product in front of you until it's "too late." So I'm trying to figure out if it's too late or if it's normal to ask them to re-do over little details.

It's really pretty, honestly, it's just not exactly like what I was going for. The side stones are trapezoids, but they are step cut and contrast with the center stone instead of blending in with it (and making it look bigger) like I wanted with similarly cut stones. The halo also has smaller diamonds than those along the band, so in comparison the halo seems small -- and the corners are even smaller diamonds and they just get lost under the prongs so I'm losing that extra finger coverage that was the point of the halo. These are nitpicky things, and maybe they are things that you have to accept with a custom project, but maybe they're not. I don't know! Would love advice mostly on etiquette and if it's ok to say that something isn't 100% perfect or if you shouldn't expect a custom project to be.

 

[Enerchi]

you have every right to expect exactly what you want when you are building/buying custom... but be sure all that you wanted and had expected, were CLEARLY specified on the work order. I would think that a CAD could have been the time to assess the design - was one provided??

 

[mginthecity]

Thank you. I thought they were going to do a 3-D image that looked like the actual ring (I've seen them online and they look very realistic), but instead they made one of those plastic-y models of the ring for us to view before the real thing went to production. It wasn't very helpful to be honest and I said "I can't really tell from this but it looks good so far" because it was more about the size and type of stones and the placement of them/synergy between them once set than the setting. Sure enough, they ended up going bigger on the stones on the band than what we talked about, which would be fine except that the halo stones ended up being smaller than what we talked about, so the proportion was off. Also, like I mentioned the halo tapered off at the corners instead of firmly outlining the shape of the radiant, so a lot of people actually are asking if it's a princess. I think I should say something, I just would die if my fiance felt bad so that's what's holding me back - I really appreciate his help and trying to get my my dream ring. I don't know if I should say anything because maybe I'm just being picky & can't expect everything to be perfect. But no harm in asking them I guess!

 

[blackprophet]

Thank you. I thought they were going to do a 3-D image that looked like the actual ring (I've seen them online and they look very realistic), but instead they made one of those plastic-y models of the ring for us to view before the real thing went to production. It wasn't very helpful to be honest and I said "I can't really tell from this but it looks good so far" because it was more about the size and type of stones and the placement of them/synergy between them once set than the setting. Sure enough, they ended up going bigger on the stones on the band than what we talked about, which would be fine except that the halo stones ended up being smaller than what we talked about, so the proportion was off. Also, like I mentioned the halo tapered off at the corners instead of firmly outlining the shape of the radiant, so a lot of people actually are asking if it's a princess. I think I should say something, I just would die if my fiance felt bad so that's what's holding me back - I really appreciate his help and trying to get my my dream ring. I don't know if I should say anything because maybe I'm just being picky & can't expect everything to be perfect. But no harm in asking them I guess!

You have twice said the ring was not what you discussed. That alone I think is enough to go back let them know you are unhappy.

It seems like you have been involved from the beginning, and you have said that your BF wants to get you what you really want. So why would he feel bad if you went back and got what you discussed. I would think he would be more upset if you lived with a ring you didn't like to spare his feelings.

I'm wondering if you could post a picture of just the "tapered off halo part" because I am having a hard time picturing what you mean. But again if you discussed getting a full halo and they didn't deliver a full halo, that would be #3 thing you discussed and didn't get, which would be even more reason to go back.

I am no expert, and I am working on my first custom project myself (and I am a guy).
But I know if I didn't get what was discussed I would go back and make sure that I did. And I would be more upset if my GF didn't like it and didn't say, than if she did say. But that is just me.

Good luck.

 

[Enerchi]

I don't think you are being picky at all!! you should get exactly what you want - otherwise, an unhappy customer will make a whole lot more noise than an unhappy customer!!

Call them, meet w the designer or manager and explain exactly what bothers you about your ring vs what you had wanted or had used for inspiration. I would imagine they would prefer you to be happy and satisfied with what they made for you, instead of not enjoying the custom piece.

When this happened to me, I had the 'power of PS' behind me and summoned up enough courage to go and meet w the owner. It worked out well in the end, but I had a really bad custom ring to start with, before I ended up with my lovely BGD 3 stone.

Life is too short to wear bad jewelry!!

 

[Gypsy]

Testing my posting ability. Sorry.

Okay so. I agree with Enerchi on this topic.

I would just be really honest.

I personally like the contrast of step and brilliant cuts. But if you wanted brilliant cut sides and didn't get them, I can see how you would be disappointed. Still, is there a way they can just flip out the sidestones and you'd be happy with it?

 

[Enerchi]

Gypsy!!! You were my strength when I went thru this!!! Please share your wisdom and support with mginthecity!!!

MG - I had Gypsy in my head when I met w the owner -- she was my ROCK (as well as all the other PS support I had)!!

 

[Gypsy]

Gypsy!!! You were my strength when I went thru this!!! Please share your wisdom and support with mginthecity!!!

MG - I had Gypsy in my head when I met w the owner -- she was my ROCK (as well as all the other PS support I had)!!

Thank you honey. I couldn't post for a while due to website error. The kinks were finally worked out today.

I'm just trying to find out HOW far off the design is. Is it something that has to be completely re-done. Or are there tweaks (swapping out sidestones) that might be possible to make mgin happier with the ring.


Is there anyway you can just post pics of the halo corners you don't like for us?

 

[mginthecity]

Thanks, everyone! I needed the support. I emailed them to very politely ask their thoughts on the halo stones being too small (and the halo not extending far enough in the corners to be visible under the prongs). I'm also going to see if it's possible to just swap in different side stones that match more, because that could potentially be a fix without having to start over from scratch. Really good suggestions.

 

[mginthecity]

Also, I have total OCD and am a perfectionist, so it's the little details that get to me. The ring itself is very pretty, but the whole point of doing a custom ring was to get exactly what you want, and that's not how I felt when I saw it. In fact, now that people keep asking if it's a princess since you can't tell it's a radiant, I am starting to wish I just got a cushion since I'd have a bigger stone for the same price. I wish I could have met with the designer directly to go over the details as the process was happening but he was not in the same area as the sales staff, so that was not an option. As for the side stones, I told them I wanted them to match the center exactly, but the sales guy I worked with said the step cut stones would really be better and that it would be his choice, etc. so I said OK and then immediately regretted it when I saw the ring. I wish he didn't make a suggestion, although he was only trying to help!

 

[SB621]

Going custom can be very hard for some people, especially if you are a perfectionist. There has to be a level of trust knowing that the designer/ vendor understands exactly what you want or that you trust their vision and will do what is best.

If you saw an inspiration ring and were trying to have your vendor make a similar one down to the detail then I think those custom jobs are never any good and most people are upset with the outcome.

Without photos it is hard to say anything about your ring so I will just add a little bit to what others have already stated:
-If you aren't happen let them know ASAP. This is a business and they want you happy/smiley ready to recommend and use them again. By not saying anything you are hurting everyone involved and not giving the company a chance to redeem themselves.
-Have you seen their custom work before? Can they actually deliver on what you want? Some jewelers are great at bezeling- others are wonderful at pave. But rule #1 should be don't ask the pave person to bezel set your ring. It just has bad written all over it.


- Did you give the jeweler inspiration pictures of exactly what you wanted or did you just describe it? Did you talk about mm details of the halo? I just think you have a lot going on with traps, a radiant and a halo to boot. Designs like that go from classy to tacky really quick so I would already be very concerned with using a vendor who had produced similar rings. As Charmy already stated VC and SK are popular because they deliver all the time- but they SHOULD because they do roughly the same styles over and over again.

 

[mginthecity]

Very good points, and I may not be an ideal candidate for custom rings since I really notice every detail. That's why I really wanted to be fair about this since if it's normal for things to be a little off I'd rather not make a big deal. I did send tons of pictures and sketches and mockups, and listed out the features I wanted. We discussed mm size for the stones and band and that the halo and band would be the same size stones, but then they kind of changed it in the end and said "the designer made the stones on the band even bigger" and I also noticed that the designer tapered off the halo at the corners so that the stones there were smaller than the rest, so that's why you can barely see the halo under the prong in the corners and I don't like that. I wasn't sure what to say when I saw it since I was expecting to LOVE it and instead felt instantly like "wait, this is it?" so I just tried to be grateful and positive and said it looks great, but I agree it's worth a discussion. We'll see what they say!

 

[Christina...]

Gypsy!!! You were my strength when I went thru this!!! Please share your wisdom and support with mginthecity!!!

MG - I had Gypsy in my head when I met w the owner -- she was my ROCK (as well as all the other PS support I had)!!

Thank you honey. I couldn't post for a while due to website error. The kinks were finally worked out today.

I'm just trying to find out HOW far off the design is. Is it something that has to be completely re-done. Or are there tweaks (swapping out sidestones) that might be possible to make mgin happier with the ring.


Is there anyway you can just post pics of the halo corners you don't like for us?

*squeezing you to death hugs* If I were a dog my tail wagging would knock me over! lol Happy to see you back!


sorry for the thread jack....carry on!

 

[SB621]

Very good points, and I may not be an ideal candidate for custom rings since I really notice every detail. That's why I really wanted to be fair about this since if it's normal for things to be a little off I'd rather not make a big deal. I did send tons of pictures and sketches and mockups, and listed out the features I wanted. We discussed mm size for the stones and band and that the halo and band would be the same size stones, but then they kind of changed it in the end and said "the designer made the stones on the band even bigger" and I also noticed that the designer tapered off the halo at the corners so that the stones there were smaller than the rest, so that's why you can barely see the halo under the prong in the corners and I don't like that. I wasn't sure what to say when I saw it since I was expecting to LOVE it and instead felt instantly like "wait, this is it?" so I just tried to be grateful and positive and said it looks great, but I agree it's worth a discussion. We'll see what they say!

I guess I shoould restate since I can't edit my first response.

If you are a perfectionist I totally think custom can work in your favor. Really the key point I was trying to make was that communciation is everything and your designer needs to know that if they are going to wavier from what you discussed it needs to go by you first. I think people who have exact details expectations need to be more involved in the custom process, but because they dont' lay down the law with the vendor- they are often disappointed with the outcome.

It seems from the issues you have brought up that the ring will need to be remade. I would personally discuss the changes you expect and let them take another wack at it. If your vision is still not what you expect after attempt number 2 then I would jump ship, get your money back and find a different designer.

That should be something you discuss by the way when you go back and talk with them. What are your options if you dont like the outcome.

 

[Gypsy]

Thank you Christina! I missed you too.

MG--- here's the thing about custom. You have to understand how that vendor works, and pick the right one for your expectations. NOT just for the final product. But for the process itself. Here's what I mean.

I can be an 'every little detail' person too. There are some projects where what I want is ALL creative control. For those I work CAD vendors and make it clear that NOTHING is to move on from stage A to stage B without my knowing about it, and agreeing to it in writing (email).

That's when I call BGD, or others will call WF or another CAD vendor. Because nothing beats CAD for people who want complete creative control, and a bench to execute that exact design with no deviation.

And then there are projects where I want to provide guidelines and want the designer to fill in the details based on their design aesthetic.

That's when I would call Steven or Victor or Mike R. And other's might call Leon.

I'm almost getting the sense that you wanted was complete creative control, but the jeweler you used thought, or operates, more on the 'guidelines' process end of things.

That's not uncommon unfortunately. And it does lead to a lot of stress. Because both of you are doing what you think is your job... you are giving them a lot of information, and they are interpreting it. But you don't really want interpretation. But that's how they operate.

So my suggestion is... call them or sit down with them and say. Here's the thing: I wanted complete creative control. I wanted to be informed at every step what options were being considered and I did not want your designer having any creative input without my express approval. So when they changed the melee size on the shank, that was not okay with me. I did not want it, and did not approve it. I also did not want or approve step cut sidestones, or a halo that looks like this. What I wanted was exactly what I asked for-- and unfortunately, this ring doesn't meet those requirements. It appears that we have had a communication problem because what I really expected was complete creative control and it appears that you believed that what I was providing you was some guidelines that were open to creative interpretation. They weren't guidelines. They were requirements. So what can we do going forward so we can resolve this.

I think maybe, that you didn't really chose the right vendor OR did not have the right conversation with them regarding your expectations. And again, that's a common problem. And can be fixed. But it means you have to have a very frank discussion with them now.

 

[Gypsy]

To clarify the above. I personally do use BGD for more creative projects too. And they've done a great job and Brian can read my mind. But the design did not progress without my approval at each stage regardless, and I get a CAD of the design to approve before execution. Now that may mean, Brian and I talk and I understand why a change was made and agree to it. I'm not a jewelry manufacturer and he is. But the process is very different than working with someone from a general sketch, like I would with Steven, for example.

 

[Slickk]

Gypsy,
I think you have totally hit the nail on the head. I believe MG should say exactly what you suggested. I would definitely go back and state that they did not follow your instructions and need this fixed to your specifications. My jewelers bench changed a setting for me a year after they made it because it wasn't working for me, as I am OCD as well. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Enerchi]

That's great that you've opened the dialogue with a gentle email !!! BUT --- be prepared to firm up and hold your ground. You are paying big bucks for a custom item that you had a vision for and sent them enough pics to inspire them. Not sure if this would be helpful or not for you, but here is my thread when Gypsy gave me exactly what to say in my situation. Maybe there is something in here that you can use in your discussion:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/wwpsd-live-w-it-return-to-original-b-m-new-w-ps-vendor.176215/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/wwpsd-live-w-it-return-to-original-b-m-new-w-ps-vendor.176215/[/URL]

 

[marymm]

OP - just thought I'd bring up these two thoughts:

1. it sounds like you did in fact agree to the design change-out to step-cut side-stones. Likely there would be a cost associated with switching them out, and it may be reasonable for you to bear all/some of this cost in this specific area. And, even if the side-stones are switched out, it is likely most people will still assume your center stone is a princess. For people not into diamonds, I don't think the term "radiant" is in their vocabulary .

2. it also sounds like you have some regrets about your choice of center-stone - which is an issue separate from your custom setting woes. If you really wish you had gone with a cushion center stone, going through the whole "re-make" process with your current setting may not fix your true dilemma with your ring.

 

[junebug17]

I agree with marymm - you went along with their choice of sidestones so there might be a cost involved with changing them. I know what you mean about the corners and that sounds like poor workmanship and would bother me too. I would definitely have a talk with the jeweler and explain your concerns and find out what your options are. Good luck and let us know how you make out.