Custom Ring Design Woes

[Anise]

My SO and I are collaborating with a trusted PS vendor (who was recommended to us by a PS member my SO knows in real life) to design a custom engagement ring.

The last inspiration ring we agreed on is a halo with a twist shank and pave, which they quoted for something that seemed reasonable (it was for a price that was close to what I know the inspiration setting sells for).

We received the CAD this week, and, well, it's nothing like the inspiration ring. Single shank, a different pave style than specified, and pave on three sides of the shank (which I don't like and said as much when we were originally collaborating). I'm OK with working with the current design, but don't think it justifies their original quote (which they forced my SO to pay up front in full). When we asked them to correct the design (dropping the extra pave and finishing the gallery motif they came up with to go across the whole gallery and not just under the center stone), the sales associate basically said that the designers didn't regard the SA's instructions (just got excited with the diamonds on the shaft) and would fix it, but the original quoted price was correct. Doodling around on the vendor's website, you can find a similar ring (halo, single pave shank) for ~$2k less than the quote. I understand that custom work costs more, but it doesn't seem like it should cost ~$2k more for what we are getting.

The situation is pretty much out of my hands, as it's on my SO to deal with the vendor. I've told my SO what I think, and in the end, no matter how the ring ends up I will love it because he put so much time, effort and energy into insuring I get something I will like. But I can't help but feel we are getting mediocre service and possibly getting taken advantage of from one of PS's beloved vendors that is known for having great service and intuitive designers. I've been getting sad watching how antsy my SO is (he really wants us to be formally engaged, but wants the big romantic gesture with the ring and everything) and how long the custom ring process is taking; I'm almost to the point of saying "eff it, let's take our business somewhere else".

Has anyone had a custom ring experience where the discussed, agreed-to design ended up being far different that the resultant CAD? What did you do to rectify it?

 

[chrono]

Do you mind posting the inspiration picture and the resulting CAD? In most cases, the original CAD requires tweaks before it is accepted, which is why I like going the CAD route. To resolve this, go back to the original inspiration picture and point out to the vendor the differences. Pull up old email or documentation that shows the type of pave you requested, single sided pave, etc. A good question to ask the vendor is why your custom work costs 2K more than their standard offering. Without knowing the complexity of the design, size of diamonds and etc, I cannot explain why.

 

[JanesJewels]

Hi Anise, so sorry you're going through this. Custom can be a headache. I had a couple of jewelry pieces that turned out not quite the way I thought they would look, and now I'm almost back to wanting to buy stuff from a real store so I can see what I'm getting beforehand. But then, custom can offer huge savings...

Anyway, I guess the point of a CAD is to fix things before they're set in stone, so to speak. Since you've paid the full cost upfront, I would request that they restart the design to be exactly what you first wanted. I think that part of the reason custom can be quite costly is because you are getting something made just for you, so it should be just what you want. Since it's still at the CAD stage, it should be fixable, I would think. I know it's frustrating, but mistakes really do happen with custom. I had a piece where I did drawings and everything, but they were ignored. But it was no problem - they just put it right. It's probably still cheaper than getting it in a store.

Good luck!

 

[Anise]

The CAD has the designer's logos splashed all over it. I'm not sure if I can send a private-message to you on this site. I could cut one of the perspectives from the CAD that doesn't have the vendor's logo on it. Here is the inspiration ring. The only addition was to add side stones we sourced in the gaps next to the halo, and I didn't care for having such a fancy profile/gallery.

 

[Anise]

This is the top-view of the CAD. I get how the additional pave on both profiles would add to the cost and probably bring it up to where their quote was, but I never asked for that and don't see why my SO should have to pay for that (paid for that) if that's not what we are getting.

My SO has e-mailed the SA asking for a price breakdown (which we should have gotten before). I mentioned a phone call to the owner would probably clarify things but this is his project and I want him to go about it the way he sees best.

 

[cabbitstar]

I found a really pretty contemporary twist shank here:

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/pave/14k-white-gold-twisted-pave-shank-contemporary-solitaire-11192w14.html

Maybe it might help you have them redo the CAD, or you might find another one...I would absolutely have them redo the CAD. That's what you're paying for. Good luck!

 

[chrono]

Your instruction is simple enough: exact ring as shown minus:
1. Addition of diamond in the triangular gap closest to the center stone.
2. Removal of fanciful gallery work.

I cannot see the inspiration ring closely enough to tell which pave style is used but the CAD shows shared prong. Why is there a large rim of metal around the halo?

Something must have gone wrong with the communication. Either that or the SA/bench is disregarding the notes for the design. I would start by going back to the drawing board. Do not be afraid to have them scrap this CAD and start a new one. I have walked away from the vendor once when after numerous discussions, he/she still did not understand what I wanted, even when we went through the notes and inspiration pictures time and again, continuing to give me a design so very different from my inspiration picture. With the termination of the project, I paid the CAD fee and was refunded the rest.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves here. I think this can be resolved and it is early yet in the design phase.

 

[SB621]

SERIOUSLY!!! I just possible wrote the longest and best response post to you and click submit to only HAVE MY INTERNET GO DOWN AND LOOSE EVERYTHING! arghhhhh!!!

Ok sorry about that. Please forgive this short response but I just dont have it in me to re-write my last 3 paragraphs. I would go straight to the owner and tell him your issues. Point blank this should be a wonderful experience for you and if it is falling short I would let them know. If this is a beloved PS vendor they will turn around and do back flips to make you happy. Be honest with them and hopefully this will turn around quickly.

Congrats on your upcoming engagement.

 

[chrono]

Sarahbear,
I think I know who the vendor is and it is very likely that I have worked with them before. Yes, it is a PS darling but it seems that it is only I who had a less than stellar experience. There is no question that the vendor tried but continued to disregard my design requests which I kept repeating over and over like a broken record. After 2 to 3 complete CAD overhauls, it was starting to get ridiculous as each one did not get any closer to my inspiration ring picture. That was when I said enough is enough and pulled the plug on the project.

I hope that it is NOT the same vendor as the one I used and who knows, perhaps I guess incorrectly and it is NOT the same vendor. Again, I stress that at this point, this is fixable and the vendor should have no reservations about getting it corrected at no extra charge to your satisfaction.

 

[SB621]

Sarahbear,
I think I know who the vendor is and it is very likely that I have worked with them before. Yes, it is a PS darling but it seems that it is only I who had a less than stellar experience. There is no question that the vendor tried but continued to disregard my design requests which I kept repeating over and over like a broken record. After 2 to 3 complete CAD overhauls, it was starting to get ridiculous as each one did not get any closer to my inspiration ring picture. That was when I said enough is enough and pulled the plug on the project.

I hope that it is NOT the same vendor as the one I used and who knows, perhaps I guess incorrectly and it is NOT the same vendor. Again, I stress that at this point, this is fixable and the vendor should have no reservations about getting it corrected at no extra charge to your satisfaction.

Hi Chrono!

I do remember that project- at least I think I do. Well that throws a wrench into things. I wrote in my "other" post that sometimes I feel PS builds up vendors who can do no wrong. When in reality if/when negative reviews are posted on them, loyal PSer jump on the bandwagon to defend.

A- once again I'm going to stress for you to enjoy the experience. Don't settle and make sure you get the ring of your dreams. I hope this vendor turns it around for you and exceeds your expectations. But if not then perhaps talk to your SO about pulling the plug and going with someone else. Regardless I love your inspriation ring and can't wait to see the finsihed result.

 

[Anise]

Thank you all for your supportive replies! My hesitation in asking for them to redo the CAD is that I don't want them to say that we need to pay them more for what they might consider a significant redesign. Neither of us have done a custom piece like this before, and it's felt pretty agonizing having spent so long to see a CAD that's so far from what we thought we would get.

I do agree that something has gone wrong with the communication, either between us and the SA or the SA and the bench (or even both). Hopefully we will hear back either tonight or early tomorrow, and I think my SO plans to call and talk to the owner after that.

I do think a lot of it is the shock of seeing something so unexpected, especially since I see so many positive experiences here of "Look how close this is to what I had in mind!" So it was easy to expect my experience to be similar.

Chrono, after comparing some of the vendor's other custom work that has CAD drawings available I think the style the bench had in mind for the CAD piece is a bright cut pave with milligrain. I believe the pave style on the inspiration piece is more of a cut-down or bead-set style, although I don't know off the top of my head.

Sarahbear, thank you for drafting your long reply! I appreciate it even though I won't get to read it!

Thank you all again for sharing your experiences with me; I definitely feel more sure that this can get resolved. I'll talk to my SO tonight in person when I get home and say we should insist on something closer to the modified inspiration ring. I'll update when I know more.

 

[DiamondBrokersofFlorida]

Your inspiration ring certainly looks easy enough to do. I don't think the cad resembles it at all.

 

[chrono]

Sarahbear,
This is the first time I am writing about that project and it was never made because we never even got close enough to making it. We were stuck in the CAD phase for months. It was a vendor that I had not worked with before but trusted that things will go smoothly because everyone else seemed to be very happy with their work.

Anise,
I agree with Sarahbear that you should not settle with a design that you did not ask for.

 

[chrono]

If you change your mind about the design, I can understand the vendor requesting another CAD fee. In the case (such as this one) where the CAD does not reflect the design you requested, it should be done at no added cost to you.

 

[Laila619]

Your inspiration ring certainly looks easy enough to do. I don't think the cad resembles it at all.

I know, I'm so confused. The CAD doesn't look anything like the inspiration ring. The CAD shows a metal border around the halo, and there are pear cut diamonds with V prong tips next to the halo. And there is no twisted shank.

I'm pretty sure I know who the vendor is, and I think they are overpriced. I too have had less than great experiences with them, and I finally wrote them off completely. Not worth my time.


I hope you can get this all sorted out!

 

[Laila619]

If you change your mind about the design, I can understand the vendor requesting another CAD fee. In the case (such as this one) where the CAD does not reflect the design you requested, it should be done at no added cost to you.

Ditto Chrono! You did not change your mind about the design, so they should not charge you for additional CADs.

 

[Niel]

I hate to have a mini thread jack, and this is probably in the rules somewhere, but why cant we discuss who this company is? We are able to rave over them if we love there work, isnt it just as benificial to a perspective buyer to know the negative feedback as well, especially if this turns out being beautiful, so if someone else has the same experience they have something to refer to.

As for the CAD, im amazed how little it looks like the inspiration piece. If you have documentation showing what you had requested and they did not meet your expectations then I dont believe they would charge you to redo the CAD, that is there error. But I wouldnt worry, if thats their first attempt I bet they dont mind going back to the drawing board.

But you should LOVE this experience, and if you dont like what they are doing and they are not being respectful of what you want in your ring I would part ways. No reason to go though months of CADs.

 

[Niel]

Also, I am no designer, but Im confused why they used pears. did you request pears? Seems like trillions make more design sense
Similar to this
http://www.kranichs.com/products/3067/dazzling-simon-g-diamond-ring

sorry im on a proxy computer i have little time to google a better image

 

[rainydaze]

I thought I missed something when I compared the CAD to the inspiration pic - the two are nothing alike to my eyes.

Two things that jumped out at me:
1) If the custom quote was close the price of the inspiration ring, why not just go with the inspiration ring? My apologies if you addressed this already.
2) You shouldn't have to pay anything more in a case like this, because the CAD doesn't resemble your inspiration. If it did and you wanted more than a couple of minor tweaks, then I could understand additional charges.

Good luck, I hope it gets worked out in some way or another and you have the ring you love!

 

[Anise]

1) The thing with the pears. We went custom because I requested that we incorporate Yogo sapphires into the ring (I did my undergrad in Montana). The design/inspiration part of our collaboration with this vendor took a couple weeks; our original concept was a halo ring with side stones, with Yogos in there somewhere. Once we decided that we wanted to go with pear-shaped Yogos as the side stones, the SA showed us the Verragio inspiration and said (paraphrased), "What about this? We can put the pears in the gaps next to the halo." And we said, "Yes that!" The impression I had was they built the quote off of that inspiration ring.

As a side story, the SA said they wanted us to source the Yogos ourselves and we found a pair at a jeweler in Bozeman I bought earrings from before. After we sent them to the vendor, the SA said that the bench thought the color didn't match perfectly (I personally think it will be OK once set) and said they could source their own pair. To be honest, I would have preferred the vendor sourced the Yogos originally but it would have been nice to know that was our option.

2) I haven't revealed the name of the vendor for a few reasons. We're still working with them, and there is a chance this could get resolved favorably. I plan to reveal the vendor's name after the ring was made, or after we decide to go with something else. It didn't seem fair to come here with my WTF?! without trying to resolve it with them first. I posted initially because I wanted to make sure I wasn't being crazy or unreasonable, and because I haven't done any custom work before I wanted the insight of others who have not had stellar experiences and how they resolved them favorably.

 

[Niel]

Oh ok, I think the pears just threw me off the way they are currenty in that CAD

I like your idea a lot with the sapphires, and I dont think you are being out of line at all. You are spending a lot of money. You should get exactly what you want. I had a similar situation and I wasnt lucky enough to get the cads first, I had to fight to get my money back on a FINISHED ring.

So dont feel bad about not liking the CAD, just dont let them make you something you dont like

 

[mandasand]

So, the sapphires were supposed to go in the gap next to the halo but the band was supposed to twist or cross over? If that is the case, it is not reflected in the CAD. I am sure you will be able to resolve it...you may have a few rounds of CADs.

 

[yssie]

Anise, I'm sorry to hear that. Custom work is always stressful, even after you've had several successful experiences with a given vendor...

Please post the other angles, it sounds like the gallery profile design is important to you and we can't see it at all, besides that the shank has three-sided pave. If you are concerned about naming your vendor you could paint over the logo - most of us will recognise the style of CAD anyway though. They are a reputable, well-intentioned company - I do think they will work to make you happy, it sounds like it's just a matter of getting through to the right people and making sure all your wants get transmitted and translated properly... I think talking to the owner tomorrow will help with that.

One thing I can say for sure - your inspiration ring will be *much* better made than the original, I had the opportunity to see a samples IRL and Verragio's workmanship is astounding - not in a good way. Someone else on PS noted the same - I can't for the life of me remember who though

 

[hmr_mama]

I'm trying to understand your design. Do you want something like this, but with the center stone haloed (and pear sapphire sidestones instead of the diamonds)?:

http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/jewelry-designers/scott-kay-jewelry/rings/44U1/

Or did you want the sapphires haloed too?

ETA: I'm referring top the face down view of the ring--I realize this profile is completely different than the inspiration ring.

 

[SB621]

If the CADS do not reflect the changes you specifically asked for then there should be no charge at redoing them. Don't be afraid to ask questions with the custom process. Worst case they will say it will cost more but at least you will know.

 

[Niel]

If you are concerned about naming your vendor you could paint over the logo - most of us will recognise the style of CAD anyway though.

thats what I thought, but I wasnt sure if there were rules agains naming names

I would really love to see the rest of the cads if you dont mind posting

 

[Niel]

forgive me if im wrong but is it suppose to look more like this, but the band as a kind of wave where the bezel of the pear is part of the cris cross of the band?

http://www.kranichs.com/products/2502/ritani-endless-love-diamond-ring-with-pear-side-stones

 

[Anise]

Here's an update:

Someone here figured out the vendor and sent them an e-mail with a link to this thread on our behalf. The vendor contacted my SO, said they found the breakdown in communication on their side of the house, and are going to redo both their quote and the CAD. I feel a bit embarrassed that they were outed, because I do think we would have worked it out with them eventually. I appreciate the gesture (it probably sped things up to be honest) and it does seem that things will go back on the right track.

I will reveal the vendor (even though everyone seems to know! ), but would prefer to wait. I do appreciate the vote of confidence for going with them over a stock designer like Verragio (even though I think some of their designs are pretty!). I'm not trying to be coy; the decision of continuing with them or not is my SO's and I also want to be fair to the vendor in giving them a complete review, positive, negative, or otherwise.

For the questions about the intended setting, I think Nielseel has it closer. The pears would be set within the band on either side of the halo, and the split shank would cross on the ends of the pears.

I think my lesson here is that the first CAD isn't necessarily the end of the world if something got dropped. It's a lot messier than idea -> quote -> CAD -> ring!

I can post other views of the original CAD even though it's going to be tossed; I just am not in a place where I can access/edit it easily right now.

And Nielseel, how frustrating trying to get your money back on your project!

To whoever helped us out, thank you. It wasn't something you needed to do and helped both us and the vendor out.

 

[chrono]

I'm very happy for you that the vendor is going to do good by you. I would not out the vendor now either; there might be others who do not know who it is and that bit of privacy will ease up some pressure to make things right.

 

[cmaha33]

Sorry to hear about your bad experience. I can totally relate...I also had a bad experience with a custom ring design by a recommended PS vendor. In the end, I just walked away from the project and lost my deposit, but at least I didn't have to pay for the total amount. Nowadays, I refuse to go custom and will only purchase an original design where I can actually see it in person or, at the very least, in a photo. Do not settle because you will never be satisfied! Every time you look at your ring you will have that same sinking feeling Good luck with whatever you decide to do!