Discussions during custom process

[resident]

I'm currently getting a ring custom made and was wondering how much contact others had about the ring design before the CAD image was produced. I feel like I should have someone asking me specific questions about what I like but so far I have not at any stage had anyone ask any questions about a design I photoshopped. This whole process feels a little odd as from experience I know that often what someone had in their mind and what they communicate can be completely different.

Did anyone else have this problem? Did your CAD design just turn up one day after you just mentioning to a sales consultant that you "maybe would like this and that, or maybe this"?

I'm just a bit frustrated at the lack of communication for the design process. I thought it was going to be a lot more involved. I want this ring to be my design, not what someone I have never talked to guessed I wanted.

It also doesn't help that I was meant to receive the pictures by the end of business today (1st April), which obviously at this stage isn't happening (also no word to say otherwise and I couldn't get on to them by phone, email or chat)

 

[Tha Baron]

I initially went down this path with Blue Nile before I knew little more than the basic diamond grades. I told the guy what I wanted and sent some photos. He said, "Yes, we have done that before and will get it as close as possible to what you have requested". I thought this was going to be a custom built piece... He never gave me more than just a "Yes, it will look like that." No CAD or sketch drawing, No specific list to confirm what I wanted (i.e. stones around the band that don't go past the shoulders), just no real commitment whatsoever. He kept replying to my emails with, "You are asking great questions and you are thinking about the right things. Let me know if we can help you in anyway and let me know if you have any questions."

I gave up and called another rep and asked how "custom" work is done... She said very honestly that they would only really change or modify existing settings that they have in their stock. Not really custom at all. They were just going to set a diamond in prongs (which I do not want at all) and slap a halo over the top.

Not sure what they would have come up with and I'd bet it would look OK. However, I didn't want any confusion whatsoever. Your idea and their idea of what this thing will look like could be worlds apart.

The places and I am dealing with now and the vendor I am 90% going to go with have confirmed every point of my questions/requests and have referenced specific photos on their websites.

Don't go with "faith" on this ring... if it comes out different than what you want, you will regret it for the length of time you have to see the ring (maybe 50+ years if you're lucky). Or you would be out a setting and the extra hassle. Honestly, if they can't be upfront and satisfy your demands... I'd move along.

 

[yssie]

I'm currently getting a ring custom made and was wondering how much contact others had about the ring design before the CAD image was produced. I feel like I should have someone asking me specific questions about what I like but so far I have not at any stage had anyone ask any questions about a design I photoshopped. This whole process feels a little odd as from experience I know that often what someone had in their mind and what they communicate can be completely different.

Did anyone else have this problem? Did your CAD design just turn up one day after you just mentioning to a sales consultant that you "maybe would like this and that, or maybe this"?

I'm just a bit frustrated at the lack of communication for the design process. I thought it was going to be a lot more involved. I want this ring to be my design, not what someone I have never talked to guessed I wanted.

It also doesn't help that I was meant to receive the pictures by the end of business today (1st April), which obviously at this stage isn't happening (also no word to say otherwise and I couldn't get on to them by phone, email or chat)

Well - here's the thing, like w/ most things in life - you've got to ask for what you want, noone's going to expend the energy flagging you down for your input unless you're famous or paying very handsomely for their services

If you have specifications that you are concerned are not being addressed fully - call and make an appointment to chat! And email, and prepare powerpoint presentations, and don't approve the continuation of the project until you're reassured. Some people truly have little idea of what they want, others have a very clear vision - neither is the wrong approach, and if you feel the communication isn't there I think they will only appreciate you bringing that to their attention - certainly they don't want to deliver something you're displeased with and then make a loss re-working and dealing with an unhappy customer

 

[Gypsy]

Who are you working with if you don't mind my asking?

I don't like to work through salespeople with custom. I want to be talking to the designer directly. I've done many custom projects and what the process is ... well, it's a creative process so it's a little different vendor to vendor. And also project to project.

Getting a CAD, IMO, is a starting point. Is it the BEST starting point? That depends on your project and your designer's creative processes. You get a CAD, feel free to change WHATEVER you want. And if you feel like you aren't being heard-- if the revised CADs aren't reflecting your changes, and so on... then you need to just lay it out for the person and say... THIS ISN'T WORKING FOR ME. You have to realize however that somethings we ask for aren't advisable, in terms of structural integrity. So what you say to the person is... if there is a reason, in terms of structure and safety, for not doing what I want... TELL ME. If the issue is that you don't agree with a purely aesthetic choice though.... sorry, my project, my aesthetic sense trumps yours.

These links might help you out through.

This is one of my recent custom projects.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/got-cads-of-band-want-opinions.153285/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/got-cads-of-band-want-opinions.153285/[/URL] Design process in detail.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-bgd-aurora-1-2-eternity-is-ready-and-on-the-way.154113/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-bgd-aurora-1-2-eternity-is-ready-and-on-the-way.154113/[/URL] Final product.

I find Brian reads my mind extremely well, and this wasn't the first project I'd done with BGD so when I had to take Brian on faith... it was fine with me. I can honestly say that I've worked with designers where the process was extremely difficult, and in one case after 4 rounds of CADs things weren't looking up and I just cut my losses, lost my CAD deposit and moved on. So ... in my experience having the right 'click' is crucial. Which is why I asked who you were working with.

 

[resident]

I don't want to say who I'm dealing with as they are one of the popular vendors on this forums and I don't want to sully any names before I sort everything out as it may turn out all right in the end.

Anyway, I have given them the following picture, but that is all and I only did that because no one was really asking me anything. Since my last post, the man in charge of the CAD has emailed me to apologise him not meeting the schedule as he is behind on a few projects (which I appreciate, but would have liked to know a couple of days ago rather than after I was expecting a CAD image). I can see this affecting the delivery date of the ring, which is quite frustrating as it has already been longer then I originally planned (due to another company' in australia's diamond not meeting expectations etc which made me start over again with a US company, where I'm getting the setting as well). I was really wanting this done before easter but it is probably going to be a headache.



I hope it is worth it in the end!

P.S. Sorry about the text in the picture, it seems to have lost quality when I uploaded it.

 

[MissGotRocks]

It looks like a beautiful design - hope it turns out exactly that way.

I wouldn't be shy about calling to go over the small details and to get a feel for where they are with production.

 

[yssie]

It looks like a pretty design and it looks like you have quite a specific vision in mind, so I'd settle on some details now:


-Fishtail pave on 3/4 of the shank like in the original? Shank straight, no taper? What melee size and what shank width?

-Band height increases - to what height? Where does the rise start - is it acute, starting just a few mm away from the head into a sharp rise, or is it more gradual? What shape is the rise - concave or convex? Keep shoulders closed?




-Keep "S" curve of prongs w/ increased band height, or do you want something more 'cup-like' or 'straighter'? Cuplike as in, the prongs are uniformly convex around the centre in the pic, straighter like the style on the R, or S-shaped w/ a clear inflection point like in your inspiration pic?




-How do you want to incorporate the head into the band - keep the doughnut? (which means a wedding band won't sit flush, if that matters to you) Keep stone height as-is? Pics of what you mean by "incorporate" wouldn't hurt..

-What type of prongs are you looking for - 'claw', more 'rounded', the Tiffany 'blocked-off' type?
D&T's excellent post in this thread on prong tip styles - [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/prong-tip-styles.158139/#post-2875294?hilit=prong#p2875294']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/prong-tip-styles.158139/#post-2875294?hilit=prong#p2875294[/URL]

-Are you planning on a specialty wedding band? If so you may want to consider getting that made at the same time, to ensure it's a good match and a good fit next to the Ering. I'm finding out myself that matching things like roundedness, shank height, deciding on the perfect shank width esp if your ring has a taper.. is much easier when in-person than w/ pics and words!

-Do you care about what plat alloy they use?


ETA - okay, well, I'm a bit of a nitpicky perfectionist and I generally know exactly what I want, so maybe this approach isn't for you. Doesn't hurt to consider what and if you care about though

 

[resident]

ETA - okay, well, I'm a bit of a nitpicky perfectionist and I generally know exactly what I want, so maybe this approach isn't for you. Doesn't hurt to consider what and if you care about though

That's exactly the questions that I wish the designer was asking me! I had thought of some of those but not all. Originally, that picture I posted was more for the quote but no one really asked me anything else. Don't worry about being a perfectionist, I think I would have you more than rivalled in that!

Why is it so hard? You'd think that they would want to get it perfect the first time so that everyone recommends the company. If the designer spends hours doing the wrong design, I'm still not going to choose it and they have just wasted money paying their designer for nothing!

I'm going to rewrite the spec to remove any possible assumptions. Thanks for that list of ideas Yssie!

 

[yssie]

ETA - okay, well, I'm a bit of a nitpicky perfectionist and I generally know exactly what I want, so maybe this approach isn't for you. Doesn't hurt to consider what and if you care about though

That's exactly the questions that I wish the designer was asking me! I had thought of some of those but not all. Originally, that picture I posted was more for the quote but no one really asked me anything else. Don't worry about being a perfectionist, I think I would have you more than rivalled in that!

Why is it so hard? You'd think that they would want to get it perfect the first time so that everyone recommends the company. If the designer spends hours doing the wrong design, I'm still not going to choose it and they have just wasted money paying their designer for nothing!

I'm going to rewrite the spec to remove any possible assumptions. Thanks for that list of ideas Yssie!

NP.. it's easy to forget that the people who wind up on PS are largely picky researchers who pay attention to and care very much about the details. I'd wager the vast majority of young men would be pretty horrified to get a list of questions like that, and much of the remainder is happy to leave it up to the judgment of the bench - and even PS vendors have to cater to customers with those preferences, too I think if you let your SA know that you are looking for more involvement and communication he/she will be happy to oblige - as you say, they have nothing to gain from not making you happy.

Good luck with your revisions Take a look through Gypsy's threads for a better idea of the steps involved.