Feedback/Advice Needed on Price of A Setting

[BWise]

Hi experts, need your help again to decide if I should move forward with a semi-mounting. It is a classic three-stone setting for my sapphire - two half-moon diamonds for an oval center stone. 18K white gold, basket setting (don''t remember if it is trellis style), double claws for center stone. Two half moon diamonds total 1.17ct, I/J color, VS clarity. Price quote including setting the center stone - $3,000

Sorry I don''t have a picture of it. It is a store in the Diamond District and I''ve bought items from them before and very happy with it. I have seen the setting in person and the two half moon diamonds are cut brilliantly, very sparkly. The center stone size fits my sapphire precisely like a custom order. (how odd is that since my sapphire is not calibrated! - and I''m a believer in signs)

I am hesitating because:
1) the diamonds are yellower than I wanted. But they will be against a blue stone not a white one.
2) no idea about the price

By the way, this WAS the setting that completely changed my setting plan from a split shank halo to a 3-stone classic.

 

[TravelingGal]

yingh, it sounds reasonable to me, but only because the setting I looked at today and want is $5,000.

I think the diamonds would be fine. They are still near colorless. My earrings are J and it''s barely discernable next to my F.

 

[chrono]

It sounds a little expensive for 18kt white gold. The diamonds would be about $1000 each for 0.6 ct I/VS2 which leaves the setting at $1000. It would be what I expect for a platinum setting but not white gold. To set the center stone isn't much - it can be anywhere from $50 to $100.

 

[cushioncutnut]

Yingh... my nephew had a custom 3 stone setting done for his .70 mq with pear shaped sidestones for around $2,600 in platinum. Leon mostly deals in plat. I realize your stone may be bigger and that would require bigger sidestones, but you may want to check into it with him. He actually showed my nephew 3 different sets of F, VS sidestones and worked within my nephew''s budget to do so. You may be pleasantly surprised. Now if you went with a halo-split shank setting custom made to fit your stone.............that would be more expensive. I wanted Leon to do that with my ring (in my avatar), but I know that the more diamond melee/labor that is involved, his more inticate settings would have cost me about $3,000 more than what I had another vendor do it. My setting is 18kwg with french pave set diamonds.

 

[BWise]

Thanks everyone for your advice! I will definitely check with Leon. I thought that his work was out of my budget, but now it appears to be a possibility!

 

[chrono]

My guess that a lot of Leon''s cost is in the labor intensive work of setting the melees in pave style. 3 or 5 stone rings are not as expensive, if the sidestones aren''t very large.

 

[purrfectpear]

Leon''s three stone setting should be around $1900 plus side stones.

 

[cushioncutnut]

Date: 4/11/2009 3:08:35 PM
Author: purrfectpear
Leon''s three stone setting should be around $1900 plus side stones.

The last I was told, it was $2,000.....but yes, that does not include sidestones. Yingh, I know for a fact he can work in your budget. You may have to go with smaller sidestones, but he can usually get some decent sized/shaped sidestones to match up to your center stone and he will do his best to work within your budget. This gives me hope for a future purchase...or I may have him reset my cushion diamond ring. Oh, and I was told by my jeweler, that the cost of platinum right now is not that far off from gold prices per ounce. I will have to check online to see............ but that may be in your(our) favor too!!

 

[icekid]

Oooooooh loving the Leon idea! It would be amazing if he could set your sapphire.

 

[chrono]

If the cost is close, my choice would be a Leon ring too. So elegant and those killer claw prongs.