Gelin & Abaci vs. Kretchmer

[Nihiladrem]

Just to clear the air. I know about Kretchmer''s alligations about GAI and I have read his posts at diamond talk. I am not concered about that. My girlfriend and I have fallen in love with tension settings. (We may go with nising for our wedding bands.) For her e-ring though we like the elegance of some of the Kretchmer''s and or GAI''s designs.

I am interested with anyones knowledge about the structural quality of the rings - particularly GAI as Kretchmer seems like a very safe bet for structural strength. Has anyone ever heard of a GAI setting coming loose, or does anyone have a GAI setting and are you satisfied with it? I have read a scietific paper that Kretchmer paid for comparing his rings to GAI''s but it seems to be almost entirly lacking in substance. (I am a PhD physics canidate with a background in materials science so I do have experience reading such papers.)

Thanks for your time
Warren

 

[lindsal]

I have a GAI ring. I've had it for 6 months. I am left handed. I tend to be careless and quite often knock my hand against things. I am often around horses and other animals and doing other rough work. I have dropped the ring on concrete and off a 6 foot wall onto a brick side walk.

There is only one little ding in the band. I've not damaged the diamond. And as many times as my mind *thinks* I might have damaged either the diamond or the settting, when I go to my jeweler he looks at me and says , "L, you are crazy."

I love mine. And won't trade it until it's time for the upgrade I've got written into my contract after the birth of the second kid. (Kind of a joke, but also kind of true.)

 

[Nihiladrem]

Thanks for the reply. It is good to finally hear from a person who owns a GAI ring. I haven't been able to find much. Have you by chance posted any pics in show me the ring. I would be very curious to see your result.

 

[climber]

I have a friend who is a retailer and has had both. He prefers GAI, if abused the stones usually just loosen's and does not come out. Kretchmer rings have had more stone falling out issues and he no longer offers them. Of course each manufacturer will state that if they don't set the stone and provide the ring in it's exact needed size. You will most likely have problems with the security of a tension set ring. another note, these are rings that need to be checked by the providing jeweler often without fail. especially if the rings are worn all day every day.

Brad

 

[quaeritur]

If you were condsidering a white metal ring, you might also find titanium tension settings of interest. Here's a picture of mine

It's a satin finish, but the polished inside looks just like my white gold wedding band. Here's another shot

I love that it's so light I don't even feel it, and I think that titanium might be more secure than similar designs in other metals...

 

[Nihiladrem]

quaeritur I didn't see any pictures in you post. Or were you indicating that I should look at the ring on boone's website? I have looked at boone's rings and like them (the venus looks like a beuatiful ring and the narrowing between the hands is a nice feature), however I was hoping to go through my local B&M for my setting. They have Neising, GAI, and Kretchmer, and have been very willing to work with me despite the fact that I will probably by my stone online. Of course I think I would try to keep a customer who was interested in neising and or Kretchmer too.

 

[quaeritur]

Oops! I guess my picture posting skills aren't working after all! I can see them, but I guess they're invisible to everyone else?




Let me know if this works:

If not, you can see them at https://www.pricescope.com/idealbb/forum.asp?forumID=8&sessionID=EC475248EBA7452FA59AB7451B806F6E

 

[Nihiladrem]

that is a wonderful ring congrats. Although I know that I am going to be getting a tension setting I have no idea what style yet - so many of them are great.