Grrr... PITA ring!

[ForteKitty]

So I have this 3-sided pave platinum ring that''s falling apart. Okay, perhaps a slight exaggeration, but if I don''t reset it soon, it will. The shank is starting to twist and bend, and the center prongs (the whole thing) is wilting to one side.

I want to reset it in a 3 stone design, in 18kt white gold (not too fond of the patina look), with ~0.30ctw pear sides. My center stone is .90ct, E VVS2, so the sides have to be pretty white, maybe F colored.

This horrid thing is the culprit. Although I love the design, I am thru with 3-sided pave. Marquise ring

THIS is what i want the new ring to look like:






I understand that gold prices are astronomical right now, and diamond prices are still going up. I have emailed and requested quotes from many vendors, and the response range from $1000 to $4000. None of the quotes were for designer brands. Isn''t that a little broad for what seems like a simple ring? And... isn''t $4000 for that ring a bit much?!?

Are there any vendors who have ready-made semi mounts that I can use for a cheaper price? I only paid $2100 for the whole ring... i don''t wanna spend more than that on a new mount!!

 

[valeria101]

Sorry to hear this...

The three stone ring looks as if it was made to measure for the stones. This may explain the quotes. It looks creative to me, although not overly complicated.

Off the rack (i.e. assembled from premade parts), the three stones will sit each in its own basket with some space between them.

Like This (imagine trillions.. .I could only find baguettes asap)

Is Wink on your list of quotes?


4k is a bit much... Too bad not most rings are priced like that - I'd change jobs asap

 

[portoar]

I don''t have an answer for you on price, but I do love the new setting you want. It''s simply stunning!

 

[elmo]

You ask about ballpark price. From one of the "name" platinum guys here I'm guessing something like $1500-2000 just for the setting (probably the high end of that). Add $1000 for a half-carat of pearshape sides. That should get you a great ring; much more is too much I think - it is a fairly simple setting; much less there is some sort of compromise.

Is there some additional melee in that other ring you like? Photo resolution isn't good enough for me to tell for sure. More stones means more work/cost.

 

[denverappraiser]

Fortekitty,

That's a beautiful ring. It was not assembled from mass produced parts. My guess is that this was hand fabricated from wire although the CAD/CAM guys can do some pretty amazing work and this may be an example. Either way, whoever made this knew what they were doing and it doesn't surprise me a bit that they expect to be paid for their talents. The cost of the metal used is an important issue but it's not the biggest piece of a project like this. There are, of course, less expensive suppliers but I know of no master artisans who charge by the gram for their work.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[TheDoctor]

Lightweight platinum mountings are problematic. Platinum settings, if not properly hardened, are so soft that they sway in the breeze.
You must find someone to make this for you as a custom piece. Expect to pay around $2500.00, and don''t seek out lower estimates, as you''ll get less than you expect.

 

[valeria101]

Would anything but three-stone work?

the 2k you spent initially was a freakin' good bargain for the diamond alone. And the thing is so lovely, I am sure you could also sell it easily if you wanted.

 

[elmo]

That one in the photo reminds me of Ritani but I'm not sure. If that's the case the head isn't hand fabricated, it's the high-quality cad/cam type that Neil mentions. If it's Ritani it would be easy to just get the original

though for same money someone could hand fabricate for you with every custom nuance you wish.

Doctor - your $2500 price includes sidestones right? That would mean you're agreeing with me I think.

 

[TheDoctor]

In agreement, yes.
Those pears appear to be about .25 each. Cad/cam is one way of doing this, but, by the time you cost out the artwork/production per hour, a good benchie could have hand-carved a model, or fabricated the settings with a significantly lower number of hours of total labour.

 

[MelissaSue]

yeah.. $4000 seems high. When we bought my setting.. Which is WG with two .30ct sidestones (rounds though).. I believe they are around H color. so a little lower than what you are looking for.. it was about $2600. It is a designer setting though. We had found similar settings with just slightly smaller side stones (.25 ct each) for under $1000 that were just generic settings that the jeweler carried.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 12/4/2005 9:27:35 AM
Author: TheDoctor

PS, on the side of the marq problem...

Has anyone else went down to David Keeling Jewelery site ? Goodness !

Welcome to Pricescope!

 

[ForteKitty]

Well, I''m not looking for something EXACTLY like the picture I posted. I don''t mind basket prongs or a different looking profile. Something like this will work too: Facets Ring

Date: 12/4/2005 9:27:35 AM
Author: TheDoctor
You must find someone to make this for you as a custom piece. Expect to pay around $2500.00, and don''t seek out lower estimates, as you''ll get less than you expect.

You''re saying $2500+ is what I should expect to pay for a White Gold ring? Doesn''t that seem awfully high for something with tiny 0.15 pears on each side?

I dunno.. Shipping diamonds really freaks me out as I''ve had bad experiences associated with it, so i''m trying not to go that way, so i have only emailed local vendors and one out of state vendor.

This is such a pain in the @**! Before my jeweler retired, i never had problems like this... i tell him what i want, he makes it, everyone''s happy. Grr...

 

[ForteKitty]

Date: 12/4/2005 8:48:22 AM
Author: elmo
You ask about ballpark price. From one of the 'name' platinum guys here I'm guessing something like $1500-2000 just for the setting (probably the high end of that). Add $1000 for a half-carat of pearshape sides. That should get you a great ring; much more is too much I think - it is a fairly simple setting; much less there is some sort of compromise.

Is there some additional melee in that other ring you like? Photo resolution isn't good enough for me to tell for sure. More stones means more work/cost.

I'm looking for 18kt white gold, not platinum!

And i want the sides to TOTAL 0.30ct. I think you maybe looking at pictures of my current ring, which has 3 sided pave. The new ring I want has no additional melee. Just 3 stones and white gold.

 

[ForteKitty]

Date: 12/4/2005 9:51:05 AM
Author: valeria101

Would anything but three-stone work?

the 2k you spent initially was a freakin'' good bargain for the diamond alone. And the thing is so lovely, I am sure you could also sell it easily if you wanted.

Yeah, I have always wanted a marquise ring with pear sides, so if it''s gonna be reset, it HAS to be that.

Hmmph... i''ve realized that i''m not a patient person at all. Just looking at this ring annoys me now, and i don''t even want to keep it anymore!

If I can''t find a local person to work with within the next week, i''m gonna give it to my mom. Don''t want anything to do with it anymore.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

If I can''t find a local person to work with within the next week, i''m gonna give it to my mom. Don''t want anything to do with it anymore.

Sorry about your ring. You''re looking at a terrible time of year to be redesigning jewelery. Why not wait until after the holidays to find a local person? (Maybe let your mom hold onto it for you until so you can take a break from the ring and not let it stress you out

)

 

[Mara]

FK the one you want, that looks like a MWM ring in the pictures, did you get a quote from him in white gold? he may be backed up but $2k seems like alot to pay for a custom ring in white gold, but maybe the work and the sidestones are really making the price jump. hard to say!!

 

[ForteKitty]

MC~ I know it''s a bad time for designing jewelry right now, but I told them I will not be resetting it until after Valentine''s Day, which should give them enough time. So I don''t think the time factor is contributing to why it''s so high.

Mara~ the one in the picture is a Ritani from DBOF, but it''s just a sample of what i want... doesn''t have to be exactly like it. ALso, I want the center stone to have 6 prongs, not just 2. And I agree... i thought $2000 for a white gold setting is kinda high!

 

[valeria101]

Date: 12/4/2005 4:04:24 PM
Author: ForteKitty

I don''t mind basket prongs or a different looking profile. Something like this will work too: Facets Ring

So... could Facets do it?

There is no empty setting for a marq among the listings on their site, but that does not mean there isn''t one for you somewhere in their stock.

... that would probably mean shipping the stone

, but ... how bad can that be versus giving up altogether?

 

[Mara]

oh how funny that picture looked like Mark Morrell...der!!

 

[TheDoctor]

Uhh...still finding my way around here. Thanks for the welcome and the compliment, Val. Not sure where all of this is gonna go, but it looks like it might be fun.

Cheersies!