Has anyone had their own stone set by JuliaB?

[USCgal]

Hi PSers,

Jeff White has cut a gemstone for me and I'm thinking of having it set by JuliaB as I have purchased two other rings from her before. However, she mentioned that she normally sets her own stones, but does offer customers the ability to have her set their own stones for a $50 fee plus a signed waiver. Has anyone sent their own stone to JuliaB to have it set? I would love to hear your experience, as this is my first purchase of a loose gemstone and I'm very nervous about it getting damaged!

Thanks very much!

 

[Hivona]

So far I have only had this purple garnet set by her. I paid the $50 fee & signed the waiver. The garnet wasn’t what I would consider expensive so I took the chance. I’m very happy with how it came out and as far as I know there was no damage. The stone is not crooked, the prongs are secure & don’t get snagged on anything. As you can see the setting I chose was relatively simple so I don’t know what the quality would be if there were more stones involved. I can’t recall exactly but I think it was about 5-6 weeks turnaround and was a good experience overall. I have another inexpensive gem I will have her set early next year. Hope that helps a bit!

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

I don't have experience with this vendor but I can tell you something that may put you at ease.

I have had several gemstones set into custom settings by a local jeweller and they have all turned out fine, including an emerald that had a chip on the girdle. They do not take responsibility for the stones (which is a normal thing) but I have yet to have any issues even with that fragile emerald I mentioned.

I think the waiver is just to cover themselves but anyone highly skilled (especially someone like JuliaB who specialises in coloured stones) will not butcher your stone.

 

[mtsapphirelovingannie]

My avatar is a ring design by JuliaBJewelry. The gem is a tourmaline cut by Barry Bridgestock. My experience was good.

 

[PinkAndBlueBling]

JuliaB is currently setting a Jeff White stone for me. She's set others for me, too. She does not like setting other's expensive stones, though, and always reminds me of that. She's easy to work with, too.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

She set my pink sapphire I bought from Multicolour. It was a little nerve wracking but a sapphire is a hard stone so I wasn't as worried. She had this completed a little earlier than expected too! First pic is hers.

 

[USCgal]

Thank you so much everyone! This really puts me at ease. I have liked working with Julia in the past and was just worried as this is my first time trying to set a loose stone. I worked with her recently where she selected a precision cut grey spinel from her inventory and set it in one her settings (photo below).

@Hivona, @StephanieLynn, and @mtsapphirelovingannie, those are gorgeous rings!! @Hivona, I had admired your ring previously when you had posted it in another thread on this forum . Your garnet is stunning.

@MrsKMB, if I recall correctly, I think I had read on the forum that you've also worked with Aurosi Jewels to set your loose stones as well. May I ask how you'd compare your experiences working with Aurosi to JuliaB?

Here's my grey asscher spinel ring that Julia created for me recently! A smaller stone but I love and enjoy spinel very much .

 

[Hivona]

Thank you so much everyone! This really puts me at ease. I have liked working with Julia in the past and was just worried as this is my first time trying to set a loose stone. I worked with her recently where she selected a precision cut grey spinel from her inventory and set it in one her settings (photo below).

@Hivona, @StephanieLynn, and @mtsapphirelovingannie, those are gorgeous rings!! @Hivona, I had admired your ring previously when you had posted it in another thread on this forum . Your garnet is stunning.

@MrsKMB, if I recall correctly, I think I had read on the forum that you've also worked with Aurosi Jewels to set your loose stones as well. May I ask how you'd compare your experiences working with Aurosi to JuliaB?

Here's my grey asscher spinel ring that Julia created for me recently! A smaller stone but I love and enjoy spinel very much .

This ring is sooooooo pretty! What a beautiful stone!

 

[MissyBeaucoup]

JuliaB set a couple of my stones for me, and her bench is rather cautious about what to accept. (She cautioned me away from a bezel setting for a different sapphire with a growth tube in it.) I’m very happy with her work, and Julia was so kind in discussing various design options, but I understand that she does not prefer the risk of setting outside stones.

Another option would be to order the setting from JuliaB and have it set by an experienced local jeweler, if you can find one. I was finally able to find one in a family-owned shop (not a mall chain). I think the local jeweler would have to be insured more fully because they are likely to do more repair work.

I have also had my loose stones set by David Klass and Ivy & Rose. Ivy & Rose charged an extra fee for it; Klass didn’t and assured me his bench was fully insured. I ordered a setting from DINAR Jewelry (Etsy) in Haifa, Israel also. I didn’t send them the stone because of international shipping. They did a beautiful job with the setting, but I wasn’t able to give a proper depth measurement on the stone, so my local jeweler had to lengthen the prong tips a little before he set it. So I guess that is the down side of not having the designer set it for you. I was very happy with how that one came out too. Have fun!

 

[PinkAndBlueBling]

@MrsKMB if I recall correctly, I think I had read on the forum that you've also worked with Aurosi Jewels to set your loose stones as well. May I ask how you'd compare your experiences working with Aurosi to JuliaB?

Hello fellow Trojan! I have had Aurosi set several stones (tourmaline, peridot, spinel, tanzanite) and I love every ring he's done! He's setting a zircon and tourmaline now. He's super easy to work with and has a pretty fast turnaround. JuliaB is great, too. Slower turnaround, but she's better if you're not sure about gold color, since she also designs jewelry. She's set a spinel and currently has a yellow beryl of mine. She also made a custom Wildflowers band for me with stones she sourced. I'm going to have something set in her Laurel setting (w/out the bezel), but not sure what. Aurosi has more choices, and Julia has more substantial settings. Aurosi will take your melee for side stones, if you don't want diamonds. Both jewelers charge $50 to set a stone. I'm happy with both of them, but there's always a risk, no matter who is setting the stones.

Ivy & Rose set a couple stones for me, and I also bought a setting w/out a stone. Mailing my stone and paying their setting fee wasn't worth the price. I also have found that the price usually doubles by the time it's altered for my stone size, since most of my stones aren't calibrated. I've also used MRose on Etsy, and while I'm happy with her work, her turnaround is forever and she's horrible at replying to messages.

Aurosi:

Julia

 

[SouthernGent]

This one is really nice.

 

[USCgal]

This ring is sooooooo pretty! What a beautiful stone!

Thanks so much @Hivona!! Your rings are absolutely gorgeous. Do you remember the name of the Julia B setting? It's beautiful and elegant!

JuliaB set a couple of my stones for me, and her bench is rather cautious about what to accept. (She cautioned me away from a bezel setting for a different sapphire with a growth tube in it.) I’m very happy with her work, and Julia was so kind in discussing various design options, but I understand that she does not prefer the risk of setting outside stones.

Another option would be to order the setting from JuliaB and have it set by an experienced local jeweler, if you can find one. I was finally able to find one in a family-owned shop (not a mall chain). I think the local jeweler would have to be insured more fully because they are likely to do more repair work.

I have also had my loose stones set by David Klass and Ivy & Rose. Ivy & Rose charged an extra fee for it; Klass didn’t and assured me his bench was fully insured. I ordered a setting from DINAR Jewelry (Etsy) in Haifa, Israel also. I didn’t send them the stone because of international shipping. They did a beautiful job with the setting, but I wasn’t able to give a proper depth measurement on the stone, so my local jeweler had to lengthen the prong tips a little before he set it. So I guess that is the down side of not having the designer set it for you. I was very happy with how that one came out too. Have fun!

Thanks so much @MissyBeaucoup! That is a beautiful setting/stone -- may I ask what the name of the setting is, if you recall? It's really helpful to hear about your different experiences. I'm glad to hear that Julia is more cautious about what she accepts as that makes me feel safer going with her too. Do you have a preference between going with Julia vs. DK? I believe DK may be more expensive however.

Hello fellow Trojan! I have had Aurosi set several stones (tourmaline, peridot, spinel, tanzanite) and I love every ring he's done! He's setting a zircon and tourmaline now. He's super easy to work with and has a pretty fast turnaround. JuliaB is great, too. Slower turnaround, but she's better if you're not sure about gold color, since she also designs jewelry. She's set a spinel and currently has a yellow beryl of mine. She also made a custom Wildflowers band for me with stones she sourced. I'm going to have something set in her Laurel setting (w/out the bezel), but not sure what. Aurosi has more choices, and Julia has more substantial settings. Aurosi will take your melee for side stones, if you don't want diamonds. Both jewelers charge $50 to set a stone. I'm happy with both of them, but there's always a risk, no matter who is setting the stones.

Ivy & Rose set a couple stones for me, and I also bought a setting w/out a stone. Mailing my stone and paying their setting fee wasn't worth the price. I also have found that the price usually doubles by the time it's altered for my stone size, since most of my stones aren't calibrated. I've also used MRose on Etsy, and while I'm happy with her work, her turnaround is forever and she's horrible at replying to messages.

Aurosi:

Julia

Hi @MrsKMB! Love that you're a fellow Trojan -- fight on!! Your rings are stunning. I love how diverse your colored stone collection is! Thanks so much for sharing photos of your beautiful rings. It's great to hear how easy it was to work with both Aurosi as well as Julia. I have been tempted by Julia's wildflower ring a number of times and if I didn't have to set my loose stone I probably would have already bought her wildflower ring (her holiday sale right now is very tempting). Also it's very helpful to hear about your experiences with Ivy & Rose and MRose. I've heard about I&R a bit and am glad to be able to rule them out thanks to you and @MissyBeaucoup.

 

[MissyBeaucoup]

My lavender sapphire is set in the Lily ring with ten 2 mm diamond sidestones in milgrain bezel settings. If Julia has the design similar to what you’d like I’d go with her. If you want something that’s not her style, DK is a great choice. For my avatar ring I wanted engraving on the band so I went with DK because he has a good bench for that. Both have solid workmanship.