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Having diamond set locally

Riesz

Riesz

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 31, 2013
Messages
97
I recently purchased a loose diamond from James Allen and a Gabriel setting from IDJ. I didn't feel comfortable having the diamond mailed directly to IDJ, since I hadn't seen it yet in person, so opted to have both loose diamond and setting mailed to me in Canada.

I live in a somewhat small town and only found 7 independent jewellers in the area. I definitely don't want to take my diamond and setting to a store in the mall. I contacted all of the jewellers and only 5 of the 7 are able to work with platinum. 3 of the 5 don't have a studio locally and would have to ship the ring to Toronto, which is inconvenient. The other 2 jewellers say they cannot set the diamond while I wait in the store and that it would take 2-3 days for the setting.

Even though my diamond is only 1 ct SI1 and not particularly rare or over-the-top expensive, I feel nervous leaving it for several days. The diamond is completely eye-clean and I'm concerned I would not be able to notice if it was swapped for a cz, moissonite, or other type of inexpensive fake.

My conundrum is that I want to establish a relationship with a local jeweller so I can return for service or resizing later. The nearest larger towns are several hours drive away and I don't personally own a vehicle so I would much prefer a local jeweller. I am just so nervous to leave my brand new diamond and setting over several days! I don't want to be rude and demand an answer to "Why do I have to leave it? Doesn't setting a diamond only take 10-20 minutes at the most?" because I'm sure they are busy with other customers' needs.

Ugh, I just can't decide what to do.
 
No, that is unrealistic to think they should put you in front of all the other customers in line ahead of you for repair work. Choose an established higher end jeweler. They certainly are not going to be interested in going to jail for stealing a 1 ct stone.
 
A reputable jeweler is not going to steal your diamond! They deal with tons every day and why would they put their reputation on the line. They say in the jewelry industry - reputation and trust is everything.

Don't worry and let them do their job. I have never been able to wait while they set. I have waited while they unset though.
 
diamondseeker2006|1368722437|3448262 said:
No, that is unrealistic to think they should put you in front of all the other customers in line ahead of you for repair work. Choose an established higher end jeweler. They certainly are not going to be interested in going to jail for stealing a 1 ct stone.
Click to expand...

Be it 10 minutes wait or several days wait, if the jeweler was unethical, they could most certainly switch your stone in 10 minutes as well. Agree with diamondseeker, no established jeweler will risk going to jail and losing their business for stealing a 1 ct. stone. It is also good practice to get to know your stone using a magnifier and comparing it to your cert. Perhaps you can look at Angies List Canada to find higher-end jewelers near your area.
 
I didn't actually ask any of the jewellers why they weren't able to do it while I wait, but I admit the question was going through my head. :( Since there are so few jewellers in the area and Mother's Day was just a few days ago, I am sure all of them are fairly busy.

I'll definitely look into ordering a loupe. I've looked at my diamond and taken pictures of it dozens of times since I received it a few weeks ago, but since it is eye clean even up very close I'm just nervous I might not be able to identify it later.

Another smaller concern I have is being unable to find reviews of jewellers here. I know online reviews can be skewed, but none of my coworkers or friends have experience with any independent jewellers so I will be blindly trusting them. I checked into Angie's List but it is unavailable in my area.

The most information I've come across is individuals selling their jewelry on Kijiji, the Canadian version of Craigslist. I found a few pieces by the jeweller I'm most considering, and all the pieces look very well done. The jeweller does custom work and has a full studio in the shop so I'm thinking that may be my best bet, although he is estimating 3-4 days for the setting. The jeweller estimated $90-150 for the setting, he said depending on the condition of the ring. Since the ring is brand new, I'm hoping for $90-100. Does this raise any red flags?

I'm also considering having the jeweller do an appraisal of my diamond, both loose and once it's set. Just to be sure he's trustworthy with the appraisal and setting, should I keep the GIA info from him until after at least the loose diamond appraisal?
 
If you go to Toronto, try http://phdesign.ca/.. They have a large bench there (with 3 to 4 people) and he might be convinced to do it same day. I used them many times and they are trusthworthy and do a good job. You have to tell them what type of prongs you want.
 
Riesz|1368725486|3448307 said:
I didn't actually ask any of the jewellers why they weren't able to do it while I wait, but I admit the question was going through my head. :( Since there are so few jewellers in the area and Mother's Day was just a few days ago, I am sure all of them are fairly busy.

I'll definitely look into ordering a loupe. I've looked at my diamond and taken pictures of it dozens of times since I received it a few weeks ago, but since it is eye clean even up very close I'm just nervous I might not be able to identify it later.

Another smaller concern I have is being unable to find reviews of jewellers here. I know online reviews can be skewed, but none of my coworkers or friends have experience with any independent jewellers so I will be blindly trusting them. I checked into Angie's List but it is unavailable in my area.

The most information I've come across is individuals selling their jewelry on Kijiji, the Canadian version of Craigslist. I found a few pieces by the jeweller I'm most considering, and all the pieces look very well done. The jeweller does custom work and has a full studio in the shop so I'm thinking that may be my best bet, although he is estimating 3-4 days for the setting. The jeweller estimated $90-150 for the setting, he said depending on the condition of the ring. Since the ring is brand new, I'm hoping for $90-100. Does this raise any red flags?

I'm also considering having the jeweller do an appraisal of my diamond, both loose and once it's set. Just to be sure he's trustworthy with the appraisal and setting, should I keep the GIA info from him until after at least the loose diamond appraisal?
Click to expand...

All that sounds like a good choice of jeweler if you are not in the city Charmy mentioned.
 
Thank you for the link! If I decide to travel to Toronto, I will very likely use that jeweller. I live in Waterloo, so it's a bit of a drive for me. I can buy a bus ticket fairly cheap but the travel time is usually at least 2 hours each way. :(

My ring is completed, however. This is the style, only in platinum instead of gold: http://www.gabrielny.com/engaged/style/ER5651W44JJ

The ring came with an empty setting for the diamond, so I am hoping this will be as simple as having a jeweller open the prongs, securely insert the diamond, and close the prongs again. I'm hoping I won't have to buy new prongs or have anything redone. :(

Here is the website of the local jeweller I'm strongly considering. http://www.kurtissales.ca/
His email responses have been polite and helpful but I cannot find any reviews of him or any other Waterloo jewellers aside from a few listings of his jewellery on Kijiji, which all seems to be of nice detail and good quality. Can much be told from the website itself? I really don't know what I'm looking for to vouch for his reputation and honesty. :(

I am probably overthinking all of this, but it's my engagement ring and the most valuable jewellery I own so I am a bit nervous and just want everything to go smoothly. I've read many posts on here concerning botched jewellery and just want to be sure I am thorough in avoiding a bad situation. I would be devastated if my diamond or setting were damaged by a poor jeweller!
 
Most jewelers aren't very interested in setting a stone they didn't sell into a mounting they didn't sell. The problem is that the liability potential is huge and they pay isn't all that good. The best bet is to have it set by one of the sellers. If you can't arrange that, go in and visit with the person you have in mind and look at some of their work. Most setting jobs aren't all that difficult but it does take a certain amount of talent. You're right that the best setters don't generally work for the big chains but this leads to a shopping problem because they usually aren't the best web designers. Visit in person and use your gut feel and common sense to see if they know what they're doing.

The risk that they'll steal your diamond is really quite low. If you're concerned, bind an insurance policy first. Most companies don't actually do this but I know Jewelers Mutual has a program that will cover this exact situation. It costs like 1% of your declared value. This also covers if they damage the stone, the mounting, or both during the process. Most jewelers limit their liability on this sort of work so ask them about it before you start.

Usually the job doesn't take all that long but occasionally it does. That's why they don't like customers waiting and watching. It adds stress. That said, you are not the first to ask this and many will be willing to do it if you make an appointment and you don't pound them on the price. You're not looking for the cheapest craftsman, you're looking for the one that does the best work and who can work within your parameters. These rarely go together.
 
Thank you so much for your reply.

Because of your advice, I will visit the jeweller either later today or tomorrow to check out the shop and their work. They advertise custom work so hopefully I can see first-hand if they have good craftsmanship and whether or not I should trust them setting my diamond. The $100ish pricetag seems fair, seeing as I didn't buy the diamond or band from this jeweller.

Thanks again for all the advice and info. :) I feel much better going into this now.
 
I'm glad that you've found someone you are somewhat confident in and are willing to discuss with the bench about setting your stone. Ask to see some of the pieces they are working on right now - maybe that will give you a sense of what the finished product will look like.

And just to throw this out there --- now that you HAVE seen your diamond and you know you love it and the setting, would you consider shipping it back via IDJ's FEDEX account and have them set it? I know it is far simpler to have a local guy do it, but just wanted to suggest IDJ as an alternative. I bought a setting from them last Oct/Nov and they did a fantastic job of setting my OEC in it. They split the prongs and filed them to look like claw prongs--- my FAVOURITE style of prongs!

Good luck! hope it all goes well whichever setter you chose.
 
I considered that but I'm nervous about managing the duty papers. I've already paid duty on both the loose stone and setting separately, but I'm worried customs will make me pay duty again on the completed ring. It's kind of an odd situation so I'm not sure how it would be handled. I could call customs tomorrow and check on that, though.
 
Waterloo is just a Coach bus away. My sister went to the University of Waterloo back for school and she went to Toronto every weekend. I would just go to Toronto and use the jeweller I told you. I can confirm they are good. With that said, setting a stone is not that difficult so I am sure your local person can do it too especially if they are willing. Most won't take on the work.
 
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