help finding setting

[helenbentleya]

I have a lovely princess solitare, 1.14 ct., and am changing the setting. I only want the setting, but feel the jewelers i have gone to are trying to charge too much. The setting is the 1.5mm flat band, with diamonds 1/3 of the way on both sides, and then I would like to bezel set my diamond, adn then the diamond is surrounded by other little diamonds. I don''t need diamonds of a higher quality than I or H (my ring is a nice I). Should I a) buy the setting from a Reputable online dealer which is cheaper as the diamonds are clarity enhanced - my thinking being they''re teeny diamonds, no need to go full out here. Then I would have someone set it here. or
b) does anyone know which setting I''m talking about and have any suggestions?
Jewelers want $1500 around here to make it in 14k white gold. These diamonds are little...any suggestions?

 

[reena]

are you talking about a setting that looks like this (except with diamonds only 1/3 of the way around the band)?

 

[helenbentleya]

Yes!!!

 

[Diamondsbybree]

That is a lovely mounting.

 

[helenbentleya]

Yes, but where can I get the setting only? Sorry, I'm a newbie. I've been doing LOTS and LOTS of research...my eyes are falling out from the last couple of weeks. you guys just seem to be such experts, I've been hesitant to post anything here as little as I know, but was hoping someone might help suggest something!

 

[reena]

don't be sorry, that's what this forum is for.

many many designers make settings like the one above (that particular setting is by michael b, check out www.michaelbjewelry.com), and many sell the setting alone, but i can tell you that you will not find a designer setting like that for under $1500. (to give you an idea, that michael b setting, which is platinum, runs about $7k.)

your best bet is to have something similar made. many people on this site have had good experiences having custom settings made by whiteflash.com; i also know from experience that mark at engagementringsdirect.com can have custom micropave bezel settings made for you.

IMO, though, you received a reasonable quote for the setting you describe. although the diamonds in question ARE very tiny (i've been told that the melee for this type of setting runs about $650/carat), the fact that the stones are so small means that settings of this nature are very difficult, and thus very time consuming and expensive, to make (often the stones are set using a microscope, apparently).

just to give you an idea, i was recently in the market for a setting nearly identical to the one pictured, although not for a princess cut stone. i saw settings that ranged in price from over $10k (designer) to $3500 (local custom). (although: i was looking for a platinum setting, the stone in question was a 2c, and i do live in NYC). good luck and let me know if i can be of futher assistance.

 

[reena]

PS: as far as the clarity enhanced melee, i don't know whether that's even possible (it may be, i'm not an expert) but i seriously doubt that the melee specs are what's driving the cost of that setting. more likely than not it's the workmanship involved.

 

[helenbentleya]

reena-you are a wealth of knowledge from what I have read on these boards.
Would you (or anyone with opinion) think it a poor choice to get the setting in clarity enhanced diamonds (since they are so small)...My fi is a really laid back guy and has no problem with me changing the setting, but I feel guilty spending a lot...I can get the setting in clarity enhanced for about 400.

 

[reena]

i must have posted my last post while you were writing.

thank you for the compliments but i must confess that i am honestly far from an expert--you just happened to post a question on the exact type of setting i've been obsessively hunting for for the last few months.

i'm actually going to ask someone more experienced to chime in on this one, because what you've said doesn't make sense to me: the jeweler told you that the setting is $1500 with regular melee (which, again, i think is quite low) but only $400 with clarity enhanced melee? something there just doesn't strike me as being right.

first off are you sure you're talking about a pave setting, as opposed to something with channel set or prong set diamonds?

 

[helenbentleya]

Well, I'm actually quite flexible as to either pave vs. microset. I have been obsessively hunting for a couple of weeks for the setting. I'm still felxible, just like the style, and want the band to be thin with diamonds in it (but NO channel set-just not my style). I still haven't decided if I want the edges to be squared of or sharp..I'm leaning towards squared off...I also just visited diamondsbybree and thought they had some interesting stuff.

 

[reena]

oh, i think your choice of setting is amazing--it will look great.

my only hesitation was that i was really surprised to hear that 1) the jeweler quoted you only $400 for a micropave bezel setting with any kind of melee--that seems so low to me, and 2) dropping in clarity on those tiny melee would change the setting price from $1500 to $400--an $1100 savings! considering, as i said before, that good quality melee are only $650/carat (at least as far as i know), that doesn't seem possible. maybe one of the experts can chime in any clear up my confusion!

 

[reena]

are you sure that the $400 you were quoted was the cost of the entire setting and workmanship, not just the cost of the melee for the pave?

 

[Diamondsbybree]

Thanks helenbentleya.