Help Me Decide today - Quest Jewelers vs. Leon Mege

[tiger007g]

I have decided to keep my 3.08 ct. antique cushion!

All that''s left to do, is to choose a jeweler to make a setting for this puppy.

I have been fortunate enough to discuss the project with two very fine jewelers - Pete at Quest (in person last Saturday) and Leon Mege over the phone and by email. I am torn over what to do!

The ring will have a "scalloped" basket on a very thin (1.7 mm or thinner) pave shank set with a single row of single-cut diamonds leaving a space for sizing. No milgraining or edge on the shank. Both gentlemen have told me that there will not be a wax or CAD image to view before the ring goes into production.

I''ve made a list of pros and cons. Please cast your vote and / or add more pros and cons that you can think of to help me make a decision!

Quest
Pros:
They are local - no shipping of stone
Excellent quality
Pete is very customer-oriented
Quote provided had a final price (not an estimate) and was very reasonable
Quick turnaround 2-3 weeks

Cons:
The design I have chosen for my ring is based on components from 2 Leon Mege pieces. Even with the high quality pieces they produce, will it look exactly the way I want it to?

Leon Mege
Pros:
Ahhh, those little claw prongs. I haven''t seen anyone make a claw prong quite like LM
His creative design / vision (the single-cut melee are his idea)

Cons:
He''s in NY - I would have to ship the stone and factor the additional cost or make a trip to NYC
Quote with an estimate - cost of the finished ring could be higher
Cost is 20% higher than Quest
Some Pscoper''s stories about him being difficult to work with
6 weeks to make the ring


I will be making my decision tomorrow (I don''t want the loose stone hanging out at my house any longer than it has to), so please help!

 

[princessv]

Yay! I''m so glad you decided to keep it! It''s so funny I looked you right in the eye at Martin''s and wondered if that was you...but decided against running up to you and saying "Hi are you the person with the antique cushion?" LOL Oh well..darn would have loved to see it if you let me!

I''m a little biased with Quest obviously but the big reason I went with them and Pete is that I had a very specific design and didn''t want to compromise on some aspects. I don''t know if you saw my earlier thread but the very first pictures Quest sent me, the bezel was way too thick for my taste. I immediately called and talked to Pete several times that day, even though it was a Monday and he was off that day. It was not their fault, after all I had approved the CAD and wax images (but it''s hard to tell with no diamond there). But, they were more than willing to recast the halo if it came down to it and NOT charge me for recasting..I think alot of jewelers would say there would be an extra charge for that. With the snow storm coming that weekend, Quest even brought my ring to Martin Fuller''s and worked out the scheduling for me. All in all, I have nothing but awesome things to say about Quest!

I really love Leon Mege''s designs too, but I have no doubt Quest could produce the same thing...plus its for less $$!

 

[mrssalvo]

Hi Tiger, this would be a tough choice for me. I have wanted a Leon ever since I found him due to this site. However, I ended up going with Quest for my custom ring. I voted for Quest b/c of the pros you listed. You have a huge advantage of them being local to be directly involved in the step by step process of the creation of your ring. The Quest guys are 100% consumer oriented and want to please you. Also they will repair, replace lost melee, clean and resize your ring for free for life. They do amazing work and I do not think you''d be sacrificing quality by going with them. BUT, I have never seen a Leon in person so I cannot be completely unbias. I do know Leon is an artist and likes to do things his way

. If there are problems down the road you will always have the shipping issue. If quest and Leon were both long distance it might make a difference in my answer but you have such a HUGE pro for Quest being nearby.

 

[sevens one]

I voted for quest. I''ve had experience with them and know they do quality work.

The biggest factor for me is that they are local for you. There''s nothing like having the local guy for a little tweeking when necessary-

 

[valeria101]

OK... I don''t know what to vote.

It looks like the design you want would have to be hand wrought rather than cast. On the other hand, it seems that someone could cast a mould of a mosquito''s wing these days... so why on Earth not. And sure enough, there is good evidence about Quest only days old. good timing asking about them!

Don''t take this too seriously. I hope one of the bench jewelers might consider passing by this thread.

 

[indecisive]

We are going with Quest because they are local and the free cleaning.sizing, replacement melee, prong checking, etc. Plus Pete seems so great to work with! I am sure your ring will be gorgeous no matter who you pick though! I can''t wait to see how it looks!!

 

[diamondlil]

I''m another biased Quest customer. Being local (I''m an hour away) means a lot to me. I needed to be able to sit face to face with someone, wave my hands around alot, and point to the pictures I brought along. Doing that over phone or email would not have been comfortable for me.

I must say that I have admired LM''s work for years. I have never actually inspeced one of his pieces in person though, so it''s hard for me to say with certainty that the results would be better with him versus Quest. His photography is outstanding, his designs are beyond breathtaking, and the finish on his platinum looks so fluid. But without personal experience, it''s hard to know for sure. I hope you will get a few of Leon''s customers to post their experiences with him so you can make an informed decision.

 

[Kaleigh]

Another biased person here. I loved working with Quest for my asscher ring. They were not local for me however. I worked with them over the phone and through emails. My ring is everything I wanted it to be and am thrilled with the quality of their workmanship. I love the designs by Leon and have drooled over them since I joined PS. But truth is I don''t think he and I would have been a good match. I am very detail oriented and need to have a hand in everything along the way. Also from what I hear he is not the one who makes the rings so much anymore but oversees the work that his bench jewelers do. If you are comfortable with that and the fact that he can be difficult to work with then he''s the obvious choice for you. I am not knocking him at all. I just had my own reservations and chose Quest because of them. Good luck!!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I would say Quest based on the fact that they are local. Having lost a melee in my e-ring it made things SO much easier that the jeweler was local.