Help understanding the price of setting a diamond

[cvidt]

HI,

I''m a new finder to the forum and have been reading and searching a lot.
This site looks great so I finally signed up. So here is my story
Will a little beginning help from my girlfriend and some shopping at some B&M
stores and LOTS of looking online I finally have narrowed my search down to only
a few settings from

Ziva style 2641
Martin Flyer style 5212
Ritani (endless love)

Now my question:

I have found prices online for these settings from $2500 to $3000
and I can buy a loose diamond online that matches what i want for under $2500

So why have I received multiple quotes from B&M stores for $7000-$9000 for the complete ring?

Does it really take $2000-3000 to set a diamond in these style rings because of the Halo surround?

Or can I just buy the two separate and have it set at a jeweler?

Thanks so much
-chad

 

[mrssalvo]

welcome to pricescope. you will find that you can usually find much better pricing from online vendors vs. local b&m''s primarily b/c they don''t have the same over head that a big b&m store will have. not sure about the 2-3k price difference but you do want to make sure you are comparing apples to apples. as for settings, i have never heard of Ziva. martian flyer makes a quality product but I do not know of any of the online vendors who participate in this forum that carries the line. Ritani is very popular here and both Pearlmans and Goodoldgold carry the line. I would not recommend buying the stone and setting from different places if you can help it. you might have a hard time finding someone to set a stone you didn''t buy from them into a setting you didn''t buy from them. also, especially with designer settings, i''s suggest having the stone sent to them to set. we''ve seen so many settings messed up when local folks try to set the stone in them and my guess is with a bezel, they''d want your stone anyway. Both pearlmans and GOG deal with ideal cut diamonds so i''d give them both a call with your budget, stone desires etc. and see what each will quote you on the completed ring.

 

[cvidt]

Great,
Thanks for the rapid reply.
I thought it would be hard to buy the ring and stone separately because ideally I
would like the bezel built around the stone.
I just really want this style of ring but it seems hard to fit into my budget at all the
B&M''s I have tried so far.

So I guess it leaves me with purchasing online with pearlmans and GOG.
I''ll Dig a little deeper into those and see what I can find.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Julianna]

Date: 2/26/2008 12:33:45 PM
Author: cvidt
Great,
Thanks for the rapid reply.
I thought it would be hard to buy the ring and stone separately because ideally I
would like the bezel built around the stone.
I just really want this style of ring but it seems hard to fit into my budget at all the
B&M''s I have tried so far.

So I guess it leaves me with purchasing online with pearlmans and GOG.
I''ll Dig a little deeper into those and see what I can find.

Thanks for your help.

You can buy the stone and setting separately, but you''ll need to get the stone first, as a bezel setting must be built around the stone (your instincts were correct). Additionally, some jewelers may be hesitant to set someone else''s stone; and if they agree to, may or may not insure your stone against damage when setting it. Good luck with your search, hope it turns out very well for you.

 

[cvidt]

Your all so knowledgeable I had to ask one more question.

I have looked at every jewelery web site I could find and still all I like so far are

The 3 rings I listed originally. Attached to this post is the Martin Flyer

I just can''t seem to get away from loving the bevel setting.
But the options seem limited. (and expensive) haha

Do you guys know of any other bezel settings like these?

Thanks again

 

[mrssalvo]

any type of well made pave setting like your orignal 3 are going to be expensive. lots of tiny diamonds being set = lots of labor costs along with skyrocketing metal costs etc.

maybe if you give us your budget we can help you find something close that will still work. pave halo settings like the one you posted are very popular right now, so not sure exactly where you are looking but i can point you in the right direction once i know how much you are planning on spending.

 

[cvidt]

I''m trying to stay at or below $5,000

I''ve been able to get quotes for the rings I listed for around this range
as long as I get a center stone (radiant or asscher) around .5-.7ct
G-H color and SI1 clarity.

I''m just trying to check all my options.
It definitely seems like I''ll get more for my money to buy the diamond separate and then
take it to the jewelers for them to order the setting, and send MY diamond to the builder to work from.

I''m just wondering if there are any other bezel setting close to what I like that I haven''t already found.

Thanks

 

[mrssalvo]

well, here's one already made up right at 5K..

http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/jewelry-designers/ritani-jewelry/rings/05QQ1/18/

the 3-sided pave rings are going to eat up all your budget so i'd probably rule them out. honestly, i think the ritani is really your best bet. they are very reputable high quality pave rings. we rarely, if ever here of gals loosing stones out of their settings and they are one of the more budget friendly designer settings out there.

also, as for buying everything seperate..it really depends on the jeweler. many times they can give you a better price if you buy the stone and setting from them. if you are dealing with pricescope vendors they are going to give you awesome prices on the stone so sticking to one place would just be easier if it's at all possible.