Help with Graff, Harry Winston, Cartier, and Tiffany

helpmefind30 · Dec 3, 2013

Ok, so I am looking for the engagement ring of a lifetime for my fiancé. Price is not as big of a problem but I would love any advice. I Understand Lots of people on this site say ignore the names and go for a custom by an everyday jeweller and I've seriously considered the thought so far but have decided that the name means a lot towards my fiancé and myself as well as providing a good investment so please no answers explaining to ignore the names. What I'm looking for is to get a perfect ring but seriously can't decide between the brands and was wondering what everyone thought. I love the Harry Winston boxes and quality as well as Graff's superiority and quality. Although I enjoy the looks of the Cartier pave solitaire ring but would need to request adjustments for the band widths etc to make it fit the look I enjoy. Tiffany on the other hand has the Novo I like the most but I'm not too keen on the brand anymore as it is marketed for younger humans that can easily save up for them even though Tiffany is huge on their diamond rings. Im just very confused. I would have to ask for customization from all of the companies to fit what I would want and to see if it is even available from them. All in All I am really just looking for opinions on what Name is really top quality to all of you. Ive heard of excellent to crappy customer service ranging through all of them and can not seem to find which is truly the best anymore. I will be looking for a diamond within the D/E range and higher flawless status. Also does anyone have any opinions on the cuts from each company if they are as good as they should be angle and depth etc wise? I am looking towards either Graff or Harry Winston but would like to hear back from the diamond universe.

braga123 · Dec 3, 2013

What brand impresses your fiance the most? I would start there. If brand was my number one concern, as it is clearly to her, then I would be disappointed if I didn't get my favorite band, regardless of the 4 C's.

refox3488 · Dec 3, 2013

I don't think you are going to get the answer you want here. You are confusing name brand with quality. When you buy from a name brand you are not paying extra for quality, but instead for the trademark associated with it. The first thing you need to do is find a setting you love without looking at the name. It should be the design that you love not who produced it.

canuk-gal · Dec 3, 2013

HI:

Welcome.

I would never dissuade anyone from a "brand"..it is important to get something of "value" to you. But for reference, engagement rings are not really "investment" pieces...except in your future.

But by the same token, you must have some idea of size of stone and shape and therefore budget. What does your partner want? What has she tried on and adored? What are the most important characteristics of a diamond, ring, and brand to you both?

Are you in an area where you can compare, IRL, all the brands you describe?

Incidentally, you might want to do a search of threads here...many people have bought from the companies you inquire about and have posted their stories with their rings. Worth a read.

cheers--Sharon

slksapphire · Dec 3, 2013

as people will say a million times, diamonds are not great investments as it is really hard to sell them anywhere close to your purchase price. i think a 30-40% discount off retail at the time of sale is a good place to start. but i'm assuming you know this already.

that being said, i believe IF you have a very large diamond, like 3+ carats, it helps to have a branded stone and setting. and be sure to keep all of the boxes, receipt, etc. and in my mind, graff and harry winston (cartier, boucheron, etc) carry MUCH more weight in that re-sale market than tiffany. in fact, i would probably avoid tiffany.

to get an idea of what i am saying, check out the diamond ring offerings on 1stdibs.com.

good luck!

arkieb1 · Dec 3, 2013

Both the Graff and the Harry Winston products are very nice if you HAVE to have a named brand. A lot of members here prefer other smaller high end jewellers like Victor Canera and Steven Kirsch who handmake their items to amazing standards as well. I know I might get canned for saying so, but I took a pave halo of Victors into Tiffany's about a week ago to compare the quality and there was NO comparison. Victor's work left all the pave in Tiffany for dead. It was substantially better to my eye and the eye of another P/S member that went with me....

What I am saying here is you might be able to get a bigger stone and something just as exclusive with a smaller trusted vendor that does high end handmade jewellery. If neither of them appeal and you have to have Graff or Harry Winston return with the specs of the diamond in question and the gurus here will show you comparable and in some cases better stones for better prices or explain to you why they love or hate the cut of the stone you have selected....

AprilBaby · Dec 3, 2013

If I had to select a name brand Harry Winston and Cartier would be the most impressive of the list to me. But what floats her boat???

distracts · Dec 4, 2013

helpmefind30|1386124232|3567069 said:
I would have to ask for customization from all of the companies to fit what I would want

The FIRST thing you're going to have to do is ask all the companies about that. I don't know what price range you're talking about but I do expect that with these companies that will affect whether or not they are able to accommodate your requests. AFAIK Harry Winston only makes custom rings for center diamond of 3+ carats, so with 3ct D/E IF/VVS you're looking at at least 200k before you get to any sort of Harry Winston upcharge. Now, if that's your budget, then YES absolutely go for Harry Winston, Graff, or Cartier.

None of us are suggesting going with "everyday" jewelers. We suggest going with jewelers who sell diamonds that are cut to the top standards, absolutely ideally cut and provable as such, who have top quality settings (and the favorite settings on this forum are handmade to a precision few can match), and lots of consumer reviews to verify as such. As well, only a handful of people who are regulars on this forum have 100k+ budgets, and so we can choose to go with an average-looking piece from a big brand or a really wowzers piece from a less well known brand that doesn't upcharge. And lots of people want only diamonds that are verified as ideal cut to the highest precision, which you often can't get from the big brands, and custom rings that they have collaborated closely on. If your budget is big enough to not have to make the trade off we have to make, yay for you!

I personally like Cartier a lot as the one near me has exceptional customer service. The HW people are nice but not particularly chatty. The Tiffany near me has weird hours so I just ignore it. I've only seen Graff in Neimans (I think?) so I have no clue how their customer service stands up... I like Neimans customer service though! However in terms of brand name fanciness, I'd never heard of Graff until I got really into jewelry, so I kind of think if the average person hears she has a Graff ring it's not as off-the-cuff impressive as Cartier or HW.

helpmefind30 · Dec 4, 2013

Thanks to all for taking the time to reply to my questions, its been a great help and given me many things to consider. Thanks again!

LLJsmom · Dec 4, 2013

Hi, I read your post twice, to try to understand what your top priority is. Based on your comment below, it would seem you have a very specific idea of what you want your ring to look like. That appears to be your top priority.

"I would have to ask for customization from all of the companies to fit what I would want and to see if it is even available from them."

Then you would have to find the maker (be it Harry Winston, Graff, Bulgari, etc...) that would help you make that happen. So that would mean you first need to decide exactly what you like. If money is no object, I'm sure you could work with the actual bench jeweler for any of those houses. I mean, if you're spending $300K or something like that, I am sure that they will do everything they can to meet your requirements. (I don't know how much you would have to spend before they would have their bench work directly with you to help you to make all your specific customizations a reality.)

A lot of the people here work with extremely skilled and respected custom platinum forgers such as Victor Canera, Steven Kirsch, Singlestone, and many others because they also have very specific and demanding requirements and want it executed exactly. Sounds like you may want that too. But these people probably cost less than working on a custom piece with the houses. That is what I'm guessing. Other posters, if I am wrong, please correct me. And, the pieces that they have achieved are of higher quality than Tiffany, as personally noted by a previous poster. You should search the threads on the detailed microscopic examination of the pave work of certain craftsmen.

If none of the houses can meet your specific requirements, then maybe you'll consider some of the "low end" custom platinum forgers.

There, at least you won't have any problems customizing.

If I misunderstood and your top priority is name, just go down the line. Graff, Winston, Cartier, Bulgari, maybe Van Cleef?? See who will help you customize to your heart's content. I have never owned a piece from any of them, but stared through the glass. I assume that with as much as you are paying, you would have to be getting the highest quality, right? How about jeweler to the stars, Lorraine Schwartz, or Martin Katz?

Let us know which way you go. I'm sure any piece from them would be amazing...

helpmefind30 · Dec 4, 2013

Again thanks to everyone for the posts, I Myself am one that would LOVE to get quality over name for all the reasons you have provided, in talking o my fiance we've both agreed that she doesnt need the name she thought of and would rather Id get what I can (nothing short of excellence that I can find) in a measurement of better diamonds than paying the premium for names. For me the custom / personalization part is a big factor as well as quality of the service provided. I know you all have named off some good (excuse my vocab but,) "lower" down the line designers and jewellers. Id Just like to ask around once again to see the opinions on the smaller shops that everyone is listing to weasel out some favourites and start with looking. (as there isnt much information nowadays about the smaller guys.) Anyways hope to hear some more responses you all have been a great help.

distracts · Dec 4, 2013

We could help you more perhaps if we had a clearer idea of what you want and what sort of budget you have.

If customization and personalization are a big part of what you want, I'd definitely look into some of the people mentioned here like Victor Canera and Steven Kirsch. Even Singlestone, which is more expensive (advertised in magazines and such, so they have much higher overhead) but can offer a lovely custom experience. There is lots of information about them from many different posters on this forum as well as other jewelry forums and all over the internet.

The only high-end name brand custom ring I'm aware of from a PS poster is this one by Oscar Heyman:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-scrumptious-5-24-oscar-heyman-engagement-wedding-ring.172515/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-scrumptious-5-24-oscar-heyman-engagement-wedding-ring.172515/[/URL]
Took me a while to remember which brand it was so I could do a search for it!

arkieb1 · Dec 4, 2013

helpmefind30|1386136385|3567201 said:
Again thanks to everyone for the posts, I Myself am one that would LOVE to get quality over name for all the reasons you have provided, in talking o my fiance we've both agreed that she doesnt need the name she thought of and would rather Id get what I can (nothing short of excellence that I can find) in a measurement of better diamonds than paying the premium for names. For me the custom / personalization part is a big factor as well as quality of the service provided. I know you all have named off some good (excuse my vocab but,) "lower" down the line designers and jewellers. Id Just like to ask around once again to see the opinions on the smaller shops that everyone is listing to weasel out some favourites and start with looking. (as there isnt much information nowadays about the smaller guys.) Anyways hope to hear some more responses you all have been a great help.

Contact Victor, explain what you want in detail and see what he can offer by comparison. He is a lovely guy, top quality pave and if you google him on here you will find numerous glowing reviews;

http://www.victorcanera.com/

Otherwise post pictures of the setting type you are after and the size, colour and clarity of the diamond you are looking for and a rough budget and everyone will help guide you to the best options.

LLJsmom · Dec 4, 2013

Well, assuming you have not purchased your diamond yet, I would start there first. If it were me, and I didn't have to worry about the budget, it would be easy because I would not need to give up size for color or clarity.

If I knew I was going for D or E, and VVS1 and above, the easy part is just to figure out which diamond is cut to optimize it's beauty to your eye.

I would give my requirements to Good Old Gold and have them hunt you down some diamonds that meet your specifications. Correct me if I am wrong about them below.

Color: D or E
Clarity: VVS1 or above
Carat: Whatever you want.
Cut: If searching for a modern round brilliant, triple X / AGS 0000 (did I miss a zero?)

And this is just the minimum requirements. As you probably know, triple X is not the end all and be all, although many B&M stores will tell you exactly that.

If I was buying anything other than a round brilliant, I would absolutely have Good Old Gold source it because I can see what I am buying. Other cuts are so subjective, meaning that people can have very differing opinions. And without seeing it, the GIA specs really mean nothing. I looked at two asschers at my local B&M, both over 3 carats, one F and one G, both VS1, good and excellent on cut. On paper, sounds decent. In real life, one was dead in the middle, and the other was a see-through, major light leakage. You have to be able to see it. And if you can't fly to New York, the closest thing is to have Good Old Gold source the best and make you a video. If I was an expert like the other PSers, who can guess how beautiful a stone is just by reading the specs, maybe I wouldn't need Good Old Gold or video.

With an unlimited budget, Good Old Gold can put a bunch of stones on video for you, following your specs, in different lighting environments, and you can just see what appeals most to your eye. Of course Jonathan will give you his expert opinion but in the end you would go with what appeals most to your eye. Just go to youtube, and search for Good Old Gold. They post their videos for their clients who have requested specific searches and you can see them compare for other people, and you will get a good idea of what they can do for you. Just FYI. Other PSers correct me if I am wrong. Victor Canera will not set an August Vintage stone from Good Old Gold. I wonder if he will set a non-August Vintage line stone?

Victor Canera is also sourcing stones. He is a true artist and can find you the most beautiful stones, and also has ASET images available. He can also provide videos for you as well. I personally would go this route because I love Victor's settings and would have him source me the stone and do the setting.

If you want more sources, PSers have been very happy with Brian Gavin and Whiteflash. My understanding is that these company started out as diamond cutters, so their cuts are the absolute best. Top notch. And if PSers know about anything, it is CUT. My understanding is that you can talk with each of them, give them your specs, ask their recommendation, and they can give you the ASET and probably any other analysis you would like to determine light leakage and everything else. I don't know a fraction of what people here know. PSers who have bought from them could probably give you more information. You can use the HCA tool on this website to at least weed out non-performing stones, using the diamond specs on the GIA or AGS certificate that is posted on many of these sites, if you also like to do your own due diligence. (That is me.) Just because you have an HCA score that is under 2, does not mean you will love that diamond the best. On my first try, I had one that scored 0.9, and it just did not appeal to me. I returned it.

And then, once you've chosen the stone, then you would decide on the setting. Most popular on PS, at least from the past couple of years that I have lurking and posting, are Victor Canera in CA, Steven Kirsch and Leon Mege in NY, for modern pave work. Singlestone in LA for a more antique feel. They all do hand forged (no casting) custom platinum work. Some PSers may disagree about the zero casting on some. I defer to their opinion. I personally have worked with none. I have asked Victor on multiple occasions for quotes and discussed potential projects. He is very responsive, professional, and easy to work with. He cares deeply that his customers are happy and satisfied with their product. He had wanted to try a new design on my stone and told me that he would not charge me for the work if I was not happy with the end result. (I have read some good and bad reviews on Leon's service and attitude. You should read and judge for yourself. I'm just telling you what I read.) Steven Kirsch seems to have consistently made PSers happy.

Look at their websites. Search for their threads on this website. There is one thread that is all Victor Canera's creations. He can customize it any way you want it, consult with you until you are happy with the result.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/post-your-victor-canera-beauties-here.175281/

This thread is not all encompassing. There are a lot more threads showing his work not referenced here.

This thread shows how Frankiextah, a PSer compared the pave work of three masters, just for the reading pleasure of PSers. Is this the level of exacting quality you are looking for? Does this give a good idea of the expectations of many PSers?
https://www.pricescope.com/communit...my-victor-canera-sk-leon-ring-setting.166496/

Either that, or go for a more antique inspired look with Singlestone. I've seen their work in real life, and the work is sooo delicate and fine, you wouldn't believe that it was platinum.

https://www.pricescope.com/communit...rm-2-4ct-oec-in-new-single-stone-halo.182455/

This PSer customized this one, because Singlestone had done this setting only in a round halo for a round stone before, never a round stone with a cushion shaped halo. She changed it. It's on my list of favorites. The funny thing is that she later scrapped this setting and went with this one with Victor. She decided on a more modern feel.

https://www.pricescope.com/communit...ingle-cut-multi-row-pave-pic-overload.185195/

Victor's is her third reset, or was it fourth? Hmmm...

Anyway, you get the point. Anyhoo, this is what I would do if I were in your lucky shoes. Like the other PSers said, provide your specs, design ideas, and lots of people here can make suggestions.

Good luck!! What an exciting process! (No budget??! OMG!!) PSers will have a field day...

helpmefind30 · Dec 4, 2013

It seems that the vibe I'm getting is to go with victor from many of you, Im looking into it as we speak. Any other price-scope members have anything to say on Victor Canera's work? It seems like he's a top hit for what I'm looking for as well. More thoughts on victor would be great. Also if I went with a wholesale diamond seller (such as goodoldgold, whiteflash, etc) what are your recommendations for the top quality seller and which can be most trusted/ reputable. I feel that would be a good way to get bang for my buck but is there anyone with negativity towards these sellers? Has anyone found Anything notably wrong with the wholesale diamond sellers? Thanks again for all the responses

distracts · Dec 4, 2013

helpmefind30|1386142747|3567231 said:
It seems that the vibe I'm getting is to go with victor from many of you, Im looking into it as we speak. Any other price-scope members have anything to say on Victor Canera's work? It seems like he's a top hit for what I'm looking for as well. More thoughts on victor would be great. Also if I went with a wholesale diamond seller (such as goodoldgold, whiteflash, etc) what are your recommendations for the top quality seller and which can be most trusted/ reputable. I feel that would be a good way to get bang for my buck but is there anyone with negativity towards these sellers? Has anyone found Anything notably wrong with the wholesale diamond sellers? Thanks again for all the responses

Well none of those are wholesale diamond sellers. Not sure where you got that idea. For reviews on any of them... do a search. Here (there is a search bar in the upper right hand corner), on other jewelry forums online, general internet search, wherever. There are PLENTY of reviews. We are too lazy to do ALL your research for you, though we'll certainly help with a lot. If we'd found anything notably wrong with them, we wouldn't recommend them. There are lots of people we know of that do the kind of thing we think you want that we AREN'T recommending, either because we think they wouldn't fit well with your desires or we have found them lacking in quality or service, again, as denoted by reviews we have read online, both here and elsewhere. You can see finished rings in "Show Me the Bling," read reviews mostly here in "Rocky Talky," see posts where people had problems with a vendor and how the vendor resolved them, etc. Reading them will give you a more complete picture of the vendor you're interested in than anything we could summarize for you.

Where to purchase your diamond largely depends on what kind of diamond you want. If you want a round brilliant, I'd just go with whoever you're getting to make your ring.

LLJsmom · Dec 4, 2013

helpmefind30|1386142747|3567231 said:
It seems that the vibe I'm getting is to go with victor from many of you, Im looking into it as we speak. Any other price-scope members have anything to say on Victor Canera's work? It seems like he's a top hit for what I'm looking for as well. More thoughts on victor would be great. Also if I went with a wholesale diamond seller (such as goodoldgold, whiteflash, etc) what are your recommendations for the top quality seller and which can be most trusted/ reputable. I feel that would be a good way to get bang for my buck but is there anyone with negativity towards these sellers? Has anyone found Anything notably wrong with the wholesale diamond sellers? Thanks again for all the responses

Sorry to disappoint you. None of these guys are wholesale.

And sorry if I'm not being obvious enough. These ARE our recommendations.

Whiteflash's "A Cut Above" diamonds are cut based on a patented cut, as are Brian Gavin's hearts and arrows. They're actually more expensive than a the general retail stones. (I'm not talking about the malls.) But I would guess they're cheaper than the high end branded stones, Winston, Graff, etc. These stores are B&M stores that have established a strong on-line presence.

I haven't read a negative review of either of them before, but I've only been here a couple of years. You should search the threads. As long as you are buying a certified diamond, GIA or AGS, you are getting exactly what is on the certificate with these guys. I personally would not go with any other certification.

distracts · Dec 4, 2013

Acinom · Dec 4, 2013

helpmefind30|1386142747|3567231 said:
It seems that the vibe I'm getting is to go with victor from many of you, Im looking into it as we speak. Any other price-scope members have anything to say on Victor Canera's work? It seems like he's a top hit for what I'm looking for as well. More thoughts on victor would be great. Also if I went with a wholesale diamond seller (such as goodoldgold, whiteflash, etc) what are your recommendations for the top quality seller and which can be most trusted/ reputable. I feel that would be a good way to get bang for my buck but is there anyone with negativity towards these sellers? Has anyone found Anything notably wrong with the wholesale diamond sellers? Thanks again for all the responses

I can really recommend working with Victor!!
His craftmanship is top notch. Even if you extensively loupe the setting (which we crazy PSers often do) you will not be able to find anything faulty. His design are not cheap, but his settings are worth every penny.
His customer service is top notch too. I live in Europe so we did all the communication by e-mail. He responds very quickly and always in a very nice way even if you send him 100 mails during the process. Victor always goes to the max when it comes to satisfying his customers.

Once the ring is on your fiancee's finger, all everyone will notice is beauty and craftmanship. No one will ask or notice whether you have a Graff or HW on your finger. Though I must say that many local jewellers asked me who made this exceptional setting for me.

By going this route you will have a better diamond and setting compared to the brands mentioned.

My thread was posted above by a poster. Thanks Distracts! It's the 2nds thread in her last post.

arkieb1 · Dec 4, 2013

helpmefind30|1386142747|3567231 said:
It seems that the vibe I'm getting is to go with victor from many of you, Im looking into it as we speak. Any other price-scope members have anything to say on Victor Canera's work? It seems like he's a top hit for what I'm looking for as well. More thoughts on victor would be great. Also if I went with a wholesale diamond seller (such as goodoldgold, whiteflash, etc) what are your recommendations for the top quality seller and which can be most trusted/ reputable. I feel that would be a good way to get bang for my buck but is there anyone with negativity towards these sellers? Has anyone found Anything notably wrong with the wholesale diamond sellers? Thanks again for all the responses

I know that Victor is getting his own range of Hearts and Arrows Round brilliants cut specifically for him and cut for top performance, as are Brian Gavin. Good Old Gold also has its own diamond cutters as well.

I have a couple of rings made by Victor, so that is why I am such a big fan. The benefit of going with him is that he will give you a discount on a setting if you purchase the main stone from him. If you want to purchase a stone from another vendor you can still send them to places like Victor and Steven to make you a high end hand made setting. The main thing is purchase a top cut diamond to start with the cut is what gives a stone the fire and the sparkle, you can have an internally flawless diamond or a nice ice white coloured stone that is an average performer if it does not have a decent cut.

Tekate · Dec 4, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCdLphkAnJU
http://www.victorcanera.com/the-evelyn-solitaire-with-flush-stems

I hope to someday have this setting.. I have a stone for many years that I have reset 3X and means much to me so I will always use this stone as my engagement stone (which it was) ... I have never seen anything quite like this setting in the pointer(s) above.. I think the work is just oustanding.. I don't know the jewler/artisan have never contacted him BUT I have read these forums and every pointer a veteran poster posts I read regarding his work..

I am not a fan of halos.. that is just me, there are many MANY beautiful halo rings on this forum, it's very in for young women.. from Old European Cut (OEC) to Cushion to Emerald style diamonds with an array of settings look at them all.. I think Good Old Gold diamonds are beautiful and hope to buy an August Vintage OEC for a pendant..... I think the owner/jeweler of GOG has done loads to help the buyer and he truly wants to sell the BEST diamond at the best price that his customer can afford from .20 to 20++ carats.. unusual today (not to say all the others don't either but I watched GOG videos) High Performance Diamonds makes beautiful rings also I will post one I would wish to have.. I would say if money is no object and you want a name, Lorraine Schwartz makes gorgeous rings.. The one she created for Kim Kardashian (the 2nd one ha).. is a D-stone type 2A, the most carbonless stone of all (I think they are also called golcondia stones??) pefect stones.

My nephew just bought his g/f a Cartier stone, it's beautiful, but I think not as beautiful as a VC ring..

there is much more to diamonds that I ever thought.. this is a wonderful place for a diamond lover.. me personally re: name vs. 'lesser name" if you run in Cartier, VanCleef, Tiffany crowds then she will have a better ring, a stunning ring, but her 'friends' will think less.. I hate to say that and maybe they won't but I'm older and that was they way it was in the 70s.. I will attach a pix of a HPD I wish I could get.. for a ring hand ring.. it's stunning, quality is so beautiful.. maybe if I win the lottery!! Best of luck and what a wonderful fiancee you are to bring her into your buying .. wishing you much happiness in your life together.

SB621 · Dec 4, 2013

As someone who loves Cartier and Graff I would avoid them. They have great pieces but aren't known for there diamond quality.

Pending what coast line you live on I would go with either Victor or Steven. My Ering is my VC and while I love it I feel that everytime it has an issue (resizing for exampe) I don't want to send it clear across the country to have it fixed. I like that Steven is on my coastline and can do minor alternations as needed. However with that said I have worked with both of them as well as own a piece second hand by Leon Merge. VC in my opinion has better customer serivce but SK was also very good. All (VC, SK, LM) are comparable with craftmanship. So I would actually pick a vendor based off of what design on the setting I'm having made. I think all 3 have very distinct styles so I'm not in the camp of "oh they can do it all and do it well." Pending what style you are going for would change my recommendation for who I would say you want to work with.

Also when you shop at the big branded stores they don't set outside diamonds. PS vendors do however so you don't need to do a 1 stop shop if you don't have to. Feel free to look around. So far you haven't mentioned budget, style of ring or shape of center stone. So it is hard to give recommendations when you aren't specific or narrow it down.

astar11 · Dec 4, 2013

Victor Canera, that's it .... My preference

. While I haven't / never work with another vendor like SK or Leon, I think that VC work is very delicate. I love SK work (looking at all the pictures) / design but I think it's not as delicate as VC's.

Even the SA in Hong Kong jewelry store were mesmerized by VIctor's work.

To date, I have been trying to find something as delicate as Victor's work in Asia but still can't find any. When I have another project in the future, I will go back to him. I hope that with all good reviews here, he will continue providing excellent work with reasonable price like before

.

Puppy4248 · Dec 4, 2013

I was in your situation a while ago... for erings, my favorites were Harry Winston and Graff, particularly their tapered baguette setting with either a round or square emerald cut. Long story short I ended up getting educated on diamonds with the help of wonderful PSers on this forum, sourced an awesome 4 ct square emerald, and got it set in an amazing Steven Kirsch tapered baguette setting that was inspired by Graff/HW (but with the added benefit of being able to make modifications!). I couldn't be happier.

Regarding the process, we were looking to maximize both quality and carat of the diamond, and I found that with our budget, I was choosing between a little over 2 cts at Graff/HW and then 4ct+ for loose stones. I found Graff was a little more lenient on prices but still not to where I was comfortable, and HW wasn't willing to give in at all (although a few other ps members have had some luck, I think!). And as I was leaning closer towards the square cut emerald, the SA told me they put premiums on those in particular. Didn't help that the setting/size I was going for was a part of HW's "extraordinary collection", so the price on what I wanted was flat out insane for me. Also, every now and again you'll see someone on this forum post how they are shocked that brand name diamonds might not exactly be "ideal" by the numbers... I wanted to avoid that issue, as well as any kind of diamoond shrinkage syndrome, at all costs...and since diamonds are mostly by the numbers, I decided to get educated on stones through PS and then sourced the biggest, best stone I could find within my budget. PS also gave me a heads up on Steven Kirsch, Victor Canera and Leon Mege... I am VERY detailed-oriented (spent hours evaluating the settings of each of the big houses, studying side stone length/proportion/angles, online and in-person at the salons hahahaa

), but I will say Steven, Victor and Leon can make anything and are on par (or arguably better!) with the big houses. I'd read up on other chains on here about other peoples' experiences with each so you can make an informed decision and see who you want to work with, but I went with Steven and got the ring of my dreams. Sent him an inspiration board literally covered in pics of Graff/HW for inspiration but also with a few notes/modifications I wanted for mine, which I don't think I would've been able to get had I gone to Graff/HW... and before I knew it, I got the ring of my dreams! And for a SMALL fraction of the brand name price!! I couldn't be happier with my decision, so I wanted to share. However, I will note that I will always love Graff/HW pieces haha so you can't go wrong with those... just my two cents

Help with Graff, Harry Winston, Cartier, and Tiffany

Rough_Rock

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