How marched should baguettes in a band be?

[Emerald_city]

Everyone on this site is so nice and helpful, I thought it worthwhile to ask for more advice! I bought a band on etsy that I wanted as either a wedding band or as a stand in engagement ring when I want something subtle. This was after I found a similar band at Brilliant Earth and fell in love with it. I wasn’t in love with the price though. For $800 less I had an Etsy jeweler make it with more platinum (it’s a bit wider and more solid), more carat weight (0.55 carat vs the 0.3 at BE), and higher clarity stones (VS2 vs SI1). This is the BE ring:
https://www.brilliantearth.com/Barre-Diamond-Ring-(1/3-ct.-tw.)-Platinum-BE2D275/

Now to the question: how perfectly matched should baguettes be to look good in this type of setting? How difficult is it for them to be perfectly matched? I have a week to return the Etsy band and I am trying do decide if the irregularities between the stones are obnoxious or are worth it for the price and are just more “character” .

Here are the pictures of the band I have. You can probably see that the cuts are pretty different. They do all sparkle very lovely and a part of me is definitely loath to part with it, irregularities and all.
I welcome all thoughts and feedback! Apologies for the puffy hands as I had just gotten off a plane.

 

[Emerald_city]

Aaand of course I had to misspell the title. Matched, not marched.

 

[BlingObsession]

To be honest - I would want the stones to match in size. Or be obviously mismatched. Not just a little ‘off’. The way yours are Sized would draw my eye every time I looked at the ring and not in a good way. Sorry.

 

[Emerald_city]

To be honest - I would want the stones to match in size. Or be obviously mismatched. Not just a little ‘off’. The way yours are Sized would draw my eye every time I looked at the ring and not in a good way. Sorry.

No need to be sorry, I appreciate the perspective!

 

[rockysalamander]

I agree. They need to be the same or much more different. If there were rounds or princess cuts between the baguettes, they would be much less obvious in their differences.

 

[marymm]

In theory I would want them to all match in length and appearance ... that said, I find your band to be beautiful! I had to go through the photos several times to find what you're talking about, so for me, to the extent it has different-sized baguettes would not be a returnable issue at all.

For me, I would want to make sure the band otherwise has nothing wrong ... i.e., the diamonds are securely set, the band fits comfortably, the metal work is even and smooth and polished, the diamonds are the same color and eyeclean.

 

[Emerald_city]

In theory I would want them to all match in length and appearance ... that said, I find your band to be beautiful! I had to go through the photos several times to find what you're talking about, so for me, to the extent it has different-sized baguettes would not be a returnable issue at all.

For me, I would want to make sure the band otherwise has nothing wrong ... i.e., the diamonds are securely set, the band fits comfortably, the metal work is even and smooth and polished, the diamonds are the same color and eyeclean.

Thanks for offering a counterpoint The work otherwise is quite nice and professional looking. And the stones look bright white with no inclusions that I can see!

 

[baby monster]

I would be bothered by the lack of symmetry. If you think you can get used to this or stop noticing that the stones are off, keep it.

I would also contact brilliant earth and ask what their tolerances are for baguettes. Closely matched stones cost more IIRC and that would explain BE's premium.

 

[Emerald_city]

I totally agree that perfect stone matching would result in a premium. I guess the thing I am trying to figure out (and any professional jewelers would be most appreciated weighing in) is the $ difference between a ring that is the same carat and platinum weight as this one (unlike BE), but with close to perfect stone matching. If that premium is low enough (let’s day $300), I’ll definitely return and continue my search. If the premium is like $1000, probably not worth it for me.

 

[marymm]

One way to judge cost is to reach out to your etsy vendor while still in your return period, let them know you noticed the baguette band they made has different-sized baguettes, and let them know it is a concern to you such that you are considering returning the band for that reason. The vendor's response to your convo should inform you -- maybe they'll offer to remake with same-size bags at the price you paid, or they'll advise of the price-point increase required for them to make a band with same-size bags... either way, you lose nothing by inquiring.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I wouldn't be certain that BE's would be any better without seeing one in person. I'd want mine to be perfect, but you'll pay more. I guess the saying applies here, as it usually does, you get what you pay for. Contact David Klass and get a quote and be very specific that you want perfectly matched baguettes in size and quality.

 

[Emerald_city]

One way to judge cost is to reach out to your etsy vendor while still in your return period, let them know you noticed the baguette band they made has different-sized baguettes, and let them know it is a concern to you such that you are considering returning the band for that reason. The vendor's response to your convo should inform you -- maybe they'll offer to remake with same-size bags at the price you paid, or they'll advise of the price-point increase required for them to make a band with same-size bags... either way, you lose nothing by inquiring.

Great idea! Will do

 

[Emerald_city]

I wouldn't be certain that BE's would be any better without seeing one in person. I'd want mine to be perfect, but you'll pay more. I guess the saying applies here, as it usually does, you get what you pay for. Contact David Klass and get a quote and be very specific that you want perfectly matched baguettes in size and quality.

True. I guess I was looking at this as more of a “for fun” ring in case I get the plain platinum wedding band as I am leaning towards. Which is why I went with the highest quality for my engagement ring seeing as that’s a much bigger purchase and will definitely be worn every day. So I guess I need to decide how much this matters to me personally as I don’t think anyone besides me is really going to see the difference in real life.

 

[Emerald_city]

Ok, thank you all for your feedback! I went to four different jewelers in the downtown Boston diamond building and was left with a distinct impression that what I have is a really quality ring for an excellent price. They were very complimentary of the security of the stones and quality of the platinum casting and confirmed the high color and clarity on the docs. I’m honestly thrilled that no one offered to remake it better for anywhere in the ballpark of what I paid. It turns out I’ve already fallen in love with this ring and don’t want to part with it after all. The irregularities will just be it’s unique character.