How much are setting costs in your area?

[Indylady]

How much do you pay on average for setting?

My old jeweler used to charge $15 for a basic setting and $25 for bezels. No kidding!! I had no idea how lucky I had it till I moved away. There were other setters in town that would set a stone for $10.

I've moved to a bigger city now, and the lowest I've found is $50, for a really basic setting and a stone that's under 50 points. I went ahead and paid it, but it wasn't even a decent setting job! Baw.

 

[chrono]

I've been to one that charged $10 and another that charged all the way up to $100.

 

[Upgradable]

I just had three stones set for a total of $120. I have a cheaper benchman, but I paid more on this one to be assured a nice job.

 

[ForteKitty]

i usually buy the settings from local jewelers, so setting costs are free. If I didn't, they would charge about $50!

 

[cemrn]

How do you find a good bench person? What questions should you ask? Will be setting some stones in the coming months.

 

[Arkteia]

NO cheaper bench jewelers around, we live in a very expensive town.
One charged $ 100 to reset a diamond (a basket setting; one of platinum prongs fell off). Next time he charged $ 120 for similar job. The cost of a new gold ring+ setting would be about $ 400.00, first time. They are interested in moving their products. I wanted to reset my emerald earrings in their gold jackets. One said bezeling alone would be $ 200.00; the owner came in and said it would be $ 250.00 but why should they meddle with bezel-setting emeralds which could be damaged in the process? I reset it at another jeweler's place; he used his new dangling 18-ct gold mountings (large) and did all bezel setting; all for $ 500.00. He said most of it was the price of the mountings. I have never weighed them, I would guestimate 15-20 gms so It is OK with me. He bezel set another stone for $ 100.00 and I think I could have negotiated a lower price. He works in the most expensive area of Seattle and yet he is cheaper than jewelers here.

 

[Indylady]

TL:

For setting a basic stone in a yellow gold mount that fits it perfectly, and it's a durable stone, $45, and that's my discounted fee

You add a soft stone, different metal color, different size that doesn't get in just perfectly, and it can go up to $150.

In this cruddy economy, I've noticed labor costs have gone up since jewelers aren't selling as much inventory, so they have to make money somehow.

 

[Indylady]

Colorluvr:

Pretty much the same here.... $45 is the least expensive I gotten away with, and usually it is more. I had one of those wonderful gem setters where I used to live and he only charged me $25 for most stones... boy do I miss him.

 

[Indylady]

I somehow ended up with 2 threads so I thought I'd merge them together by posting the responses from the other thread. Wow, it seems like prices vary quite a bit!

Cemrn, the only way I've really figured out how is by trying them out myself. I don't know of any PS'ers in my area, so there wasn't much else of a choice. I went with a local jeweler that's been in the business for a long time. He's very honest, and will tell you right away if something isn't going to fit, etc. so I went ahead and had him set a stone that I knew would be fairly hard. Since he did a great job, I've stuck with him.

 

[CharmyPoo]

Solitaire is around $45 to $60. Bezel is around $100. All in Canadian dollars.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

I haven't bought any outside bezel settings, so I'm not sure of my jeweler's charge for bezeling, but it's normally about $50 per stone for prongs, and he's gotten really decent with claw prongs lately, as well.