I could really use your advice on a Simon G setting!!!.....

[MarieT]

Hi Price Scopers,

I could really use some experienced advice and I know I can find it here! I recently inherited my Grandmother's engagement ring. The diamond is not large but quite beautiful and has great sentimental value to me. It is a .40 Ct HI VS. I plan to have it reset because the setting is very worn and also I'd like a setting that would enhance the stone. I plan to wear it as a RHR and I do not want a setting that looks like an engagement ring or a wedding band.

At first I toyed with the idea of having a custom setting made by Whiteflash. But after seeing some rings online and then seeing them in the store, I realize that I do not have enough experience to picture what the completed ring will look like or to pick out the right side stones. And I do not want to have a ring made and then not be happy with the way it looks.

So after looking at many semi mounts, I think I have decided on this Simon G. (I added a link. Sorry I don't know how to add a picture to my post.)

http://simongjewelry.com/details.php?products_id=1490&categories_id=108&viewall=y&

One problem is that this ring is made for a 6.5 mm stone and mine is 4.8mm. A jeweler told me that they spoke to the people at Simon G and they said they will would be able to accommodate my stone by using an illusion setting, i.e., a small circle of gold around the stone with small prongs to hold the diamond and then other prongs to set it in the ring. So my first question is this. Do you think that would look o.k. or would it look like the center stone didn't fit in the ring?

The next question I have is why there are so few yellow gold rings. Is it just because white gold and platinum are in style? Personally, I prefer the look of yellow and most of my jewelry is yellow. A couple of years ago, I got a new wedding ring from Kwiat which is yellow gold. At one jeweler's they told me it wasn't available in yellow but when I contacted Kwiat directly, they said they could make it. It turned out so nice that they now offer it in yellow gold. I wear it all the time as a wedding ring so I'd like my new ring to match, even though I plan to wear it on the other hand. Here's a link to that ring.

http://www.kwiat.com/fine-diamond-jewelry/diamond-partway-ring-jasmine-collection-18k-white-gold/p/244/3/0/0

I know that Simon G makes many two and three tone rings and that they can make this how I request. Do you think that the Simon G setting would look o.k. in two tone with the row of center diamonds set in white gold and the rest of the ring made in yellow? What do you think of the idea of changing the two round diamonds on the side to yellow diamonds?

My last question is about price. I have priced this ring with several online jewelers and the price has ranged from $4495 to $5500. Is this wide range normal and do you think a local jeweler would be willing to match an online price? I hate to spend an extra $1100 but I'm not fond of the idea of sending my Grandmother's diamond off to a jeweler that I don't know.

Thanks for bearing with my long winded explanations. I would really appreciate any advice those of you with more experience could give me on the setting choice, the color choice and the pricing!

Thanks, MarieT

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: I could really use your advice on a Simon G setting!!!..

To be very honest, I would not do it. That ring needs the larger diamond and it just isn't going to look right otherwise. You can always use the design for inspiration and have a ring custom-made. I can almost promise you that if you have something similar made by Maytal Hannah, for example, it will cost probably a third less. You could easily do a halo with that size diamond to enhance the size of the middle stone. I'd really encourage you to consider custom so your diamond will fit the setting properly.

I see nothing wrong with a 2 tone design if that is what you prefer. Yellow gold is coming back, so that is why you are seeing a little more of it now.

 

[luv2sparkle]

Re: I could really use your advice on a Simon G setting!!!..

I would do a custom setting as well. It sound like a bit to many changes to go through when you are not going to see a finished
product by way of a CAD first, or at least having a conversation with the person making it. I am not confident that you will like
the finished product with a smaller stone with an illusion setting. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't. I wouldn't chance it
with something that expensive.

All the other changes you want to make sound great. I love the yellow diamond idea and making it two tone would be very pretty as well.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Re: I could really use your advice on a Simon G setting!!!..

To be very honest, I would not do it. That ring needs the larger diamond and it just isn't going to look right otherwise. You can always use the design for inspiration and have a ring custom-made. I can almost promise you that if you have something similar made by Maytal Hannah, for example, it will cost probably a third less. You could easily do a halo with that size diamond to enhance the size of the middle stone. I'd really encourage you to consider custom so your diamond will fit the setting properly.

I see nothing wrong with a 2 tone design if that is what you prefer. Yellow gold is coming back, so that is why you are seeing a little more of it now.

I agree.

 

[Gypsy]

Re: I could really use your advice on a Simon G setting!!!..

I would go custom and have the setting scaled to your diamond as well. I would do it somewhere with CAD ability so you can see how it all looks before agreeing to finalize. I've worked with BGD, who does CAD work for three custom projects and I've been thrilled with the results each time.

 

[MarieT]

Re: I could really use your advice on a Simon G setting!!!..

Thanks so much for your opinions! It's not what I was hoping to hear but I appreciate your experienced advice. It's back to the drawing board, I guess. I'll post when I finally get a ring.

 

[D&T]

Re: I could really use your advice on a Simon G setting!!!..

as for custom setting, Here is my experience. I have tried to "custom" a design based off of something I saw and tried more than a couple of times, and both times although beautiful did not execute as the original (comfort, feel and flow of the design). I love Simon G and have tried a number of their settings, they are very well made and beautifully executed IMO. Online to me looks a bit off, There is a simon G band that I am getting in a few months that I have asked a few online jeweler that I have worked with in the past to get in for me, but for some reason, they cannot order the SIMON G in and asked me to do a custom. I was on the fence, and explained the design and the feel of the ring is exactly what I wanted because I have tried it on in person. I would not want someone to copy a designer's design as the flow and comfort has been executed well and plus I end up paying more down the road later in order to get t right a second time around or end up just forking out for the original piece . Anyways, all I'm saying is custom is great for some project, but on a designer piece I will just go directly to the designer instead as there is a reason why its a designer piece (as they have mastered and executed it well)

I have looked and inquired online for Simon G pieces, and the few that have quoted me and very responsive are these jewelers.

Since1910.com (they were the best price for my particular band)
solomonbrothers.com (similar to Goldandgems.com)
Goldandgems.com (same price as solomonbrothers but have a customer rebate or rewards $ program) and Ron (owner is very responsive)

Even my local jeweler wanted to do a custom piece (this is where I tried the simon G ring) but after talking extensively about the piece, they acknowledge that Simon G has a very interesting patented milgrain machine that does their milgrain so smooth and some of their design is just amazingly executed.

Also Simon G doe slight modifications for you as well, stone, metal, etc. Do try on a few other simon G pieces in order to get a feel for the designer.

 

[Amys Bling]

Re: I could really use your advice on a Simon G setting!!!..

Love the setting- bur I'm not sure it will look right with your atone since it's meant foe a 6.5mm stone

 

[MarieT]

Re: I could really use your advice on a Simon G setting!!!..

as for custom setting, Here is my experience. I have tried to "custom" a design based off of something I saw and tried more than a couple of times, and both times although beautiful did not execute as the original (comfort, feel and flow of the design). I love Simon G and have tried a number of their settings, they are very well made and beautifully executed IMO. Online to me looks a bit off, There is a simon G band that I am getting in a few months that I have asked a few online jeweler that I have worked with in the past to get in for me, but for some reason, they cannot order the SIMON G in and asked me to do a custom. I was on the fence, and explained the design and the feel of the ring is exactly what I wanted because I have tried it on in person. I would not want someone to copy a designer's design as the flow and comfort has been executed well and plus I end up paying more down the road later in order to get t right a second time around or end up just forking out for the original piece . Anyways, all I'm saying is custom is great for some project, but on a designer piece I will just go directly to the designer instead as there is a reason why its a designer piece (as they have mastered and executed it well)

I have looked and inquired online for Simon G pieces, and the few that have quoted me and very responsive are these jewelers.

Since1910.com (they were the best price for my particular band)
solomonbrothers.com (similar to Goldandgems.com)
Goldandgems.com (same price as solomonbrothers but have a customer rebate or rewards $ program) and Ron (owner is very responsive)

Even my local jeweler wanted to do a custom piece (this is where I tried the simon G ring) but after talking extensively about the piece, they acknowledge that Simon G has a very interesting patented milgrain machine that does their milgrain so smooth and some of their design is just amazingly executed.

Also Simon G doe slight modifications for you as well, stone, metal, etc. Do try on a few other simon G pieces in order to get a feel for the designer.

Thank you so much for posting! You really do make some valid points. Since the beginning, for myself with my limited knowledge and experience, I have not felt comfortable with the custom process. My local jeweler also offered to custom make a ring with a design similar to the SImon G and although she is a talented designer, I feel sure that the end product would not be the same and I would probably be disappointed. She also showed me a similar style from Southern African Diamonds for a much lower price. But I just like the Simon G design better and the quality of the diamonds is better. I don't know about their workmanship but I've never heard anything but good about Simon G. quality. And I appreciate the way he lets you customize the ring. I don't buy much expensive jewelry and I would like to wear this everyday so I think I shouldn't promise.

Thank you too for the list of online jewelers. I had already contacted GoldandGems and you're right, Ron was very responsive and his price was good. I also contacted Soloman Brothers. They took a little while to get back to me and their price was over $1000 more than GoldandGems. I got the lowest price from Tim at Kranicks and he also sent several emails with the most information including photos of the ring and the type of setting they would use. He said Simon G would set the stone. I hoped that Simon G would not have offered to set the stone if they didn't feel they could do it right but on the other hand, I'm sure they want to sell their product.

At this point, I am leaning toward going for the Simon G ring which I like and either having Simon G set my stone or asking my local jeweler to make a setting with a milgrain circle around the diamond to fill in the space, instead of using the illusion setting. There is less than a millimeter of space to fill in around my Grandmother's diamond and the original setting size of the ring. I guess the worst that could happen is that if I really don't like it, then I'll just have to buy a bigger diamond for the ring and have the smaller one set in something else. lol