I HATE MY LOCAL JEWELERS!! help!!

[lucy]

jeez louise!
I just got what I think is a GREAT 3.03 H VS1 from good old gold. Now I have been shopping around for the setting. I cant tell you what a hassle I''ve gotten. Either "I could have gotten you the same diamond for less" OR "why did you get VS1, H? you should have gotten SI1, E or F, it would have cost the same and it will sparkle more because of the color grade." In your expert opinions, let''s say cut being the same, carat being 3, which diamond would you believe will be the better, more sparkley=
a H VS1
or a F sI1
and is the jump from H to F REALLY that significant or are they just hassling me? and do you really think a F SI1 would be less expensive than a H VS1? whenever I see a jump in color it seems to really change the price by a lot!
thank you for your help, I need some ammo for these local yokels!

 

[Stephan]

color doesn't matter when you talk about sparkle...
clarity does.

 

[Giangi]

An SI 1 of that size would most probably have eye-visible inclusions. You did a VERY good choice. Don't let them scare you!

Tell the jeweler that you got it from your grandma.

 

[dimonbob]

Hi Lucy,
The 3ct F SI1 and the 3ct H VS1 are about the same in price.
The color is not going to have anything to do with the sparkle. Yes, you can see the difference in an F and an H but both will be white when set.
If your nice local jewelers are giving you the run around, shop with them until you figure out which setting you want and call GOG and see if they can do the ring for you. You are the customer and you vote with your dollars. Customers do not have to put up with being treated badly.

 

[mike04456]

Sounds to me like what you're getting is sour grapes. A 3 ct H-VS1 is a big sale, and they are probably upset about losing it, and letting that upset interfere with their business sense.

That, or they're deliberately trying to undermine your confidence and get you to return the stone and shop with them. A lot of that is going on nowadays as a result of misguided advice from certain trade figures on dealing with internet buyers. It's highly unethical IMO but happens anyway.

Not all B&M jewelers are like that, fortunately. Keep looking, and I'm sure you can find one who will be happy to sell you a nice setting.

 

[Mara]

Sparkle has nothing to do with color and everything to do with CUT. The stone from GOG was most likely a better cut than any of your local jewelers could come up with and unfortunately it's not unusual for offline jewelers to be sour grapes when they learn that people spent a large chunk of money online and NOT WITH THEM. That's the important thing to remember. The 3c stone you bought sounds excellent, the numbers were very good as well, esp for the large size ctw. H is still face up very white, esp in an excellent cut, and VS quality in a 3c stone is a smart move..SI1 would definitely have eye-visible inclusions.

I agree with Giangi, if there is a jeweler you HAVE to frequent, tell them you got the stone as a family heirloom. You know you got a good deal but you shouldn't have to deal with their bad attitudes when all you want is a setting.

Good luck and don't let them get to you! Work with GOG or another jeweler online if you want to have a setting made if you can't deal with the offline hassle. How unfortunate.

 

[TheDiamondangel]

The green eyed monster is ugly, indeed...especially when it comes in the form of a lost sale. Don't let that jeweler bully you! You can always find another jeweler to set the stone. Clarity doesn't make the stone sparkle, cut does...but with a stone that large an SI1 inclusion probably would be eye visible.

 

[hoorray]

Maybe someone on this forum can recommend a jeweler for you to depending on where you are...

 

[lucy]

Funny! I read your posts and went to one last place tonight and told them the diamond was just passed down to me and I just needed the setting. NO PROBLEM!! The guy even had a setting i liked that had just been returned so he is offering me a discount (supposedly-who knows with these guys). can i ask you one last thing-this setting he had was too large a size-am i going to see the cut in the platinum when he sizes it? and what is a "cathedral setting" thank you all!

 

[TheDiamondangel]

This is a basic cathedral style. The sides of the ring rise up to meet the stone, and some of them have accent stones set into the sides of the ring. And you shouldn't see a cut in the metal when the ring is sized. It will be soldered, then polished so that the back of the ring looks seamless.

 

[Mara]

BTW the cathedral style has the 'shoulders' which rise up to meet the head. A very nice look. Makes the stone look larger as usually cathedrals are higher set.

 

[fire&ice]

----------------
On 7/2/2003 12:24:15 AM Mara wrote:

BTW the cathedral style has the 'shoulders' which rise up to meet the head. A very nice look. Makes the stone look larger as usually cathedrals are higher set.

----------------

Mara is right. Everyone is different. I chose to set my 3c in a lower setting for a lower stone profile. My hands are rather smallish & 3c is as large as I could go. Make sure you like the look of that large stone in a setting that will make the stone look every bit of 3c. Also, while I'm sure the stone is protected, it will be more "in the way" for you daily life. Just a caveat.

Sorry about your first experience w/ the jeweler. I got some of that crap. Just don't let anyone bully you.

 

[hoorray]

Good point Mara and Fire&ice!

I just set my 2.5c in a cathedrel setting, and it looks much larger than I thought it would compared to when I looked at the loose stone. What is nice about it is the wider band (PROBABLY 3MM) complements the larger stone nicely.

 

[lucy]

all of you who have the larger stones-did you all choose 6 prongs? and if you chose 4-did you regret it at all?
thanks all for your help and encouragement!

 

[fire&ice]

Personally, I don't like 6 prong. I just like as little metal as possible. I chose a four prong & I don't regret it.

..just my spin.

 

[IceyIce]

I have found the local chain jeweler's in my area a bit repulsive as well. I bought my diamond online and wanted to get it set locally so I could pick out the setting in person. I went to Kenny G and Company Jeweler Chain in Elk Grove California, the assistant manager there (Joe) went on and on on why I should not have bought the diamond online, and he knows what is sold online and they are all junk stones. He was also mentioned that since I did not buy the stone at his store, if "we happened to crack the diamond" while setting it, it would be my loss. yeah right, like I'm going to have this company set my stone. I've heard stories of local jewelers who clean and set outside stones (not bought from the store) and try the ol switcheroo, set the prongs too tight and crack the stone, or loosely set it so it may fall out on a gentle bump. Has any one ever delt with this? I have had the switheroo move pulled on me once at a mall jeweler (yeah yeah I know blah!, but it was when I was in HighSchool and didn't know any better). I had a 25 point ideal round with ideal scripted on the girdle, they switched the diamond out. I went back and they explained that they gave me the wrong ring. Whatevers...can't believe they would try to pull that with such a small diamond.

 

[trichrome]

ICeyIce,

When there's money to make and the jeweller
has no reputation to protect, what is going
to stop him from swithing stones? His ethics?
No my friend...nothing... be careful
in front of those guys who have dollar signs in
their eyes...

Trichrome.

 

[mike04456]

----------------
On 7/3/2003 12:12:50 PM IceyIce wrote:
I went to Kenny G and Company Jeweler Chain in Elk Grove California, the assistant manager there (Joe) went on and on on why I should not have bought the diamond online, and he knows what is sold online and they are all junk stones. He was also mentioned that since I did not buy the stone at his store, if "we happened to crack the diamond" while setting it, it would be my loss.

----------------

I honestly cannot understand this kind of attitude. Someone comes into his store to purchase a setting, and instead of trying to sell one, he gives this potential customer a lot of grief? Instead of treating him politely and possibly generating some long-term loyalty, it's better to drive internet customers away? It's as if it's worth losing the profit on a setting to be able to give vent to this fit of pique over some competition.

Ironically, it's jewelers like these guys who have the most to fear from internet diamond buying. Those who understand customer service don't.

 

[lucy]

last thing-
all of this has put such a lack of trust in these B&M jewelers "pulling a switcheroo" and cracking or chipping stones during setting like the message from PLOW -I know I'm not supposed to linger around the jeweler as he/she sets it but now i feel like sitting on the guys lap just to make sure there is no hanky panky!! whether i get the setting online or here-i would prefer to set it here as my insurance will not cover a "loose" stone and if it gets lost in the mail????!! no thanks. if for some bizarre reason something DOES happen-what do i do-produce the GIA and say "hey this aint the diamond i brought in here?" what if they say "yes it is!!" this is such a big stone-if it gets damaged i will cry!!! do all you setters find it offensive when a customer wants to watch you?

 

[jenntheten]

3 c's.........must be nice!

 

[fire&ice]

Do you have a trusted jeweler for anything...timepiece, etc? If you get a referal to a benchman, you would be in a better postition.

Personally, I would use GOG. O.k. O.K. I have to part with my new bauble........but worth the piece of mind.

 

[marvi]

Icey,

We live in Elk Grove. Thanks for the heads up on Kenny G. We were going to check them out this weekend. We spent some time in Gossen's (also in EG). We explained that we were still learning and they were very helpful and spent quite a bit of time with us. At this time we were actually shopping for a "jeweler." Of course I didn't mention that we may buy the stone off the net, which is where we are leaning (price).

 

[Mara]

Lucy- you can get insurance for the stone while it travels via mail though I don't know the nuances of doing so. If you decide to go with an external setter that is...I would ask the vendor how they handle this because stones travel in the mail all the time, there has to be a way to secure it.

Good luck

 

[mifopa]

Hi - I read your post about KennyG in Elk grove and wanted to say that perhaps your experince with them was an anomaly. I have had more than a few extremely pleasant experiences with them as well as made a few purchases and I am having some family stones set in a wedding band by them right now. I usually deal with Tom who is the store manager. He has been honest and forthright with me - I have double checked what he has said on more than one occassion.

That being said, if you are still turned off by KennyG and Tom there cannot rectify it, I would direct you to Old Sacramento to visit Howard @ Skalet Jewelers. They recently completed a custom engagement ring for me. I brought in a 3 carat pear shaped diamond for them to create a custom setting for. They did an absolutely incredible job!!!! I cannot say enough about this jeweler!!!

Please let me know if I can help you any more...

Michael