I learned why PS vendors are worth the $$!

[j8a8n8e8t]

As a newbie diamond buyer doing my research I sometimes scratched my head at why some PS vendors were recommended since they didn''t necessarily have the best prices. I figured it had to do w/ service, but being young and trying to save money, I had almost convinced myself I would be fine w/ a minimal, no-frills buying experience.

However, I heeded all the advice of the many who had gone before me and I did end up using a PS vendor to buy my stone, which was a great experience. Can''t thank Katie at Abazias enough for all of her endless patience and help. She always returned my calls or emails within a couple of hours. Plus she was happy to price match for me when I found a lower listed price on the exact same stone. I was thrilled.

Unfortunately, I had my heart set on a setting that wasn''t carried by any PS vendors, which led me into uncharted waters. We ended up contacting a vendor named Charles at D''Auria in NY who had the best prices on this particular setting. I had never heard of this company before so I posted to PS a month back to ask for any recommendations or opinions. Got back an overwhelming *0* responses from this diamond obsessed crowd! I should have taken that as a sign to run, but we forged ahead anyway, figuring if we did our due diligence in asking typical questions about repairs, maintenance, return/exchange policies, etc, we would be ok. It seemed worth the risk to save some money.

Guess the due diligence was a little too much for this non-PS vendor to handle because upon being questioned about these very basic things, he basically told us to get lost, that he didn''t want to deal with "difficult" customers and ceased answering any emails/calls from us. Sheesh. I can sort of understand having an "artistic temperament", but this seemed beyond reason. And talk about shady. At least we hadn''t sent him the stone yet and the only thing we lost was some wasted time.

So let that be a lesson to me and any others who care about bottom line price at the expense of all else--sometimes it just isn''t worth it! I''d rather pay a slight premium to a jeweler I can trust to be responsive and do the work reliably. I just thought I would share and hopefully help out anyone else who is in my position, after having reaped the benefits of so many other peoples'' help on this site.

Now I just have to find that jeweler! Anyone know of a PS vendor who carries this Gonschor setting? Saw some other threads about it from way back when, but none of the vendors mentioned appear to be PS-recommended. And I am not going down the non-PS route again!!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I'm sorry you didn't receive a response to your initial query. Unfortunately while we're all diamond enthusiasts, we're not all experts on settings and who carries what brands. Perhaps no one knew the answer to your question. Are you totally set on this setting? What do you like about it? Honestly, I've seen many other settings that are similar, some from PS vendors (check Whiteflash). You could also consider going the custom route with one of the PS vendors if you're really uncomfortable going into uncharted waters and are adamant on having this exact setting for your ring. As for the vendor you approached? I'm sorry if he was a jerk and not receptive to your questions. That's really unfortunate, but I believe you may have dodged a HUGE bullet.

 

[j8a8n8e8t]

Thanks!

I really do have my heart set on this one. There are definitely many like it and I have probably looked at most of the ones you''re probably thinking of (Ritani, Michael b, Bez Ambar, etc), but it''s the detailing of this one that I really love--I''m an architect and kind of picky about details. Gonshor just got it all right, for me anyway. I am concerned that a custom job won''t be able to accurately replicate these details, not to mention that I think it will probably be more expensive than just purchasing the actual setting. I might have to just go the non-PS route, although I''m a bit gunshy about it at this point.

And I totally didn''t mean to imply that folks on PS weren''t helpful during my first query! On the contrary, PS has been so helpful for me for so many other queries. I meant it to show that a forum full of people who are super-knowledgeable about diamonds and jewelry, when they don''t have a single good thing to say about the vendor I mentioned, I should have taken it as a sign to avoid avoid avoid!

 

[zzbaron]

j8a8n8e8t – Check out Solomon Brothers. It looks like they are selling your setting for $3435. I have no idea if that is a good price or not. You can do a search on PS about this company to see if you are comfortable working with them. Doing a quick search I didn’t find anything negative so that’s always a plus. I wouldn’t be so hung up on just using a PS vendor (although I believe they are) as I would with does the vendor have good reviews from PS members. I hope this helps.

 

[JulieN]

Doesn''t Ritani make something similar?

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

You can also purchase the setting somewhere and then purchase a stone from and have it set by a PS vendor.

 

[j8a8n8e8t]

Thanks everyone!

I think Solomon bros. will be my next stop! Hope it works out this time.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Yes, I was going to say what Hudson said, which is buying the setting and then having it set by someone local whom you trust or a PS vendor.

 

[j8a8n8e8t]

Thanks for the suggestion. I would love to buy the setting and have someone I trust set it, but I think it is one of those scenarios where the setting is made semi-custom. Kind of like Ritani, where the vendor sends your stone to Gonshor and they makes the setting to fit your stone, set it, and send it back to vendor.

I guess I could try to see if any vendors have stock display settings lying around that will fit my stone and that they will sell for less, but it seems somewhat unlikely.

 

[Collee]

LOVE this setting. Contact Solomon and ask if they have a sample/stock setting that they could send you. Check their return policy and make sure that you return the setting within the stated time period.

I actually purchased a stock piece when I was deciding on a setting. I was 100% upfront with the vendor about my desire to just purchase for viewing purposes and had no intention of permanently keeping the setting. The vendor was more than understanding and accommodating.

 

[Maisie]

I''m really sorry that you didn''t have a good experience with the vendor you talked to. Its unfortunate that some do treat their customers this way. Thats why we can only recommend vendors we have worked with. Great customer service is really valued on Pricescope.

If the price of that setting is indeed around $3500 I can assure you that companies like Brian Gavin Diamonds can make a similar setting for you without it costing you more, in fact it will probably cost you less. And you can get your diamond from them too. Have you had a chance to look at their work? They have a gallery on their site... Link

I am sure there are other companies you can try but I am recommending Brian Gavin based on the last few purchases I have made being from him.