Interesting question... mixing brands?

[Nocturnius]

I was just curious how most people feel about mixing brands when it comes to wedding sets, i.e. the engagement ring is one designer and the wedding band is another. Would you think about it if your engagement ring was Cartier and the band was a different brand? Would it bother you, or would all that mattered be that they looked good together?

Also, what about if the engagement ring was a brand name, but the band was crafted custom by a local jeweler? Would either situation bother you, or is this something you wouldn't even think twice about?

 

[bgray]

I prefer mixing things--nothing worse than matchy matchy. My e-ring ring was custom made with multiple eternity bands from other designers

 

[asscherisme]

It would never occur to me to let it bother me.

If you like the look together, thats what matters.

 

[decodelighted]

I think there are few rings that SCREAM the brand identity ... and even those are so often knocked off that I can't imagine many people KNOWING the name-brand origin of either ring much less caring!

So ... get whatcha like!

ETA: If it makes you feel better ... I saw a newsletter Gwyeneth Paltrow put out recently where she mixes a Balenciaga wallet with a Tod's bag. NOTHING is more boring IMHO than LV wallet, LV bag, LV key fob, LV cellphone case blah blah. BRAND OVERKILL!!!! NO IMAGINATION!!!

 

[neatfreak]

I love mixing and matching. I really couldn''t care less about the brand if I love the item.

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Date: 10/11/2008 12:42:06 PM
Author:Nocturnius
I was just curious how most people feel about mixing brands when it comes to wedding sets, i.e. the engagement ring is one designer and the wedding band is another. Would you think about it if your engagement ring was Cartier and the band was a different brand? Would it bother you, or would all that mattered be that they looked good together?

Also, what about if the engagement ring was a brand name, but the band was crafted custom by a local jeweler? Would either situation bother you, or is this something you wouldn''t even think twice about?

Hello nocturnius,
I see "mixed" brands all the time. The important issue to keep in mind at appraisal time is to make the distinction.The appraisal should clearly describe where the item was purchased (i.e. Cartier) or who fabricated/designed the
ring. This is very important information for you and your insurance company to have on file in the event of a loss.

www.metrojewelryappraisers.com

 

[Kelli]

It wouldn''t bother me at all, but none of my stuff is (or will be) brand name.

 

[radiantquest]

nope it wouldnt bother me at all. i think that maybe if the ering was bought because of the name and not the style then maybe the band being the same brand would matter. mine are going to be from two different stores. than brand thing never even crossed my mind.

 

[White Orchid]

It wouldn''t bother me at all. I bought the band that was designed to go with my ering without even looking at it. After a few months, I bought another band from another shop entirely that looked better. The label''s not the important part, it''s how you feel about it that matters.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

My e-ring is a Tacori but my WB is custom made by my B&M. I think there is nothing wrong with it.

 

[AprilBaby]

I buy by style, not by name, so if it matches better..go for it!

 

[geckodani]

Never thought about it, honestly. My ering is a Scott Kay and the wedding bands I''m looking at right now are from Overstock.com, LOL.

 

[Nocturnius]

Yeah, I figure I''ll explain my question now.

Basically, there''s an engagement ring by a brand that I love. And with engagement settings, you decide the quality of the center stone, so I feel confident about that.

But the diamond band I''d like to go with it is preset, and when DH and I looked at the price tag and asked what quality the diamonds were, I personally felt we could do better elsewhere (although he din''t really see the big deal, I did.) And we could: I talked to a private jeweler who could replicate the band and allow us to hand-select the stones. When the cost was estimated, it was only slightly more expensive than the preset band, and was estimated with higher-quality stones.

[Just to give you all insight so you know where I''m coming from, the preset band had stones with a color of H and VS1 clarity grade. Not bad stones at all, obviously, but the private jeweler could replicate the band with E color, VVS1 diamonds for a reasonably low price difference.]

The brand difference wouldn''t bother me personally, because a diamond band is a diamond band in my opinion.

But someone mentioned something I''m curious about now... does the name make a difference in the appraisal? Would a custom piece be appraised for less than a big name like Cartier or Tiffany? It would make sense, I guess, but that would be such a bummer to have a better-quality band appraised for equal or less than a brand band that was of a lesser quality! Boo!

 

[marcy]

It wouldn''t bother me at all. What matters is that you like it.

 

[decodelighted]

Well .. hearing more about your situation ... I''d personally go with the name brand band. Smaller stones aren''t certed usually & so you''re depending on the jeweler''s idea of what an "E" "VVS1" is ... the brand name has standards to keep w/their reputation & probably has better suppliers.

Also: h to e, vs1 to vvs1 don''t seem like huge leaps for such tiny stones. Unless you plan to be lookng at them with a loupe everyday, the clarity diff. wouldn''t be a big deal at all. And, depending on the color of your center stone ... why go to E in smaller stones? They look whiter ANYWAY ... due to size. Super white smaller stones might actually make your main stone look warmer.

Plus I just don''t think many jewelers can really pull off bands to designer standards as custom jobs. Just have seen SO MANY problems here on Pricescope. Blerg. Why go to all that trouble & risk for a teensy inconsequential gain that might not even flatter your main stone.

**shrug**

 

[sabinameister]

I have a Tacori e-ring and a micro pave band by Simon G and the diamonds used in the pave are both spectacular. I do not think that brand names matter in terms of appraisal for insurance purposes, but I have not had to replace a band, only my center stone when it got chipped and still then cut and cert info did not matter to them

But it worked out for the better for me anyway.

 

[oldmancoyote]

Date: 10/11/2008 9:25:29 PM
Author: Nocturnius
Yeah, I figure I'll explain my question now.

Basically, there's an engagement ring by a brand that I love. And with engagement settings, you decide the quality of the center stone, so I feel confident about that.

But the diamond band I'd like to go with it is preset, and when DH and I looked at the price tag and asked what quality the diamonds were, I personally felt we could do better elsewhere (although he din't really see the big deal, I did.) And we could: I talked to a private jeweler who could replicate the band and allow us to hand-select the stones. When the cost was estimated, it was only slightly more expensive than the preset band, and was estimated with higher-quality stones.

[Just to give you all insight so you know where I'm coming from, the preset band had stones with a color of H and VS1 clarity grade. Not bad stones at all, obviously, but the private jeweler could replicate the band with E color, VVS1 diamonds for a reasonably low price difference.]

The brand difference wouldn't bother me personally, because a diamond band is a diamond band in my opinion.

But someone mentioned something I'm curious about now... does the name make a difference in the appraisal? Would a custom piece be appraised for less than a big name like Cartier or Tiffany? It would make sense, I guess, but that would be such a bummer to have a better-quality band appraised for equal or less than a brand band that was of a lesser quality! Boo!

Well - the appraisal value for insurance purposes ("new for old") is supposed to be the replacement value of the item. Obviously, the replacement value of a currently made Tiffany or Cartier item is its price, since substantially the same item can be bought at any Tiffany or Cartier store for that price. The fact that the price includes a robust mark-up because of overheads and "brand value" is neither here nor there. If you want another one of those, that's what you've got to pay.

The replacement value of the local jeweller's ring is the value of materials plus labour and a fair margin. That is clearly more difficult to estimate than the branded item's, but it is very likely that - barring major differences in materials content - it does not add up to the brand equity built up by names such as Cartier or Tiffany. This is regardless of whether the quality of the item (or the service provided) is higher or lower than the branded one.

The matter becomes slightly more complex when you look at items no longer produced or made to order, but the brand value equation remains. Most people will pay more for branded items, whether new or used, whether on a catalogue or custom made, than they will pay for equivalent or better items with no brand.

Oh, and to your original question: I wouldn't give two hoots about brands matching; the only thing that matters is whether you like the match. Apart from all the reasons others have already mentioned, I have rarely seen people asking others to remove their rings so they could check the signature.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 10/12/2008 12:09:04 AM
Author: sabinameister
I have a Tacori e-ring and a micro pave band by Simon G and the diamonds used in the pave are both spectacular. I do not think that brand names matter in terms of appraisal for insurance purposes,

Of course it matters. If you have a Tiffany band and need to replace it, you wouldn't want them to be able to replace it with a band from Kay's right? That's why it matters, because you need to be made whole again and a designer item costs more to be made whole. And the cut and cert info should matter too, you might want to revisit your insurance coverage if you are with a company that doesn't care about that. They should!


And to the OP: I agree with Deco. If the original band has questionable stones in terms of cut, then I'd consider going custom. But completely not worth it to change to E VVS2. You'll never see the difference in such small stones anyway.

 

[MMT]

I would buy whatever you like and not worry about brands

 

[Moko]

I don’t mind mixing brands for myself, but I do worry about warranty issues when comes to a wedding set.

I own a Scott Kay pave engagement ring in platinum and probably I will stay with Scott Kay pave band for wedding band. I am bit worried about if the diamonds of wedding band may eat up my e-ring’s prongs. If we stay with the same brand for both e-ring and wedding band, the designer will try (I hope) to take care of the problem in stead of blaming us on mixing brands or blaming other designer or whoever made the other ring. But maybe it’s just me. I am kind of person who always thinks the worst-case scenario.

But if you did not find anything you like from the same brand, then go for what you really like.
However, if you go for a custom ring, check their return policy carefully! Their job may and may not meet your expectation.

 

[JLF2009]

The ring I have now came from a small local store and since it is such an unusual shape, I am going to have to have the bands custom made to fit. I doubt that I am going to be able to go to the same store, since it is in a different state and would be kind of hard to get to on a regular basis. I am not worried about it.

I would bet that people would not even notice. Most brand names are unrecognizable to the average shopper. As long as the overall look is good, who cares if the rings match?

 

[DiamondGirlHH]

Mixing brands are perfectly fine as soon as you enjoy wearing them.

I prefer certain jewelry brands over generic because of their styling, quality, uniqueness and customer service. My engagement ring is from Verragio which I fell in love from the moment I laid my eyes on it without knowing the brand but it makes me feel good to know that there is a reputable that company stands behind their product and you know for sure what you are getting.

I also have some fashion pieces from Roberto Coin and Color Story.