Japanese settings

[froot loop]

So I'm looking for a solitaire platinum setting for a ~1ct princess cut stone (already in my possession). I've figured out that what I like is a ring where there's some shape to the shank... i.e., not just a straight across band.

Settings with some curve to the shank don't seem to be very popular here in the US, but I've found that it's being shown quite a bit at japanese jewelers such as Niwaka and Tasaki.

My questions is this: How do I find jewelery like this here in the US (I live in NYC). I can't afford Niwaka's outrageous $1500 setting penalty. Can I somehow obtain japanese jewelery catalogs and order straight from the manufacturer? Are there lower priced japanese jewelers to be found here in the US? Are there any US sources of similarly designed settings? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Here are some examples (from the above sites) that I like. They're clean, elegant, but the shape of the ring keeps it from being boring:

 

[fisiogrl]

Oh cool.

I like the bottom right one. Do you have a side view?

I bet you could get a US jeweller to custom make exactly what you are after. I tried on an angled 3 stone ring at a local designer in Vancouver and loved it (I think it was Costen Catbalue) - very nice looking and I really liked the way that it followed the angle of my finger. It wasn''t fighting to cut straight across.

Let''s see what the other people out there know about these type of rings...

 

[valeria101]

You may be in luck with a custom made setting. IMO, the finish for those rings is quite a bit better than what I'd hope from random web shops selling stock settings with their diamonds... but having the ring made on order would allow any adjustment.


Speaking of the angled bands... the model seems very sutable for a princess cut which would fit with the lines of the ring.

There is such an example (but a heavier ring overall) on the site of a jewelry designer who has recently started posting here. Working around an existing example can only makes things easier.

This is it:



There is more where this comes from - LINK to source

 

[TheDoctor]

Date: 12/29/2005 12:43:50 AM
Author:froot loop

So I''m looking for a solitaire platinum setting for a ~1ct princess cut stone (already in my possession). I''ve figured out that what I like is a ring where there''s some shape to the shank... i.e., not just a straight across band.

Settings with some curve to the shank don''t seem to be very popular here in the US, but I''ve found that it''s being shown quite a bit at japanese jewelers such as Niwaka and Tasaki.

My questions is this: How do I find jewelery like this here in the US (I live in NYC). I can''t afford Niwaka''s outrageous $1500 setting penalty. Can I somehow obtain japanese jewelery catalogs and order straight from the manufacturer? Are there lower priced japanese jewelers to be found here in the US? Are there any US sources of similarly designed settings? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Here are some examples (from the above sites) that I like. They''re clean, elegant, but the shape of the ring keeps it from being boring:

I hope that you won''t be offended if I add some comments to you post.
A $1500.00 setting "penalty" isn''t all that outrageous. There are platinumsmiths, and then, there are platinumsmiths.
The prices people are commonly quoted on some internet sites are rock-bottom, but in some cases, so is the overall quality and finish....but the price sticks in the mind of the surfer.

Funny, that the diamond trade always gets their profit, but the person who makes the mounting is generally very poorly compensated. I would suggest that the person who sold you your diamond didn''t cut or polish it, grade it, or maybe didn''t even see it, but they pocketed at least $1000.00 by shipping it to you.

The person who makes the mounting you desire in platinum will use a minimum of $250.00 cost in raw material, will pay someone to carve a model and someone else to cast in platinum, pay another person to finish the casting to a fine lustre, and then pay someone else to securely set your stone. Even if they perform all of these functions by themselves in a fully-equipped workshop, the costs of running that workshop must be shared by all of the clients.

So, how much profit do you think that they are pocketing with your $1500.00?

I only brought this up because I see countless online posts where the poster has spend well over $10,000.00 on a diamond, and is unwilling to spend 10% of that cost on a proper mounting. This is one of the main reasons why there is such a high volume of truly undesireable workmanship available, both in stores and online.

There are fewer and fewer goldsmiths/platinumsmiths entering thr job market every year in North America because there simply isn''t enough emphasis placed on the importance of good craftsmanship, and those who work on production lines are paid a pittance. I would NEVER advise a youngster to enter the trade.

So, I apologize once more for my rant on this topic, but if the purpose of this forum is education, then people should understand that the bench jewellers that make their diamonds look lovely in durable, beautifully-executed settings aren''t getting fat making these mountings. They barely scrape by.

 

[froot loop]

Date: 12/29/2005 3:20:56 AM
Author: fisiogrl
Oh cool.

I like the bottom right one. Do you have a side view?

Sadly, no. These are the only pictures I could get, and I almost had to speak japanese to find them!

I like that follow on design, but I am looking for something a little thinner. It looks like I may have to go custom, but I just keep thinking that what I'm asking for isn't too complicated, that someone should already offer it! If only dreams were reality...

TheDoctor, I think you're absoultely right about being willing to spend good money on a good piece of jewelery. I guess my tastes just run higher than my wallet

I guess that's part of the reason I'm looking for stock as opposed to custom made. However, I think I'll go take another look at Niwaka, and if I just can't live without it I'm sure I'll make it happen somehow... Cereal for breakfast/lunch/dinner for the next few months, perhaps?

But if anyone knows of any jewelers that currently offer similar pieces, let me know!

 

[Dee Jay]

I agree wholeheartedly with TheDoctor. I just received an upgrade of my engagement ring for X-mas and while the stone is absolutely beautiful, the "workmanship" on the setting is frankly just crap. They took my old ring and somehow jammed a bigger head in between the side stones and called it a day. Plus the finish on the bottom of the band looks "wrinkled." I plan to take the whole thing over to a really quality platinumsmiths who has done a number of pieces for me and have him just remake the whole thing from scratch rather than even deal with this cobbled together setting that I''m left with. A good setting makes all the difference in the world and the people who produce them are truly artists.

The obivious question is why I didn''t just have a new setting made in the first place. The diamond had to be shipped and the seller would only ship a set stone (something about insurance?), so I foolishly hoped that whole package would be well done and I would just get my completed ring and get on with my life. A little inconvenience in the form of having a second setting made is a small price to pay for the diamond of my dreams, but seriously, a bad setting can ruin an entire piece.

 

[froot loop]

One more thought, then I''ll be quiet and let someone else talk

I am in NYC... Anyone know of nice jewelers in some of the asian parts of town? You know, not ones that advertise "we buy your gold and diamonds for top dollar!"

Also, someone from San Francisco: I see that there are 2 jewelers in Japantown (Miseki Jewelry, & Negisihi Jewelry). Anyone know anything about them? Might they have settings like I''m looking for?

How about Dallas, Washington DC, etc? I travel for a living, and could make it just about anywhere if I were convinced I''d find some pieces that I''d love.

 

[sylvesterii]

perhaps i am mistaken, but a "mounting penalty" sounds like it is $1,500 to MOUNT an independently purchased stone into the purchased ring, not $1500 for the actual ring. perhaps it should be a lost-profit on a sub-par diamond fee when that customer is looking to find a really good diamond. (sarcasm. that is a crazy amount of money to set a stone).

If it is $1500 for the actual setting, yeah, that isn't unreasonable.

 

[froot loop]

Date: 12/29/2005 11:44:55 AM
Author: sylvesterii
perhaps i am mistaken, but a 'mounting penalty' sounds like it is $1,500 to MOUNT an independently purchased stone into the purchased ring, not $1500 for the actual ring.

That is correct. It is $1,500 IN ADDITION to what I would pay for the setting itself. $1500 for the setting itself is reasonable, and would be within my budget.

 

[gailrmv]

Date: 12/29/2005 12:12:27 PM
Author: froot loop

Date: 12/29/2005 11:44:55 AM
Author: sylvesterii
perhaps i am mistaken, but a ''mounting penalty'' sounds like it is $1,500 to MOUNT an independently purchased stone into the purchased ring, not $1500 for the actual ring.

That is correct. It is $1,500 IN ADDITION to what I would pay for the setting itself. $1500 for the setting itself is reasonable, and would be within my budget.

I agree with you - and it is consistent with the doctor''s point too - $1500 is a fine price to pay for a good quality setting and allows the jeweler to be paid fairly. As a "penalty," I agree with you that it is ridiculous! I wouldn''t want to pay that either. Any chance they would negotiate? I love the original photos you posted. I''m not in NY, but when I was there recently I browsed some jewelry stores in Chinatown and saw a real range - some great deals, some interesting jewelry, some total crap and lots of ripoffs too. Maybe you can hook up with a friend who is familiar with the stores and go together.

 

[sylvesterii]

talk to wink http://www.winkjones.com about having it made custom from platinum. I beleive his platinumsmith is in NYC, so even though he is in idaho, you could probably meet with them to discuss the project.

 

[Kaili]

JCJD''s ring looks similar to what you are looking for. Maybe you could PM her and ask about the jeweler.

 

[elepri]

This guy is not Japanese but, supposedly, does an amazing job replicating other designers. He did my friend''s rings, both e-ring and w-ring and she was thrilled with both.

 

[flower12]

hi! I am from Japan.

here is URL of pic of the kind style ring.

https://www.trecenti.com/br/theart_index.html
http://www.kyuhodo.com/marriege/marriege_top.html
http://www.kyuhodo.com/engagement/engagement_2.html
you can see big picture if you click the picture.
http://zexy.net/cgi-bin/r.cgi/ring/DISP101

http://www.four-cs.com/settings/index.htm


this setting( picture one) is Pt 900
\49,800 ( $429 )@(for 0.800-1.200ct)
I really don''t know why ...but Pt or 18K is very cheaper in the japan than here USA.


the setting from
from this site
http://www2p.biglobe.ne.jp/~yabune/waku.htm

 

[valeria101]

Has anyone seen such a thing with a princess cut? It may be awkward to peg a square head on a setting like that if it wasn''t meant for it, and the overall flowing lines of the design would be gone...

 

[froot loop]

Flower 12, what fabulous links! You''re spot on in terms of the type of designs I''m looking for. Now I just need someone who speaks japanese to help me order it and ship it

valeria101, you''re absolutely right... the picture flower12 posted probably isn''t appropriate for a princess cut stone. But how about this:

With a princess cut stone in there, the diamond would rest at a slight angle. I wonder if the curves matched with the square would look kinda modern/cool? What do you all think? Opinions appreciated!

 

[valeria101]

Date: 12/30/2005 12:01:20 AM
Author: froot loop

With a princess cut stone in there, the diamond would rest at a slight angle. I wonder if the curves matched with the square would look kinda modern/cool? What do you all think? Opinions appreciated!

Glad you asked. It sounds lovely to me!

The small picture doesn't allow much detail to be seen.

I would imagine the shank and the setting of the princes (be it bezel or not) could be linked as they are in This Ring v- as opposed to having a stock basket soldered on top of a loop

Most of the detail on a ring like this, does not show at all in the top down view... It may not be such a surprise that there's little difference between a fine handmade setting and the cheapest when shown like that.

And a version of the above would end up like this:

 

[valeria101]

Btw. for what a random opinion might matter, of the Niwaka website, a certain ring setting seems particularly suitable for a square stone... (see below).

Aparently it is a tension or channel setting. Technically, not unlike this one only styled differently.

 

[cardesigner]

Am actually located in Japan and was also attracted by the Niwaka settings. Since Niwaka in Japan don''t accept loose stones anymore, we looked at other shops and found many similar designs. However the majority of settings from Japan are made for smaller stones around 0.3 to maybe 0.5 carats. In the end we ended up going the full custom route and have found a great metalsmith here in Tokyo. We ended up showing him all the brochures and some pics we took at the other stores (with their permission of course.) The best part is that it didn''t cost us any more than buying a pre-made setting and we got a much better diamond for the price. It was really important to see the settings in real life and try them on, since they often looked great in photos, but looked quite different when actually wearing them. We ended up going for something like the one in the upper left.