Jeweler Reemed my Choice for ER

[DebShine]

My BF and I went to a jeweler today. We had previously been shopping, studying, and getting a general idea of diamonds and settings on the interenet. I brought a picture of the setting I had in mind and WOAAAAA... did this guy (somewhat nicely) reem my choice.

The good news is that he told me why it was not a good setting and it made sense. The better news is that he asked to keep the pic, let him talk to his designer about designing the same type of ring, but with a better more realistic and comfortable design. He did all of this free of charge, with no expectation of (OK - well of course he is hoping) a buy right there and then.

I''m sooooo glad I went and talked to a jeweler and looked at the rings and diamonds in his store. I didn''t like any of the ring setting as much, but am excited at the prospect of getting "my" ring only better!

Thanks for reading!

 

[Yippee]

Thanks for sharing, DebShine!
I notice this is your second post, so you''re a neubie like myself. Welcome to PS!!!

What exciting news! Keep us posted on the design developments. Do you have a timeline?

 

[laurel25]

So what setting were you interested in and why did he say it wasn''t a good choice?

 

[sammyj]

Date: 1/14/2009 4:34:02 PM
Author: laurel25
So what setting were you interested in and why did he say it wasn''t a good choice?

That was the first thought that popped into my mind too! Please share (if you don''t mind...).

 

[DebShine]

I''m going to try to put the link on because I am new and don''t know how to add pics yet. Can I do that???

 

[DebShine]

This is the ring site:

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/-Engagement-Rings-5/Diamond-Accent-Engagement-Rings-12/

 

[DebShine]

So sorry... I promise, I will get better at this.... let''s try this instead! It''s Rochelle # D6359.

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/-Engagement-Rings-5/Diamond-Accent-Engagement-Rings-12/Diamond-Engagement-Ring-Setting--D6359-1756.html

 

[sammyj]

Date: 1/14/2009 4:40:18 PM
Author: DebShine
This is the ring site:

http://www.exceldiamonds.com/-Engagement-Rings-5/Diamond-Accent-Engagement-Rings-12/

Which ring is it on the page you posted?

To post a pic, copy it into Paint (or any other formatting program) and change the size so it's about 500x500. Then save it under a unique name and attach the file to your post. Hopefully that makes sense!

ETA: oops...we posted at the same time. What did the jeweller say about the setting?

 

[DebShine]

In anutshell, he said it would be very heavy and it needs the circle enclosed under the center stone.

 

[DebShine]

He did say more, but visibility is getting very low and I''m at work, so ought to go before a full blow blizzard erupts. Thanks for takin the time.

 

[sammyj]

Date: 1/14/2009 4:43:40 PM
Author: DebShine
In anutshell, he said it would be very heavy and it needs the circle enclosed under the center stone.

Hmmm...first, that setting is gorgeous! I''ve never seen anything like it!
Second, does he mean that you need an additional circle to support the basket that''s already in the setting? Are you making additional adjustments that warrant more support for the centre stone? It looks like substantial support to me, but I''m definitely not an expert in this area!

 

[BlueSki231]

Date: 1/14/2009 4:48:26 PM
Author: sammyj

Date: 1/14/2009 4:43:40 PM

Author: DebShine

In anutshell, he said it would be very heavy and it needs the circle enclosed under the center stone.

Hmmm...first, that setting is gorgeous! I''ve never seen anything like it!

Second, does he mean that you need an additional circle to support the basket that''s already in the setting? Are you making additional adjustments that warrant more support for the centre stone? It looks like substantial support to me, but I''m definitely not an expert in this area!

WOW - Gorgeous setting! Very unique!

I also agree - it doesn''t look like it needs support, but I''m no expert either! I have a hard time thinking that excel would sell an engagement ring that didn''t fully support the center stone..
But hey, give your jeweler a chance and see what he comes up with - maybe you''ll like his design better!
But if I were you I would personally take the picture to several different jewelers and see what kind of reaction you get from each of them..

 

[Judah Gutwein]

Deb,

I just wanted to briefly comment on this thread in order to make it clear that we would not offer this setting for sale (and as namaste points out) if it presented a threat to the structural integrity of the diamond. With all due respect to your local jeweler who disagrees, the reality is that this custom made setting is extremely durable and absolutely does not warrant any additional support of the center diamond whatsoever.

In fact, the beauty of this setting is in the profile.
'Course it's much easier to manufacture it with a ring on the bottom, but it has no bearing on the support required to adequately protect the center stone.

We wouldn't sell this setting if it posed a liability to the diamond, to the consumer and to our company.

Whatever your decision, best of luck!!

 

[DebShine]

Thank you all. And thank you Judah. I''ll show Brian these posts also. I''m glad everyone likes the ring... obviously I did too! I''ll keep you all informed! Course, when I do show Brian these posts, he''s probably going to suggest a Cracker Jack Box and seeing what we can get out of that!

 

[laurel25]

Were you planning on having this jeweler make a version of this setting exactly? Do you have an existing relationship with this jeweler? I would just be very careful with this place. Very often they will make up reasons why something won''t work or will cost more to mask the fact that they aren''t all that knowlegable or don''t have a very talented bench. It sounds bad, but it''s true - there are LOTS of people working in the jewelry industry who know nothing about jewelry or jewelry design. Try visiting some other jewelers and see what they say, or why not just get the setting from the place you found it and have your jeweler of choice set the stone.

 

[DebShine]

This is small but very nice jewelry shop - nothing hugely fancy, but very clean and tasteful. The jeweler picks out the diamonds often himself, and visits Belgium to do this occasionally. I talked in depth with him for two days and did like him and everything he said echoes what I''ve been reading on diamonds and reputable sites. His selection of diamonds were all beautiful (ideals - wow - the fire), his philosophy seemed realistic, and he was very excited about his craft. He has a designer that designed a beautifully unique three-stone that was nothing short of impressive (and I''m not a three-stone fan). That said, I realize that it doesn''t mean he doesn''t want the sale. Anyway, Judah''s got me thinking again!

 

[princesss]

Stories like this are the stories that make me think, "If you like it, buy the original." Obviously, the people who created the setting knew what they were doing, and the person you''re dealing with doesn''t know enough to make it work.

 

[BriBee]

Did he explain to you why he said it would be very heavy? That comment also seemed strange to me, especially since this ring comes in white gold...even if it were made in platinum I don't really see how it could be that heavy.

ETA: Did you notice that Excel provides a lifetime warranty? So even if there was a problem, they guarantee the ring. And like Judah said, they wouldn't sell something (or guarantee it for a lifetime) if it wasn't structurally sound.

 

[laurel25]

Date: 1/14/2009 5:55:26 PM
Author: princesss
Stories like this are the stories that make me think, ''If you like it, buy the original.'' Obviously, the people who created the setting knew what they were doing, and the person you''re dealing with doesn''t know enough to make it work.

Ditto.

 

[DebShine]

He showed us a setting in store that was about as thick and asked us if we had seen ring and knew if the diamonds were "ventilated". He suggested it had to be a certain thickness to get the diamonds set... and they would be hard to clean if not ventilate... guess I (or Brian) needs to ask Judah these questions. Who knew this was so involved??? Excel has been great. Barry and Judah have been informative and helpful. I''m feeling good asking questions because whatever is decided upon, at least we put some time into it... thanks all.

 

[princesss]

Date: 1/14/2009 6:01:56 PM
Author: DebShine
I''m feeling good asking questions because whatever is decided upon, at least we put some time into it... thanks all.

That''s a great attitude to have. If you''re asking questions and really getting a handle on the situation, you know what you end up with is just right for you.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 1/14/2009 5:55:26 PM
Author: princesss
Stories like this are the stories that make me think, ''If you like it, buy the original.'' Obviously, the people who created the setting knew what they were doing, and the person you''re dealing with doesn''t know enough to make it work.

Ditto...sounds like the jeweler is just trying to get the sale. I would not try to have someone replicate that setting, personally. While you''re at it, Excel carries some very fine diamonds, too.

 

[misskitty]

What a GORGEOUS setting! While my own preferences are for asscher and emerald stones, if I were looking at round diamonds, this would be a top choice for sure!

Date: 1/14/2009 5:55:26 PM
Author: princesss
Stories like this are the stories that make me think, ''If you like it, buy the original.'' Obviously, the people who created the setting knew what they were doing, and the person you''re dealing with doesn''t know enough to make it work.

I totally agree with this. I''m also inclined to agree with Judah''s comment that the beauty of that setting is in the profile.

 

[mrscushion]

Wow! I''ve never seen a setting like that before and just love it. It looks amazing and yes, the beauty is in the profile. I tend to agree with the group here that if you love the original, it''s affordable and you get a warranty from a jeweler who is very respected here on the site, you should probably go with the original. I don''t doubt that you''ve found a local jeweler who is great, too, but hey, why take the risk of a reproduction when the original is affordable? I can see getting a repro if the original were, say, from Cartier and just too expensive, but the Excel price seems extremely reasonable. Anyway, just my $0.02. But I think whatever you do, the outcome will be gorgeous.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 1/14/2009 4:43:40 PM
Author: DebShine
In anutshell, he said it would be very heavy and it needs the circle enclosed under the center stone.

Honestly? Sounds like a bunch of BS to me to try and steal the sale...

 

[that_someone_special]

Date: 1/14/2009 7:20:03 PM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 1/14/2009 4:43:40 PM
Author: DebShine
In anutshell, he said it would be very heavy and it needs the circle enclosed under the center stone.

Honestly? Sounds like a bunch of BS to me to try and steal the sale...

I agree!!!

 

[DebShine]

Well, Brian and I are still reading and keeping all thoughts in mind. Thanks all - I''ll let ya know!

 

[musey]

Late, but here is the ring for easy click-free viewing:

 

[musey]

side view:

 

[musey]

Date: 1/14/2009 5:40:40 PM
Author: laurel25
Were you planning on having this jeweler make a version of this setting exactly? Do you have an existing relationship with this jeweler? I would just be very careful with this place. Very often they will make up reasons why something won''t work or will cost more to mask the fact that they aren''t all that knowlegable or don''t have a very talented bench.

Yup, I was going to say the same.