Leon crafting a masterpiece-difficulty choosing side stones

[windowshopper]

Leon does not do much of the work--he is often over-extended and out sources a lot of it..................and he has no sense of urgency. you just have to be patient or find someone more customer servce oriented. there are several amazing bench jewelers in NYC ....................

 

[BeaudryBabe]

Wow, you guys are amazing!

Valeria, your really handy with Photoshop! Those photos really, really help me see the final product!

Yes, the stones will slope a bit and be mounted a little lower than the center stone, I just couldn''t visualize it.

The larger stones are more vibrant in my opinion...maybe they are still a possibility?

Anyway, Leon says...two more sets of sidestones to look at on Thursday as today and tomorrow are a Jewish holiday. Wow, I think there have been three of those since we started this process. Oh well, what can you do?

 

[BeaudryBabe]

Hi Cutey TT,

I look forward to following your project as well.

I am only 1 1/2 hours from Leon, but have not made the time to go visit. Working remote can work if you are good at visualization, unfortunately, I am not.

Windowshopper,

Bummer, I thought that Leon still does alot of the work. Well, guess I''ll have to wait and see how we progress.

Maybe a Christmas ring? Started with Beaudry in June...UGH!

Kaleigh,

I did enjoy following your project, what a beautiful ring...guess it''s a good lesson. Good things come to those who wait?!

 

[cutey TT]

Hi BB.

I can''t wait to see the other other sets of sidestones from Leon on Thursday...! Wow, maybe one of the previous posters is right...perhaps when I actually begin my diamond search, I will look at center stones + sidestones at Whiteflash where I can see everything in person and not have to visualize what it might look like via photos.

I know myself, I am such an impatient person...I don''t know if I can handle waiting 8, 9...11+ weeks. Then again, you''re definitely right...great things DO come to those who wait.

Haha, this is why I need to just go to Harry Winston and see what they have in stock, so that I can convince my husband that it''s worth not having to wait (+ we''ll be getting the HW brand name). We''ll definitely have to see though...my husband thinks I''m totally obsessed because I spend so much time surfing these boards. I told him the only way to get me to stop obsessing is to buy me my upgrade sooner rather than later...!

Stay patient, BB. We''re all waiting with you!

 

[BeaudryBabe]

Hi CutieTT,

I would love to buy a ring from Harry Winston! WOW...the jewelry on that website.

Anyway, thanks for the encouraging words. I am way too impatient, I tend to move at warp speed and expect the rest of the world to do the same.

Will post photos as soon as I get them!

 

[LadyluvsLuxury]

Date: 10/25/2005 7:27:23 AM
Author: windowshopper
Leon does not do much of the work--he is often over-extended and out sources a lot of it..................and he has no sense of urgency. you just have to be patient or find someone more customer servce oriented. there are several amazing bench jewelers in NYC ....................

Hmmm I did not know this little tidbit, interesting!!

I like the smaller bullets as well! And definitely shorter as Widget suggested!

 

[paintergirl]

AAHHHH! I was JUST going to paste the Leon ring that is your ''inspiration'' when I saw your post - perfect choice, I think! That is my all-time favorite ring (for which I am lobbying my DH to consider ''surprising'' me with!) and I LOVE the bullets, although it does look like he used smaller ones on the ring in the photo. I''d just ask Leon to make sure the bullets mimic the proportion he used on that ring - I think you can trust him!!!! (One thing, though, I did ask the size of the asscher in the photo and he said it was between a 2.5 and a 3 ct stone, if that makes a difference.)

Good luck, you''re in for such a treat!!!!

 

[BeaudryBabe]

Well gang, I''m excited...think we found the right bullets...what do you think?

Shorter, more in proportion.

YaY!

 

[jaz464]

Ummm, I''m sorry, but I still think they are too big for the center...Just a single person''s opinion though

 

[BeaudryBabe]

No problem Jazmine...it''s a very subjective thing. Remember, they will be mounted below the center stone, and angle down the shank. This photo shows them lying flat.

Thanks for your thoughts, greatly appreciated.

 

[Lorelei]

As you say we can''t get the complete picture as they are , but once set they could look great!! Unset doesn''t give a good idea, but I am sure your ring will be fabulous!

 

[widget]

I think they look great!

widget

 

[valeria101]

The last pair looks nicest for me too.

...and for what that matters, here''s why:

IMO, pictures are a bit tricky with these side stones - it is hard to tell from one if that is a 3 carat center stone with half carat sides or a one carat center with 10 pts sides. Perhaps everyone likes any given diamond to have been twice the actual mass, but using dinghy sidestones is not helping make the center grow - they just look silly to me in real life.

So.... trying to read what these things would look on a finger, the last pair wins. The other step cut bullets were a hair larger that I would have had them for myself, and the previous smaller pair looked glassy (at least in the photo).

 

[mrssalvo]

they still look a touch long for me, at least seemingly longer than in the ring you used as your inspiration but i''m not a good judge of how things will look set. If Leon thinks they will work i''d trust him.

here''s a side by said that may help show what i mean:

 

[Kerbear560]

BeaudryBabe, I just wanted to say that I LOVE the setting that is the inspiration for yours! It''s my favorite for an Asscher! I can''t wait to see your ring!!!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I think once set they will look great. Trust Leon if he says they will work, it will be stunning.

 

[Ann]

Regarding the side stones in the Leon ring that is pictured, are those true Bullets, or could they be Shield cuts??

 

[moremoremore]

Hmmm, not my taste b/c i think they are too long but your opinion is what matters...and we are talking about diamonds here!!! They are all beautiful in my book!

 

[BeaudryBabe]

Well, we are rolling...

Spoke with Leon on Monday, he has my deposit, side stones and instructions. He tells me that the goal is for the ring to be complete in 3-4 weeks, just a GOAL though.

I asked him, point blank, if my ring will be made by him...he hesitated before responding and said that he has many craftsmen/women there and that he directly oversees each piece made. He also said that he looks at every piece before it is shipped out. So, I guess that days of Leon actually making the entire ring are over. He tells me that he has apprentices that are learning his craft, so, we will see.

Now we wait....

 

[Kaleigh]

How exciting. I can''t wait to see it.

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 11/2/2005 1:59:03 PM
Author: BeaudryBabe

I asked him, point blank, if my ring will be made by him...he hesitated before responding and said that he has many craftsmen/women there and that he directly oversees each piece made. He also said that he looks at every piece before it is shipped out.

I dunno know about anyone else, but if I was paying the premium to get the name and the workmanship, I''d certainly be disappointed to know it''s not HIS workmanship.

 

[ame]

See I would be demanding it in writing that HE would be making it or I wouldn''t bother going through him or paying. If you are paying tat much you should be getting HIM not somebody that works for him, sorry, but that''s unacceptable. If he isn''t the one making it himself, the price should be lower.

 

[Kaleigh]

That''s very true. If he isn''t doing the work himself, seems a high price to pay for someone else''s work. Good point.

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 11/2/2005 2:13:06 PM
Author: ame
See I would be demanding it in writing that HE would be making it or I wouldn''t bother going through him or paying. If you are paying tat much you should be getting HIM not somebody that works for him, sorry, but that''s unacceptable. If he isn''t the one making it himself, the price should be lower.

I agree with ame. it could be argued however that Leon''s prices are far less than other designers i.e. Michael b, Daniel K, Mark Morrell etc so I guess he could raise his prices for custom Leon''s and have a lowered price for one of his bench guys???

 

[BeaudryBabe]

See, thats the thing...

I looked at Daniel K and the pieces I looked at were FAR more expensive, without sidestones.

The piece I had made by Beaudry (one of his bench jewelers) was almost double the price of the Leon. So, you could look at it two ways...

a. Leon should do less volume, make every piece himself and charge a huge premium

b. Leon continues with the higher volume and has bench jewelers make the majority of the pieces.

Daniel K isn''t making his jewelry, right?

 

[Kaleigh]

I bet Bill Pearlman can answer that BB. I bet he did in the beginning, but would doubt he does now. He''s gotten to big to be able to do that. Could be wrong though??

 

[widget]

(I just edited out my last post...realized I don't know what I'm talking about!)

 

[mrssalvo]

I''m pretty sure Michael b has 3 guys that make his settings. I don''t think Daniel K actually makes his either but I do believe there is some serious quality control from some of the big guys. I think Leon used to be hired by big name jewelers to make their settings and then starting doing things on his own. He may still do both. Anyway, I think his popularity and unique designs are makeing increasing the demand and he could very well soon be in the same league as the big guys, he''s just going to have to make sure the ones doing the work produce a product exactly like it came from his own hands..

 

[mepearl53]

Date: 11/2/2005 2:32:45 PM
Author: kaleigh
I bet Bill Pearlman can answer that BB. I bet he did in the beginning, but would doubt he does now. He''s gotten to big to be able to do that. Could be wrong though??

I believe I can. Most designers started out at the bench and understand all aspects of hand fabrication and casting. As we jewelers and consumers began to discover their work their need to produce more lead to taking on apprentices. It takes many years to train a superior bench jeweler and once a good one got trained they left and went out on their own. So the designers started looking for specific areas of expertise i.e setters, polishers etc. I can''t speak for LM for I do not know him and have never seen his work other than pictures. But I do know most designers today do not sit over the shoulders of their bench men and inspect every aspect of the work. Most will see a finished product if it''s a very special piece. The more usual pieces probably are looked at by a quality control person or shop foreman.

These folks are in business to do business. As my business has grown I have had to hire more employees to help me complete the work. With designers like Michael B and Michael Beaudry we may order a 100 pieces a year from each and there is no way they could service even my account if they did the work themselves. So a production line is the only way to efficiently move larger numbers of product through the demand door. I would suspect that if LM performed all of the work himself he would have trouble producing 75 originals a year. What would he have to charge for this is anybody''s guess but given the NYC over head cost it would probably turn most away. Does this lessen the value of the piece, no! All of the great names from the past retain a far greater percentage of value and interest when signed by the design studios. The great Faberge, Cartier, Lalique were design studios and look at the value of the items created under their eye or supervision of these houses.

With very specialized designers like Steven Kretchmer and Whitney they are very active in doing a percentage of the work themselves. But, in most cases, they are the only ones that can do the specialized work so they must be hands on. A good understudy can learn pave, bezel, channel setting, and other functions and be paid a fraction of the cost of what the designer would charge if they did it themselves. With the big names in design today they can charge what they need because they are so busy their heads are turning. But, this is true in all aspects of design. Decor, art, architecture etc. I would not stress that a designer did not preform the total work. If one tells you they did that''s another story. And this email took me a hour and 35 minutes to reply to for I got phone calls, questions, and customers walking in

 

[kanne]

WOW!!!!

Your ring is so Absolutley Completely Fabulous!! I am so excited for you and can't wait to see hand shots! I think the proportions are very good. Such a nice clean design too.. yum.

just realized that I sound like a valley girl. omigod. diamonds are frying my brain.