Leon Mege – what just happened and why?

[kenny]

So when LM buys a diamond to set for a client he pays the exact same retail price you or I would?

 

[karpouzi]

Date: 2/17/2010 11:51:11 AM
Author: kenny
So when LM buys a diamond to set for a client he pays the exact same retail price you or I would?

No, the OP wrote:

I emailed him back saying I wanted a more square proportioned cushion so he sent me another GIA report of a different cushion (1ct F VS2 6.51x6.41x3.5) with a new price of just the diamond itself. I was again able to find that exact diamond online priced at $4800. Because I knew his price and the retail price I able to figure out the discounts he was giving me on these cushions. He asked me not to disclose what his selling prices were so I will honor that.

 

[Maisie]

It strikes me that Leon might have been a bit naughty here. He wouldn''t give a quote based on the new stone, even though the OP had the measurements there. I wonder if he thought that once he had the stone and quoted $5000 that the OP would just think ''Oh well, its there now....I might as well just pay the extra money''.

If Leon had been willing to quote without the stone in hand it would have saved all this time and trouble.

 

[bgray]

Author: Maisie
It strikes me that Leon might have been a bit naughty here. He wouldn''t give a quote based on the new stone, even though the OP had the measurements there. I wonder if he thought that once he had the stone and quoted $5000 that the OP would just think ''Oh well, its there now....I might as well just pay the extra money''.


If Leon had been willing to quote without the stone in hand it would have saved all this time and trouble.[/quote]


I know Leon is worshipped by many but I had a similar and far more expensive quote discrepancy--he plays games. Every one of these vendors has an agenda --lets not forget--to make money and be in business. I have no problem with that but some of them are not the beneficent artistes people make them out to be....I have voiced issues with ERD''s gamesmanship with selling stones on many occasions and have been positively mauled for it. Everyone needs to rememeber these people are all in business. It doesnt mean that they are bad or dishonest but they are dealing in their own interest at all times just like real estate agents or most sales people.

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Date: 2/17/2010 11:51:11 AM
Author: kenny
So when LM buys a diamond to set for a client he pays the exact same retail price you or I would?

Leon asked me once to confirm that the prices were indeed the best offered and that he was getting the best online price from his vendor. He made it seem like there was a vendor or middleman this may have been deception, it is mere speculation on who actually earns the markup.

What I can say though is that the setting price offered to me on Adrianna 811 was the same with or without Leon sourcing the cushion, there was no package discount.
If he is playing games and raising quotes once you send him the stone and this is not based on increased labour and carat weight of melee thats pretty disgusting if its true.

 

[reggie]

When I talked to Leon the very last time he specifically told me that he knew the price was different from what we discussed earlier and it’s now different because of this specific diamond. If he felt 5k was within a mutually acceptable price range he would have never said that. I contend that he knew 4k was my budget and we both planned accordingly as we had talked about it at length before.

He knew this final quote was different as discussed and as a result he said what he said.


Also, some people were wondering specifically how I got the diamond back to GOG. It is my understanding that GOG sent their courier to Leon and picked it up. I paid for this service.


As for choosing a setting before selecting the diamond I do think investigating prices in that order is a good idea for some people’s situation but maybe not for others. This is how I explained it to Jon at GOG and I would like to share it with you.

I decide to keep my 5k cushion and I look for a new setting. I currently have a budget of 9k for the completed ring. What happens if the new setting I want only costs 2k? Should I pocket the extra 2k because now my completed ring only cost 7k? Or do I now get a larger cushion for 7k and with my 2k setting I am now on budget with a 9k ering? I would rather go with the latter option especially if we are talking about diamonds and not sapphires.

I have already budgeted for the final amount. Because of this I would like to maximize my diamond size according to the setting I choose.

 

[CharmyPoo]

I am sure Reggie is sick of talking about this heartache. It''s done and over with - let''s move on to the next step and find a new setting for Reggie. Theh fun stuff!

Regardless of what some people''s opinions are of Leon, he will continue to get customers because of his quality of work. He will get me as a customer on Friday unless I have horror stories to report after (so far so good though). None of this should really come as a surprise to anyone - it has been talked about frequently on this forum. There are many stories over the years that were far worse than this one. Not only has Leon''s business practices have been called into questions - there are other vendors as bgray has highlighted. We are all entitled to our opinions especially the ones who have actually worked with the vendors. There are always good transactions and bad transactions - just depends on our expectations. I think it is safe to say though .. the chances of a good transaction with the popular PS vendors are higher!

I think one thing is clear and positive thing in this thread. GOG did an outstanding job in supporting Reggie through this service and making sure the diamond is safe and sound.

 

[canada_ham]

Date: 2/17/2010 12:02:43 PM
Author: Maisie
It strikes me that Leon might have been a bit naughty here. He wouldn''t give a quote based on the new stone, even though the OP had the measurements there. I wonder if he thought that once he had the stone and quoted $5000 that the OP would just think ''Oh well, its there now....I might as well just pay the extra money''.


If Leon had been willing to quote without the stone in hand it would have saved all this time and trouble.

ditto


as for what to do now, i believe your stone qualifies for GOG''s lifetime upgrade policy. should you find a setting that is for example 2k, you can trade in your stone for a larger stone and just pay the difference in price (link to the policy here).

 

[mrssalvo]

reggie, what are the other settings that your GF likes? maybe we can help find "the one"

 

[Maisie]

Date: 2/17/2010 1:29:48 PM
Author: CharmyPoo
I am sure Reggie is sick of talking about this heartache. It''s done and over with - let''s move on to the next step and find a new setting for Reggie. Theh fun stuff!

Regardless of what some people''s opinions are of Leon, he will continue to get customers because of his quality of work. He will get me as a customer on Friday unless I have horror stories to report after (so far so good though). None of this should really come as a surprise to anyone - it has been talked about frequently on this forum. There are many stories over the years that were far worse than this one. Not only has Leon''s business practices have been called into questions - there are other vendors as bgray has highlighted. We are all entitled to our opinions especially the ones who have actually worked with the vendors. There are always good transactions and bad transactions - just depends on our expectations. I think it is safe to say though .. the chances of a good transaction with the popular PS vendors are higher!

I think one thing is clear and positive thing in this thread. GOG did an outstanding job in supporting Reggie through this service and making sure the diamond is safe and sound.

I was a day late to this thread but I didn''t think it would be a problem to give my opinion.

 

[luckynumber]

very interesting thread.

here''s the gist of what i''m getting:

leon mege: great artiste, tempermental, amazing work, not a people person. will be nice to you only if he thinks your stone is "important" enough (read: big honker), will probably get repeat business as his work is stunning

GOG: smooth operators, great customer service, no stone is too small or too cheap for their time, comes out looking like excellent vendors from this situation, will probably get repeat business due to their great attitude

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 2/17/2010 3:26:16 PM
Author: luckynumber
very interesting thread.

here''s the gist of what i''m getting:

leon mege: great artiste, tempermental, amazing work, not a people person. will be nice to you only if he thinks your stone is ''important'' enough (read: big honker), will probably get repeat business as his work is stunning

GOG: smooth operators, great customer service, no stone is too small or too cheap for their time, comes out looking like excellent vendors from this situation, will probably get repeat business due to their great attitude

Nope, he''s worked with smaller stones before. He was fine with me, and my pad sapphire is only 1.5 carats.

 

[CharmyPoo]

Date: 2/17/2010 3:16:28 PM
Author: Maisie

I was a day late to this thread but I didn''t think it would be a problem to give my opinion.

My message was not directed at you or anyone in particular. Just a suggestion that we let it go (this includes myself).

 

[kenny]

Well, threads go on as long as they go on.

Short of moderation, it's not anyone's call to end them.
If you've had enough of a thread, just stop looking and most certainly stop posting.

People who keep looking/posting must be still interested.

 

[whitby_2773]

Date: 2/17/2010 3:52:45 PM
Author: TravelingGal

Date: 2/17/2010 3:26:16 PM

Author: luckynumber

very interesting thread.


here''s the gist of what i''m getting:


leon mege: great artiste, tempermental, amazing work, not a people person. will be nice to you only if he thinks your stone is ''important'' enough (read: big honker), will probably get repeat business as his work is stunning


GOG: smooth operators, great customer service, no stone is too small or too cheap for their time, comes out looking like excellent vendors from this situation, will probably get repeat business due to their great attitude

Nope, he''s worked with smaller stones before. He was fine with me, and my pad sapphire is only 1.5 carats.

ditto this. he''s just finished my eternity beadset ring for the princely sum of $2500. hardly an impressive order (tho i, of course, am very impressed by it!)

on the other hand, i''m having the dickens of a time getting a quote from him to make me a 5 stone ring (i have the stones). it''s in yellow gold, and i suspect he''s not interested.

 

[luckynumber]

Date: 2/17/2010 3:52:45 PM
Author: TravelingGal

Date: 2/17/2010 3:26:16 PM
Author: luckynumber
very interesting thread.

here''s the gist of what i''m getting:

leon mege: great artiste, tempermental, amazing work, not a people person. will be nice to you only if he thinks your stone is ''important'' enough (read: big honker), will probably get repeat business as his work is stunning

GOG: smooth operators, great customer service, no stone is too small or too cheap for their time, comes out looking like excellent vendors from this situation, will probably get repeat business due to their great attitude

Nope, he''s worked with smaller stones before. He was fine with me, and my pad sapphire is only 1.5 carats.

LOL. Only on PS would anyone think a 1.5ct pad sapphire is not much to get excited about!! I''m sure it was stunning, no wonder Leon liked setting it!

 

[FancyDiamond]

reggie,
I must thank you for starting this thread and sharing your experience with us. Many people share happy stories, but are rarely brave enough to share less-than-perfect expereince. It is important to note both kinds of stories are very helpful to the communiity, both vendors and customers. Vendors can learn how to improve their customer service, communication, and policies. Customers can learn how to avoid mistakes, which can be costly, time-consuming, and stressful.

I appreciate not only reggie''s story, but also the insightful answers, questions, and recommendations provided the people who responded.

 

[Amethyste]

Date: 2/16/2010 3:13:56 PM
Author: autumngems
Another example as to why I will never use Leon.

Amen to that.
I got a "quote" on a project a little while back. There were too many "ifs" that would change the quote he gave me, so I decided to not do business with him. I deal enough with weird and prima-donnas on a daily basis. To deal with him and his ways and pay for that, it''s just not what I am dreaming of... Even if his work is beyond beautiful, I would have a hard time wearing a piece he made if that one gave me nothing else but nightmares...

I am sorry to read your story... The shipping did sound like a cluster $%&^&!
I hope you have a happy ending!

 

[FancyDiamond]

Date: 2/17/2010 6:12:16 PM
Author: Amethyste

Amen to that.
I got a ''quote'' on a project a little while back. There were too many ''ifs'' that would change the quote he gave me, so I decided to not do business with him. I deal enough with weird and prima-donnas on a daily basis. To deal with him and his ways and pay for that, it''s just not what I am dreaming of... Even if his work is beyond beautiful, I would have a hard time wearing a piece he made if that one gave me nothing else but nightmares...

I am sorry to read your story... The shipping did sound like a cluster $%&^&!
I hope you have a happy ending!

My thoughts exactly.
Exactly how I interpreted this incident and concluded the same.

 

[Collee]

Reggie. SO happy that you decided to keep the AVC. As mentioned, focus your efforts on finding your girlfriend’s dream setting. If the stone and setting are within budget than GREAT. If under budget than decide at that point how to allocate the additional funds (upgrade stone, save for bands, wedding, honeymoon, romantic getaway etc.)

Enjoy the setting search. Take your time and be patient. Can''t wait to hear the progress reports!

 

[Collee]

Sorry for the threadjack.

CCL, you bring up a VERY interesting point, "Leon views GOG and ERD as competitors and he is extremely cognizant of the competitiion those two pose to his operation particularly when it comes to ERD who has an office near his location. Leon does not want any of his competitors to copy his designs or rings, so he is often extremely uncooperative with customers who source their stones elsewhere. ERD makes settings, and GOG has many sources for settings and as such Leon is extremely worried about his rings being copied by them. Over the years Leon has made it difficult for customers wishing to work with one of those vendors and himself. I would reccomend that you contact GOG and they can assist you in returning your stone if that is really what you want to do."
----------------------

Case in point:
I recently requested a quote from Leon based upon an exact copy of one the designs shown on his site. Prior to requesting the quote I stupidly showed a "copycat" friend Leon's website and the setting. Very impressed, she inquired about the prices. Since I didn't request a quote yet I told her that I was unsure but "heard" that the prices were reasonable. Being that she is one of those nosey "must know all the details" type of person she requested a fake quote for the very same setting. She called me a few days later and said she was curious about his prices so she submitted a quote and received a reply that it was $xxx. While I was somewhat annoyed that she felt the need to "invade", I was psyched to hear that the quote was so reasonable. A day later a submitted a quote for the same setting. Since I don't have the stone yet, I guestimated the size BUT did mention that the stone (cushion) would be purchased from GOG. The stone size that I stated was less than what my friend submitted and my ring size was smaller. Guess what, her FAKE quote was $400 less than mine.

.

In the end, we opted to work with GOG for the stone AND setting. Although I am still a LIW (no pics to share

) I could not be happier with this deicsion.

 

[Gleam]

Date: 2/17/2010 3:26:16 PM
Author: luckynumber
very interesting thread.


here's the gist of what i'm getting:


leon mege: great artiste, tempermental, amazing work, not a people person. will be nice to you only if he thinks your stone is 'important' enough (read: big honker), will probably get repeat business as his work is stunning

That's pretty much my impression as well, despite protests to the contrary from a few PSers. I can imagine there are plenty of PSers who contacted Leon, have had their stones ignored or turned down, but haven't posted about it.

Frankly, Leon Mege IS great -- but he's not Picasso. I think there are a lot of fabulous artisans out there who can do comparable custom work, like Maytal Hannah. I ADORE Leon's work but I'm not sure I can deal with the prima donna attitude. And I definitely agree with Maisie... it sounds like Leon may have been trying to "play games" in this instance. Fine to make a profit -- but if you're playing less than fair by twisting words and making deliberating confusing statements, that's wrong.

Reggie has really handled himself with class and grace under our scrutiny. Good luck to you, Reggie!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 2/16/2010 3:54:58 PM
Author: bebe
Reggie, I''m still confused why you didn''t keep the GOG diamond. And I agree, try ERD, they are just across the street from Leon.

Maybe a courier service could have helped you transport the stone.

find a 2k setting and increase your diamond budget

 

[reggie]

Date: 2/17/2010 7:22:14 PM
Author: Collee

Reggie. SO happy that you decided to keep the AVC. As mentioned, focus your efforts on finding your girlfriend’s dream setting. If the stone and setting are within budget than GREAT. If under budget than decide at that point how to allocate the additional funds (upgrade stone, save for bands, wedding, honeymoon, romantic getaway etc.)


Enjoy the setting search. Take your time and be patient. Can't wait to hear the progress reports!

Collee - I'm sorry I gave you that impression. Looking back at what I wrote before I can see how you got that idea. My example was a condensed version of the conversation I had with Jon at GOG a few days ago. I did tell him I would like my diamond refunded and that process has already been implemented by them.

As for setting's I am still looking. If I go the sapphire route and don't have it in a halo a James Meyer setting with a cushion sapphire seems absolutely perfect. I love the profile of that setting and it basically shows the beauty of that stone without detracting from it at all. This could easily turn into a rhr in the future if she wanted (the girlfriend likes this idea). I am still looking for settings with a halo for a sapphire or diamond. I have a few possibilities but nothing official yet.

I do know that the cut of the diamond/sapphire will be square in shape. It will probably be a cushion or asscher cut but it depends on the setting I think.

I should probably end up starting a new thread once I have everything nailed down more. My biggest concern really is the time it will take me to find a good sapphire. It’s not like a diamond where you can basically find something in a day if you know what you are looking for. Because of this I could drop the whole sapphire idea and focus my efforts on a diamond.

Thanks again for everyone’s positive and constructive criticisms of everything. I really do appreciate it.

 

[CasaBlanca]

You are nothing like the Gargoyle in your avatar...

You seem to be one a heck of a great guy! Get that new thread started so we can help you forge forward with your new plans! You have a lot of us in your cheering section...

 

[pixley]

reggie - Thank you for posting your story and sharing your experience. It''s good to hear all of the Leon stories, as it helps everyone brace themselves for any side of Leon that he happens to present. In the end, you have to do what''s right for you and your budget.

One other design team that has AMAZING designs, which many of us have lusted over, but I don''t think anyone has commissioned yet is McTeigue and McLelland: http://www.mc2jewels.com/gallery/. They work with diamonds and have a lot of extraordinary sapphire rings, so you may want to have a look through their ring gallery and if you like something, give them a call and see if they are able to work within your budget. I think ~4,000 is a pretty substantial setting budget and if this is a stone and setting ring that will not be upgraded, it would be worth it to go with a special setting. Best of luck and keep us posted!
Pixley

 

[Gailey]

Date: 2/17/2010 9:43:40 PM
Author: pixley
reggie - Thank you for posting your story and sharing your experience. It''s good to hear all of the Leon stories, as it helps everyone brace themselves for any side of Leon that he happens to present. In the end, you have to do what''s right for you and your budget.

One other design team that has AMAZING designs, which many of us have lusted over, but I don''t think anyone has commissioned yet is McTeigue and McLelland: http://www.mc2jewels.com/gallery/. They work with diamonds and have a lot of extraordinary sapphire rings, so you may want to have a look through their ring gallery and if you like something, give them a call and see if they are able to work within your budget. I think ~4,000 is a pretty substantial setting budget and if this is a stone and setting ring that will not be upgraded, it would be worth it to go with a special setting. Best of luck and keep us posted!
Pixley

I suspect not a large enough budget for a Mc² setting, but agreed a great place to look.

Reggie, do you want a white sapphire or a blue sapphire? Either way, if you want to investigate the sapphire route, please start a thread on finding a sapphire over on Coloured Stones. A number of members have some simply stunning sapphires and would be very willing to help you find your dream stone and guide you through the process (with is almost diametrically opposed to buying a diamond).

Good luck!

 

[reggie]

Date: 2/17/2010 10:02:45 PM
Author: Gailey

Date: 2/17/2010 9:43:40 PM
Author: pixley
reggie - Thank you for posting your story and sharing your experience. It''s good to hear all of the Leon stories, as it helps everyone brace themselves for any side of Leon that he happens to present. In the end, you have to do what''s right for you and your budget.

One other design team that has AMAZING designs, which many of us have lusted over, but I don''t think anyone has commissioned yet is McTeigue and McLelland: http://www.mc2jewels.com/gallery/. They work with diamonds and have a lot of extraordinary sapphire rings, so you may want to have a look through their ring gallery and if you like something, give them a call and see if they are able to work within your budget. I think ~4,000 is a pretty substantial setting budget and if this is a stone and setting ring that will not be upgraded, it would be worth it to go with a special setting. Best of luck and keep us posted!
Pixley

I suspect not a large enough budget for a Mc² setting, but agreed a great place to look.

Reggie, do you want a white sapphire or a blue sapphire? Either way, if you want to investigate the sapphire route, please start a thread on finding a sapphire over on Coloured Stones. A number of members have some simply stunning sapphires and would be very willing to help you find your dream stone and guide you through the process (with is almost diametrically opposed to buying a diamond).

Good luck!

Gailey - I would be looking for a blue sapphire. Knowing that some people would be very willing to help does feel good to hear. Once I have narrowed everything down more I will post on the colored stones forum if needed. Thanks!

 

[Harriet]

I second Mc2 for gemstone jewellery. Both men love gems and have wonderful ''eyes'' for them.

 

[Collee]

Date: 2/17/2010 9:14:39 PM
Author: reggie

Date: 2/17/2010 7:22:14 PM

Author: Collee

Reggie. SO happy that you decided to keep the AVC. As mentioned, focus your efforts on finding your girlfriend’s dream setting. If the stone and setting are within budget than GREAT. If under budget than decide at that point how to allocate the additional funds (upgrade stone, save for bands, wedding, honeymoon, romantic getaway etc.)




Enjoy the setting search. Take your time and be patient. Can''t wait to hear the progress reports!

Collee - I''m sorry I gave you that impression. Looking back at what I wrote before I can see how you got that idea. My example was a condensed version of the conversation I had with Jon at GOG a few days ago. I did tell him I would like my diamond refunded and that process has already been implemented by them.


As for setting''s I am still looking. If I go the sapphire route and don''t have it in a halo a James Meyer setting with a cushion sapphire seems absolutely perfect. I love the profile of that setting and it basically shows the beauty of that stone without detracting from it at all. This could easily turn into a rhr in the future if she wanted (the girlfriend likes this idea). I am still looking for settings with a halo for a sapphire or diamond. I have a few possibilities but nothing official yet.


I do know that the cut of the diamond/sapphire will be square in shape. It will probably be a cushion or asscher cut but it depends on the setting I think.


I should probably end up starting a new thread once I have everything nailed down more. My biggest concern really is the time it will take me to find a good sapphire. It’s not like a diamond where you can basically find something in a day if you know what you are looking for. Because of this I could drop the whole sapphire idea and focus my efforts on a diamond.


Thanks again for everyone’s positive and constructive criticisms of everything. I really do appreciate it.

OOPS, sorry. I skimmed the update and read as, "I decided to keep my 5k cushion and I look for a new setting...." My apologies for not paying close attention. As an educator, I really should start practicing what I preach. Haha.

Anyway, good look and I wish you a positive, stress-free journey!