LM- Not sure that using “very little child labour” is something to show off about.

[Starfacet]

Ha! Thanks @Matata but I do feel badly that I took what she wrote the wrong way.

My apologies @tlfiore! No hard feelings I hope.

Is it too early for a glass of wine? Lol!

It's never too early for a glass of wine! Not sure my employer would allow it tho!

 

[cmd2014]

This (IMO) is the truly funny part

Yeah, if he had just stopped there, it would have been funny. Poking fun by saying his rings are soooo beautiful and sooooo desirable that women might be convinced to overlook certain less fortunate things about their suitors is kind of cute. The rest is where it took a dark turn for me.

I have also found myself wondering what he was trying to say with the child labour and toxic emissions part. Is Moissanite known to be associated with these things? Are diamonds? Is he suggesting that one should be buying mined diamonds instead? Or is he trying to say Moissanite is more ethical than mined diamonds? And why the heck is he charging $5500 for something that he describes as involving minimal materials, minimal work, and relatively inexpensive materials??? I feel like I am missing something...maybe I'm just not smart enough to get the joke?

 

[distracts]

There are some parts of LM’s site that are genuinely funny, and other things that cross the line into just offensive. The ring etiquette page bit where he talks about the champion clapper who hits their hands together at 14 times per second and the damage that would do to a micropave ring? HILARIOUS. The things previously quoted in this thread? Not so much, especially when they are too an audience who does not know him personally. However - I expect it weeds out people who may not like working with him, since his personality is on display before you so much as call.

 

[missy]

Yeah, if he had just stopped there, it would have been funny. Poking fun by saying his rings are soooo beautiful and sooooo desirable that women might be convinced to overlook certain less fortunate things about their suitors is kind of cute. The rest is where it took a dark turn for me.

I have also found myself wondering what he was trying to say with the child labour and toxic emissions part. Is Moissanite known to be associated with these things? Are diamonds? Is he suggesting that one should be buying mined diamonds instead? Or is he trying to say Moissanite is more ethical than mined diamonds? And why the heck is he charging $5500 for something that he describes as involving minimal materials, minimal work, and relatively inexpensive materials??? I feel like I am missing something...maybe I'm just not smart enough to get the joke?

I don't think it has to do with being smart or not smart. I don't want to work that hard to try understanding Leon Mege. Personally, I would never do business with him. I don't know him but from all I have read and observed he seems like someone I do not care to work with or give money to. But that's just my perspective.

I found what I quoted above humorous. It struck my funny bone. That is all. He writes some funny things and he also writes some not funny things.

I will add it seems he had a difficult childhood. That however is no excuse for bad behavior.

 

[cmd2014]

It's more that I feel like I am missing an inside joke. Like there's some commentary there about the moissanite that I *should* get but don't. Actually, I feel like much of his website is an inside joke that I'm just not getting (including the prices). Maybe it's just a sign that if I am ever so inclined to have a bespoke ring, he should not be the vendor I go with.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I totally see certain people as artistic geniuses who cross over occasionally into crazy territory. ***Please note that I am speaking in general here, not about a specific person. Sometimes it's so crazy and unexpected, you've just gotta laugh. I think some are overanalyzing in this thread.

 

[Batgirl76]

Overanalyzing? Maybe. But I read his bio and he claims to have been an “outspoken activist and defender of workers’ rights” back in Russia. Now he’s joking about child slave labor. And I didn’t see any mention of employing ethical practices in his current jewelry making.

 

[voce]

Did he come from Russia? I've never followed him much, finding his prices higher than what a mere mortal like me is comfortable to pay. If he's from Russia, then I have to say dark humor is very prevalent for people who grew up in that culture. Dark humor has been around in Russian culture for a very long time. To a lot of people, such jokes are in poor taste. Maybe he means to deliberately repel a certain type of customer since he has the luxury of doing so.

Edit: examples of such dark humor for those who like it.

 

[Batgirl76]

The Artist - Leon Megé | The Art of Platinum®

Leon Mege - the Award winning jeweler, artist, designer, craftsman specializing in handmade platinum jewelry

www.leonmege.com

 

[voce]

I see. Personally, I would have chosen to leave this bit out.

"After graduation, Leon worked as a master platinumsmith for Werner Lippe, a notorious Austrian jeweler who was famous for his colorful and volatile personality. Twenty years later, Lippe was sentenced to life in prison for knocking his wife unconscious, stuffing her into a burn barrel, setting it on fire, and later dissolving her remains in acid."

That's just attention seeking and deliberately leaving open the question of, what exactly does this inform people about Leon Mege?

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Lets get the ball really rolling.....I wonder what his opinion of H & M is.

cheers--Sharon

 

[Rfisher]

I see. Personally, I would have chosen to leave this bit out.

"After graduation, Leon worked as a master platinumsmith for Werner Lippe, a notorious Austrian jeweler who was famous for his colorful and volatile personality. Twenty years later, Lippe was sentenced to life in prison for knocking his wife unconscious, stuffing her into a burn barrel, setting it on fire, and later dissolving her remains in acid."

That's just attention seeking and deliberately leaving open the question of, what exactly does this inform people about Leon Mege?

If Mr Mege hasn’t knocked someone unconscious, stuffed them into a barrel, burned and dissolved them,
Well then strictly by default, he can’t be that bad of a guy then, right? I mean comparatively?

 

[arkieb1]

I dunno what is more offensive, Leon's poor sense of humour, is inability for self censorship or the fact he's charging $5500USD on a pair of moissanites you can buy anywhere else for $1000USD.

 

[LemonMoonLex]

I see. Personally, I would have chosen to leave this bit out.

"After graduation, Leon worked as a master platinumsmith for Werner Lippe, a notorious Austrian jeweler who was famous for his colorful and volatile personality. Twenty years later, Lippe was sentenced to life in prison for knocking his wife unconscious, stuffing her into a burn barrel, setting it on fire, and later dissolving her remains in acid."

That's just attention seeking and deliberately leaving open the question of, what exactly does this inform people about Leon Mege?

Wait....please tell me this is a joke?!

Or did he actually work for man who later killed someone and then decided to put in his bio or artist description and choose to not leave out the details of how the person was killed?!

 

[cmd2014]

Wait....please tell me this is a joke?!

Or did he actually work for man who later killed someone and then decided to put in his bio or artist description and choose to not leave out the details of how the person was killed?!

Not a joke:

http://westchester.news12.com/story/34888834/cortlandt-man-gets-25-years-to-life-for-wifes-murder

"Cortlandt man gets 25 years to life for wife's murder

Posted: Mar 29, 2011 3:30 PM CDTUpdated: Mar 29, 2011 3:30 PM CDT
A jury sentenced a Cortlandt jeweler to 25 years to life in prison today for the 2008 slaying of his wife.
Werner Lippe, 68, was found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of his wife of 18 years, Faith. Prosecutors say the couple was in the middle of a bitter divorce when Lippe killed her and incinerated her body in their backyard."

 

[Slickk]

Not a joke:

http://westchester.news12.com/story/34888834/cortlandt-man-gets-25-years-to-life-for-wifes-murder

"Cortlandt man gets 25 years to life for wife's murder

Posted: Mar 29, 2011 3:30 PM CDTUpdated: Mar 29, 2011 3:30 PM CDT
A jury sentenced a Cortlandt jeweler to 25 years to life in prison today for the 2008 slaying of his wife.
Werner Lippe, 68, was found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of his wife of 18 years, Faith. Prosecutors say the couple was in the middle of a bitter divorce when Lippe killed her and incinerated her body in their backyard."

Omg! I remember this murder in the NYC suburbs where I am. Wow! His arrogance is just too much for me. His jewelry is gorgeous though....

 

[Matata]

If Mr Mege hasn’t knocked someone unconscious, stuffed them into a barrel, burned and dissolved them,
Well then strictly by default, he can’t be that bad of a guy then, right? I mean comparatively?

For sure. But if I hear that he kicks puppies, I'm taking him off my Christmas card list.

 

[missy]

For sure. But if I hear that he kicks puppies, I'm taking him off my Christmas card list.

Haha I find the above funny despite the fact that kicking puppies is not a laughing matter. Am I the only one seeing the irony here? Re Leon Mege joking about unfunny situations is not acceptable but joking about kicking puppies is? FWIW I see the humor but agree none of these topics are funny- it’s all about context.

 

[MarionC]

I must be dense. I tried to understand what only a bit of child labor was...like maybe the kids brought their parents lunch at the factory?
It would not have occured to me that he was kidding.
But then again, I’ve only spoken with him once and he was not funny at all.

 

[OoohShiny]

When he says 'uses very little child labour', does he mean the amount is very little or the children are very little?!

 

[Matata]

Haha I find the above funny despite the fact that kicking puppies is not a laughing matter. Am I the only one seeing the irony here? Re Leon Mege joking about unfunny situations is not acceptable but joking about kicking puppies is?

Precisely, and it's as inappropriate as joking about child labor. I wasn't trying to be funny. I was using irony/satire/sarcasm in agreement with RFisher's ironic/satirical reply re: the comparative wrongness between killing one's wife and joking about child labor. The subtlety of that was something you didn't catch.

FWIW I see the humor but agree none of these topics are funny- it’s all about context.

Precisely. There is no context in which some people find child labor (or kicking puppies) funny.

Imho, it's risky for a business person to use irony/satire/sarcasm on a website. Mege chooses to do so and it bothers some and doesn't bother others. HIs style doesn't appear to have affected his business in a tangible enough way for us to notice.

 

[missy]

Imho, it's risky for a business person to use irony/satire/sarcasm on a website. Mege chooses to do so and it bothers some and doesn't bother others. HIs style doesn't appear to have affected his business in a tangible enough way for us to notice.

Yes, I agree. Just as it is tricky to share one's political views online when one runs a business that might be affected. Do I want to spend my dollars with a business whose political affiliation I find questionable? Heck no and if I know one's political leanings and feel strongly against those views I won't spend money there. Will I seek out their views before I spend money? Nope. But if it's in my face I won't ignore it. However, I am not policing what they share nor where they share it. That's their business. Literally and figuratively.

As for Leon Mege I have no idea if it has affected his business in a tangible way. I don't think there is any possible way to find out nor do I care.

Will I do business with him? No.
Do I care about his business? No.
Do I enjoy seeing people share photos of his creations? Yes.
Do I find this thread interesting? Yes.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Interesting thread. I personally thought it's his dark humour bashing of something so lowly as moissanite.
Not my cup of tea at all ,but from the one phone conversation I had with him, neither is he .. I thought he was referring to all the Chinese vendors selling moissy and because this was beneath him he created that page...and if anyone ("blond enough ") should ever hit "buy"...well, that's a hearty laugh and a nice margin.

Reading everyone else's interpretation I think it could be any of the stated.

So I guess we can at least all agree that's probably not very smart to assume that all customers have the same sense of humour you have. I doubt he cares, though

 

[yssie]

I know a few people who have spent significant amounts of time in Russia and other Eastern European countries, and they all share a certain macabre humour.

I do want to say that joking about a topic doesn’t mean you don’t take it seriously - for some people that's true, but not everyone. As @missy said earlier context is everything! I find his website tremendously entertaining.

I've found him easy and pleasant to work with, but I know that is not a universal experience. He obviously doesn't need the extra business that crafting a less polarizing personality would yield.

 

[OoohShiny]

I do want to say that joking about a topic doesn’t mean you don’t take it seriously

+1 to this - from personal experience.

 

[doberman]

Leon was great to work with, no complaints here. I do get the sense that he enjoys his reputation, such as it is. In my first call to him I said I wanted some opinions and he replied that he was very opinionated, so that wouldn't be a problem. I was amused; I have a bit of a sarcastic personality myself and I dont mind "difficult" people.

What I do mind is paying an exorbitant sum for moissanite!