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Need help!!! Diamond setting

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cutesnoopy

Rough_Rock
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Apr 5, 2007
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I have a few questions about changing diamond settings.




1. Anyone have bought rings from Fred Meyer Jewelers? Have you changed the setting from yellow gold to white gold? Did they charge you extra because of different gold color? As far as I know, the price in the catalog for the same ct. of diamond ring is no different between yellow or white gold. Why do they charge extra by changing it during the fitting?


They charge $249 for color change for 18K gold setting!

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I saw a 18K white gold setting online for $300. If I just need a exchange of color and they charge that much, I think it's a rip off!!!
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(The ring was bought 2 years ago but never had a fitting done until now. I got a 3-yr service plan which I could have a fitting done within 3 yrs.)



2. If they charge that much, should I just go somewhere to find a new setting and have a jeweler to mount from the old to the new? How much is the labor cost for unmounting and mounting in general?

Thanks!
 

mrssalvo

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Jan 3, 2005
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19,132
[

1. never heard of Fred Meyer. many folks have changed the color metal of their setting. normally White gold and yellow gold are around the same, white metals are more popular now so they may be more. platinum in the most expensive. you''ll have to ask your jeweler what the extra charge is for.

if you feel it''s a rip off, buy somewhere else..i don''t worry or bother with service plans, make sure your ring is insured. most jewelers will clean and inspect your ring for free or for a small fee.

2. it''s up to you if you want to go elsewhere for your setting, labor costs vary. some places won''t set a stone you didn''t buy from them or charge a setting fee.
 

Finding_Neverland

Shiny_Rock
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Jan 10, 2007
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When you say fitting,........... Do you mean sizing??!!

Just my impression here, and I may be wrong, but it sounds like you want to exchange settings. Is that correct?? If that''s the case, then they may indeed want you to pay for an entirely new setting.

Exchanging the setting is not the same as sizing. Depending on the head that''s in your current setting, the jeweler may not be able to reuse the ring for another stone. Once the prongs have been fitted for a particular stone, that ring could well be considered "used" even tho it''s never actually been worn.

If you have a "peg head" setting, the jeweler may be able to cut out the old head and set a new one in it''s place for a different stone and a new customer. But if the head is built into the shank, like a Tiffany style, the jeweler may not be able to reuse the ring. Reworking the prongs for a new stone could possibly weaken the metal.
 

ladykemma

Ideal_Rock
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Jan 2, 2006
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once a setting is used, it''s considered scrap. yes, you have to buy a fresh setting.

are you talking about having something rhodium plated?
 

Gypsy

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
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40,225
Okay. First the cost of metal has gone up significantly in the last couple of years. So if your comparing the price of your setting ORIGINALLY to the a new 14K setting, it is possible the new will cost more. Second, your used setting is... as LadyK put it, vitually useless to the jewler.

NOW if the issue is that you need to replace your existing setting for a new setting and the NEW WG costs much more than the NEW YG... and you are getting credit toward only the YG price... that''s a little different, cause there you are comparing apples to apples. Two new settings, same weight, same metal content... one difference.

I don''t understand what you mean by fitting? Are you getting the setting sized, and intead want an exchange???
 

cutesnoopy

Rough_Rock
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Apr 5, 2007
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Yeah, I mean sizing when I say fitting. The ring can be sized one time (for FREE) during the 3-yr service plan. I've never wear the ring before and never size it before. However, the setting itself has light scratches at the time my BF bought it. If they need to size the ring into a smaller size, I think they will just pick a smaller size setting, unmount from the original setting and mount to the new smaller setting for me. At that time, can't they just give me a different color setting for me?


At the time my BF purchased the ring, they didn't have a whilte gold. He was told he could change the color when his GF (me :) ) went in to do the sizing with no charge.

The bad thing is we just purchased a white gold wedding band (in progress of sizing). I am not even sure if they let me return it and get the yellow gold band... *sigh*
 

Finding_Neverland

Shiny_Rock
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Jan 10, 2007
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412
Date: 4/6/2007 3:58:29 PM
Author: cutesnoopy

At the time my BF purchased the ring, they didn''t have a whilte gold. He was told he could change the color when his GF (me :) ) went in to do the sizing with no charge.


The bad thing is we just purchased a white gold wedding band (in progress of sizing). I am not even sure if they let me return it and get the yellow gold band... *sigh*

If you have that in writing in your paperwork somewhere,........... That they would exchange for different color, comparable metal (14KtYG for 14KtWG) at no charge,........ Then you could probably get them to uphold the agreement. If it was a verbal agreement, then you''re into "He said, She said". Then it would be up to the Jeweler to voluntarily honor their previous agreement.

You may be able to exchange the w-band for the right color metal. If the jeweler didn''t have to special order or resize an existing band, that might be doable.
 

enbcfsobe

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 17, 2007
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1,154
Date: 4/6/2007 3:58:29 PM
Author: cutesnoopy
Yeah, I mean sizing when I say fitting. The ring can be sized one time (for FREE) during the 3-yr service plan. I've never wear the ring before and never size it before. However, the setting itself has light scratches at the time my BF bought it. If they need to size the ring into a smaller size, I think they will just pick a smaller size setting, unmount from the original setting and mount to the new smaller setting for me. At that time, can't they just give me a different color setting for me?


At the time my BF purchased the ring, they didn't have a whilte gold. He was told he could change the color when his GF (me :) ) went in to do the sizing with no charge.

The bad thing is we just purchased a white gold wedding band (in progress of sizing). I am not even sure if they let me return it and get the yellow gold band... *sigh*
If the jeweler made a verbal promise to give you a different setting, that may be very difficult to enforce, as Finding Neverland mentioned. Exchange for a new setting is probably not part of any written 3-year service agreement, and without something in writing, you are in a vulnerable position. If the same jeweler has sold you the WG wedding band, and you purchased the same based on the understanding that you could exchange for WG e-ring setting, I would definitely point that out to them. If they are resistant, point out that you relied upon their representations that you would end up with a matched set and that you should not have to pay extra to get what they promised (otherwise they are profiting from making misrepresentations!), so they should be obligated to either give you a WG setting for the e-ring or a YG w-ring.

From what I understand "sizing" generally does not involve getting a new, smaller setting. Rather, from what I have heard -- and I'm sure those who've had it done or who are jewelers could jump in here -- sizing actually is a physical process done by a bench jeweler that takes out a chunk of the metal of the band (to make it smaller) or adds some in (to make it bigger) and then re-connects the pieces and re-polishes the ring to make it look like it was always that size. Thus, the setting is the same setting that you started with. Otherwise, as mentioned before, the jeweler would only be able to use the used setting for scrap, and would be giving you a setting for free. The amount of metal used for sizing vs the amount of metal in a new setting would seem drastically different, and it makes sense that a jeweler would not want to incur this expense.

In the alternative to exchanging, you could ask about having the color of the metal of the existing ring changed, which can sometimes be done with rhodium plating. This process coats the yellow gold with rhodium, a very white metal. Most white-gold is also rhodium-plated because rhodium is whiter than most white gold alloys. Some jewelers will not do this, because results can vary. Rhodium-plated yellow gold may start to look yellow faster than rhodium-plated white gold, because the color underneath is actually yellow. Rhodium plating wears away eventually -- how fast depends on your body chemistry and how often you wear the piece. Rhodium plating should be significantly less expensive than a new setting -- many people on here have had white metal items re-rhodiumed, and should be able to give you an idea of costs.

I hope this may clarify some of what has been discussed, and I hope you are able to work this out with the jeweler to your satisfaction. Good luck!
 

ladykemma

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 2, 2006
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2,194
i think you will have to pay for a fresh white gold setting. Have it sized at that time.
 
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