Need help with Stuller Solstice setting

[DoeEyes]

I'm trying to find a thin tapered shank (2mm widest, tapering in towards the center stone) but the Stuller website doesn't really let you search by band width. The shanks that comes default with the solstice head are 2.5mm, even the tapered one, and I think that it will be too thick. The jeweler I'm using isn't really responding to my requests for guidance, she just wants me to send her the exact things I want to try and she'll order them for me to see. I want the solstice head (not sure if I want low, medium, or tall, and can't figure out how to link just to the heads...)

Help me?

 

[DoeEyes]

Bump

 

[marymm]

I did a search on Stuller and could not find a reverse taper shank that fits your parameters.

It does not sound like your local jeweler is very helpful in general nor knowledgeable about the Stuller components; I question her interest in your project and her capabilities to put the ring together and set your stone. FWIW I suggest you find another jeweler with more expertise and better customer service.

As another option I suggest you email David Klass Jewelry for a quote - his rates are very reasonable - he is located in Los Angeles but many many PSers work with him long distance. You already know you want a reverse taper shank (2mm at widest point) and a Solstice setting - just let him know if you want 4 or 6 prongs, and if you want your stone set low, medium, or high (low means the stone will sit very close to your finger/shank, medium means a bit of space between the stone and your finger/shank, and high means more space between the stone and your finger/shank).

eta: You may want to ask the Moderators to move this thread to Rocky Talky (if your stone is a diamond), or to Colored-Stones (if your stone is a colored gemstone), or Fabulous Fashion Jewelry (if your stone is man-made) -- the Show Me the Bling Forum is for posting about completed pieces.

 

[DoeEyes]

I did a search on Stuller and could not find a reverse taper shank that fits your parameters.

It does not sound like your local jeweler is very helpful in general nor knowledgeable about the Stuller components; I question her interest in your project and her capabilities to put the ring together and set your stone. FWIW I suggest you find another jeweler with more expertise and better customer service.

As another option I suggest you email David Klass Jewelry for a quote - his rates are very reasonable - he is located in Los Angeles but many many PSers work with him long distance. You already know you want a reverse taper shank (2mm at widest point) and a Solstice setting - just let him know if you want 4 or 6 prongs, and if you want your stone set low, medium, or high (low means the stone will sit very close to your finger/shank, medium means a bit of space between the stone and your finger/shank, and high means more space between the stone and your finger/shank).

eta: You may want to ask the Moderators to move this thread to Rocky Talky (if your stone is a diamond), or to Colored-Stones (if your stone is a colored gemstone), or Fabulous Fashion Jewelry (if your stone is man-made) -- the Show Me the Bling Forum is for posting about completed pieces.

Thanks! I agree I'm not super impressed with her response. I want this setting to be set with a CZ right now, to be replaced with a diamond later (waiting for LB to release full carat). Would DK do the setting with a CZ?

 

[DoeEyes]

I also wanted the whole ring to be made with the X1 white gold from Stuller so I don't need to do this dips. Maybe that's impossible?

 

[Wewechew]

@frogplus DK has an unplated white gold he uses that never has to be dipped. And yes, he will set a CZ for you.

 

[DoeEyes]

@frogplus DK has an unplated white gold he uses that never has to be dipped. And yes, he will set a CZ for you.

Oh wow, I just went back in my emails and saw that I already reached out to him when I was having my original ring made, he quoted $700 for a custom design or $600 if it's one he's made before. My current ring setting was only like $250, 10k white gold, and I could just get that one again with a larger head for the new stone. I'm not sure if the price difference is really worth not having to dip. I've been wearing my ring about 6 months and I can see it starting to yellow on the palm side. I'm just not sure if it will really bother me that much.

 

[Wewechew]

Oh wow, I just went back in my emails and saw that I already reached out to him when I was having my original ring made, he quoted $700 for a custom design or $600 if it's one he's made before. My current ring setting was only like $250, 10k white gold, and I could just get that one again with a larger head for the new stone. I'm not sure if the price difference is really worth not having to dip. I've been wearing my ring about 6 months and I can see it starting to yellow on the palm side. I'm just not sure if it will really bother me that much.

Honestly, if you like your current ring, I would go the same route when you get a larger stone. You are not going to be able to beat that price anywhere, even Stuller.

 

[DoeEyes]

Honestly, if you like your current ring, I would go the same route when you get a larger stone. You are not going to be able to beat that price anywhere, even Stuller.

I think that's what I'll do. Just looked back at emails and it's actually 14k not 10k. Think I'm just going to order and see if they'll throw a CZ in it for me so I can start wearing it while I wait for my unicorn LB one carat.

 

[Wewechew]

I think that's what I'll do. Just looked back at emails and it's actually 14k not 10k. Think I'm just going to order and see if they'll throw a CZ in it for me so I can start wearing it while I wait for my unicorn LB one carat.

Are you no longer wearing your original ring?

 

[DoeEyes]

Are you no longer wearing your original ring?

I am, I just want to start wearing the bigger size now because I'm excited. And at some point I'll need to pick a wedding ring before the wedding in May, and I want to pick one proportional to the new ring.

 

[whitewave]

I have a solstice head with a Stuller scroll cathedral band.

 

[DoeEyes]

Is it a red flag that the company I got my setting from, and where I'm ordering the new setting, said it's not a good idea to set it with CZ and reset it with a diamond later because opening and closing the prongs risks damaging them? I don't plan to reset it more than once, but I thought prongs could withstand a few resettings without any damage. It's 14k white gold. If it's really not a risk, I'll just tell them I understand the risk and still want to do it, but if this means the metal is really fragile then I'll probably just get the setting empty and wait until I have the diamond so it's only set once. The ring I got from them before is still very solid but I've only been wearing it for 6 months.

 

[jrzgrl1119]

Is it a red flag that the company I got my setting from, and where I'm ordering the new setting, said it's not a good idea to set it with CZ and reset it with a diamond later because opening and closing the prongs risks damaging them? I don't plan to reset it more than once, but I thought prongs could withstand a few resettings without any damage. It's 14k white gold. If it's really not a risk, I'll just tell them I understand the risk and still want to do it, but if this means the metal is really fragile then I'll probably just get the setting empty and wait until I have the diamond so it's only set once. The ring I got from them before is still very solid but I've only been wearing it for 6 months.

I've been told but a few jewelers that prongs breaking is a risk when changing out a stone. I think it's more of a risk with gold then platinum.

 

[DoeEyes]

I've been told but a few jewelers that prongs breaking is a risk when changing out a stone. I think it's more of a risk with gold then platinum.

Ok I'll trust them! I thought you could change them out as many times as you want so I was worried that the white gold alloy they are using might be low quality or something (esp considering the price).

 

[FutureChocolateMLK]

Is it a red flag that the company I got my setting from, and where I'm ordering the new setting, said it's not a good idea to set it with CZ and reset it with a diamond later because opening and closing the prongs risks damaging them? I don't plan to reset it more than once, but I thought prongs could withstand a few resettings without any damage. It's 14k white gold. If it's really not a risk, I'll just tell them I understand the risk and still want to do it, but if this means the metal is really fragile then I'll probably just get the setting empty and wait until I have the diamond so it's only set once. The ring I got from them before is still very solid but I've only been wearing it for 6 months.

I think if you took it to a reputable jeweler that knew what they were doing, one stone swap wouldn’t be an issue. If you planned on doing it repeatedly, that’s one thing but people change out their stones ALL the time. If you think about a thin piece of metal bending back and forth over and over it eventually snaps, so I get their theory. But once? I’d think there would be little risk involved. So IMO they’re either being overly cautious (good) or don’t trust the quality of their own product and are covering their asses. (bad)

 

[DoeEyes]

I think if you took it to a reputable jeweler that knew what they were doing, one stone swap wouldn’t be an issue. If you planned on doing it repeatedly, that’s one thing but people change out their stones ALL the time. If you think about a thin piece of metal bending back and forth over and over it eventually snaps, so I get their theory. But once? I’d think there would be little risk involved. So IMO they’re either being overly cautious (good) or don’t trust the quality of their own product and are covering their asses. (bad)

My concern was the covering their asses option lol. I think I'll just wait at this point, feeling like LB might debut the coveted full carat for the holidays.

 

[FutureChocolateMLK]

My concern was the covering their asses option lol. I think I'll just wait at this point, feeling like LB might debut the coveted full carat for the holidays.

That would be smart of them. And they’ll sell out within minutes. So frustrating!!!

 

[DoeEyes]

That would be smart of them. And they’ll sell out within minutes. So frustrating!!!

Yep, definitely frustrating!

 

[MollyMalone]

@frogplus and @michellelynn9175 -- it can be problematic to replace the CZ with a diamond. Jewelers' showcase samples often have CZs as the center stone, but those are often "soft set," meaning the CS is simply resting in the prongs. But where the CZ is "hard set," meaning it's actually seated in the prongs (notched to accept the CZ in the proper position), swapping in a diamond isn't likely to be wholly carefree, as @Karl_K explained here:
https://www.pricescope.com/communit...limited-amount-of-resets.208635/#post-3795847

 

[Karl_K]

In addition to the seat size issue, cracked white gold prongs happen much more often than with yellow gold and plat when swapping a stone.
Many white gold alloys get work hardened and more brittle with age than other ring metals.
It is not unknown for white gold prongs to snap off or badly crack when torqued to remove a stone.
It does not happen all the time but it can happen which makes some jewelers wary of doing it.
The older high nickel white gold is probably more susceptible than today's alloys which generally have less nickel(some times none) but it happens.

 

[DoeEyes]

Good advice everyone, thank you! I will wait until I have my final stone before getting the setting, and only set it once.