Opinions of this Vatche setting

[surgeon]

Hey all,

Was wondering what you all think of this setting.

http://www.winkjones.com/images/store/vatche/107_b.jpg

My wife seems to be partial to this one but the local Vatche vendor in my area doesn''t have it in stock so I/we can''t look at it in person. I like this one a lot too. Does anyone on here have this setting? If so, what do you think?

 

[Lorelei]

Personally I like that setting, someone might pop up who has it or similar, just can''t think of anyone off the top of my head right now.

 

[musey]

We bought my Vatché setting from Wink. We had a great experience with them... good communication. We sent in our stone, they shipped the whole order to the Vatché and they cast it to the specs of our stone, and sent it back. The whole process took about 6 weeks, if I'm remember correctly.

Mine is not the same setting as the one you linked, but I'd imagine the workmanship would be the same quality (very good, in my opinion).

What most concerns you about buying sight unseen? Is it quality issues? Or not knowing how it will look on her hand? Something else?

 

[surgeon]

musey, I''d just like to look at it in my hands. Check out the craftsmanship. Make sure it''s nice and shiny. Is it a comfort fit? Is the thickness of the shank good. Things like that. What do you think of the quality of your Vatche ring as far as craftsmanship goes?

 

[musey]

Date: 9/5/2007 11:58:31 AM
Author: musey
We bought my Vatché setting from Wink. We had a great experience with them... good communication. We sent in our stone, they shipped the whole order to the Vatché and they cast it to the specs of our stone, and sent it back. The whole process took about 6 weeks, if I'm remember correctly.

Mine is not the same setting as the one you linked, but I'd imagine the workmanship would be the same quality (very good, in my opinion).

What most concerns you about buying sight unseen? Is it quality issues? Or not knowing how it will look on her hand? Something else?

Vatché is a very reputable designer. I wouldn't worry about quality. You can do better (Leon, HW, Cartier, etc.) but not for the pricing bracket, at least from what I've seen.

I would say the only thing you should worry about is whether or not you'll like the design and dimensions in person as much as in the picture. That's a valid concern. But don't worry over quality control.

Besides, if the quality is lacking in your opinion, my bet is that they would accept a return.

 

[musey]

You mentioned that the local Vatché dealer doesn''t have that specific ring in stock? But they DO have Vatché rings, in general, in stock? If you want to investigate workmanship quality for this designer in person, wouldn''t that be the place to do it?

 

[Ellen]

Date: 9/5/2007 1:22:31 PM
Author: surgeon
musey, I''d just like to look at it in my hands. Check out the craftsmanship. Make sure it''s nice and shiny. Is it a comfort fit? Is the thickness of the shank good. Things like that. What do you think of the quality of your Vatche ring as far as craftsmanship goes?

Hi!

I have the Vatche X-Prong. What I can tell you about mine is, yes, it''s very shiny.

Good craftsmanship. Extremely comfortable. Shank is of a good thickness. It''s a very well made, nice quality ring.

Is it the best? No, but then, I didn''t pay the "best" price either. But I''m very happy.

 

[surgeon]

Ellen, the shank on the x-prong, if I''m not mistaken, is 4mm thick. Do you find that that looks too thick for your finger? Does it make the diamond look smaller since it doesn''t taper at the top? What is the size of your ring? Thanks for the help.

 

[TravelingGal]

This one looks like it tapers?

I don''t have a vatche, but I have similar Jeff Cooper (I like the stronger lines better, vs the feminine fluidity of the Vatche). I looked at both and felt both were pretty well made. I don''t have the longest fingers in the world, but I think my JC looks fine, and it''s 4mm at the top. In fact, when I just wear it alone without my wedding band, it feels downright dainty. But compared to the delicate rings here on PS, it definitely is a more substantial look. I wear a 4.75.

I have also been very impressed at how the polish on the JC setting has held up. I''ve had it for almost a year and a half now, and it still looks pretty darn good. I would think the vatche would hold up the same.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 9/5/2007 11:10:08 PM
Author: surgeon
Ellen, the shank on the x-prong, if I''m not mistaken, is 4mm thick. Do you find that that looks too thick for your finger? Does it make the diamond look smaller since it doesn''t taper at the top? What is the size of your ring? Thanks for the help.

It''s only 4mm where the shank meets the diamond, then tapers down to 3.5. My ring size is 5.5.

I specifically went for a wider band, as I tend to think they look better on my finger than thin bands. So no, I like the look, but that is something to consider. What does she normally wear? and like? May not matter, but something to address.

I am also not a die hard "size" gal, so my goal was not to make the diamond look as big as it possibly could. I just wanted a really nice looking ring. Would it pop more if the band were thinner? probably. However, I can say that when people have seen my ring for the first time, I don''t think anyone''s thought it was small.

I''ll post a head on shot for you to help get an idea. My diamond is a 1.40, 7.25 diameter. This is paired with a 3.5mm wedding band.

HTH!

 

[surgeon]

Ellen, your ring is beautiful. The problem that I face is that I''m dealing with a one carat princess cut with measurements of 5.46 x 5.39. If the band is 4mm thick where it meets the diamond, I''m afraid it will look much smaller than your diamond does. Well, who am I kidding, of course it will. I guess the question is, will it look too small? I''ll admit, I like the strong look of the x-prong as opposed to the dainty royal x-prong. However, I can''t be absolutely certain about what she likes. I can get a general idea....I think she''ll like the royal x-prong better because she also wants the diamond to sit a little higher. It''s just the one part of the ring that I can''t feel is ''perfect'' because I won''t know how she feels until I give it to her. And by then, it''s too late to change it. Luckily, we''re going to look at settings this week in the local mall so I should definitely get a better idea then. After that, I have to order it from the local jeweler, get insurance for the setting, and since it takes 10-15 days to get back, I''ll get it just in time for our vacation which is when she''ll get it. Man, I''m totally stressin'' out here.

 

[surgeon]

TravelingGal, what model Jeff Cooper ring do you have?

 

[Ellen]

Date: 9/6/2007 10:02:40 AM
Author: surgeon
Ellen, your ring is beautiful. The problem that I face is that I''m dealing with a one carat princess cut with measurements of 5.46 x 5.39. If the band is 4mm thick where it meets the diamond, I''m afraid it will look much smaller than your diamond does. Well, who am I kidding, of course it will. I guess the question is, will it look too small? I''ll admit, I like the strong look of the x-prong as opposed to the dainty royal x-prong. However, I can''t be absolutely certain about what she likes. I can get a general idea....I think she''ll like the royal x-prong better because she also wants the diamond to sit a little higher. It''s just the one part of the ring that I can''t feel is ''perfect'' because I won''t know how she feels until I give it to her. And by then, it''s too late to change it. Luckily, we''re going to look at settings this week in the local mall so I should definitely get a better idea then. After that, I have to order it from the local jeweler, get insurance for the setting, and since it takes 10-15 days to get back, I''ll get it just in time for our vacation which is when she''ll get it. Man, I''m totally stressin'' out here.

Thank you!

Ok, now that I know the size of the stone, I think you would do well to get the Royal. Not that your stone is anything to sneeze at, but you are right, my band would tend to dwarf the Princess a bit much I think. And unless you get a positive feedback that she wouldn''t mind that, I do know that I fall into a small camp. Most women want their stone to look as big as possible.

And please, don''t stress! I know how much you want to get this right, but you are doing everything you should be to ensure that you do. So just look, and listen to her while shopping, and go from there. I''m sure you''ll get it right, and I''m sure she''ll love it!

 

[TravelingGal]

I just love Ellen''s ring!

Here is my ring (mine is the thicker one, as the other is the one I bought for my mom around the time I got engaged). The setting is Jeff Cooper R3145 and it is 4mm at the shank. My cushion is 6.10x5.9. The setting is made for a 6x6 princess.

The shank actually looks thinner to me in real life than in this pics because it''s beveled on the sides. These photos are old...I really need to take some better ones...

and one by itself....

Just keep in mind if you get a ring like this, a wedding band will make it look even thicker. I wear the 2mm plain platinum matching JC band with this ring. You might want to take a look at JC if you are looking at a princess. IMHO, the Vatche setting is so fluid that it looks better with a round. I went with the JC setting because A) I wanted my cushion to look squarer and B) I thought the straighter lines of the shank and head went better with a squarer stone. Make sure your gf likes this kind of look because thinner bands are the rage right now, not this thicker style.

Hope that helps. If you are interested in either Vatche or JC, I''d recommend weddingband.com and ask for Mindy Rauf if she is still there. I loved working with her and they were hundreds lower on the settings than my local Robbins Brothers store. Vatche is easier to source...JC not as much so, otherwise I probably would have bought it from WF.

 

[TravelingGal]

One more note, as it I think it may help. My mother's cushion is the same shape as mine...although it looks rounder because of her setting. It is also a 1.01 carat vs my 1.03 carat, but it is slightly deeper. The dimensions are 5.9x5.7....same ratio as mine but .2 of a millimeter smaller on each side. Even with such a small difference, I found it looked visually quite a bit smaller, although not as much as it seems in these photos.

ETA, the full thread. https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/twins-a-cushion-for-me-and-a-cushion-for-mom.45066/

 

[Ellen]

Date: 9/6/2007 11:34:51 AM
Author: TravelingGal
I just love Ellen''s ring!

Well thank you mam! I love yours too, but then I would.