Paging Pregcurious!

[Lottie]

Hello Pregcurious, I hope you don't mind me paging you - I saw the ring in your avatar pic in another post and I love it! I am in the process of resetting my oval diamond and wondered if you wouldn't mind telling me which setting you have and if you have any other pictures of it?

Best Wishes
Lottie

 

[marymm]

I'm not Pregcurious, but in the meantime, I had saved her PS thread about her re-set as I love it too... here's that link:
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/thanks-to-quest-jewelers-for-my-reset.163316/

 

[Lottie]

Thank you marymm thats really helpful!

 

[pregcurious]

Hi Lottie,
Sorry I did not see your page earlier! I am usually in the Colored Stones forum. I am so flattered and hope I can help. The setting is Whiteflash's 18K yellow gold Petite Champagne setting, with a platinum custom head from Quest Jewelers. I did not like the original head on the Champagne setting, so I asked WF to put modify the head from their Sierra ring (for an additional fee), and use pointed claw prongs. When they sent me pictures of the completed ring, I was very underwhelmed (the prongs were not pointed claw, and in general the head they created just looked wrong). They waited a day to see if I changed my mind and encouraged me to see it in person. When I received it in person, I also voiced my issues with the prongs again, and also a new concern about a lack of flow from the head to the shank. I've posted a picture of the original ring below, which originally had a brushed finished on the shank. That was April of 2010.

During January and February 2011, I tried to work with WF to change the head of the ring, but ultimately they said that what I wanted was not technically possible. They offered to remake the ring as a full custom job (very $$$) and refund me the scrap value of the setting (I think $200?). I was really not happy with the entire process.

After a month of feeling very down, I went to Quest Jewelers in VA based on the great custom work they have done for some Pricescopers. In less than an hour, Pete agreed to execute the changes for a very reasonable fee. He also suggested that I change the finish to a high polish, because the former brushed finish showed every single scratch from my wedding band. The result is the ring on my avatar, which I enjoy.

I wrote WF an unhappy email a few weeks after I got my ring from Quest, and gave them a link to my post above so they could address my complaint in this forum (which is only fair). To their credit, they responded to me last week and offered to refund me the cost of Quest's work, and explained that they really believed that the modification was not possible. I should receive the refund this week.

If you decide to go forward with working with WF, they should be able to copy the Quest head and use their standard Champagne setting. A vendor that has many scattered diamond settings is J. Albrecht Designs (http://www.jalbrechtdesigns.com/). I have never worked with them, but perhaps other PSers have? I can also recommend Quest Jewelers (http://www.questjewelers.com/), of course. They have the skill to do full custom work and modifications. They are also willing to resize eternity bands with their laser welder.

-Preg

 

[Lottie]

Pregcurious thank you so much for your help and all the extra info - I LOVED J. Albrecht Designs! I'm glad that Whiteflash have responded to your complaint in such a positive way and your finished ring is perfect. A few years ago I bought a Streamerica ring from Tiffany that has the same matt finish as yours did, it scratched terribly and had to be returned - I wish there was some way of making this effect harder wearing although I think the shinier finish on yours makes the diamonds really pop.

So my scatter set band and oval solitaire (0.51ct) are going to be remade into a bezel set Scholdt style ring with the stone set E/W with diamonds up the side on the same way as your ring. In case you would like a peek I have attached photos below of the before shots with the sholdt and your ring which I have emailed to my jeweller for a quote (I am in the UK or I probably would be contacting Quest for this).

Thank you again for your help

 

[pregcurious]

Hi Lottie,
I love the Sholdt and actually asked if my ring could be modified to have a half bezel that flowed into the shank, but it was not possible after it was already constructed because rings with that kind of integrated head have to be planned from the beginning. I think your ring is going to look fabulous. The only thing you might want to consider is if you want your band to sit flush. (That is very important to me, and would have made the Sholdt a no-go.)

The only thing I would change in my ring would be the gradation of the diamonds. If you look at the top of the ring on my hand, you cannot really tell that there is a gradation from a high density of diamonds to a low density. I think this is partly due to my size 4.25 finger, which does not allow for a lot of design space. I would start with fewer diamonds near the center stone, and have the highest density of diamonds halfway between the center stone and when the shank is disappears from view. This look is not as "blingy", but you will be able to see the change in gradation of diamonds from both the top and side of the ring. I think there's a ring setting called the "lace" setting that does this. I will try to find a picture for you.
-Preg

 

[pregcurious]

I was thinking of the Michael B lace setting, but it doesn't have the graduation of diamonds that I was thinking of.

 

[Lottie]

Thanks, am not worried too much about my wedding band being flush - my 1920's set have a big gap between the w band and the e ring which I quite like so will see how it looks with this ring. Thank you for the tip about graduating the diamonds I like it. Am off on holiday next week and after that I am going in for the big remodel! Will post pics when its done! I am ridiculously excited

Thanks again