Pic heavy and verbose! My CADs, wax, and off to production!

[whitewave]

@marymm I am not really sure why you decided to respond to a message that was not addressed to you, but here is some feedback:

1. Next time you highlight my statements, perhaps you want to highlight the entire sentence. It read something like "... and considering that all cases are closed at this point." The negative experience that our OP had and then those that other members expressed occupy 1,2,3...9 pages of posts. I think we all got it. So yes, I am puzzled as to why it needs to be repeated yet again. The rings that @ILikeShiny and her fiancé-to-be have are stunning and she is on her way of feeling happy and not stressed out again, so why should some members continue reminding her of her imperfect experience and continue bashing the vendor who created her rings?

You are disappointed that some members came to the defense of the vendor in question and consider that because of that they somehow see this forum as a "fan club. Well, I am disappointed that members like you consider that their opinions are of a lesser value simply because they don't want to continue talking negatively about said vendor. We have seen on multiple occasions how when issues are expressed against vendors who are active members on this forum, they have the opportunity to post and clear up the situation almost immediately, so I don't really think that my suggestion was out of line. When people have vastly different opinions and experiences with a given vendor, people on both sides should have the right to express their views. In this case, you seem to have a problem with the members who had positive experiences working the vendor and who expressed their support.

I think Shiny will best decide if she wants or not to close this thread and perhaps everyone should just be happy for her, because that was the whole initial purpose of this thread, instead of continuing to project their negativity.

 

[SimoneDi]

I agree, and you have my promise that I am done with it on this thread. When I saw it brought up yet again this morning with what felt to me as an overly slanted and emotional response, I tried to strip it down to just the facts. Perhaps that was wrong, and I apologize if it continued the drama.

And thank you for your comments on our rings. We broke the taboo pre-wedding restrictions and sat on the couch last night wearing our bands, hands intertwined. It really was so special to think about that scene being our forever future

I realize that this topic can get you worked up easily, but I do sincerely hope that only happy days are in your future!

It is lovely that you got to share an intimate moment with your bands even as a pre-married couple! And what are taboos for if not to be broken

Enjoy, enjoy your beautiful rings and cheers to a happy future filled with much love and shine!

 

[Acinom]

In this particular case, the vendor took herself out of the equation if she is still banned. Ericad has spoken on the vendor's behalf. Diamondseeker has fallen on her sword numerous times for the vendor and other clients happy with their experience have provided sufficient point of view for anyone new considering working with the vendor to decide if they want to open a conversation with her. That the vendor herself can't speak for herself here is no fault of any of her clients and is the consequence she bears for her initial missteps here.

This is sad but true. I don't know if she is indeed still banned for creating multiple accounts and shilling?
A shill is someone who acts as an enthusiastic customer without disclosing that he/she is closely related to the company she is so enthusiastic about. In other words: fraud.

 

[whitewave]

This is sad but true. I don't know if she is indeed still banned for creating multiple accounts and shilling?
A shill is someone who acts as an enthusiastic customer without disclosing that he/she is closely related to the company she is so enthusiastic about. In other words: fraud.

Post #130



ETA: @ericad

 

[diamondseeker2006]

DS - There will probably always continue to be a difference in how you believe projects should unfold vs. others. Portraying your viewpoint as more valid than someone else’s though, by telling people they’re ridiculous for being very turned off by what Caysie did, is another example of why people don’t want to speak up.

I’m wondering though... What are you willing to acknowledge in this situation? If we strip all of the emotions away, here are the facts:

- @kayla17 was told her ring would take 6-8 weeks total, and that receiving it prior to her anniversary would be no problem (“way before that”).
- The anniversary date came and went with no completed ring
- Prior to any notification that her ring was completed, Caysie allowed another person to try on Kayla’s ring. This was done with no protection on their hand or around the surrounding area
- That person then posted those publicly on an open forum, and that was the first that Kayla discovered that her ring was not only done, but that someone else was allowed to wear it prior to her
- One or two days after that, Caysie sent her photos
- The completed ring was received 12 weeks after the initial order
- Once received, the ring had not been made to the specifications that had been agreed upon and had to be remade. When the remade ring was received there were now new problems and had to be remade again.
- The final, third attempt ring was received over 8 months after her initial order.

How would you objectively describe that experience?

Hi, Shiny, my only two comments regarding Kayla's experience were 1) I felt that it was in error to say she had designed the ring when the inspiration ring head was a CVB design so it was more of a collaboration, and 2) Caysie did not "hold back" sending Kayla her ring once it was completed.

I am in the car and only have a few minutes, but one inaccuracy in your post is that her ring was not remade at all. Kayla requested a wider shank which Caysie did replace. I believe the other issue was the stone was a little loose in the head and was sent back for tightening. If I am remembering this incorrectly, I apologize, but I can't look back for her post at the moment. I am just aiming for factual truth here and nothing else.

Let me be very clear that I understand frustration when projected timelines are not met in anything in life. That is certainly a valid complaint. Caysie is optimistic in her timeline estimates sometimes, and when there are unexpected issues that come up, she can't meet the timeline. She truly wants to try to please her customers even when there are requests for extra communication that she can't possibly do with her workload. My suggestion would be to add an agreement on a work order that says current designs may be typically completed in 6-8 weeks after CAD approval but custom projects may take 8-12 weeks or even longer depending on the particular design such as the need for custom cut stones, etc. Then I would say she is unable to provide production updates due to her demanding schedule, but the client is welcome to check in after 6-8 weeks for a status report.

I think those policies would help people have more realistic expectations at the outset, and those who can live with those terms can be happy with the process and much frustration avoided. A small business with growing pains has to adjust. I have confidence that Caysie will adjust as she grows her business, and I am going to be patient as she does that, because I think she is a gifted artist and she created heirlooms that will be treasured by my daughters and their daughters and hopefully generations after them!

 

[Tekate]

Have you posted your ring? I was off around America seeing family, my kids, friends etc and wasn't reading pricescope much. I love your design and your wedding bands are all super beautiful! a 3 carat stone wowza!

As a person who has never used Caysie I can say every ring I have ever seen here that people have posted are unique and beautiful.

But I believe vendors can be good and bad fits etc. seriously though, no one should care what I think anyway!

Congratulations and a happy long and full of fun marriage for you and husband!

Hi everyone,

I needed the last 48 hours to just get away from it all. I'm sure you understand. That being said, I want to say a few things and give an update.

First, there are so many of you that I'm grateful to for having the courage to speak up even when it's been unpopular. I also thank you for seeing my true viewpoint and experience, and the intention for which it was written, and not the twisted version that some were trying to turn it in to. Many virtual hugs are going out to you.

Also, zero apologies necessary for hijacking or derailing or whatever else you want to call it with this thread! I have been HAPPY to finally see open discussions happening about the topic of negative experiences. Now, am I happy it's because I had a not-as-planned experience? Obviously not - lol. But without discussions, lack of fear to be open, and willingness to hear constructive feedback, how else can people/businesses improve themselves or others make decisions? Hopefully one day those things will become more common on here and ESPECIALLY without malice posts in return. Polite "I don't agree, and here is why" is FINE, but the attacks that usually ensue are truly uncalled for.

@kayla17 - I'm so sorry that you not only had that experience but then were subsequently jumped on too. It wasn't your "fault", as you said, because no one deserves to be attacked when sharing their truth. It can be disagreed with, but what was said to you by others was hurtful and uncalled for. And for the record, your "Did I offend the ring?" statement was golden. That had me laughing for hours.

@tlfiore - Am I surprised by Caysie's reaction to Kayla? Given the text she sent me (Kayla - also with a screen shot after "being alerted by numerous other people"), telling me to immediately remove my post where I discussed her banning and prior mistakes, no, I'm not. However, what really should have transpired is a note being sent to Kayla with something like, "You know, I never considered it from your point of view and how it must have felt to not only have seen your photo online before I'd told you it was done but to know that someone else got to wear it first, and especially since it was so far past when I'd told you it would be in your hands. I apologize, and would love the chance to make it up to you." You will see that from other vendors on the forum when they make mistakes, and bending over backwards to right wrongs. But, I'm sure others might disagree with my opinion so I'll just go ahead and brace for the next assault.

Now, as for us and our rings...

We received the bands today. They look as expected and we're very happy with them. I love the color combinations and finishes I chose for my bands and expect they'll look spectacular with the ring. The band we designed for him looks as fierce as we'd hoped it would and are glad we had Caysie remove the brushed finish she'd initially put on it. Here's how they look in person; forgive the glare on his ring... we have tons of windows in our home so it's hard not to have that impact the photos. Oh, the close-up one is the MW monogram we used in my gallery; we had it laser engraved on the inside of his band.



My ring should arrive to me tomorrow. It was in NY yesterday being appraised by David Wolf; he has exceptional qualifications, is very picky, and is a completely unbiased appraiser (doesn't buy, sell, or trade diamonds), all of which is why we chose to use him. I seriously cannot say enough great things about how that whole experience went. They were unbelievably prompt in all correspondence, David even talked to me on the phone while he examined the ring so we could bounce questions and information off of each other (we even got to have a fun discussion about fluorescence and asscher cuts), and when he hadn't sent the PDF by the time he had told me he would, he proactively sent a note saying he was still working on it and what the hold up was. When there continued to be another few hours go by (because he was trying to coordinate getting my ASET from Yekutiel) he sent another email too. And ALL OF THIS was without my asking him to do anything. I had set zero expectations with him on anything. It was a stark contrast and one I feel is worth mentioning, given this whole thread discussion. The end result of his evaluation is that my ring is structurally sound and made of high workmanship, some of the melee is a lower clarity that we had paid for but he said that at that size SI isn't really noticeable so we're not going to worry about it, and the diamond Yekutiel sourced for us was truly a unicorn. We are so blown away at what we paid vs. what it's worth that we sent Yekutiel a nice gift certificate to the best kosher restaurant in NY that we could find

I honestly don't know if/when I'll share photos of my ring anymore. If I do, it will probably be after the proposal. I truly hate disappointing those of you who want to see it, but I need to let this emotional experience fade and get back to celebrating the creation and everything (good) that went in to it.

 

[tlfiore]

LIGHTEN UP PEOPLE (darn caps)...It's only jewelry!

I hope Ella decides NOT to shut down this thread...why should she? I am finding it most informative about Pricescope, especially how to manage vendor issues and how to manage the various "personalities" of the regular posters out here.

It's delightful getting to "know" people. I find it most entertaining. Guess I'm bored:

"fallen on the sword"...that's funny!
@Karl_K ...Pumpkin Pie-lol
@soxfan ...funny
@ILikeShiny "done with it on this thread" ...why would you be??? I for one thank you!
@whitewave, you are truly out of your depth...that is funny!
@whitewave ...cut 'n run...you crossed a line, I swear...just stop it!

DRAMA!!!

C'mon...thicken up your skins!!! And if the ongoing banter is so bothersome, well just stop reading the thread, stop posting on the topic and just move on

 

[whitewave]

LIGHTEN UP PEOPLE (darn caps)...It's only jewelry!

I hope Ella decides NOT to shut down this thread...why should she? I am finding it most informative about Pricescope, especially how to manage vendor issues and how to manage the various "personalities" of the regular posters out here.

It's delightful getting to "know" people. I find it most entertaining. Guess I'm bored:

"fallen on the sword"...that's funny!
Pumpkin Pie-lol
"done with it" on this thread...why would you be???
whitewave, you are truly out of your depth...that is funny!
@whitewave ...cut 'n run...you crossed a line, I swear..just stop it!

DRAMA!!!

C'mon...thicken up your skins!!! And if the ongoing banter is so bothersome, well just stop reading the thread, stop posting on the topic and just move on

I'm still laughing that I got jumped for the suggestion and told I was *truly* "out of my depth"

Drama has no time for pie @Karl_K lol

 

[tlfiore]

Please yes let's see the ring already!

 

[tlfiore]

And thank you for your comments on our rings. We broke the taboo pre-wedding restrictions and sat on the couch last night wearing our bands, hands intertwined. It really was so special to think about that scene being our forever future

Awwwwwwww...that is so so so sweet...giggling giddy...good for you two!

 

[tlfiore]

This is sad but true. I don't know if she is indeed still banned for creating multiple accounts and shilling?
A shill is someone who acts as an enthusiastic customer without disclosing that he/she is closely related to the company she is so enthusiastic about. In other words: fraud.

I feel so informed now...thank you for your clarification

 

[ringbling17]

Sorry Shiny, I hope this is my last response not related to your rings. That will be my next post.

If you look at the threads, that person who posted pics after meeting with Caysie was the DAY BEFORE Kayla posted the pics Caysie sent her. So that likely means that Caysie received the ring that day or maybe the day before from the bench, and also met with that potential client, and took pics and sent them to Kayla the next day. So no, her ring was not held back. I am sure Caysie wants to send out pieces asap considering the clients owe her half the cost when the ring is completed. She doesn't just hold rings indefinitely when they come in. It's like people are trying to make something out of absolutely nothing just to attack Caysie. I can buy into valid complaints over extended time, etc., but this is just ridiculous.

So for the sake of complete transparency I would like to clarify all of this, bc I may have been wrong with some dates and I think some info was misread. The ring was ready on or before June 18th. I asked for an appraisal to be done prior to it being shipped to me. Caysie said she had to get a few things appraised anyway so I figured since I'd waited this long what was another day. I wanted the appraisal bc I wanted to have the ring insured before it was shipped out to me.
I actually though the ring was ready to be appraised on June 16th, but it apparently it wasn't ready yet. Caysie said it needed more work. It was ready by June 18 and I received pics.
I also saw my ring posted on Instagram. I'm positive it was dated June 18th as well. The pictures could have been posted the 17th though. That was when I saw someone post under the Dahlia picture- " I can't wait to see it on xxxday". The day she mentioned was a few days away from June 18th. I thought that's weird, why is this person saying she can't wait to see my ring, won't I get it before that day she mentioned?
Of course the picture and corresponding posts on IG have been deleted. I would screenshot it for you but it's mysteriously disappeared.
Anyway, I was told that the ring would be appraised on June 22nd and then mailed out to me right away. When I asked if the appraisal was done that day and the ring shipped out, I was told no. It was not done. I had sent out final payment June 22nd at about 12 noon and Caysie said she recieved payment too late so she cancelled the appraisal. The reason why I didn't send out payment sooner was bc Caysie was charging me $75 more for driving it to the appraiser and I questioned the extra charge (I didn't know what it was for). Waiting on her response to me delayed my payment to her. This in turn caused her to cancel the appraisal appointment. I thought I still paid on time though bc she recieved payment by noon on June 22nd and the appraisal appointment was at 3 pm. Plenty of time in my mind to get the payment and still keep the appointment as scheduled and mail me the ring. I did not know none of this happened until the next day. I assumed the ring was mailed out to me that day.
So a couple of things about the appraisal. We had discussed that the appraisal be done but I didn't realize it was so far away from Caysie. She never told me until I had to pay the final payment and questioned the amount.
Had I known it was out of her way and it would take as long as it did, I would of had it just done here. Again, she told me that she was getting other items appraised and so adding my ring was okay bc she would've been going there anyway.
On June 23 I asked if the appraisal was done and if the ring was mailed out the day before. I was told no. It would be done that day instead.
The appraisal was done on June 23rd. I was told that the ring would be shipped out to me after the appraisal. I thought it was.
On June 24th, I asked if the appraisal
was done and the ring mailed out. The appraisal was done but the ring wasn't mailed out. I was leaving to go to NYC. I didn't want the ring to be mailed to me and sitting in the mailbox or at the Fed Ex station while I was in NYC for a week.
It was on June 24th that the person on PS posted her thread wearing my ring. I didn't see that thread until June 26th when I responded.
So on June 22 and June 23 and June 24, each time I asked if my ring was shipped and what the tracking number, I found out it was not.
It just seemed to me that the ring was held until the person could try my ring on. Bc the day after she tried it on, that was when my ring was shipped to me. This plus the post on IG from someone who couldn't wait to see my ring. And it was for around this date.
Caysie sent out my ring in June 25th for next day delivery to my NYC address for June 26th.
So yes, some of it is my fault as well bc I asked for the appraisal, but again I was not made aware of certain things as well and had I been, I would of just said forget the appraisal. Just send me the ring please.
And I did speak to Caysie last night. She agrees with me on the dates and the events. And she apologized for the other PSer taking the pictures.

 

[MollyMalone]

* * * Let me be very clear that I understand frustration when projected timelines are not met in anything in life. That is certainly a valid complaint. Caysie is optimistic in her timeline estimates sometimes, and when there are unexpected issues that come up, she can't meet the timeline. She truly wants to try to please her customers even when there are requests for extra communication that she can't possibly do with her workload. My suggestion would be to add an agreement on a work order that says current designs may be typically completed in 6-8 weeks after CAD approval but custom projects may take 8-12 weeks or even longer depending on the particular design such as the need for custom cut stones, etc. Then I would say she is unable to provide production updates due to her demanding schedule, but the client is welcome to check in after 6-8 weeks for a status report.

I think those policies would help people have more realistic expectations at the outset, and those who can live with those terms can be happy with the process and much frustration avoided. A small business with growing pains has to adjust. I have confidence that Caysie will adjust as she grows her business, and I am going to be patient as she does that, because I think she is a gifted artist and she created heirlooms that will be treasured by my daughters and their daughters and hopefully generations after them!

DS, the "growing pains" explanation has worn thin for me. It's been nearly a year- and-a-half since the increase in business was cited as the reason for the lack of communication re delays from Caysie-Erica which was the reason D&T began a thread.

At that time, at least a couple of us suggested that they bring on someone to handle administrative aspects of the business, e.g., emails, other communication, introduce organization & keeping tabs on the outside benches* -- and proactively communicate, so that one does not have to field status update inquiries from customers because that's happening as a matter of course. This administrative work could easily, and happily, be done by a college intern; heck, even a mature high school student who's facile with Excel, has good communication skills.

And no, expecting proactive communication is not equivalent with being a micromanager, as you typically suggest in response to communication complaints about Caysie. (Caysie actually seems to do fine with micromanagers; there's more than 1 PSer I would have lost patience with because of the number of design-related emails that were winged off & she seemingly never did.) The several custom projects I've commissioned did not even involve CADs; rather, I was with the respective jewelers when they did the pen-and-ink drawings & I gave them the go-ahead. I didn't communicate with them thereafter re any design details -- or have to ask about ETAs because they kept me abreast of the project's status.

* for those who don't know: Caysie doesn't fabricate the rings herself, so her workload does not entail any of the actual making of the rings; that's done by outside benches who don't work exclusively for Caysie.

 

[yssie]

My suggestion would be to add an agreement on a work order that says current designs may be typically completed in 6-8 weeks after CAD approval but custom projects may take 8-12 weeks or even longer depending on the particular design such as the need for custom cut stones, etc. Then I would say she is unable to provide production updates due to her demanding schedule, but the client is welcome to check in after 6-8 weeks for a status report.

I think those policies would help people have more realistic expectations at the outset, and those who can live with those terms can be happy with the process and much frustration avoided.

In my opinion this is an excellent suggestion, and I wanted to be sure to highlight it in the hope that it makes its way back to any vendor for whom estimating workload/capacity and keeping up with deliverable timelines might be challenging.

 

[ericad]

MollyMalone, please note that I am not affiliated with CvB. She did my production for a little while, about 3 years ago, and I retailed her setting line for about a year, however I have not been professionally affiliated with her brand in any way for over a year now. I have my own dedicated production team for all of my LAD settings. There's no bad blood, mind you, Caysie remains a good friend, but we are not professionally connected - you are referencing some old threads, from back when she and I worked together. I just don't want anyone to be confused, or start emailing me to place orders I can't fulfill lol.

ILS, your rings are beautiful, despite the journey being a bumpy one. I truly hope you enjoy them over many decades of happiness.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

@MollyMalone You said, "At that time, at least a couple of us suggested that they bring on someone to handle administrative aspects of the business, e.g., emails, other communication, introduce organization & keeping tabs on the outside benches* -- and proactively communicate, so that one does not have to field status update inquiries from customers because that's happening as a matter of course. This administrative work could easily, and happily, be done by a college intern; heck, even a mature high school student who's facile with Excel, has good communication skills."

Caysie is primarily an artist/designer and is designing new pieces continually, communicating with her CAD artist, and is in daily contact with her benches. She manages all the people involved in every job and each one is gifted in what they do. She has an amazing team. She works long hours. Now, I suppose she could rent a facility, hire staff to assist her, and prices would increase considerably. I personally am really thrilled to be getting top notch work at a decent price due to the way she is operating at this time. I think she can continue operating this way as long as she sets some realistic policies that clients understand up front. Several of the women entrepreneurs I know work from a home office. I salute them for choosing an option that allows them balance between work and family.

 

[foxinsox]

And thank you for your comments on our rings. We broke the taboo pre-wedding restrictions and sat on the couch last night wearing our bands, hands intertwined. It really was so special to think about that scene being our forever future

Aargh that is just so damn sweet! I love it!

 

[Ella]

Closed at request of the OP.

To clarify to those who requested clarification, shilling is when we detect that multiple accounts, usually claiming to be consumers, post about a vendor and we learn that the posters are actually the vendor or affiliated with the vendor.

As you can imagine, we take this type of thing very seriously on Pricescope and also never ban people for this unless we are absolutely certain.