Please give me your thoughts...

[TravelingGal]

The macro photos aren't the only problem, though. The hand shots are what really sealed it for me. They are hideous. I guess we can agree to disagree if need be, but it doesn't look anything like the original.

And yes, I showed some PS friends the photos because I was blindsided by how awful it looked and I wanted to make sure I wasn't completely insane before I got upset about it. Everyone who has seen it has agreed with my assessment.

Look, I'm not a fan of those handshots either. I don't know what advice you got, but getting upset over it isn't going to help with a resolution. I would have made my concerns clear and here's why (which it seems you did), say I will take a look at the ring in person and if if I still believe that the ring is not satisfactory, I propose X solution.

Any vendor is going to want you to at least SEE the thing before you can go to a resolution if it's not satisfactory. Telling a vendor who just made the ring to not send it, and the drama that ensues with something like that isn't going to help matters. There have been quite a few threads on PS where the photos of the ring were scary and PSers said to just see in person. I think I remember a case with WF for sure.

Now it's been escalated, and there are bad feelings on both sides, and I am very sorry for you that it's been tough. E-rings are emotional for sure, and that's hard to take out of the equation.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

ruby, we were just speculating that because it was hard to imagine why he was refusing to remove her diamond from the setting! But it is certainly possible that he was forcing her to take possession of the ring in hopes that she'd keep it rather than start over. But after seeing the pics, I don't think that is likely!

 

[TravelingGal]

I think the inner bezel is a hair too thick, but the real problem is in the gap. The gap looks awful, the metal looks dented and unpolished... dunno what happened there. I think that's where all the confusing reflections are happening too. The symmetry isn't bothering me, I don't think I'd notice problems with symmetry on a daily basis. But it is just too much metal.

I missed this in the previous posts... but will you get a refund even if the bezel is destroyed during unsetting? Or does it the stone have to be removed with the bezel intact?

I'd agree with your assessment gemfever. From the pictures, it looks like a trench. But again, it's a photo...

 

[cygnet]

I think the inner bezel is a hair too thick, but the real problem is in the gap. The gap looks awful, the metal looks dented and unpolished... dunno what happened there. I think that's where all the confusing reflections are happening too. The symmetry isn't bothering me, I don't think I'd notice problems on a daily basis. But it is just too much metal.

I missed this in the previous posts... but will you get a refund even if the bezel is destroyed during unsetting? Or does it the stone have to be removed with the bezel intact?

I do not have to return the bezel in its original condition. David has promised a refund and I am appreciative of that. I am just concerned that I don't have my bases covered in the event that it possibly IS damaged, and I'm upset that he told me he was done with me and sent it after I had told him not to, and knowing we weren't finished yet.

 

[missy]

Oh Cygnet, I am so sorry about this hot mess! My heart breaks for you especially because it is affecting your engagement.

I hope the vendor comes to his senses and does the right thing here. I bet he will. The pics do not look like what you had requested period. I don't think seeing the ring in person will change that fact. I hope the matter gets resolved in a professional and timely fashion and that you can go ahead and enjoy this happy and exciting time in your lives.

I am sending you good wishes and {{{hugs}}} and lots of PS dust for a successful resolution.

 

[missydebby]

Obviously citing Sherlock Holmes and Denzel Washington makes me suspicious.

It's so fun to be back on the boards.

Best go confess to my rabbi.

Anywho, I'm so sorry that you are going through this and with those pics and as much as you and FC have said between you, I stand by my craaaay statement of I can't wait to not do business with the now named DBL.

Between this and other things I've read... well let's just say I am very very happy with the guys I do do business with.

Tgal, you have said some really interesting things, some very astute. But may I say that just cause something seems weird to you doesn't mean they are.

 

[Laila619]

On a lighter note, what setting will you put it in, i can think of a really lovely one that I think would really bring out the shape, which is what i assumed you were trying to do with this setting. Im so sorry it didnt pan out. Its amazing how such a little thing can be so daunting

I don't even know anymore. I think at this point I need to just take it one ring at a time. I'll let you know when I figure it out though! I am feeling the need to take a break from thinking about the ring after this mess is all taken care of. I know you guys do custom jewelry all the time with few issues, but I have been really burned by this experience.

Cygnet, I'd put it in a $250 cheapie Stuller solitaire (GOG has them). And wear it and just don't worry about custom settings for a good while.

 

[Niel]

On a lighter note, what setting will you put it in, i can think of a really lovely one that I think would really bring out the shape, which is what i assumed you were trying to do with this setting. Im so sorry it didnt pan out. Its amazing how such a little thing can be so daunting

I don't even know anymore. I think at this point I need to just take it one ring at a time. I'll let you know when I figure it out though! I am feeling the need to take a break from thinking about the ring after this mess is all taken care of. I know you guys do custom jewelry all the time with few issues, but I have been really burned by this experience.

Completely understandable. But my suggestion wasnt even going to be custom I can only imagine the gut wrenching feeling you must have, and for whatever weird reason he is having it sent to you, I hope its not as bad as our collective imagination has made it out to be

 

[cygnet]

I think where the concern is small, it's better to sees it in person just to make sure. But that ring is hideous from any distance. I don't think it's necessary to see it in person when it is clearly not what was asked for. TGal, you also aren't aware of what else happened between he and I and I have reasons for refusing to accept it the way it is. I have chosen not to post extra details because I don't want this thread to become more heated than it already is.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Hi Everyone,
Cygnets ring is on the top left. The others are the rings Cygnet asked us to duplicate which are posted on our website
It's clear that there are secret groups where this has been discussed, un-moderated.
It's also clear that there's a group who don't like us- and can't use the type of tactics here that they can there.
Cygnet's diamond is in perfect condition.
If our setters damage a diamond, we know it immediately- and our client would in the next moment. If we had sold them that diamond we would take liability. Thankfully there was no incidence in this case
The discussion of liability was never covered in an email- and I'm quite sure I'd never take liability for setting a diamond under these circumstances.
The circumstances: We offered a client a money back guarantee on a custom made ring. I'd be very interested in people posting other makers of custom made rings who offer the same with a stone they did not sell. The reason there's no written policy regarding liability on the site is that we went outside policy to make a ring with a stone we did not sell.

I am not posting from my office- and the photo above is the most unflattering of Cygnet's ring IMO.
If a concern such as " I don't like the bezel- it's too thick, thin, etc" was raised, we would have been glad to address it.
However were were not given a specific list of complaints till yesterday, when the situation had moved from amicable,

Part of our money back guarantee is that the item must be returned to qualify for a money back guarantee. This case is a perfect example of why. There have been many cases where a person had concerns after seeing a photo that did not bother them in real life.
And if it did bother them after first hand inspection, we'd pay the postage back, and fix, or refund.
We extended the money back period in this case to 30 days ( this was done yesterday) to allow the client more time to have the stone removed

The liability issue: Given that our client has expressed such lack of faith, we are not inclined to do further work on the ring.
Having said that, if Cygnet wishes to obtain insurance and release us from liability, we'll be glad to remove the diamond. You can bet you bottom we'll be extra careful- but we would anyway.
We don;t need a thread to do the right thing- and this one had a lot of people making strong judgments without even seeing photos.

My opinion of the ring- although it's not up to me: I was a bit disappointed because the unique shape of the stone does not come through. If I would have anticipated this, I would have brought it up at time of order.
Unlike many others our money back guarantee says " you may return your item for any reason"
This means we would never try to prevent a refund if the person was unsatisfied-fir any reason. To be able to offer such a generous guarantee, we need to enforce it to the letter.

I most regret that Cygnet was apparently given harsh, private advice by people with ulterior motives, The same people dissing the ring would not have approved of the idea from the beginning.
Unlike PS, there's no rules in these secret groups. Scaring a consumer for no reason is no problem there.
Sorry you somehow got caught in this Cygnet.

 

[Clairitek]

I can see unpolished... solder?... between the inner and outer bezels. Totally unacceptable, even in macro shots. And the proportion of original bezel is totally different than Cygnet's ring.

Was this made by the "uber" bench or the regular bench?

 

[TravelingGal]

I think where the concern is small, it's better to sees it in person just to make sure. But that ring is hideous from any distance. I don't think it's necessary to see it in person when it is clearly not what was asked for. TGal, you also aren't aware of what else happened between he and I and I have reasons for refusing to accept it the way it is. I have chosen not to post extra details because I don't want this thread to become more heated than it already is.

Fair enough...I was just taking what was said here at face value.

 

[TravelingGal]

Obviously citing Sherlock Holmes and Denzel Washington makes me suspicious.

It's so fun to be back on the boards.

Best go confess to my rabbi.

Anywho, I'm so sorry that you are going through this and with those pics and as much as you and FC have said between you, I stand by my craaaay statement of I can't wait to not do business with the now named DBL.

Between this and other things I've read... well let's just say I am very very happy with the guys I do do business with.

Tgal, you have said some really interesting things, some very astute. But may I say that just cause something seems weird to you doesn't mean they are.

True...and sometimes they are weird, haha!

I hope you didn't take offense when I said that what you said stuck out for me. Although I can't remember too many of your posts (I have a terrible memory), I do remember that you seem like a very sweet poster, so it seemed out of character for me. That's when I went back to reread the thread and tried to figure out how this person was a friend to Freke.

Anyway, carry on!

 

[missydebby]

Obviously citing Sherlock Holmes and Denzel Washington makes me suspicious.

It's so fun to be back on the boards.

Best go confess to my rabbi.

Anywho, I'm so sorry that you are going through this and with those pics and as much as you and FC have said between you, I stand by my craaaay statement of I can't wait to not do business with the now named DBL.

Between this and other things I've read... well let's just say I am very very happy with the guys I do do business with.

Tgal, you have said some really interesting things, some very astute. But may I say that just cause something seems weird to you doesn't mean they are.

True...and sometimes they are weird, haha!

I hope you didn't take offense when I said that what you said stuck out for me. Although I can't remember too many of your posts (I have a terrible memory), I do remember that you seem like a very sweet poster, so it seemed out of character for me. That's when I went back to reread the thread and tried to figure out how this person was a friend to Freke.

Anyway, carry on!

*smooch* : )

 

[Rockdiamond]

It is not possible to to properly evaluate this ring with photos- especially mine which show far more detail than most any other vendor.
With a bright polished ring like this, photos become even more difficult.
This does not mean Cygnet would love it in person- but it does mean she'd need to have examined it personally to make the determination.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I just read Dreamer's post. That is an interesting suggestion and I will consider it.

I understand that the likelihood of damage is slim, but I cannot understand his behavior over this whole matter unless something happened and he's trying to cover it up.

Then again, as Julie said-- filing a claim does seem to be the simpler solution.

I cannot explain the vendor's response. I try not to mind read in my life. His reasons are irrelevant at this point. All that matters is a calm and relatively simple solution for you. JM/perfect circle exist for people to insure their jewelery. I have called them before and saud, 'hey I have a ring I want to reset, can I insure it now and if so, will it be covered during the reset?" They said, "Of course!" I do not think your stone was damaged, it is very unlikely and also would be a silly thing for a vendor to try to cover up when they have their own insurance. It is a slight chance, and one easily covered with insurance.

I am concered you have been given "advice" that only served to inflame your worries, rather than concrete advice to resolve this issue. I know there are people who seem to thrive on drama and creating it around them. I hope you can see through that and reach a solution soon.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Just for the record, I do not know Cygnet personally, I have never communicated with her off PS, and I am not a member of a secret group. But I think there is nothing wrong with it if people are. I didn't know about this situation with her ring until this thread was posted. Cygnet said she sought some people's advice because SHE hated the ring and wanted other opinions. Not a thing wrong with that, either. And it is the hand shots that concern me most...waaay too much width in that bezel...totally takes away from the stone.

 

[ame]

Holy crap, I went to play trains and cars with a 15 month old, and all hell broke loose.

I have very little to add, and won't really discuss the 5+ pages of disputing between everyone else prior to Cygnet jumping in, but what is pictured of the actual piece vs what was intended don't look at all alike, and I would not accept that either.

If the communication had broken down by then, I probably also would not allow a redo either, frankly. And if Cygnet voiced that, and isn't happy, and wants a refund, I don't see why that wasn't immediately granted, plus her stone removed and sent to her. Why fight with the customer? Now you've completely killed not only a future possibility of business, but the word will go out, on here and elsewhere, and that killed a HUGE amount of potential business.

I don't know why it became a dramatic fight, and I don't give a rip. Either way, whatever happened between her/her future fiance and the vendor is a serious situation. And if the vendor wishes to save his already dinged reputation on this forum, the only thing at this point that will probably do that is to unmount her stone carefully at his cost, and issue a refund and send both to her. Or maybe even better, after it's unmounted carefully by DBL, send her stone to GOG, so Jon can inspect it and confirm for her that it's ok which I desperately hope that amazing stone is, just so she feels comfortable, and DBL can in the meantime immediately send her the refund.

That's about all I am going to say on this, I am backing my big butt right back out of here.

 

[Dreamer_D]

How do I go about getting it insured ASAP and then getting it unset and shipped it back within 7 days?

I'm a noob. And I'm tired. Please help.

Your appraisal takes 30 mins from any local person, just make sure they state in the description that it is a branded stone and reference the AGS report. Then you go online to Perfect Circle and apply, you attach all your documents, and I beleiev you are covered right away! If not you can call Perfect circle, explain that you want to have some work done on your ring right away and that you need immediate coverage. Go see a jeweler and they can unset it in like 10 mins -- they use a bitty saw and it won't damage your diamond (the saw is softer than diamond) I have unset many diamond this way. Then ship the setting back using express mail with insurance. Should take less than 7 days!

 

[JulieN]

cygnet, just look at the ring when it comes tomorrow. photos in DBL's lighting are horrible. People are mistakenly thinking there are four steps, it is clear there are two if one looks closely. This is not to point fingers at people who thought there were more rows, just that the lighting and shadows in the photo aren't true to life. I will admit I have no eye for this kind of jewelry, but the pictures compared to the original do not look very different when I shrink it down on my monitor, and perhaps the squareness and wide windmills of your asscher bring out different qualities in the double bezel that in the longer radiant doesn't.

I think David's policies have been very fair, even if there have been inflamed emotions.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Cygnet- we have given you a revised money back guarantee in writing yesterday- we extended it to 30 days. If you did not receive the email there's a hard copy in the box

How do I go about getting it insured ASAP and then getting it unset and shipped it back within 7 days?

I'm a noob. And I'm tired. Please help.

 

[ame]

Cygnet:
I don't see why YOU should have to foot the bill for this at all, and further, I don't see why you should have to ding your insurance because of the Vendor's unwillingness to refund your money for a poorly done custom job. YOU didn't screw up here, and YOU weren't the one playing hard ball. You hired this person and paid him for a service under specific terms and conditions based on images provided of previous work indicating that he and his bench are capable of doing this particular piece well. He didn't deliver what you paid for. Therefore you are expected to receive a refund when you tell him you're not happy, without games, and without having to get a package sent to you that you explicitly told him you would not accept---that should not have been sent out in the first place. I don't understand why someone would behave so unprofessionally, especially who is widely recognized on here. You should not have to see it in person to know it's not what you wanted.

I also hope you don't let anyone bully you into doing anything you're not comfortable with.

 

[FrekeChild]

cygnet, just look at the ring when it comes tomorrow. photos in DBL's lighting are horrible. People are mistakenly thinking there are four steps, it is clear there are two if one looks closely. This is not to point fingers at people who thought there were more rows, just that the lighting and shadows in the photo aren't true to life. I will admit I have no eye for this kind of jewelry, but the pictures compared to the original do not look very different when I shrink it down on my monitor, and perhaps the squareness and wide windmills of your asscher bring out different qualities in the double bezel that in the longer radiant doesn't.

I think David's policies have been very fair, even if there have been inflamed emotions.

I think the picture of David's shows very clearly that her bezels look NOTHING like the inspiration ring. The bezel that's around the actual diamond itself is twice as wide as the inspiration's.

Someone asked up thread if this was made by the uber bench, it was.

 

[FrekeChild]

David,

You have been incredibly disrespectful towards Cygnet the entire time this has been going on.

The two biggest instances are:

You sending the ring back to her after she told you not to, with a message that basically says "this is your problem, not mine."

The second is when she did not back down off of her request for refund, at the same time, requesting that all correspondence go through email, and you asked to speak with her "husband". And then you did it again a day or two later.

Please, I would like to hear the justification for those. Especially that last one.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Cygnet:
I don't see why YOU should have to foot the bill for this at all, and further, I don't see why you should have to ding your insurance because of the Vendor's unwillingness to refund your money for a poorly done custom job. YOU didn't screw up here, and YOU weren't the one playing hard ball. You hired this person and paid him for a service under specific terms and conditions based on images provided of previous work indicating that he and his bench are capable of doing this particular piece well. He didn't deliver what you paid for. Therefore you are expected to receive a refund when you tell him you're not happy, without games, and without having to get a package sent to you that you explicitly told him you would not accept---that should not have been sent out in the first place. I don't understand why someone would behave so unprofessionally, especially who is widely recognized on here. You should not have to see it in person to know it's not what you wanted.

I also hope you don't let anyone bully you into doing anything you're not comfortable with.

Just to expand my own reasoning for my suggestion: For me, the cost of paying to unset the diamond myself is much less than the cost of agonizing and stressing about my ring for another few weeks. I think the chances the stone is damaged are so low that it is hardly worth considering. So for me its a cost-benefit analysis.

I also hope cygnet is able to reach a resolution she is comfortable with.

 

[Lula]

How do I go about getting it insured ASAP and then getting it unset and shipped it back within 7 days?

I'm a noob. And I'm tired. Please help.

Your appraisal takes 30 mins from any local person, just make sure they state in the description that it is a branded stone and reference the AGS report. Then you go online to Perfect Circle and apply, you attach all your documents, and I beleiev you are covered right away! If not you can call Perfect circle, explain that you want to have some work done on your ring right away and that you need immediate coverage. Go see a jeweler and they can unset it in like 10 mins -- they use a bitty saw and it won't damage your diamond (the saw is softer than diamond) I have unset many diamond this way. Then ship the setting back using express mail with insurance. Should take less than 7 days!

Gee, I sure hope that the Perfect Circle/JM rep isn't reading this thread

 

[ame]

Cygnet:
I don't see why YOU should have to foot the bill for this at all, and further, I don't see why you should have to ding your insurance because of the Vendor's unwillingness to refund your money for a poorly done custom job. YOU didn't screw up here, and YOU weren't the one playing hard ball. You hired this person and paid him for a service under specific terms and conditions based on images provided of previous work indicating that he and his bench are capable of doing this particular piece well. He didn't deliver what you paid for. Therefore you are expected to receive a refund when you tell him you're not happy, without games, and without having to get a package sent to you that you explicitly told him you would not accept---that should not have been sent out in the first place. I don't understand why someone would behave so unprofessionally, especially who is widely recognized on here. You should not have to see it in person to know it's not what you wanted.

I also hope you don't let anyone bully you into doing anything you're not comfortable with.

Just to expand my own reasoning for my suggestion: For me, the cost of paying to unset the diamond myself is much less than the cost of agonizing and stressing about my ring for another few weeks. I think the chances the stone is damaged are so low that it is hardly worth considering. So for me its a cost-benefit analysis.

I also hope cygnet is able to reach a resolution she is comfortable with.

At this point, if it was me, I would not want to spend another cent. Especially when it involves another vendor, one not responsible for any of this or involved in any way, who in turn could get blamed for whatever happens. Further, it should not be dealt with through Cygnet's insurance or any other vendor's insurance. It's DBL's sole responsibility to unmount this stone safely and confirm it's condition.

 

[Lula]

Cygnet:
I don't see why YOU should have to foot the bill for this at all, and further, I don't see why you should have to ding your insurance because of the Vendor's unwillingness to refund your money for a poorly done custom job. YOU didn't screw up here, and YOU weren't the one playing hard ball. You hired this person and paid him for a service under specific terms and conditions based on images provided of previous work indicating that he and his bench are capable of doing this particular piece well. He didn't deliver what you paid for. Therefore you are expected to receive a refund when you tell him you're not happy, without games, and without having to get a package sent to you that you explicitly told him you would not accept---that should not have been sent out in the first place. I don't understand why someone would behave so unprofessionally, especially who is widely recognized on here. You should not have to see it in person to know it's not what you wanted.

I also hope you don't let anyone bully you into doing anything you're not comfortable with.

Just to expand my own reasoning for my suggestion: For me, the cost of paying to unset the diamond myself is much less than the cost of agonizing and stressing about my ring for another few weeks. I think the chances the stone is damaged are so low that it is hardly worth considering. So for me its a cost-benefit analysis.

I also hope cygnet is able to reach a resolution she is comfortable with.

At this point, if it was me, I would not want to spend another cent. Especially when it involves another vendor, one not responsible for any of this or involved in any way, who in turn could get blamed for whatever happens. Further, it should not be dealt with through Cygnet's insurance or any other vendor's insurance. It's DBL's sole responsibility to unmount this stone safely and confirm it's condition.

I agree with Ame. Please don't drag another vendor into this. It's unethical.

 

[missydebby]

Cygnet:
I don't see why YOU should have to foot the bill for this at all, and further, I don't see why you should have to ding your insurance because of the Vendor's unwillingness to refund your money for a poorly done custom job. YOU didn't screw up here, and YOU weren't the one playing hard ball. You hired this person and paid him for a service under specific terms and conditions based on images provided of previous work indicating that he and his bench are capable of doing this particular piece well. He didn't deliver what you paid for. Therefore you are expected to receive a refund when you tell him you're not happy, without games, and without having to get a package sent to you that you explicitly told him you would not accept---that should not have been sent out in the first place. I don't understand why someone would behave so unprofessionally, especially who is widely recognized on here. You should not have to see it in person to know it's not what you wanted.

I also hope you don't let anyone bully you into doing anything you're not comfortable with.

Just to expand my own reasoning for my suggestion: For me, the cost of paying to unset the diamond myself is much less than the cost of agonizing and stressing about my ring for another few weeks. I think the chances the stone is damaged are so low that it is hardly worth considering. So for me its a cost-benefit analysis.

I also hope cygnet is able to reach a resolution she is comfortable with.

At this point, if it was me, I would not want to spend another cent. Especially when it involves another vendor, one not responsible for any of this or involved in any way, who in turn could get blamed for whatever happens. Further, it should not be dealt with through Cygnet's insurance or any other vendor's insurance. It's DBL's sole responsibility to unmount this stone safely and confirm it's condition.

Amen

 

[TravelingGal]

cygnet, just look at the ring when it comes tomorrow. photos in DBL's lighting are horrible. People are mistakenly thinking there are four steps, it is clear there are two if one looks closely. This is not to point fingers at people who thought there were more rows, just that the lighting and shadows in the photo aren't true to life. I will admit I have no eye for this kind of jewelry, but the pictures compared to the original do not look very different when I shrink it down on my monitor, and perhaps the squareness and wide windmills of your asscher bring out different qualities in the double bezel that in the longer radiant doesn't.

I think David's policies have been very fair, even if there have been inflamed emotions.

I think the picture of David's shows very clearly that her bezels look NOTHING like the inspiration ring. The bezel that's around the actual diamond itself is twice as wide as the inspiration's.

Someone asked up thread if this was made by the uber bench, it was.

Do you all know what the exact specs are of the inspiration ring are? Stone? Bezel? Size of ring?

Don't let photos be your guide. I don't think you can say it's "twice as wide." For instance, a quick crap photoshop with lines of my own can show otherwise. Let me be clear that I don't know the specs of the ring either....the example is just to demonstrate that you can put two photos side by side and judge with total accuracy.

ETA, that should have read "CAN'T put two photos side by side...