Question on martini setting, JA vs. others

[Bosie]

JA diamond stud martini settings are $325, many others are $175 to $195, why are they so much more?

 

[chrono]

I'm not familiar with JA's martinis but I know WF's martinis are handmade. Well, at least that's what I heard a while back.

ETA
I guess I should have read better. Maybe JA's martinis are hand made too? How is the quality of the other martinis? How's the workmanship of the metal and polish?

 

[Bosie]

aren''t they all handmade?

 

[chrono]

I wonder if any could be cast...I would think it''s possible.

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 3/21/2009 11:13:43 AM
Author: Chrono
I wonder if any could be cast...I would think it''s possible.

Sure. Stuller offers martini settings, for example.

 

[chrono]

Date: 3/21/2009 11:25:55 AM
Author: Fly Girl

Date: 3/21/2009 11:13:43 AM
Author: Chrono
I wonder if any could be cast...I would think it''s possible.

Sure. Stuller offers martini settings, for example.

Thanks for the answer. So my guess would that those for under $200 are cast pieces.

 

[pixley]

They are handmade. This is from the JA website:
The three prong martini settings that we feature on our website are completely handmade. We start by melting the gold, then hand rolling the wire to the thinnest gauge possible. The five pieces of metal, three prongs, under bezel and post are all constructed to the exact size of the diamonds being used to ensure that the diamond sits perfectly flush into the setting. The diamond is then set exactly as the Martini design was intended - as an earring that floats on the ear - perfectly. Screw backs are available for an additional $25.

 

[Bosie]

So, are they any better being handmade vs. cast?
Worth the price difference/

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 3/21/2009 3:49:14 PM
Author: Bosie
So, are they any better being handmade vs. cast?
Worth the price difference/

I''m perfectly happy with the less expensive Stuller settings. They don''t look as good in super close-up photos, but they look fine when you are wearing them. You just need to decide if it is worth the price to you.

 

[chrono]

Depends on how anal you are. I would be fine with cast settings for earrings for everyday wear. The workmanship on the handmade martinis are probably better though.

 

[pixley]

I'm a little A.R. about details, and I think the WF handmade martinis are incredibly beautiful. If I were getting a size that I knew I wouldn't want to upgrade, I would go with those. Wink uses Roseco martini settings and they are super comfortable. They've got martinis in 3 or 4 prong versions for people who want a martini look but prefer 4 prongs to the 3. Wink said he used to use the Stuller settings, but recently, his setter was finding the prongs too short so he switched to Roseco brand martini settings. Another tidbit I learned about studs is that the screw-backs can get ookie and collect guck in the grooves, not to mention they are a pain in the ane to screw on and off.

 

[Phoenix]

I am fairly sure that WF martini settings are NOT hand-made, unless you specifically ask for them. When I ordered my studs, I asked about this and they told me (if I remember correctly) that they don''t do hand-made martini settings, so I just went with their regular stuff. Then, I found on PS a thread whereby someone had hand-made martini''s done for his fiancee''s studs. For the life of me, I can''t remember who it was. All I remember as I said, is that hers are hand-made and there''s a little doughnut like disc-thingy at the bottom (to prevent the ears from being stretched).

 

[pixley]

These are a couple links to handmade martinis: Sna77's wife's. I think I remember sna77 saying that you have to Google the Whiteflash handmade martini settings - they aren't readily advertised on their website.