Questions for PSers who've sent stones to Leon

[arjunajane]

Can anyone post the links to the other threads that you mentioned. I can't find them.

Unfortunately, the new search feature makes it hard to find those links. After seeing some of LM's work, most recently babynurse's gorgeous green, I started reading everything I could about people's experiences with him, and found most of the threads by links inserted in other threads. The links were usually posted in response to someone asking a question about working with Leon, and someone else would refer to "Pricescoper's name," and then I'd look up all the topics under that PS forum ID. It took forever, but was extremely illuminating! If someone posted about a bad, or upsetting experience with LM, inevitably, at some point in the thread, someone would imply(or heck, sometimes they'd just come out and say it) that the person who had had a negative experience must have somehow brought it on themselves. Which actually left me wondering if there are a lot more negative experiences out there that PS'ers aren't posting about, because they don't feel like facing the backlash.

Aoife,
regarding your last sentence, I fully expect that there are - both those members who got their ring but had a difficult time and would not prefer not to speak of it for whatever reason, and those that didn't end up getting what was agreed at all.
Just in this thread, we have seen three members relay their stories which had previously gone untold..

As for the posters that imply - or directly state - that they bring bad treatment from LM directly upon themselves by some mis-step or not perfectly adhering to 'the rules' - well, codswallop frankly.
Sure, there are some clients who may be better suited to working with Leon's methods than others, we all know this. But I refuse to accept this gives his office the right to mistreat or overcharge - or in Uppy's case, simply extort - the ones that don't fit within his 'ideal criterion of client behaviours'.

The backlash that is often experienced by posters relaying a negative experience about a 'favourite son', is the piling on of those who have had the opposite, and the inherent implication that the error must be on the consumers end.
Lovestreet began this thread with detailed questions for those with experience working with Leon, and has received responses from both clients with negative and positive stories. I would seriously hope though that now some of the clients who have had less than favourable exchanges have chosen to speak up, they are not silenced like in the past by cheer squads.

 

[rosetta]

Lovestreet, I just don't want to relive a disappointing experience. I was about to spend $30,000+ and for that price, i just wanted the whole experience to be pleasant. i didn't want a bad taste left in my mouth, even if i was thrilled with the finished product. If i was spending a lot less, i probably would have just ignored the bad bits and purchased.

i feel part of the enjoyment of purchasing a luxury item is the process itself, not just the end product. i'm sure others would not agree, but if, for example, my ring was not made exactly as i wanted it, i would be very upset. in that situation, i didn't feel that Leon would agree to make any changes easily. why take that sort of stress on board?

the other thing that happened as a by-product of this interaction: i became less confident about buying from a PS-recommended vendor as a whole. i DID eventually purchase from another PS vendor, but i thread very carefully. and I slashed my budget almost in half.

sorry, this probably doesn't help you one bit, but it felt good to get that off my chest!

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Leon's demand/request for having a customers stone in hand before giving a quote serves multiple purposes:

1) First and foremost it seperates those just browsing from the serious ones. (I think this is the primary reason he does it).
2) The shape outline, dimensions and size of flash will be known to him helping in the design process.
3) It allows him to charge whatever he feels like for return shipping and make a profit to offset his quoting time if the customer decides against using him.

A new customer should ask Leon up front what the costs of shipping, handling ,and insurance will be:

i) for the sending a stone back unset if requested
ii) finished ring

Get this in writing especially before sending your ring or any deposit.

Really you don't need to send him your stone just to get a quote, send him some quality photographs of profile and faceup and the dimensions on the grading report and that should be sufficent. If he says otherwise you know its 1) and 3).

 

[CharmyPoo]

1. Leon does not request you send stones for quotes. He provides quotes without seeing the stone.

2. I shared my story briefly in another thread. The reason I didn't want to share was because the situation is on-going. I usually like to share once it has been resolved.

3. Honestly, I don't feel PSers shut out people who had bad experiences with Leon or other vendors. I feel it is up to the posters to take the rest of the community on their journey so they understand. How can you expect the community to take your word if you don't share pictures or show us what really went wrong? Just saying something went wrong is not enough.

An example, Boom really took us on her journey and everyone was very supportive.
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-custom-setting-and-honest-opinions-please.125928/?hilit=leon']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-custom-setting-and-honest-opinions-please.125928/?hilit=leon[/URL] airline

 

[rosetta]

i'm not going to comment on my own situation any further, because i didn't end up going with Leon. if i do run with him, i will post a blow-by-blow account.

thanks for the link to boom's ordeal, i'm very sorry she didn't get what she wanted, i would be disappointed in her situation too.

 

[Love Street]

AJ - I hear what you're saying. Thanks.

Rosetta - I completely empathize with not wanting to relive an unpleasant experience. I just appreciate your sharing - and it is actually very helpful to hear, even without every painful detail. Every anecdote provides some insight that is helpful, so thank you.I've often found that buying luxury items is often not a feel-good experience ifI am at all concerned about transparency in pricing - my recent car buying experience comes to mind. It is less painful if the sticker shock is the same for everyone (e.g. an Hermes boutique) and not dependant on the whims of the seller/vendor and negotiating skill of the buyer. But c'est la vie - I'm not complaining about it, I'm just trying to arm myself with information - and forewarned is forearmed.

A new customer should ask Leon up front what the costs of shipping, handling ,and insurance will be:
i) for the sending a stone back unset if requested
ii) finished ring
Get this in writing especially before sending your ring or any deposit.

CCL - thanks for suggesting this. I'm not taking issue with Leon's quote process at all - it is what it is, for whatever reasons. I understand he prefers to work with the stone in hand and that is fine with me. I'm just trying to do a thorough due diligence investigation beforehand so that I can try to address potential issues before they arise - other posters' experiences is immensely helpful in this regard. I know I may be overthinking this but I'm involved in risk analysis and mitigation for a living, so I can't help myself I also want to maximize the possibility of a positive experience, even though there does not seem to be any guarantees.

Charmy - thanks as always for your thoughtful comments. Boom's thread was one that was an eye-opener for me - if I were getting a halo, I never woul have thought to include airline/no airline on my work order. What else might I not be thinking of?

I have gotten current a quote from Leon on the ring I'm interested in - a 7-stone (similar to some of his five stones but w/skinnier sidestones). However, I don't think I want an exact replica of this ring. For example, I might want to swap the first baguette for a trap, or I might want carre cuts down the shank instead of a pain shank. I also want a professional jewelery designer's input on whether my ideas would ruin the look, enhance it, or what. I don't want to entirely dictate design - I just know I want bezelled step-cuts with a geometric effect leading up to the center stone in a configuration that flatters the center stone (and I don't trust myself to know exactly what that is).

I'm just a little concerned about budget overruns also. The labor quote would leave me with a budget of $2500 for the sidestones - do I tell him this up front, before I send my stone in? Do I tell him this in the context of trying to get the cost to return my stone unset, per CCL's advice? I know he doesn't like to talk design-specifics until he has stone in hand....

[Note: edited to remove exact cost and ring quoted, just in case the internet has ears...]

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

AJ - I hear what you're saying. Thanks.

Rosetta - I completely empathize with not wanting to relive an unpleasant experience. I just appreciate your sharing - and it is actually very helpful to hear, even without every painful detail. Every anecdote provides some insight that is helpful, so thank you.I've often found that buying luxury items is often not a feel-good experience ifI am at all concerned about transparency in pricing - my recent car buying experience comes to mind. It is less painful if the sticker shock is the same for everyone (e.g. an Hermes boutique) and not dependant on the whims of the seller/vendor and negotiating skill of the buyer. But c'est la vie - I'm not complaining about it, I'm just trying to arm myself with information - and forewarned is forearmed.

A new customer should ask Leon up front what the costs of shipping, handling ,and insurance will be:
i) for the sending a stone back unset if requested
ii) finished ring
Get this in writing especially before sending your ring or any deposit.

CCL - thanks for suggesting this. I'm not taking issue with Leon's quote process at all - it is what it is, for whatever reasons. I understand he prefers to work with the stone in hand and that is fine with me. I'm just trying to do a thorough due diligence investigation beforehand so that I can try to address potential issues before they arise - other posters' experiences is immensely helpful in this regard. I know I may be overthinking this but I'm involved in risk analysis and mitigation for a living, so I can't help myself I also want to maximize the possibility of a positive experience, even though there does not seem to be any guarantees.

Charmy - thanks as always for your thoughtful comments. Boom's thread was one that was an eye-opener for me - if I were getting a halo, I never woul have thought to include airline/no airline on my work order. What else might I not be thinking of?

I have gotten current a quote from Leon on the ring I'm interested in(labor + metal only, of course). However, I don't think I want an exact replica of this ring. For example, I might want to swap the first baguette for a trap, or I might want carre cuts down the shank instead of a pain shank. I also want a professional jewelery designer's input on whether my ideas would ruin the look, enhance it, or what. I don't want to entirely dictate design - I just know I want bezelled step-cuts with a geometric effect leading up to the center stone in a configuration that flatters the center stone (and I don't trust myself to know exactly what that is).

I'm just a little concerned about budget overruns also. The labor quote was $3500, and my budget for the setting is $6k - do I tell him this up front, before I send my stone in? Do I tell him this in the context of trying to get the cost to return my stone unset, per CCL's advice? I know he doesn't like to talk design-specifics until he has stone in hand....

See this is where I have a problem. I think you should be able to have a full discussion of what you want with him and let him educate you on you how to achieve your look, then you can ask for a quote afterwards. Keep it to a single phone call and clearly communicate with pictures if needed exactly what you want.

You want to use an AVC, Leon can have the photograph and the dimensions both carat weight and LW. Its not like Leon hasn't seen AVCs before and they are all very similar, the only major difference is in the LW ratio(which changes the curvature of outline) and size.

It is total BS if he can't source side stones and plan the setting and quote very precisely the price of everything with this information. Who cares what he likes and doesn't like, this quote should not require you sending it to him. The pricing of the sidestones should be secondary and Leon should know this within a few hundred anyway its not like he hasn't made three stone rings before in the designs similar to what you like.

I must say though flat edge steps cuts (such as the design you showed) don't generally fit well with vintage style cushions with rounded edges. Turning them lengwise does work but then its a different design and often stops at a 3 stone instead of a 5.
This design for example

Decide EXACTLY which elements you like from which of his photograph and circle the elements from his photographs. If you can do a collage it would be better.

If you leave it up to Leon his quote will stick to the reference design and his interpretation of the photographs you have included.

You don't have to be a ring designer, you shouldn't complicate it by choosing 8 ring elements from 8 different designs, and don't give him 10 pages either. If you aren't sure and want to speak to him first you can but keep it short and to the point and ask all of your questions during that phone call.

Stick to the main elements you want in one page that is clear and concise. If you need help post your ideas and someone like Charmypoo or others can help you organize and make it clear and concise.

 

[missydebby]

Excellent advice from CCL. This should be required reading for anyone, even the likes of me, who want to get a Leon setting.

 

[Love Street]

I must say though flat edge steps cuts (such as the design you showed) don't generally fit well with vintage style cushions with rounded edges. Turning them lengwise does work but then its a different design and often stops at a 3 stone instead of a 5.
This design for example

I can understand this - and I do love the design you linked to . There are some examples of step cuts next to vintage stones that I've seen that work well (IMO) - especially with colored stones, though Bebe's ring and Lilo's antique cushionare also in my "inspiration" folder.

I also tried some in person at 23rd Street and they seemed to work. I understand it's not everyone's cup of tea but I liked it I hope I don't get "no soup for you".
ETA: I hope that my preference for these step cuts + cushions doesn't mean I'm already on my way to a homeowner's special But that is really the only design element I don't want to compromise on - I've seen them in person and I like them...

Maybe I will call him tomorrow since I had planned to send my stone Tuesday (I'm getting it appraised tomorrow in part so that I have a record of the exact condition it is in immediately prior to sending....). I can give him the heads up, and also ask about potential cost of sidestones for an 8.5mm cushion. I just hope he won't ask where I got it and why I didn't get it from Perry after our last phone call....But really it comes down to availability and difference of thousands of dollars.

But THANK YOU so much for takingthe time to write out such a long thoughtful intelligent post. I really appreciate it.

 

[Aoife]

Can anyone post the links to the other threads that you mentioned. I can't find them.

Unfortunately, the new search feature makes it hard to find those links. After seeing some of LM's work, most recently babynurse's gorgeous green, I started reading everything I could about people's experiences with him, and found most of the threads by links inserted in other threads. The links were usually posted in response to someone asking a question about working with Leon, and someone else would refer to "Pricescoper's name," and then I'd look up all the topics under that PS forum ID. It took forever, but was extremely illuminating! If someone posted about a bad, or upsetting experience with LM, inevitably, at some point in the thread, someone would imply(or heck, sometimes they'd just come out and say it) that the person who had had a negative experience must have somehow brought it on themselves. Which actually left me wondering if there are a lot more negative experiences out there that PS'ers aren't posting about, because they don't feel like facing the backlash.

Aoife,
regarding your last sentence, I fully expect that there are - both those members who got their ring but had a difficult time and would not prefer not to speak of it for whatever reason, and those that didn't end up getting what was agreed at all.
Just in this thread, we have seen three members relay their stories which had previously gone untold..

As for the posters that imply - or directly state - that they bring bad treatment from LM directly upon themselves by some mis-step or not perfectly adhering to 'the rules' - well, codswallop frankly.
Sure, there are some clients who may be better suited to working with Leon's methods than others, we all know this. But I refuse to accept this gives his office the right to mistreat or overcharge - or in Uppy's case, simply extort - the ones that don't fit within his 'ideal criterion of client behaviours'.

The backlash that is often experienced by posters relaying a negative experience about a 'favourite son', is the piling on of those who have had the opposite, and the inherent implication that the error must be on the consumers end.
Lovestreet began this thread with detailed questions for those with experience working with Leon, and has received responses from both clients with negative and positive stories. I would seriously hope though that now some of the clients who have had less than favourable exchanges have chosen to speak up, they are not silenced like in the past by cheer squads.

Sing it, sister.

As far as I am concerned, this should apply to each and every vendor review, and works both ways. No one should feel that a positive review of a less popular (or unpopular) vendor is unwelcome, or will result in a pile-on, any more than a negative experience with a favored vendor should end up in vicious personal attacks.

 

[Upgradable]

Leon's demand/request for having a customers stone in hand before giving a quote serves multiple purposes:

1) First and foremost it seperates those just browsing from the serious ones. (I think this is the primary reason he does it).
2) The shape outline, dimensions and size of flash will be known to him helping in the design process.
3) It allows him to charge whatever he feels like for return shipping and make a profit to offset his quoting time if the customer decides against using him.

A new customer should ask Leon up front what the costs of shipping, handling ,and insurance will be:

i) for the sending a stone back unset if requested
ii) finished ring

Get this in writing especially before sending your ring or any deposit.

Really you don't need to send him your stone just to get a quote, send him some quality photographs of profile and faceup and the dimensions on the grading report and that should be sufficent. If he says otherwise you know its 1) and 3).

I just wanted to share this link on Leon's website. It is his own specific process for calculating the cost of shipping: http://www.artofplatinum.com/start/policies/shipping_calc.php

When I used this to calculate the return shipping cost of my stone I came up with $60.74, but Rachael insisted the cost was $106. What is the purpose of having a calulator on your site if the amount charged (btw- that amount must be received by them via a personal check or money order before they will ship) is up for interpretation?

 

[CharmyPoo]

Very detailed. I can tell you that Leon will not be reading anything you wrote. You have to call him and explain it to him and discuss it with him. He will then translate it to a work order. Review the heck out of the work order and make sure it includes every little detail that has been discussed. If for whatever reason, something goes wrong - the work order is the only recourse.

You seem like a very detailed oriented person and not too different from me. It will be very hard to relinquish control and be completely pleased with the final product.

You really have to talk to Leon and make sure he fully understands what you want. I flew to NYC to have an in person discussion because it was easier than talking on the phone .. and sketching out things in person is easier. Something for you to consider.

 

[CharmyPoo]

I just read your images in detail. This is just going to really confuse him. I suggest you just sketch up what you want and that's it. No options, no questions. Tell him this is what you want and he will tell you no or yes and make tweaks with you. In fact, I recommend you just pick the configuration you like best and send that to him.

 

[Upgradable]

And LoveStreet, you may be able to get a "discount" on the two pair of straight baguettes since he has two stepped pairs on hand that have already been half paid for!!

 

[CharmyPoo]

i'm not going to comment on my own situation any further, because i didn't end up going with Leon. if i do run with him, i will post a blow-by-blow account.

Rosetta - I didn't want to call anyone out but I was actually referring to bgray. She claimed people shut her out a few times and she had a horrible experience with Leon. Yet, no one really knows what happened or what was so horrible about it other than she didn't like her ring and she paid a lot.

 

[Matthewmon]

me and my soon to be fiance don't know anything about rings. Can I just tell Leon I want his 1.2mm string band for the wedding band and for him to design a thin delicate setting to match the string band for the e-ring? Has anybody done this? Thanks!

And charmypoo I'm still waiting to see pics of your Leon string band....thanks!

 

[CharmyPoo]

me and my soon to be fiance don't know anything about rings. Can I just tell Leon I want his 1.2mm string band for the wedding band and for him to design a thin delicate setting to match the string band for the e-ring? Has anybody done this? Thanks!

And charmypoo I'm still waiting to see pics of your Leon string band....thanks!

Yes, you can do this. Just tell him you budget but most people have an idea of what they want.

Haven't taken pictures yet but honestly it just looks like what is on his website. The string band is nothing special - just a thin band with pave diamonds. It is really no different than all the other bands I have. I even have more delicate bands.

 

[Kaleigh]

I just read your images in detail. This is just going to really confuse him. I suggest you just sketch up what you want and that's it. No options, no questions. Tell him this is what you want and he will tell you no or yes and make tweaks with you. In fact, I recommend you just pick the configuration you like best and send that to him.

Big ditto. I have worked with Leon... Be as straight forward as possible, and call him.. Don't rely on emails... Good luck, I know it will be fabulous!!!!

 

[Matthewmon]

charmypoo do you recommend the string band as wedding ring? Which bands do you have that are more delicate? I'm just thinking it will look cool to have such a thin band and make the 1 carat diamond look bigger and down the road I would love to get more bands to stack in yellow, pink, etc. thanks!

 

[missydebby]

charmypoo do you recommend the string band as wedding ring? Which bands do you have that are more delicate? I'm just thinking it will look cool to have such a thin band and make the 1 carat diamond look bigger and down the road I would love to get more bands to stack in yellow, pink, etc. thanks!

have you seen treebean's ring? it's super delicate and like his antique calibre band ring. to die for.
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/gog-avc-meets-leon-mege-my-ring-is-here.143140/

 

[CharmyPoo]

charmypoo do you recommend the string band as wedding ring? Which bands do you have that are more delicate? I'm just thinking it will look cool to have such a thin band and make the 1 carat diamond look bigger and down the road I would love to get more bands to stack in yellow, pink, etc. thanks!

I am using it as a wedding band. My string band is around 1.2 mm and my e-ring that Leon is making is going to be around 1.3 mm. I am not sure if you have seen my Maytal Hannah e-ring but it has a tiny shank (1.5 mm) and I get many compliments on how thin the band it is and it looks like my diamond is floating. It does make the center stone pop especially if you have a halo too .. LOL.

Anyways, I didn't take any pictures of the band alone but these are pictures from the day I went to pick up the wedding band. The e-ring in the picture is being remade but it was very beautiful too. Photos are really bad because the ligting in Leon's office is really bad. The center stone is an AVC (1.7 ct E VS1).

 

[bgray]

I just read your images in detail. This is just going to really confuse him. I suggest you just sketch up what you want and that's it. No options, no questions. Tell him this is what you want and he will tell you no or yes and make tweaks with you. In fact, I recommend you just pick the configuration you like best and send that to him.

Big ditto. I have worked with Leon... Be as straight forward as possible, and call him.. Don't rely on emails... Good luck, I know it will be fabulous!!!!

yes but if you cant get anything in writing via email you are going to be unhappy if there is a problem

 

[CharmyPoo]

I just read your images in detail. This is just going to really confuse him. I suggest you just sketch up what you want and that's it. No options, no questions. Tell him this is what you want and he will tell you no or yes and make tweaks with you. In fact, I recommend you just pick the configuration you like best and send that to him.

Big ditto. I have worked with Leon... Be as straight forward as possible, and call him.. Don't rely on emails... Good luck, I know it will be fabulous!!!!

yes but if you cant get anything in writing via email you are going to be unhappy if there is a problem

That's why it all needs to go into the work order - don't sign until it is right. Everything!

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

This is Part III - where I post 9 similar but different options.

Do I send this part to Leon also? I figure it saves both of us talking out these options - but I also wonder if it will make him think I'm exceedingly...uptight or something. But I'm not insisting on any one of these they're just all the various configurations I could come up with that seem cool, and I don't know which would work with my diamond, ring size, budget etc.

Love street I am impressed you are good at manipulating the images and are a lot further along than I expected, although you said you don't want to plan the details it looks like you already have mentioned most of them (too much for Leon's taste) I suspect.

I think Part III should be sent to him if it contains your top perferences from the design you like best.

Hopefully he will read all the pages and maybe you can refer to them with him on a phone call but with such a clear vision he shouldn't have too much trouble putting it together and selecting some of the elements you like while removing others. I don't know how big you centre stone is but those side stones might be quite large and expensive given the proportions of many of those designs.

But really you should have a clear idea:

Offset sidestones in staggered steps or in a straight row.
Side Stones Bezelled or not

1) If I would leave any input to Leon it would be in the gallery, and since Leon is famous for minnimizing metal and refined style I would let him do his thing in this area.

2) You can definitely add Carre cuts channel set after baguettes if you want.

3) You are mixing and awful lot of shapes which can be distracting, I hope you will let Leon sort that out for you.
You might consider - CarreX5 - Smaller Trap - Trap - Cushion - Trap - Smaller Trap - CarreX5 (See MissyDebby's Ring)

My preferences:

1st choice R1321 and if you wanted an extra baguette or two on each side(not necessary) of the shank that would finish the look.
2nd choice I like R1221 with carre diamonds not rounds in the shank and a thinner band without milgrain as you suggested.

I suspect Leon may advise agains mixing so many different shapes and may suggest half moons or traps as the largerst sidestone or even a different cushion altogether but if you love the look it is your ring to wear not his. If you are going to mix so many shapes I would channel set them all like in R735.

Good-Luck,
CCL

 

[Dreamer_D]

Lovestreet, hon, my gut is that Leon is not the right jeweler for you. I base this on your pages of ideas and the time you have put into this -- reminds me of dear Gypsy and her ring saga! (She did not go with Leon, by the way). There are jewelers who LOVe those kinds of pages of notes and will talk to you for a long time about it, and check with you back and forth about the design, but Leon is not like that from everything I have read. It feels like you need some back and forth and also want a lot of say in the final design. With the exception of Charmy, who seems to be finding a resolution to her issue, I cannot think of another PSer who had those qualities -- picky yet also wanting input -- who ended up with a great Leon experience. I would of course hope I am wrong, but I worry for you here. To be honest, when it comes to simple basket styles like you want, I think the bonus of Leon is lessened. Pave, I can see that there are few comparables, but for the style you want I think there are others.

Anyways, I hope it all works out for you and you can find a clear way to communicate your desires with Leon that will also leave you happy and satisfied with everything, but I wanted to give you my perspective anyways because I really want you to end up with your dream ring, and dream experience.

 

[yssie]

Goodness.


Here is a thread in which 'veterans at successfully navigating a transaction with' a given vendor have given advice on

-How not to irritate this vendor, and ensure he wants to work with you on this project
-How not to irritate this vendor, and ensure that you don't wind up with an inexplicably exorbitant quote
-How to ensure this vendor actually pays attention to what you, the paying customer, want


I truly fail to understand why on earth would anyone would want to work with someone who makes him/her so nervous that he/she starts a thread on how to 'deal with' the impending project to soothe the nerves

 

[risingsun]

^^^I agree with Dreamer. I just don't think you can go to Leon with nine different designs. I would pick your top two-three favorites at most. Leon will discuss what he thinks will work for you anyway. I recently had a very good experience with Leon, but I chose something that was among his design styles. If you want to work with him, I think you need to have a better idea of what you want and let him guide you from there.

 

[CharmyPoo]

In many ways, I completely agree with Dreamer's advice. Working with Leon is not the same as some of the other vendors here but at the same time - I knew what to expect and I am not that sensitive. Once I know what I want, I will do what it takes to get it. As a result, my experience to date with Leon has been fine. I have probably caused Leon more pain than he has caused me. I will continue to recommend him to others.

If you are like me, even if you decide to go with another vendor - you will always think about the "Leon" ring you passed up. You will end up going back to him for another project. So go for it armed with all the knowledge you already have. Is he the most amazing bench jeweler around? Maybe / maybe not. People have to decide but his work is definetly top knotch. However, I still think back to some of the pieces I have seen at 23rd street jeweller and really want to know who their bench is for some of their pieces (they use multiple but there is one bench who is amazing). It is ashame that they are totally unresponsive and not knowledgeable about cushions.

Another thing I learned - we often put Leon up on a pedestal here leading others to think no one can come close. I had all this preconceived notions in my head which caused me to look down on some of my other pieces including my Maytal Hannah ring. However, the more time I spend with my Maytal ring .. the more I have grown to love it, adore it and appreciate it for its own beauty instead of trying to compare it to a Leon ring. Maytal Hannah is so different from Leon - she aims to please, she listens, she reads all instructions ... she is extremly nice and caring. She takes more on upon herself even though it is not all on her (versus Leon may attempt to defer blame).

I can tell you that for my fiance's wedding band, I considered several other vendors and the customer service was amazing especially with WF, JbEG and Ocean Pearlman (I also contacted BGD but I think their working style is better suited for me in diamonds and not settings). In the end, I still decided to go with Leon because I trusted him with the complex project and design. I decided based on quality and price - customer service is always last for me because I can suck it up if I can get what I want and the price is right. I am also the type who would not give someone business when they imply that other quotes are lower because I am being tricked especially when I am dealing with reputable vendors (I wasn't born yesterday).

Anyways, enough of my ramblings. Don't overthink this and dive into it. There is no need to worry about taking the right steps or being scared of Leon. He is a really nice guy and you just need to talk to him to get used to him. If you are going to get a PITA fee, you are going to get it. Think about it the other way - you are paying for his consulting fees in addition to the actual product - the more time he has to spend with you .. the more he charges. Leon has spent a good 2 to 3 hours chatting with me about my projects .. maybe even more.

 

[CharmyPoo]

Wow .. I am like writing a novel here but let me re-cap my history with Leon on this project. I get the sense you will follow the same path based on everything you have written and thought about.

1 - Requested a quote based on a design
2 - Met with Leon to discuss the design and he didn't really like it .. and I was undecided so open to change
3 - We sketched and sketched .. ended up with nothing so I decided to go home and think about it some more
4 - I came up with a new crazy idea. Discussed over the phone and he essentially told me I was on crack and it wouldn't work.
5 - I took some time to think about it again and my fiance agreed that my idea was crazy and I should go for something more simple.
6 - I went back to him with two more ideas that I wasn't totally in love with.
7 - Leon came up with a design I LOVED! We were going to proceed until I saw the price - I didn't want to go that high especially as my second e-ring.
8 - I mulled around a bit more and decided to go with a design he makes with some modifications.
9 - I finally signed the work order after a lot of back and forth as I wanted every little detail in the work order.

Leon must have been relieved by now as this has probably been over a month already from when I first talked to him and he already held my diamond for months - he thought I was going to give him the diamond as gift.

As you can see, I was REALLY NOT AN EASY CUSTOMER!! I couldn't make up my mind and made his life super difficult. He was really great at accomdating me and talking to me ... helping me make up my mind. However, I can imagine how incredibly frustrating it must have been for him - heck, if I was him .. I would be frustrated with me.

 

[jgny]

I recently did a reset with Leon. Everything went smoothly. I started by bringing pics of what I liked, then we discussed things a bit and then we honed in on what was best, I saw the antique calibre in person and loved it, so it was the base for the reset. Matthewmon, I'll be posting pics soon and I have a super thin band.

I would say don't overload him with all those details. Definitely pick your faves and use as starting point for discussion.

Any chance you can visit him in person?

At the end of the day, you need to decide what you feel "comfortable" with. As a creative person who can be a bit of a control freak, I was a bit concerned going in from some of the previous posts. But when I finally met Perry and Leon at the office, it all went away. At the end of the day, I'm comfortable if I respect the person's aesthetic and feel like they would be able to execute... I suppose it's also because I'm a designer and I feel I do my best work when I've got a bit of leeway... but that is of course not for everyone.