Setting a Stone - Price?

[Jax172]

Ok so as you know i have a new setting from LOGR for my asscher stone. I took it to Merry Richards Jewelers to have set and they wanted $165 to set it. I thought that seemed quite high so I didn''t have them do it. Can I ask what everyone here pays to have their stones set?

 

[T L]

Date: 6/21/2010 9:22:06 AM
Author:Jax172
Ok so as you know i have a new setting from LOGR for my asscher stone. I took it to Merry Richards Jewelers to have set and they wanted $165 to set it. I thought that seemed quite high so I didn't have them do it. Can I ask what everyone here pays to have their stones set?

Is it being bezel set? If so, that sounds about right. I do get a slight discount from them because I work for a company they give discounts too, and I come in often for benchwork. They also have to replate with rhodium if it's white gold, and that's at least $60 right there. I don't get that charge they have for re-plating (very expensive), so anytime I have white gold, I tell them to skip the replating process, they don't even bother to ask me anymore. In my case, I don't feel it's needed. If it's going to be bezeled, go to Quest jewelers (I think they're in the Chicagoland area), as I feel they would do a better job bezeling the gem. I like how Merry Richards prong sets stones, but I'm not keen on their bezel work.

 

[cellentani]

Unfortunately, that price isn''t too out-of-line for a bezel setting. I had a cushion stone set in that very same setting, and it cost me $275. I could have had it done more cheaply, but this jeweler is known on PS for their custom work, and I wanted the bezel to be absolutely perfect. They also did a few other adjustments, like thinned out the bezel, drilled out a bigger space for the culet, etc.

 

[Jax172]

Date: 6/21/2010 9:38:32 AM
Author: tourmaline_lover

Date: 6/21/2010 9:22:06 AM
Author:Jax172
Ok so as you know i have a new setting from LOGR for my asscher stone. I took it to Merry Richards Jewelers to have set and they wanted $165 to set it. I thought that seemed quite high so I didn''t have them do it. Can I ask what everyone here pays to have their stones set?

Is it being bezel set? If so, that sounds about right. I do get a slight discount from them because I work for a company they give discounts too, and I come in often for benchwork. They also have to replate with rhodium if it''s white gold, and that''s at least $60 right there. I don''t get that charge they have for re-plating (very expensive), so anytime I have white gold, I tell them to skip the replating process, they don''t even bother to ask me anymore. In my case, I don''t feel it''s needed. If it''s going to be bezeled, go to Quest jewelers (I think they''re in the Chicagoland area), as I feel they would do a better job bezeling the gem. I like how Merry Richards prong sets stones, but I''m not keen on their bezel work.

Looks like Quest is in Virginia?

Ah well guess I''ll have to wait awhile to set it then. I don''t have $165 right now.

 

[cellentani]

Date: 6/21/2010 9:38:32 AM
Author: tourmaline_lover

Is it being bezel set? If so, that sounds about right. I do get a slight discount from them because I work for a company they give discounts too, and I come in often for benchwork. They also have to replate with rhodium if it''s white gold, and that''s at least $60 right there. I don''t get that charge they have for re-plating (very expensive), so anytime I have white gold, I tell them to skip the replating process, they don''t even bother to ask me anymore. In my case, I don''t feel it''s needed. If it''s going to be bezeled, go to Quest jewelers (I think they''re in the Chicagoland area), as I feel they would do a better job bezeling the gem. I like how Merry Richards prong sets stones, but I''m not keen on their bezel work.

Oh that''s funny - that''s the exact same name as the jeweler who did my bezel ring, but this Quest jewelers is in N. VA.

 

[chrono]

Date: 6/21/2010 9:51:40 AM
Author: cellentani

Date: 6/21/2010 9:38:32 AM
Author: tourmaline_lover

Is it being bezel set? If so, that sounds about right. I do get a slight discount from them because I work for a company they give discounts too, and I come in often for benchwork. They also have to replate with rhodium if it''s white gold, and that''s at least $60 right there. I don''t get that charge they have for re-plating (very expensive), so anytime I have white gold, I tell them to skip the replating process, they don''t even bother to ask me anymore. In my case, I don''t feel it''s needed. If it''s going to be bezeled, go to Quest jewelers (I think they''re in the Chicagoland area), as I feel they would do a better job bezeling the gem. I like how Merry Richards prong sets stones, but I''m not keen on their bezel work.

Oh that''s funny - that''s the exact same name as the jeweler who did my bezel ring, but this Quest jewelers is in N. VA.

Tritto; Quest in North VA is the one who modified my prong set platinum setting into a bezeled version.

 

[CharmyPoo]

My prong settings cost me CDN $50 including rhodium plating and tighting of loose stones. I had one stone bezel set for $100 which included removing the prong head. The finished product is below. The bezel is actualyl perfectly even but the lighting below is deceptive.

 

[T L]

Merry Richards is very expensive for rhodium plating, and they tell me it''s because of metal prices, and they have to meticulously polish it before plating. I spoke with some other jewelers about their prices for rhodium plating and they said MR seemed high in $$ for that, but average for just setting a gem. Sorry, you can''t have it set right now, but finding a good and inexpensive benchperson is difficult. I''m jealous Charmy is able to get good pricing from her jeweler. Merry Richards does a great job prong setting my gems, but I am not very happy with their bezel work, so I would make sure I take it to a very good jeweler you know that does great bezels. Bezeling is very precarious for most jewelers and you really need an expert benchperson.

 

[Jax172]

Date: 6/21/2010 11:40:41 AM
Author: tourmaline_lover
Merry Richards is very expensive for rhodium plating, and they tell me it''s because of metal prices, and they have to meticulously polish it before plating. I spoke with some other jewelers about their prices for rhodium plating and they said MR seemed high in $$ for that, but average for just setting a gem. Sorry, you can''t have it set right now, but finding a good and inexpensive benchperson is difficult. I''m jealous Charmy is able to get good pricing from her jeweler. Merry Richards does a great job prong setting my gems, but I am not very happy with their bezel work, so I would make sure I take it to a very good jeweler you know that does great bezels. Bezeling is very precarious for most jewelers and you really need an expert benchperson.

Maybe I''ll send an email to a jeweler I worked with in college. Not able to drive there anytime soon, but he did nice work for decent prices.
Rather not pay $165 for subpar work.

 

[Arcadian]

165?? jebus!

To bezel my stone in an LOGR setting was 50 bucks! I think that the type of stone you''re wanting to bezel can sometimes come into play for some goldsmiths. The only time I spent over 100 bucks was when I had to have quite a bit of rework done. One store I used to go to I stopped because they spiked the prices for their setting sky high.(not to mention their bad attitude)

-A

 

[CharmyPoo]

I don''t know if it is just cheaper in Canada but I have asked for quotes from over 10 jewelers and all of them are between $35 to $60 usually.

 

[BWise]

Setting the stone has becoming such a challenge! We invest time into finding that perfect stone, and getting the setting for it, only to end up with no where to set it!

There was some recent discussion around the quality of eBay rings such as LOGR and the challenge in setting stones in them properly. I have to say that quality of LOGR setting vary a great deal. I don''t think it is fair to dismiss all LOGR rings, but I can see some settings are poorly constructed. The problem is that we don''t always have the deep pocket to custom set every single stone we have. My experience? I have reasonable expecation on the final piece - you get what you paid for.

I have not been able to find a stone setting that I love. I used NYC setters but some of the prongs were not done to my liking. I used once a mom and pop jewelry store in DC, but the stone came out crooked. I tried to work with Quest but they have no interest in such small business.

Where can I get the stones set?

 

[T L]

Date: 6/22/2010 11:44:46 AM
Author: yingh
Setting the stone has becoming such a challenge! We invest time into finding that perfect stone, and getting the setting for it, only to end up with no where to set it!

There was some recent discussion around the quality of eBay rings such as LOGR and the challenge in setting stones in them properly. I have to say that quality of LOGR setting vary a great deal. I don''t think it is fair to dismiss all LOGR rings, but I can see some settings are poorly constructed. The problem is that we don''t always have the deep pocket to custom set every single stone we have. My experience? I have reasonable expecation on the final piece - you get what you paid for.

I have not been able to find a stone setting that I love. I used NYC setters but some of the prongs were not done to my liking. I used once a mom and pop jewelry store in DC, but the stone came out crooked. I tried to work with Quest but they have no interest in such small business.

Where can I get the stones set?

Ditto on this Yingh, and I have some LOGR''s that look very very nice. Coming from someone like you that does spend a lot of custom settings, I think it says a lot that you have enjoyed the quality of some of the LOGR''s.

Unfortunately, finding a good and reasonably priced benchperson is difficult.

 

[BWise]

The price of my best LOGR setting cost about only 1/4 or sometimes 1/5 of my custom setting, but I won''t say that quality is proportional to the cost difference. Therefore I will continue to invest in higher quality ebay settings for less significant stones.

After I typed up my last post I just got an idea so I called my appraiser. His office gave me the name of a goldsmith. I called the goldsmith, who owns a jewelry store and they sound very nice. I will be making my trip tomorrow and report back. Hopefully this is the beginning of a long-term relationship!

 

[CharmyPoo]

After reading all the hardships, I feel very lucky to have my jeweler who sets stones for many other jewelery shops. I honestly feel the quality of LOGR is not that poor - I have many beautiful pieces from them that rivals my pieces from B&M jewelery shops. Are my custom made pieces that cost several thousand dollars nicer .. of course! But I can literally buy 30 to 50 LOGR settings for my one Leon Mege ring. LOL .. tough call ... 50 LOGR rings or 1 Leon Mege ring.

 

[SB621]

Ok i guess i pay peanuts then- but my jeweler is out of Hong Kong. I pay $30 to bezel and $15 for prong setting. That includes polishing everything and tapering the prongs to claws. When I move back to the states next year I think I might have a little sticker shock with settings.

 

[Agnesg]

I have won my first 2 semi-mounts on ebay, a yellow gold and white gold. I sent them to a local jewellery shop to ensure that the diamonds are real and they are!! The comments from the pros in the shop are that the semi-mount is very well done. I can see that one of the claw is not straight..will this end up with a off-centered sitting stone, like the setting in one of the recent thread by chic? it is mean to be for a diamond. I called the jewellery shop and they it is a small problem and they are able to straighten the claw and set the diamond for me at $20. Is that easily done like they say?possible? This is my first setting project I want it a smooth-sailing experience..I have probably read too much about scary setting experience!

 

[chrono]

Date: 6/22/2010 3:04:55 PM
Author: CharmyPoo
After reading all the hardships, I feel very lucky to have my jeweler who sets stones for many other jewelery shops. I honestly feel the quality of LOGR is not that poor - I have many beautiful pieces from them that rivals my pieces from B&M jewelery shops. Are my custom made pieces that cost several thousand dollars nicer .. of course! But I can literally buy 30 to 50 LOGR settings for my one Leon Mege ring. LOL .. tough call ... 50 LOGR rings or 1 Leon Mege ring.

Oh Charmy, you crack me up.

Like you, I love my custom made rings (impeccable workmanship, elegance, uniqueness and top notch melees) but with so many stones to set and only a finite amount of cash, I’m also going with LOGR for the smaller stones. My first and only LOGR was somewhat lightweight but well made considering how little I paid for it.

 

[CharmyPoo]

Date: 6/22/2010 6:40:48 PM
Author: Sarahbear621
Ok i guess i pay peanuts then- but my jeweler is out of Hong Kong. I pay $30 to bezel and $15 for prong setting. That includes polishing everything and tapering the prongs to claws. When I move back to the states next year I think I might have a little sticker shock with settings.

Who is your jeweler in Hong Kong? Maybe I will save a bunch of my settings to get set there.

 

[CharmyPoo]

Date: 6/23/2010 4:00:26 AM
Author: Agnesg
I have won my first 2 semi-mounts on ebay, a yellow gold and white gold. I sent them to a local jewellery shop to ensure that the diamonds are real and they are!! The comments from the pros in the shop are that the semi-mount is very well done. I can see that one of the claw is not straight..will this end up with a off-centered sitting stone, like the setting in one of the recent thread by chic? it is mean to be for a diamond. I called the jewellery shop and they it is a small problem and they are able to straighten the claw and set the diamond for me at $20. Is that easily done like they say?possible? This is my first setting project I want it a smooth-sailing experience..I have probably read too much about scary setting experience!

My jeweler had no problems straightening the prongs.

 

[CharmyPoo]

Date: 6/23/2010 8:19:08 AM
Author: Chrono

Oh Charmy, you crack me up.

Like you, I love my custom made rings (impeccable workmanship, elegance, uniqueness and top notch melees) but with so many stones to set and only a finite amount of cash, I’m also going with LOGR for the smaller stones. My first and only LOGR was somewhat lightweight but well made considering how little I paid for it.

That''s why I still go for both. The more expensive stones deserve top knotch settings. My smaller beautiful but less pricey stones gets the cheapie LOGR ones. I mean the LOGR settings are still better than sitting in my gem box.

My super cheap nice stones get super cheap sterling silver settings (under $10 a pop). The thing is I never wear them because they look cheapie too .. LOL.

 

[BWise]

Here is my update - for those who live in DC area. The goldsmith recommended by my appraiser works in a jewelry shop located in a high end Mall. I was wondering about leasing cost for that space as I was walking into the mall - that will somehow be transferred to customers for sure. I asked for quotes and then left him 4 pieces.

$25 to tight loose stones on two rings
$65 to lower center stone on one ring (it was set in NYC with prongs sticking up high)
$75 to set one stone in a 6-prong ring without rhodium plating

Here are the quotes I did not take:
$90 to set one stone in a 4-prong pendant with rhodium plating
$45 to straighten the center stone of a 4-prong ring that was set crooked.

The store clerk claimed that this goldsmith set THE HOPE DIAMOND! So I hope his craftsmanship lives up to the price. Will report back when they are done!

One more funny thing - when I was looking at their color stone collection I asked if the rubies are treated. The sales woman said with a waive of hand "all color stones are treated unless certified!"

 

[monarch64]

Date: 6/21/2010 9:22:06 AM
Author:Jax172
Ok so as you know i have a new setting from LOGR for my asscher stone. I took it to Merry Richards Jewelers to have set and they wanted $165 to set it. I thought that seemed quite high so I didn''t have them do it. Can I ask what everyone here pays to have their stones set?

Just wanted to say that the owners of MR are such nice people. They have an excellent reputation, and if I had the chance to work with them I definitely would. (I used to live in the area.)

Btw--have you been to Anna Marek''s down the street from MR in OakBrook? To die for. You have to go if you haven''t already been.