Size constraints when replacing existing stone in Vatche RC setting?

[Levin]

Recall my earlier post: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/where-to-buy-loose-diamond-and-set-it-in-my-ring.121781/

My wife''s engagement ring is a platinum Vatche Royal Crown with a 7.5mm round cz placeholder. We agreed that we would set it with the cz temporarily until I could afford the diamond. Now we wish to set it with a diamond.

I''ve been in telephone and email discussions with Whiteflash (since we will be in Houston for a short time, anyway, in a couple of weeks) about purchasing a diamond and having them set it in the ring.

They''re telling me that they can set it with the same diameter or slightly larger diameter stone, but no smaller. (They gave a range of 7.5mm to 7.7mm). They say that the Vatche Royal Cown setting has less flexibility in this regard.

Lately as we''ve discussed this, we thought we should save some money by getting a diamond slightly smaller than the 7.5mm cz, but no smaller than 7mm. Needless to say, all other things being equal, the difference in price between say, a 1.25 ct diamond (7.0 mm) and a 1.60 ct diamond (7.6mm) is significant.

So I will poll knowledgable members of this forum. Is WF being reasonable? Is setting a slightly smaller stone in this ring simply not a realistic option? Are they just trying to force me to buy a larger diamond? Or perhaps their production department lacks a certain level of jewelry smithing expertise that would be necessary to set a slightly smaller diamond, and they just want to make things easy on themselves?

If a slightly smaller diamond is simply not an option with the existing setting, then I''m of half a mind to buy a smaller diamond with a new Vatche RC setting. Then I could sell the old setting, or not (I''m ahead even if I don''t sell it.) Of course, there''s a certain amount of sentimental value associated with the old ring. I''m kicking myself for not setting it with a 7mm cz in the first place.

Ideas?
Thanks!

 

[tyty333]

Why dont you give Wink a call since you got it from him originally? I would think with the reputation that WF has
around here that they were being truthful with you. (my 2 cents)

 

[yssie]

I, too, have no reason to believe that WF is being anything less than upfront with you - what do they have to gain, afterall? There are dozens of other vendors you could turn to...

I'm guessing that you want to do a simple remove and replace of your CZ. WF has told you that between 7.5-7.7 mm is doable. I would guess that this is the truly appropriate range of sizes a stone can be for your setting, and the 7.5mm is on the small end of that range. It doesn't sound like a lot, but a .5mm diametre difference is actually quite substantial...

Perhaps they could mold your setting to a smaller stone, but it would be just that - work done on your setting, no longer that simple remove and replace operation.


ETA: you can certainly get the required 7.5mm (about 1.6ct) for 8000, but it will require some sacrifice - are you and your wife alright with going from CZ D-IF to lower colours and clarities? J SIs are well within your proposed budget..

I just realised as I typed this: how much leeway does a distributor of designer settings like WF have over the setting process itself? Presumably WF could do things like resizing? Can they trim down a shank, too, if a customer wants 2.5mm instead of 3mm? Would the sort of work needed to fit a smaller stone (if that's even possible) be breaching designer rights?

 

[Levin]

Date: 8/31/2009 5:45:14 PM
Author: tyty333
Why dont you give Wink a call since you got it from him originally?

I was very much inclined to call Wink, but since we will physically be in Houston in a couple of weeks, I thought it might make sense to look at WF, since we could visit their brick and mortar store and eyeball the rock, possibly comparing it to others, before buying.

 

[Levin]

Today my WF representative was apparently out, and another one called me to check up on things. I asked about the issue with the diameter of the diamond fitting in my Vatche setting and I got a somewhat different answer. I had been particularly interested in a particular 7.4 mm 1.5 Ct rock, but my representative had been told that nothing smaller than 7.5mm could be set, given that the CZ in place was 7.5mm.

So the substitute rep asks someone knowledgeable nearby and they said that it would *not* be a problem to set a 7.4mm rock in my setting.

I''m not sure what to make of that, but I asked the substitute rep to cc an email to that effect to me and my rep. I guess we''ll discuss this further when she gets back.

Can anyone with experience in this sort of thing comment?