Sketchy dilemma with engagement setting

[canvasback]

Hello all, with advice from all of you diamond experts, I bought a gorgeous expert selection .91 ct AGS 000 from Whiteflash. That went PERFECT!

I have since ran into an issue with my girlfriend's favorite setting. I was able to find the setting and band for a combined $740 dollars cheaper online than in my local retail store, but am nervous after talking to the particular retailer. The retailer said they make the setting to order, even though I do not know if they are the original designer of the setting.
That being said, it is from eternity by yoni, and they seem to have amazing reviews online.

My biggest issue is, I've seen the same picture of this setting all over the internet. Do I have anything to be scared of by buying the setting from them and having them "build"it?

Here's the picture! ****The link doesnt work. You'll have to copy and paste the entire thing. Sorry.
http://www.eternitybyyoni.com/engagement-rings/diamond-engagement-ring/Tammy-Diamond-Engagement-Ring-(.45-ctw....)-346.htm


Thanks all!
Jeremy

 

[canvasback]

I also wanted to say, They do have a no questions asked refund policy for 30 days. However, I want to propose soon, I REALLY don't want to have to send this sucker back and then wait another 4 weeks to propose...

 

[Gypsy]

Do not buy pave settings from CAD or sample images only. Only from real images of actual rings by that vendor's bench that will be used for your process.

 

[VRBeauty]

http://www.eternitybyyoni.com/engag...Diamond-Engagement-Ring-(.45-ctw....)-346.htm


Jeremy

That link should work.

I wasn't sure what you're asking. Is the retailer (a local jewelry shop, I assume) offering to reproduce that set for you at a lower cost? If so, do they have samples of their work, with a similar style of pave, that they can show you? Or were you planning to purchase the "Eternity by Yoni" setting through the local retailer? EBY seems to have a good rep here, by the way - I don't recall anyone having problems with their settings.

If it's the lower-priced on-line source you're asking about, I'd echo Gypsy's advice - proceed with caution, and don't agree to purchase based only on a CAD rendering or ebay reviews.

 

[canvasback]

So here's some more information.

My girlfriend fell in love with the setting in person here in Georgia. I took a picture off of a local jeweler's website, and found the exact same picture online at Yoni's for WAY cheaper. I called Yoni to ask about ordering, and a fellow said it would be about 3 weeks to build and for a couple extra hundred dollars, he would even put vs1ish hearts and arrows diamonds in it.

My question (as best as I can even tell, being a confused newbie ) is if there's anything I need to worry about having them "build" this ring. I don't want to get it in the mail and it looks different from the original photo (from whoever is the original designer) that I see all over the internet.

What I DO know about this setting, is that it will take me 3-4 weeks to get it regardless of who I buy it from. It has to be custom made to fit the dimensions of my loose diamond.


I just sent a email to Yoni asking for any real pictures of rings they have made like this one/ pictures of a real ring that they use as a "model" for the design.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

That happens to be a reputable vendor. If you do a search here on the forum, you may be able to pull up other rings he has made. I'd say from reports here, it is potentially a good place to buy a low cost setting, but it also is not going to be like a handforged pave masterpiece, either. Are you sending him the diamond to set? Because local people aren't going to want to set a diamond and ring with neither purchased from them (and they won't cover it for damage, you'll have to get insurance prior to setting unless you get the setting from WF, which is what I would have recommended).

WhiteFlash carries Ritani which has a few rings similar to the one you pictured and they are very good quality settings (they can order any Ritani setting). Either they or Ritani will set your diamond without a setting fee, and you are probably going to incur a setting fee the way you are proceeding now.

http://www.ritani.com/engagement-rings/french-set-diamond-band-engagement-ring-with-surprise-diamonds-in-18kt-white-gold/4596#reviews

http://www.ritani.com/engagement-rings/french-set-diamond-band-engagement-ring-in-18kt-white-gold/4561

http://www.ritani.com/engagement-rings/solitaire-diamond-modern-french-set-band-engagement-ring-in-18kt-white-gold/4600

Honestly, I'd rather have the Ritani and have WF set it. The cost is not that much more and may come out the same without the setting fee.

 

[Gypsy]

So Yoni is reputable.

It sounds like you are thinking of getting a center stone from him too. VS1 and hearts and arrows are useless without light performance. An SI1 with ideal light performance without the patterning of hearts and arrows is going to be a better stone.

So if you are buying a center stone from him. Make sure it passes the HCA test if it is a GIA Ex stone. Or an AGS0. And get idealscope in either case and post here.

Here in detail is the explanation of what all of that means:

The entire purpose of faceting a diamond is to reflect light.
How well or how poorly a diamond does this determines how beautiful it is.
How well a diamond performs is determined by the angles and cutting. This is why we say cut is king.
No other factor: not color, not clarity has as much of an impact on the appearance of a diamond as its cut. An ideal H will out white a poorly cut F. And GIA Ex is not enough. And you must stick to GIA and AGS only. EGL is a bad option: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/egl-certification-are-any-of-them-ok.142863/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/egl-certification-are-any-of-them-ok.142863/[/URL]
So how to we ensure that we have the right angles and cutting to get the light performance we want?
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/diamond-cut
Well one method is to start with a GIA Ex, and then apply the HCA to it. YOU DO NOT USE HCA for AGS0 stones.
https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/holloway-cut-advisor
The HCA is a rejection tool. Not a selection tool. It uses 4 data points to make a rudimentary call on how the diamond may perform.
If the diamond passes then you know that you are in the right zone in terms of angles for light performance. Under 2 is a pass. Under 2.5-2.1 is a maybe. 2.6 and over is a no. No score 2 and under is better than any other.
Is that enough? Not really.
So what you need is a way to check actual light performance of your actual stone.
That's what an idealscope image does. https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/diamonds/firescope-idealscope
It shows you how and wear your diamond is reflecting light, how well it is going at it, and where you are losing light return. That is why you won't see us recommending Blue Nile, as they do not provide idealscope images for their diamonds. BGD, James Allen, GOG, HPD, ERD and WF do.

The Idealscope is the 'selection tool'. Not the HCA.
So yes, with a GIA stone you need the idealscope images. Or you can buy an idealscope yourself and take it in to the jeweler you are working with to check the stones yourself. Or if you have a good return policy (full refund minimum 7 days) then you can buy the idealscope, buy the stone, and do it at home.


Now if you want to skip all that... stick to AGS0 stones and then all you have to do is pick color and clarity and you know you have a great performing diamond. Because AGS has already done the checking for you. That's why they trade at a premium.

 

[canvasback]

Thank y'all for your replies. I already have the center stone that I bought from WhiteFlash. Also, I am having the loose stone insured through Jewelers Mutual. So I am not concerned with having a third party set the stone or paying a small-ish fee to have it set. When i spoke earlier about hearts and arrows, the people at Yoni told me they would put them in the pave setting (the pave diamonds being better quality, to match the AGS000 from WhiteFlash)

Let me ask you this, as it being only a form of opinion. If I have Yoni build me a setting, do you think it will be of the same quality/look of the original designer of the ring? I definitely don't want my girlfriend recognizing the difference!

Thanks!
Jeremy

 

[VRBeauty]

Well, it would be hard for us to tell since we don't know what the original setting looks like.

You need to go look at the original setting again, and pay attention to some of the details, and compare them to the Yoni setting.

Some key points - how are the side stones set into the band, what does the head look like, how is the head attached to the band, and what do the prongs in the head look like. When comparing the original to the Yoni version, bear in mind that the ring you're seeing on-line is a CAD. See if Yoni can send you a picture of a similar style they've made, or search for completed Yoni rings here on PS.

ETA I wasn't able to find any EBY rings similar to yours on PS, but someone posted about a good transaction with them very recently: https://www.pricescope.com/communit...ngagement-rings.205767/#post-3744295#p3744295
An older thread https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-new-e-ring.160674/

 

[canvasback]

Here is a picture of the ring on her finger (not a real center stone)

Do y'all think this would be hard to re-create? This is the only picture I have.

 

[VRBeauty]

We can't see any real detail about the head without a profile shot, but I think you did a good job of matching the pave style.

 

[canvasback]

We can't see any real detail about the head without a profile shot, but I think you did a good job of matching the pave style.

I think I've confused everyone. Even myself. I apologize. I'll try again....



The ring on her hand and the ring in the link are the same ring. My local retailer, Solomon Brothers, has the exact same picture of the ring seen on Yoni's website. That's how i found it. I called Yoni today, and they said that they had to custom make that ring. THAT being said, i have zero clue who the ORIGINAL designer of the ring is. I ASSUME it's not Yoni? Anyways....My question is... Do you think that this ring can be perfectly reproduced by Yoni? I can also send them the real picture above...but like said, it's not good for a profile view.

 

[VRBeauty]

That's a common design. I don't think there's any need to worry about who the original designer is, unless you want to order from the original designer. It's possible that Solomon Bros. is ordering that design from Yoni, or that they're both sourcing the setting from another third party. I am a bit confused however about Yoni telling you that design has to be custom made, unless he means that each of his setting is made to order to fit each center stone. But again, if it is a different setting, there's no way anyone can assure the finished product is similar to the inspiration ring without more photos.

 

[canvasback]

Thanks VRBeauty! That answered everything!

 

[FrekeChild]

I have an Eternity by Yoni ring. It's this setting:
http://www.eternitybyyoni.com/engag...ond-Ring-with-Split-Shank-(.32-ctw..)-122.htm

And here is a picture of it in real life. It was custom made for a cushion cut stone, and had a couple of diamonds added to the tiny bit of metal on the head between the split shanks.

 

[HappyNewLife]

Yoni made both my and my fiance's engagement rings. He's great. He will send you a CAD of the design before he proceeds to production. He's very good with communication, so if you email him your concerns, he will respond and assure you.