Sourcing Quality Melee for E-Ring

[Mailin]

I am in dealing with a well known entity to these forums and it seems they messed up my e ring design. I am not sure exactly on how they are going to handle this situation, so I am preparing for the worst. The ring is going to consist of a halo, split shank, and paving.

So I am now speaking to a company located in Boston, MA (word of mouth from a friend) and just in the starting process of the discussing details about the design so a CAD rendering can be made. I specifically want Ideal cut (or as close to that as possible) melee, used on the ring.

I was told that they generally use "G-H in color and VS2-SI1" but one of my biggest fears is to end up with a dead halo and paving. He said I am welcome to bring along my own melee once he knows the sizing and quantity with my centerstone.

Issue is, I am unsure of what vendors have what I am looking for. The size of the melee is going to be anywhere from 1pt-3pt since the band is 2mm wide.

I contacted WF but I was quickly turned down to purchase melee and then I inquired about just having a setting made but they won't due the centerstone wasn't purchased there (and or because it is a sapphire).

 

[seekingshiny]

You could also check out and talk to Brian Gavin Diamonds, he uses great melee and can do custom settings; I'm not sure whether they sell their melee only but you could inquire.

 

[Gypsy]

Who did you deal which that mess up?

I'd go to BGD if you want super high quality melee. My melee from them is heartstoppingly perfect.

 

[MollyMalone]

Even if a vendor won't sell melee to you, a consumer, they may be willing to sell it to the jeweler you've commissioned, if you decide to move forward with them.

 

[Gypsy]

You may have used a PS recommended vendor. But no ONE vendor is good at everything. And many vendors we like for stones do not do well for settings. And just looking at that CAD I KNOW you didn't use the right vendor for that pave halo of yours.

It's not enough to pick a good jeweler. With custom work you have to pick the right vendor for the specific design you are looking at. So for that design you are looking at you should be looking at Brilliantly Engaged, David Klass, Brian Gavin or Whiteflash. That's pretty much the list of CAD vendors we recommend for pave. If you used any other vendor, even one we like generally, it's not surprising they messed up. Pave is a very specific thing. And you need a bench that does it all day long.

Please read this: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/custom-jewelry-work-cad-and-cast-psa.175834/#post-3202426#p3202426']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/custom-jewelry-work-cad-and-cast-psa.175834/#post-3202426#p3202426[/URL]

 

[pricescopenewbie]

You may have used a PS recommended vendor. But no ONE vendor is good at everything. And many vendors we like for stones do not do well for settings. And just looking at that CAD I KNOW you didn't use the right vendor for that pave halo of yours.

It's not enough to pick a good jeweler. With custom work you have to pick the right vendor for the specific design you are looking at. So for that design you are looking at you should be looking at Brilliantly Engaged, David Klass, Brian Gavin or Whiteflash. That's pretty much the list of CAD vendors we recommend for pave. If you used any other vendor, even one we like generally, it's not surprising they messed up. Pave is a very specific thing. And you need a bench that does it all day long.

Please read this: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/custom-jewelry-work-cad-and-cast-psa.175834/#post-3202426#p3202426']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/custom-jewelry-work-cad-and-cast-psa.175834/#post-3202426#p3202426[/URL]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but I wonder if any of these vendors will do custom pieces that nothing like any of the jewelries they list on their website? e.g. I am thinking of custom make an art deco necklace but i dont see any similar designs on their sites. would it be risky to ask one of the vendors you listed to make it for me?

another question is about their price. is this a correct order if i put them from cheap to expensive: DK
Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[Gypsy]

You may have used a PS recommended vendor. But no ONE vendor is good at everything. And many vendors we like for stones do not do well for settings. And just looking at that CAD I KNOW you didn't use the right vendor for that pave halo of yours.

It's not enough to pick a good jeweler. With custom work you have to pick the right vendor for the specific design you are looking at. So for that design you are looking at you should be looking at Brilliantly Engaged, David Klass, Brian Gavin or Whiteflash. That's pretty much the list of CAD vendors we recommend for pave. If you used any other vendor, even one we like generally, it's not surprising they messed up. Pave is a very specific thing. And you need a bench that does it all day long.

Please read this: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/custom-jewelry-work-cad-and-cast-psa.175834/#post-3202426#p3202426']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/custom-jewelry-work-cad-and-cast-psa.175834/#post-3202426#p3202426[/URL]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but I wonder if any of these vendors will do custom pieces that nothing like any of the jewelries they list on their website? e.g. I am thinking of custom make an art deco necklace but i dont see any similar designs on their sites. would it be risky to ask one of the vendors you listed to make it for me?

another question is about their price. is this a correct order if i put them from cheap to expensive: DK
Thanks in advance for any advice!

Your best bet is to post the design and we can tell you who we think can do it. DK does a lot of deco pieces though.

And yes, that is generally (though not always, which is why I always get three quotes for each job) how the pricing can shake out.

 

[Mailin]

You may have used a PS recommended vendor. But no ONE vendor is good at everything. And many vendors we like for stones do not do well for settings. And just looking at that CAD I KNOW you didn't use the right vendor for that pave halo of yours.

It's not enough to pick a good jeweler. With custom work you have to pick the right vendor for the specific design you are looking at. So for that design you are looking at you should be looking at Brilliantly Engaged, David Klass, Brian Gavin or Whiteflash. That's pretty much the list of CAD vendors we recommend for pave. If you used any other vendor, even one we like generally, it's not surprising they messed up. Pave is a very specific thing. And you need a bench that does it all day long.

Please read this: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/custom-jewelry-work-cad-and-cast-psa.175834/#post-3202426#p3202426']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/custom-jewelry-work-cad-and-cast-psa.175834/#post-3202426#p3202426[/URL]

--- From this response, I guess you haven't figured out who messed up my ring. It has officially came to worst case scenario and I am having my centerstone shipped back to me. Once I receive it, I will then update PS with an appropriate thread explaining what all went down and my horrible experience.

I am not sure if I am allowed to (forum rules) to just share my experience without the proof to back it up (which I have, just not ready for posting).


That CAD you saw from my other post and the horrible experience, is from one of those vendors you listed.


@other responses, I am still speaking to the Boston designer. Nothing is set in stone (pun intended) and he said every melee is hand chosen, eye clean VS2-SI1 melee. I am a very picky person so I am not sure if I am okay with anything below VS2 eye clean melee.

I have also just contacted VC, but I asked for a 14k Rose Gold quote and they gave me an 18k rose gold quote. Waiting on their response for a new estimate along with more information on the melee they use.

I will look into some others too. This fun, exciting process... is nothing but stress for me now. I am becoming deterred on finding someone I can trust.


I will keep you guys posted as I decide/figure out more.

 

[lovedogs]

You may have used a PS recommended vendor. But no ONE vendor is good at everything. And many vendors we like for stones do not do well for settings. And just looking at that CAD I KNOW you didn't use the right vendor for that pave halo of yours.

It's not enough to pick a good jeweler. With custom work you have to pick the right vendor for the specific design you are looking at. So for that design you are looking at you should be looking at Brilliantly Engaged, David Klass, Brian Gavin or Whiteflash. That's pretty much the list of CAD vendors we recommend for pave. If you used any other vendor, even one we like generally, it's not surprising they messed up. Pave is a very specific thing. And you need a bench that does it all day long.

Please read this: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/custom-jewelry-work-cad-and-cast-psa.175834/#post-3202426#p3202426']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/custom-jewelry-work-cad-and-cast-psa.175834/#post-3202426#p3202426[/URL]

--- From this response, I guess you haven't figured out who messed up my ring. It has officially came to worst case scenario and I am having my centerstone shipped back to me. Once I receive it, I will then update PS with an appropriate thread explaining what all went down and my horrible experience.

I am not sure if I am allowed to (forum rules) to just share my experience without the proof to back it up (which I have, just not ready for posting).


That CAD you saw from my other post and the horrible experience, is from one of those vendors you listed.


@other responses, I am still speaking to the Boston designer. Nothing is set in stone (pun intended) and he said every melee is hand chosen, eye clean VS2-SI1 melee. I am a very picky person so I am not sure if I am okay with anything below VS2 eye clean melee.

I have also just contacted VC, but I asked for a 14k Rose Gold quote and they gave me an 18k rose gold quote. Waiting on their response for a new estimate along with more information on the melee they use.

I will look into some others too. This fun, exciting process... is nothing but stress for me now. I am becoming deterred on finding someone I can trust.


I will keep you guys posted as I decide/figure out more.

You certainly can (and honestly, should, IMHO) post about your experience, even if it was horrible. You don't need "proof" to back it up--we like to assume people are generally being honest, and typically it becomes clear if someone is being less than forthcoming about a vendor. I know it's stressful to post a not great experience with one of the preferred vendors, but I do think that's one of the entire points of PS--to share our experiences and viewpoints as "prosumers". So I do encourage you to post about it at some point, if/when you are comfortable doing so.

 

[MollyMalone]

* * *
--- From this response, I guess you haven't figured out who messed up my ring. It has officially came to worst case scenario and I am having my centerstone shipped back to me. Once I receive it, I will then update PS with an appropriate thread explaining what all went down and my horrible experience. * * *
That CAD you saw from my other post and the horrible experience, is from one of those vendors you listed.

@other responses, I am still speaking to the Boston designer. Nothing is set in stone (pun intended) and he said every melee is hand chosen, eye clean VS2-SI1 melee. I am a very picky person so I am not sure if I am okay with anything below VS2 eye clean melee.
I have also just contacted VC, but I asked for a 14k Rose Gold quote and they gave me an 18k rose gold quote. Waiting on their response for a new estimate along with more information on the melee they use.

I will look into some others too. This fun, exciting process... is nothing but stress for me now. I am becoming deterred on finding someone I can trust.
I will keep you guys posted as I decide/figure out more.

Back in October, you were keen on designing the ring yourself, using your own CAD program, and working with the jeweler as the design & fabrication evolves. Is that still your wish; if so, think VC is a poor fit for you. Even for custom orders, he does not supply CADs so far as I know, and
We do not accept accept hard specifications for jewelry designs such as stone or metal millimeter sizes, height measurements, or other specs. We gladly would take into consideration clients’ general preferences towards their designs though as in “a more delicate or substantial halo” etc. Our experience has been that allowing us to set the perfect proportions for your center stone and for your finger size leads to the best results.
https://www.victorcanera.com/service/custom-design-policies

Because you describe yourself as a "very picky person", please know that not all 14K, or 18K, rose/pink alloys look the same; there are a number of different formulations within the same K category. So for this reason alone, you may be better off with a local bench where you can see what alloy(s) they prefer to work with. Like colored gems in general, photos are not a sure-fire way of seeing what a particular rose or pink (or peach or red) alloy will look like in real life -- even if the vendor is an awesome, very careful photographer, none of us can be confident that our screen/monitor is color-calibrated in line with the photographer's.

P.S. I thought I knew the vendor that you were working with, but the CAD you posted uses a very different software program than any CAD coming from that vendor I can remember seeing posted here on PS.

 

[Gypsy]

This isn't a court of law. Heck, it's not even Judge Judy.

It's impossible to give advice to someone who isn't being direct by giving us all the information. So, please just tell us your story all ready-- with the names. Or don't and keep it to yourself. I'm swiftly losing patience.

 

[Mailin]

* * *
--- From this response, I guess you haven't figured out who messed up my ring. It has officially came to worst case scenario and I am having my centerstone shipped back to me. Once I receive it, I will then update PS with an appropriate thread explaining what all went down and my horrible experience. * * *
That CAD you saw from my other post and the horrible experience, is from one of those vendors you listed.

@other responses, I am still speaking to the Boston designer. Nothing is set in stone (pun intended) and he said every melee is hand chosen, eye clean VS2-SI1 melee. I am a very picky person so I am not sure if I am okay with anything below VS2 eye clean melee.
I have also just contacted VC, but I asked for a 14k Rose Gold quote and they gave me an 18k rose gold quote. Waiting on their response for a new estimate along with more information on the melee they use.

I will look into some others too. This fun, exciting process... is nothing but stress for me now. I am becoming deterred on finding someone I can trust.
I will keep you guys posted as I decide/figure out more.

Back in October, you were keen on designing the ring yourself, using your own CAD program, and working with the jeweler as the design & fabrication evolves. Is that still your wish; if so, think VC is a poor fit for you. Even for custom orders, he does not supply CADs so far as I know, and
We do not accept accept hard specifications for jewelry designs such as stone or metal millimeter sizes, height measurements, or other specs. We gladly would take into consideration clients’ general preferences towards their designs though as in “a more delicate or substantial halo” etc. Our experience has been that allowing us to set the perfect proportions for your center stone and for your finger size leads to the best results.
https://www.victorcanera.com/service/custom-design-policies

Because you describe yourself as a "very picky person", please know that not all 14K, or 18K, rose/pink alloys look the same; there are a number of different formulations within the same K category. So for this reason alone, you may be better off with a local bench where you can see what alloy(s) they prefer to work with. Like colored gems in general, photos are not a sure-fire way of seeing what a particular rose or pink (or peach or red) alloy will look like in real life -- even if the vendor is an awesome, very careful photographer, none of us can be confident that our screen/monitor is color-calibrated in line with the photographer's.

P.S. I thought I knew the vendor that you were working with, but the CAD you posted uses a very different software program than any CAD coming from that vendor I can remember seeing posted here on PS.

--- As of now, whomever ends up creating the ring will be probably making the bands. We have right hand bands currently that we had made on our 7th? year together that is 14k rose gold. We like the look of rose gold, I understand there is always a chance for variance but as long as it isn't yellow gold, we are golden (the puns!).

Thanks for the VC quote, I never took notice to that.

I ended up not creating it myself due to the vendor I requested did theirs right after I gave them the elements of what I wanted incorporated in the ring. The process went so fast and many steps skipped over that, I literally didn't have much of a chance to even give much information.

This isn't a court of law. Heck, it's not even Judge Judy.

It's impossible to give advice to someone who isn't being direct by giving us all the information. So, please just tell us your story all ready-- with the names. Or don't and keep it to yourself. I'm swiftly losing patience.

--- Do you happen to know the proper place to post my experience? It will take me a few hours most likely to type everything out and have my thoughts organized and displayed properly. So don't want it to get locked up :X

 

[lovedogs]

I'd post here on RT, although some people post about experiences in other places like Hangouts. I think RT is the correct place since it is the most "high traffic", and you are talking about one of the vendors we recommend the most often (I assume at least, from your previous posts)

 

[MollyMalone]

Back in October, you were keen on designing the ring yourself, using your own CAD program, and working with the jeweler as the design & fabrication evolves. Is that still your wish; if so, think VC is a poor fit for you. Even for custom orders, he does not supply CADs so far as I know, and
We do not accept accept hard specifications for jewelry designs such as stone or metal millimeter sizes, height measurements, or other specs. We gladly would take into consideration clients’ general preferences towards their designs though as in “a more delicate or substantial halo” etc. Our experience has been that allowing us to set the perfect proportions for your center stone and for your finger size leads to the best results.
https://www.victorcanera.com/service/custom-design-policies
* * *

* * * Thanks for the VC quote, I never took notice to that.

I ended up not creating it myself due to the vendor I requested did theirs right after I gave them the elements of what I wanted incorporated in the ring. The process went so fast and many steps skipped over that, I literally didn't have much of a chance to even give much information.
* * *

In your previous post, you expressed despair over getting a setting eventually made. The wholly custom process is not for everyone & more than one PSer has decided they actually prefer the "what you see is what you get" feature of a ring mounting/semi-mount which only requires tweaking to fit their particular center stone. And there's surely no shame in that. So maybe you too would consider doing likewise? (not certain from what you just wrote how much being "the driving force" behind the ring's development still matters to you). This also would enable you to slip the ring on your future wife's finger sooner rather than later; we know from your posts 8 months ago, when you were selecting the sapphire center stone, she would welcome that!

 

[drk14]

It will take me a few hours most likely to type everything out and have my thoughts organized and displayed properly. So don't want it to get locked up :X

If you're worried about that, type it up in a text editor (Notepad) or word processing software first, and save the file on your computer, then copy and paste into PS. That way you'll have the ability to repost it if something should go awry.