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Just a caution about using a trellis setting for X-factors...Gladyskristen had her X-factor put into a trellis setting that was designed for a round diamond, and it turned out horrible! She was able to get her money back and have a trellis setting custom-made, and it looks gorgeous. Her story is in the Show Me the Ring forum. Maybe she''ll see this thread and give you some tips!
 
Date: 6/29/2007 2:40:33 PM
Author: jcl49er
I like both of those but I was really hoping to have it set in a Trellis so that it''s as close to her ''dream ring'' as possible. My girlfriend isn''t a big jewelry person. She wears a simple sterling silver band and a pair of princess cut studs I bought her for Christmas. She just doesn''t really know too much about diamonds so when she sent me that link, I got the impression that the setting is a big part of why she liked it. Because of that, I''m hoping to get the Trellis.

I actually just spoke to someone at WF and they were VERY helpful. They told me they would have no problem using a setting from another location but that in their experience with this, they have received poorly crafted settings occasionally. He said if that were the case, they would call me to warn against it but otherwise, would set it and overnight it to me.

Can someone tell me why exactly a WG solitaire Trellis would be $249 at UnionDiamond, $390 at Knox Jewelers and $825 at WhiteFlash? They look to be the same but I just can''t figure out the enormous price jump at WF. What would make it so much more expensive and would you feel good about buying the $249/$349 one, assuming it was compatible with the X-Prong?
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WF is very helpful. Use them as a resource for your questions.

About the price - I would think quality would be a big factor! And yes, I''d budget for it. I''m sure not all would, but I''m picky that way. I have bands I''ve worn for many, many years, and the quality matters for me as part of the long run.
 
Well, thanks for ALL of the INCREDIBLE info/help on this thread. I opted for the .635, H, VS1 X-Factor at WhiteFlash. I had several phone conversations with Jaime (Bob too) and they were unbelievably friendly and helpful. I explained to Jaime my setting concerns and she encouraged me to shop around locally if the Trellis at WF was out of my price range. So, I visited some local vendors today and found one I really like. It''s a 18KWG solitaire trellis, almost 4mm wide and weighs something like 6 grams (I''m guessing from memory but it was quite heavy and didn''t feel cheap at all). That had to be ordered and will arrive next week. Then I''ll ship that to WF to be set. After that, I guess all that''s left is the proposal.
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As for the mention of the X-Factor not working with someone''s trellis, I will definitely find out more info before I commit to ordering the setting. The manufacturer isn''t open until Monday anyway so I''m waiting to hear back from the jewelry store before they order it for me. I''ll be sure to find out if it will work with a cut corner square before buying.

Thanks again everyone! Once I get the ring back from WF, I''ll be sure to post pics so everyone can see. I''m so excited and hope she loves it!
 
Congrats! We look forward to seeing your X Factor in that trellis setting. She will be thrilled to receive her dream ring! YEAH!

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Quick question:

What do you guys think about sending the setting to WF to have them set the X-Factor vs. receiving the stone from WF and taking it to the place where I''m getting the setting? Which is the most popular way when purchasing the stone and setting from separate vendors? I will say that the setting vendor had never seen an X-Factor before but I''d like to think they would set it as they would a radiant or Asscher. I just want the best set possible but not sure which route to take. Thanks!
 
I suggest that you bring the stone to the jeweler to be set instead of sending the setting to WF, simply cos you can''t be too sure whether the setting will fit the stone! Also, having the stone with you will give a better idea of what shank width you really like.

My stone is 0.591 carat, but has a big spread for it''s weight, so it''s 4.75x4.8mm, which is almost exactly the same as you stone. My band is 3.5mm right next to the stong, tapering down to 2.3mm between my fingers, and 2mm at the base. So if you go with the 4mm, it will look quite a bit heavier than mine.


This shot gives the most accurate ring to stone width ratio:

xfactorhandclose3.jpg



BTW, I wear a size 4.5, but cos of the ring width, the ring has to be made to a size 5. It spins when it''s cold, but I doubt it''ll ever fall off. Do take note of tt when you buy the setting!

I think you did really well on the stone, and the H colour is nothing to worry abt! I can''t wait to see my ring twin, it''s so exciting! I bet your gf will be so thrilled.
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Forgot to mention this earlier: If you''re in the US, perhaps you wanna consider palladium WG or a 950 palladium setting? It''s whiteness will hold up better than a normal 18k WG and there''ll be no worries of nickel allergy, altho the normal 18k WG works just fine for me. There shouldn''t be a huge price difference either. I wud haf gone for a palladium setting if I could, but it''s not available in Singapore and I didn''t wanna get my setting done without me being sized by the jeweler first.
 
Thanks so much, gladyskristen. Ironically, I was logging in to reply in your thread to ask you what the width of your band was because I think it''s perfect for the size of your stone. But I see that you already provided that info which helps me out a ton.
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I was kind of guessing from memory on the width of the setting because they didn''t have an 18K WG trellis in the cabinet. They had a 14K that measured around 3.5mm near the stone but the jewelry said that the one I''m ordering may be a hair bigger (3.8mm perhaps) so it should still look very much on par with yours.

I didn''t inquire about palladium option but the vendor is calling me tomorrow to provide me with some more info and I''ll ask about it. I guess I will take your advice on having WF just send me the stone. That will save me some time and shipping charges as well. I was just a little paranoid since most local stores haven''t set a X-Factor before but I would imagine they wouldn''t have any issues.

Thanks again and if all goes well, I should have pics available by next weekend.
 
i am by no means an expert here, but i wanted to chime in with something i have read over and over on PS with regard to who should do the setting. i assume the diamond is more (much more) expensive than the setting. thus you would want to protect the diamond investment over the setting investment, no? some jewelers will not insure your diamond during setting if you did not purchase it from them. you would have to ask, and even then, you''d have to be 110% sure you trust them that if anything happens, they will offer you a comparable diamond. from what i understand, however, if you have WF set your diamond and god forbid something happens to it, they will replace it for you. please don''t take my word on this; look into it yourself, but this is my understanding.

one other note, we all would like to believe all jewelers out there are highly skilled and would have no problems setting any diamond perfectly into any setting. however i have read many many stories on PS where they opted to have a local jeweler set their diamond, over the setting designer or the diamond vendor, with dissapointing or even awful results. in fact, i am deciding this very thing now (who to have set my diamond - the jeweler i may purchase the setting from, whom i do feel mostly comfortable with or the designer of the setting). i am pretty sure i will have the jeweler send my diamond (which isn''t new to me and thus presents a slightly different scenario than yours) to the setting designer for setting. personally, if i were in your shoes and i wasn''t totally familiar with your jeweler and his work and his policies, i would have WF set the diamond. unless the setting is from a designer (ritani, verragio, tacori, scott kay, etc.) in which case i would have your jeweler send the diamond in along with the setting to be set by the designer. or have the designer make a new setting for you (which it sounds like they are since you had to order it) and set your diamond.

heheh, that reads like a lot of mumbo-jumbo, hope you can follow it! best of luck!
 
YAY congratulations! Wonderful choice! :) Remember to post lots of pics.
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WF should set it.
 
Jcl49er, are you on a tight budget? If you're not, perhaps you can consider obtaining the setting from WF. Then you will have absolutely nothing to worry abt. A plus point on the WF setting is that they use 18k palladium WG, which will not yellow or cause allergy like nickel WG which is more commonly used. Altho the price of the WF setting is higher, you get to save on setting fee, waiting time and worrying time. Their workmanship is also well regarded by PSers. The only reason why I didn't go with them was cos we had to keep strictly to our budget AND I was sure I had no nickel allergy.
 
By the way, I think 3.8mm will work very well with the stone. I sometimes find myself wishing that my ring was just a teeny weeny bit thicker than it is now, so I guess with 3.8mm, it'll be just right.
 
I had even emailed Bob/Jaime at WF about where to set it and even they suggested I get it done locally just in case the setting I order isn''t what I want or doesn''t "fit" the stone well. That way, I could see the setting in person before it''s set and after setting, if I''m not happy, they would redo it at no charge.

Honestly, I think I''m going to compromise on this situation. I could get it done at WF in the setting I want for close to $900 which is a total budget killer. I love their Trellis setting but I have a very strict budget so it''s kind of out of the question. One place (local chain store) I went to this weekend, can just order it from a vendor in New York (Unique Settings of New York). It''s pretty much just their standard solitaire trellis for a princess/square cut (#ENR 431 if you look at their online catalogue). The only option I''d have for it is type of gold. That setting is around $235, plus $50 to set. It''s not a bad setting because I held one they had in the store already with a stone on it. But when I compare it to the Tiffany setting, it''s not as close as I''d like. Sooo, I went to another local store that I trust a lot more. They actually create their settings on site. They draw it up on the computer to my specifics and create the ring right there. She told me that she could make it exactly how I wanted it as far as design, weight, widths, etc. That would be around $400 plus $75 to set. A little more but still considerably cheaper than WF. And I know for a fact it would come out great. I can actually give her a photo of the Tiffany one and she can recreate it almost perfectly. So, while this ups my budget a bit, I think it''s the safest approach.

The only downside is that it''s a family-owned business and they all take the entire week of the 4th off. So, it would be next Monday before I could go back in to design the setting. But I wasn''t going to propose this week/weekend anyway so no biggy. I should have my stone on Thursday which I''ll just have to admire for several days until I can get it set. That gives me a little time to figure out a proposal idea.
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Date: 7/2/2007 3:52:41 PM
Author: jcl49er
I had even emailed Bob/Jaime at WF about where to set it and even they suggested I get it done locally just in case the setting I order isn''t what I want or doesn''t ''fit'' the stone well. That way, I could see the setting in person before it''s set and after setting, if I''m not happy, they would redo it at no charge.

Honestly, I think I''m going to compromise on this situation. I could get it done at WF in the setting I want for close to $900 which is a total budget killer. I love their Trellis setting but I have a very strict budget so it''s kind of out of the question. One place (local chain store) I went to this weekend, can just order it from a vendor in New York (Unique Settings of New York). It''s pretty much just their standard solitaire trellis for a princess/square cut (#ENR 431 if you look at their online catalogue). The only option I''d have for it is type of gold. That setting is around $235, plus $50 to set. It''s not a bad setting because I held one they had in the store already with a stone on it. But when I compare it to the Tiffany setting, it''s not as close as I''d like. Sooo, I went to another local store that I trust a lot more. They actually create their settings on site. They draw it up on the computer to my specifics and create the ring right there. She told me that she could make it exactly how I wanted it as far as design, weight, widths, etc. That would be around $400 plus $75 to set. A little more but still considerably cheaper than WF. And I know for a fact it would come out great. I can actually give her a photo of the Tiffany one and she can recreate it almost perfectly. So, while this ups my budget a bit, I think it''s the safest approach.

The only downside is that it''s a family-owned business and they all take the entire week of the 4th off. So, it would be next Monday before I could go back in to design the setting. But I wasn''t going to propose this week/weekend anyway so no biggy. I should have my stone on Thursday which I''ll just have to admire for several days until I can get it set. That gives me a little time to figure out a proposal idea.
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It sounds like it is working out fine!!! Anticipation / planning is a big part of the fun. I am so happy it is working out for you and you are staying on budget. This ring is going to be awesome.
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Here''s something ironic for you...

I was to the point where I was getting soooo stressed out shopping around for diamonds online and locally. It was so overwhelming because of all the info/options. But truthfully, now that I have bought the stone, I kind of miss all the research...lol
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I started to get really fascinated about diamonds and gained a whole new respect for them. Before this process, I only knew about the 4 C''s. But it''s amazing how much more complex they are and educating yourself on a site like this, really benefits you as a customer. It''s so easy to just settle on the 4 C''s and think you''re getting a great deal. Knowing all the specs on the table, depth, pavilion, crown, girdle, etc. and seeing the various images/scans just takes it to a whole new level. As a guy, I never really cared too much about diamonds but after all of this, I appreciate them so much more. And it''s a good feeling to walk into a jewelry store and be armed with so much info. It helps the jewelry find exactly what you want but it also keeps you from getting ripped off. So, much thanks again for the information on this site and the helpful opinions I received from those who posted.
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I''m already looking forward to shopping for her wedding band!!!
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I have a very inexpensive x prong for my diamond (we spent all $ on my asscher). It shows that it''s a cheap setting up close. It looks nothing, except in concept like the Lucida setting. And it makes my 6 x 6 stone look SMALL.

So, I would seriously consider a simple elegant delicate setting for your diamond if you can''t afford the Vatche Royal X prong ($800). It''s the ONLY X-Prong that looks right and doesn''t overpower the stone.
 
Oh the Tiffany Lucida replica sounds PERFECT! That''s EXACTLY what I did. My first setting was actually a stock setting from the store, but it turned out horrible and looked real cheap.

After I got my money back, I went to a family-owned business to get my ring done, strictly following a picture of the Tiffany Lucida. It turned out exactly how i wanted it to! It had a really expensive look cos the ring shank was really thick and rounded when u view it sideways (nothing to do with the width of the shank). The first setting (which I returned) had squared edges, and was really thin at the bottom of the ring shank. Not only did it make the ring feel cheaper than it cost, but it''ll also go out of round more easily.
 
Yay! Received my stone from WF yesterday. They really do a professional job with that stuff. I was VERY impressed with the packaging and contents. Certainly better than I expected and the diamond is absolutely beautiful. I picked it up after work and while in the car, it was sparkling like crazy under the sun.
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I''m still uncertain about the setting after reading some of the previous comments. This isn''t a big stone by any means so I definitely don''t want to overpower it with a bulky setting. If I just buy a predone setting (solitaire Trellis) it would be 4.3 grams, 3.4mm at the top and 2.25mm at the base for the 14K version. The 18K would be 5.2 grams and roughly the same width. This is the one:

Trellis Solitiare

The local jeweler would order it from them and then set it. That one makes me a bit paranoid because in 14K, it''s only $228. And likely only around $330 in 18K. Does that seem too cheap? The other store I''m considering is the one that designs/creates their own settings on-site. A similar setting in 18K through them would be around $400-$450 but it would be completely based upon the specs I give her and custom-made. I''m on a pretty strict budget but I''m not sure how much that one on the link above truly resembles the Tiffany Lucida one.
 
I'm not loving the squared-off edges of the ring shank. It will NOT look like the Lucida. I vote for custom. It's cheap consider the fact that it's custom-made. I was in the same situation as you. The bad-looking first ring that I had was a ready-made setting and cost 200 bucks cheaper than my current custom setting. It din fit the stone well and the jeweler tried to alter it, leaving me with a mutilated ring. I rather you not make the same mistake as I did.
 
Thanks gladys. When you say "squared off edges" do you mean that the shank would look better if it were rounded? When you say "squared off" I almost think of those settings that are labeled as "comfort fit" so that they go up flush against a wedding/anniversary band. If I go to the custom place, what type of shank should I ask for if I want it to resemble the Lucida band?

I spoke to them again and that ring I linked is $360 for 18K and $370 for Palladium. So, if I go with the other place that will custom make it, it's not like I'm spending a ton more but I'll be getting a much nicer ring. My gut says to spend the extra money so that it's done right.

There doesn't seem to be that much price difference from 18K to Palladium so I may go with the latter. I'm not familiar with it though so I'm not sure what the advantage is.

Edit: From reading up on it, it looks like Palladium will develop a hazy patina over time, much like Platinum. When hinting around with my GF, she specifically said she doesn't like platinum because of that aspect of it. So, while I think Palladium would look really nice at first, I think she would be happier with 18KWG in the long run.
 
Thanks for the tip! I tried to avoid Ebay for stuff like that though. And if you look at the closeup of that ring, it looks pretty shoddy in my opinion. There are some bumps and it just doesn''t look well crafted. Probably why it''s so cheap. Also, that particular setting is too large for my stone anyway. And many local jewelers aren''t too thrilled about someone showing up with a stone/setting from somewhere else.

I do appreciate the link though but I think I''m going to just spend a little over budget so I can get something I know she''ll be happy with.
 
Yes, definitely asked for rounded. I''ve seen both side by side, and you''ll be surprised at how the roundedness adds to the ring''s elegance. Comfort fit is rounded on the inside. What I''m talking abt is rounded on the outside. Like this:

xfactorupsidedown2.jpg


xfactorupsidedown3.jpg
 
Ohh, I definitely see the difference now. Yes, I agree that the rounded looks better/sleeker.
 
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