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Temporary setting suggestions for a 2ct J AVR

refraction

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 15, 2012
Messages
27
Hi Everyone,

I was hoping to get some help/inspiration/guidance on finding a temporary solitaire setting for a 2ct (8mm) J color AVR. I was thinking of a budget of around $500, but am somewhat flexible if needed to get better quality, as I probably won't be able to plan my permanent setting for quite some time.

I was thinking of this Stuller setting Item #122004

What does everyone think of two-tone settings? Do you think this setting would work with a brushed yellow gold shank and a polished white gold basket? Or would that look weird?

Would love other setting suggestions too!

Here is a little shout-out to the great PS people who have shared their Stuller setting and have been my inspiration!
summerlove6
img_799.jpg

Jimmianne
img_7230.jpg

manderz
_28864.jpg

vintagesparkleslover
With engraving and milgrain! :love:
dscn0090.jpg
dscn0089.jpg

Thanks everyone, really appreciate the help!
 

diamondseeker2006

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Messages
58,547
I think that is the perfect temp setting for an AVR or OEC, and for that matter, it could be a permanent setting! Does it come with a yg shank and wg head? (I just saw in the other thread that someone said it does). I think that would be fine, but I kind of like it in all white gold or all yg (although I usually do prefer a white metal head and yg shank on other style settings). I can't wait to see your stone set in this setting!
 

Cozystitches

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Mar 2, 2010
Messages
1,229
That setting is lovely! I'm a 2 tone fan so I say go for it! :D I like my diamonds surrounded with wg or plat and the band to be rose or yellow as those look better with my skin :D
 

refraction

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 15, 2012
Messages
27
diamondseeker2006|1463110649|4031109 said:
I think that is the perfect temp setting for an AVR or OEC, and for that matter, it could be a permanent setting! Does it come with a yg shank and wg head? (I just saw in the other thread that someone said it does). I think that would be fine, but I kind of like it in all white gold or all yg (although I usually do prefer a white metal head and yg shank on other style settings). I can't wait to see your stone set in this setting!

Thanks for your input diamondseeker!

Just curious though, what is it about this one that makes you prefer it in all white gold or all yellow gold? Can you give an example of a setting you do like in two-tone?
 

refraction

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 15, 2012
Messages
27
Cozystitches|1463111140|4031114 said:
That setting is lovely! I'm a 2 tone fan so I say go for it! :D I like my diamonds surrounded with wg or plat and the band to be rose or yellow as those look better with my skin :D

Cozystitches, that was exactly my thinking! Keep the prongs in white metal to compliment the stone, but have a yellow gold band that looks better with my skin tone!
 

Gypsy

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
40,225
I'm not really a fan. I mean, if you have to have 6 prongs, then it's definitely got a nice basket.
But I know the Stuller site can be tricky sometimes, so I thought I'd post some other options for you to explore, just in case something else catches your eye.

I really like this one, if you want two tone, it has an eternity symbol: http://www.stuller.com/products/build/123059/12508622/?groupId=193785 they also have it in all white
(personal favorite but you would have to ask your jeweler if it is available for order for an 8mm stone): http://www.stuller.com/products/122415/?groupId=122309&categoryId=11040
http://www.stuller.com/products/build/123060/12585672/?groupId=194064
http://www.stuller.com/products/build/122118/9143326/?groupId=119127
http://www.stuller.com/products/build/122903/12278025/?groupId=193107
http://www.stuller.com/products/build/122047/5268045/?groupId=117213
http://www.stuller.com/products/build/122455/11145214/?groupId=121881
 

diamondseeker2006

Super_Ideal_Rock
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58,547
A lot of Stuller settings can be ordered with shank and head separate, you know, like standard peg heads. I normally always like the head to be white metal with a near colorless to colorless diamond. I am sure I would like this one, too. I am just used to seeing them all one metal, probably! If you want your wedding band to be yellow gold, then you'd definitely at least need the shank to be yg, of course!
 

MollyMalone

Ideal_Rock
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3,413
I think #122004 is a Stuller All-Star! :appl:

Don't know if you have solicited price quotes yet (jewelers don't all apply the same mark-up to Stuller merchandise), but in November, Adam at Old World Diamonds charged PumpkinsAreAwesome $275 for the 14K white gold 122004 suitable for her 1.48 ct OEC; that price included setting the stone, after shaving-reshaping the prongs -- pics here:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/introducing-my-wonky-diamond-ring.217499/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/introducing-my-wonky-diamond-ring.217499/[/URL]
(Adam may have given her a discount because she purchased the center stone from him)
 

refraction

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 15, 2012
Messages
27
Hi Gypsy,

I take it you have a preference for 4-prong settings over 6-prong? 4-prong would certainly be easier for cleaning and getting in there with a brush! The setting I originally posted may be tricky to clean. I'm not really set on any particular number of prongs and you posted some really nice options!

The one you noted as your personal fav, but that might not be available for an 8mm stone... would it be secure enough for an 8mm stone? (I'll ask my jeweler) I'm used to seeing little cross bars or some kind of support between prongs on 4-prong settings. But I do like the clean simple lines of this one!

The one you posted with the heart in the basket also caught my eye, but I wondered how it would look in real life. Are you aware of any real pics of this one? I like the lines and the fact that a wedding band would fit flush, but worried the heart might be too cheezy :eh:

And I'm glad it's not just me that finds the Stuller site tricky to search/navigate! I thought I had fully combed through it all, but I hadn't seen the pretty one you posted with the scroll motif in the basket. This one kind of has a vintage-y feel that might suit the AVR well. Thanks for finding that one!
 

refraction

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 15, 2012
Messages
27
Hi MollyMalone,

Thanks so much for sharing PumpkinsAreAwesome's post, I had completely missed it! Old World Diamonds sure did a nice job on the prongs!

I also appreciate the heads up on price, the quote I received from my jeweler was significantly more!
 

Gypsy

Super_Ideal_Rock
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40,225

refraction

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 15, 2012
Messages
27
Gypsy, that is such a great idea and example, thank you!
 

Gypsy

Super_Ideal_Rock
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40,225
That's what I am here for! :wavey:
 

MollyMalone

Ideal_Rock
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refraction|1463117713|4031143 said:
* * * I also appreciate the heads up on price, the quote I received from my jeweler was significantly more!
What Stuller charges its trade customers is more "market sensitive" than what we consumers see on jewelry price tags (i.e., the cost to your jeweler can fluctuate up or down over a relatively short time span, depending on the commodities marketplace) & gold's selling price this week has been averaging about $1275/oz, or roughly 17-18% more than it was 6 months ago. And the #122004 link you provided was for an 18K mounting whereas Pumpkins' is 14K. Still, your jeweler may be quoting the "suggested retail price" -- or even higher, which is why it can literally pay off to shop around; my now retired, friendly local neighborhood jeweler always charged me appreciably below the MSRP.

Has your jeweler shown you the latest paper catalogs with #122004 in it? The paper catalogs are a LOT more fun, easier to play with than the web site. And there's useful "hidden" info for you, the consumer, on either the back cover or the Ordering & Pricing Info section at the back of the catalog. Here's the pertinent section of the 2013 Mountings catalog as an example:

In addition to relaying the metal market prices on which the catalog's suggested retail prices were based, it also tells you that most of the catalog's MSRPs are "triple keystone", meaning the MSRP is 3 times the item's cost to Stuller's trade customer. I certainly don't fault jewelers for using the MRSP as a means of offsetting their overhead, making up for a tighter profit margin "squeeze" on other inventory. But if your jeweler is so inclined, s/he certainly has "wriggle room" in the price quoted to you.

priceinfo_stuller2103_mountings.png
 

Gypsy

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Messages
40,225
If using a PS vendor is an option, I recommend BGD or David Klass or Brilliantly Engaged as I have seen and loved their hand engraving and prong work. You can call them all and get price quotes for what you want and then make a decision based on that.
 

MollyMalone

Ideal_Rock
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Gypsy|1463119610|4031149 said:
Welcome! Remember, if you use a good jeweler with a talented in house bench (always use in house benches), you can add hand engraving to any of the simple solitiares or milgrain accents, especially on the profile, to transform and customize it. Look at how the engraving takes this setting from basic to beautiful: http://www.ebay.com/itm/281242479061?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Hope you don't mind, Gypsy, if I disagree with you on this. So long as the engraving is done by an experienced artisan, I don't think it's important that it be done in-house. There isn't a constant call nowadays for hand engraving-carving, or even millegraining, in the work lives of most in-house benches, including talented and established ones (and not every one is interested in mastering those aspects). So even here in NYC, there are "free lancers" -- like the wonderful Alex Pugachevskiy
http://alexhandengraving.com/gallery-of-hand-engraved-jewels/wedding-rings/page_1/work_250/set-of-wedding-ring-and-engagement-ring.html
-- who do only this kind of work for other benches (although Alex, for one, welcomes members of the general public). Similarly, it seems that David Klass does not do himself the engraving that has drawn so much admiration, e.g.,
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/is-rehabbing-engraving-a-no-no-to-you.199181/#post-3642587#p3642587']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/is-rehabbing-engraving-a-no-no-to-you.199181/#post-3642587#p3642587[/URL]

Would be interesting to do a wide survey to find out how many benches actually "farm out" this kind of work. Hats off to those whose hand embellishments we treasure but whose identities remain obscure, so we don't know to thank them directly!
 

Gypsy

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Molly my issue with this is, if the work isn't done in house and it is done by a local (non-PS jeweler) then you run the risk of finger pointing if/when something goes wrong. Every single time I have had work farmed out by a non-PS vendor there has been a problem and the jewelers (well researched by me in advanced) say "oh, it's not MY fault, it's the guy who did the outsourced work." So while I am okay with PS jewelers outsourcing engraving and even milgrain, I am NOT okay with it locally. Inevitably something goes wrong. The wrong pattern is used or the milgrain looks like a drunken sailor did it, or whatever and then the finger pointing starts. So, when I do use a local bench I make darned sure that the work is all done in house. I like having "one throat to choke." It saves me a lot of aggravation and the inevitable "I don't care whose fault it is. You should have QC'd the work and realized it was wrong and fixed it. Now, it's your responsibility to make it right" speech. I don't generally care if a PS vendor outsources work. And I was aware that David Klass AND BE outsource their hand engraving (though BGD does not, it should be noted). It's only local, unknown BM's that I have this restriction with. PS jewelers will take responsibility with minimal aggravation, normally.

I just locally had a pendant done for me. I always talk to the bench jeweler personally when I am having work done (except at Joe Escobar). I literally drew the guy a map. He was planning to do it in house. And I have been working with them for 6 years locally on various projects. I double checked it with him to make sure he would do it himself. Apparently, when he sits down to do the work he realizes that it's a bad idea for him to do it, and that he needs to outsource it to a laser welder. Well, the thing was oriented wrong. I picked it up and bam, the piece was set like a diamond instead of a square. Apparently he was out the day the thing was sent out and when it came back in a week later and his partner was the one who sent it out, and she was unaware of the drawing and the orientation issue. So when it came in she QC'd the workmanship (which was flawless) and called me to pick it up. So they had to redo the work. And while they were obviously okay with it, but it was very awkward as they had honored the original quote (which was for in house work, not for outsourced work) and now had to deal with a re-work and were losing money on it by that point.

I HATE working with local benches when things are outsourced. The minute I hear the words, "we'll have to send it out" I call a PS vendor.
 

tyty333

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Dec 17, 2008
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I have always loved that original stuller setting you posted. I got a quote from my local jeweler...$300 included setting stone. I am
in a place that is relatively inexpensive though, YMMV.
 
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