Thoughts around engagement ring boxes/packaging; Black by Brian Gavin

[holeydonut]

It’s not about which is better to YOU (or us, for that matter). You aren’t the intended wearer, and it sounds as if she will never truly appreciate the superideal BG ring because it’s not a Tiffany. Period.

BG can repair the melee. ASMOF, I wouldn’t dare let anyone else touch it. That said, if he’s been following your threads, Actually, I wouldn’t blame him if he might consider giving a refund and cutting ties on this.

You and the FF want everything Tiffany, but aren’t willing to pay for what similar spec stone there or sacrifice cut quality. You’ve also said that she didn’t like some aspect of their halo... You can’t have it both ways. BG will never be Tiffany, and vice versa. They aren’t trying to copy each other in any way. Each vendor focuses on different aspects of jewelry.

If she wants a blue box and name recognition, go with Tiffany. If she values quality of precision cutting and the ability to get more for the budget, then stick with BG (or other superideal vendor). I’m worried a non-Tiff will never be good enough in her mind, and she will always be looking for flaws and/or feeling like she/you settled for a “poor man’sTiffany”. <——— obvi, not the case, but not to everyone, KWIM? Get her a Tiffany on your budget, and call it a day. Give the woman what she wants.

This has been a total shitshow, if I’m being honest.

Nah, she's sold the Black by Brian Gavin in a stunning 810 beats Tiffany. I don't need to do anything there now. Just need to address the melee she thought looked like it fell out. And get a $5 wooden box.

 

[msop04]

I believe I read in Cosmo that The Tiffany Blue Box, Cartier Red Box, and HW Leather Box add about 0.3 carats. Or read differently, not having those boxes subtracted 0.3 carats.

...said no PS member. Ever.

I wonder if the less than stellar cut negates what the box seemed to add 15 seconds after the ring is outside it?

 

[vintageloves]

I think in the beginning she thought I'd go with the T "Soleste" or at least the HW "The One." I mean... the subtle comments were there... I'm no dummy haha. She would entertain looking at stuff on BN and JA to get ideas, but ... yeah.

I think during research, I was going to go the easy route with the lux vendors. But then I saw how $30K wasn't a very large stone with them , and there is a surprisingly large amount of chatter online that T's self-graded stones aren't actually very good. Yes, their overall experience is 100% perfect, and they have brand cachet as far as the eye can see with the general public.

But then I found Then I found Pricescope. Thanks ya'll. This added so many goddamn grey hairs to my head

I lurked for awhile reading all the posts here, and kind of went a bit overboard on the "cut is king" concept. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that I could try and convince her to check out this Brian Gavin guy to get a larger center stone. She could get a really unique halo that checked all her boxes (so many "inspired by Soleste and The One" clones are out there) .

Since finding BGD, I've maintained the massive amount of extra effort to pull off this "sell job" was worth it. But, this "sell job" is also the source of where many of you conclude "he should have just gone to Tiffany." Because I think to PS'ers, BGD is a no-brainer vs Tiffany. But for the average person... not so much.

Anyway, BGD went to bat and hit a home run with the 810 halo that came in. I wish that the melee issue had been responded to in a manner consistent with BG's reputation as a perfectionist. I wish he told me that he's seen stuff like this before, and knows how to make it right. To assure me not to worry.

I think now when he fixes it, it'll be equivalent to the ball hitting the foul pole (still a home run). But, with more grey hairs on my end.

Well, I hope it works out for you! I'm sure you'd like to see this process over and done with.

I think I got you confused with a poster whose girlfriend was finding dust in every stone and only trusted brands like Tiffany. If she loves this BG ring, great. But there's nothing wrong with just going with a branded ring if it will give you and your fiancee peace. I have plenty of Tiffany myself and no idea cut stones, no judgement.

 

[holeydonut]

Ha, I've never seen the .3 thing. Interesting... I will tell you that I returned two Tiffany rings for performance and workmanship and went to Whiteflash, so I may not be the average person. My setting was Scott Kay, though. I really wanted that darn ribbon ring, too...

I don't think any of us want to criticize your decisions here, but are genuinely trying to figure out if maybe there is some buyer's remorse at the heart of this. I do sort of see a *tiny* issue with the melee, but I'm pretty OCD. This is only my opinion, but it feels like you guys were already questioning yourselves and the box was kind of the breaking point for "maybe we should have done something different," i.e. Tiffany. I have no doubt your BG diamond is a showstopper. The guy is a genius with cutting diamonds. But this is an engagement ring. It's not just a perfect piece of jewelry, but the whole package. For your FI, that package may have ranked the "Tiffany" allure higher than a perfect diamond. Not sure if I'm explaining that well...

Nah, you hit the nail on the head. I had mega-huge-buyers-remorse after talking to Brian Gavin on the phone on Friday.

I mean... here's a guy who is one of the most reputable perfectionists and his team provided me with one of the most stunning pieces I've seen in person. His 810 setting was absolutely stunning and his Black by Brian Gavin cut made everything seem to take things to the next level of anything we've seen (yes, even a Soleste).

But, this same Marvel of Diamond Excellence goes on to tell me he'll take a look at the setting that we think looks "missing in certain light conditions", but not to get our hopes up since a little bit of crooked is what makes it art. And then I'm being kind of picky over the box... but he'll accommodate my request even though it upsets his vision of Black by Brian Gavin.

Ugh... the remorse was real heavy on Friday. But, I'll get over it. I'll also feel a lot better when the melee is fixed and there's a box for it that is a tad more fitting of this diamond/setting.

 

[Siamese Kitty]

Nah, she's sold the Black by Brian Gavin in a stunning 810 beats Tiffany. I don't need to do anything there now. Just need to address the melee she thought looked like it fell out. And get a $5 wooden box.

Well, if she's already seen the ring the box issue is probably a little bit smaller.

Just a hint... If she still sees something wrong with it when it comes back (if it's fixed) or there are any other negative feelings expressed, SHE likely has buyer's remorse and has no idea how to broach it with you. I could be way off base and will stop harping on after this post. I just know as brutally honest I can be, when I'm gauging my own feelings about changing a sentimental gift I test the waters with little comments here and there to see how it would be received. Sure it sounds dumb, but no one ever wants to hurt the person's feelings whom they love.

 

[lovedogs]

Well, I hope it works out for you! I'm sure you'd like to see this process over and done with.

I think I got you confused with a poster whose girlfriend was finding dust in every stone and only trusted brands like Tiffany. If she loves this BG ring, great. But there's nothing wrong with just going with a branded ring if it will give you and your fiancee peace. I have plenty of Tiffany myself and no idea cut stones, no judgement.

Same poster, you are not confused.

 

[Siamese Kitty]

Nah, you hit the nail on the head. I had mega-huge-buyers-remorse after talking to Brian Gavin on the phone on Friday.

I mean... here's a guy who is one of the most reputable perfectionists and his team provided me with one of the most stunning pieces I've seen in person. His 810 setting was absolutely stunning and his Black by Brian Gavin cut made everything seem to take things to the next level of anything we've seen (yes, even a Soleste).

But, this same Marvel of Diamond Excellence goes on to tell me he'll take a look at the setting that we think looks "missing in certain light conditions", but not to get our hopes up since a little bit of crooked is what makes it art. And then I'm being kind of picky over the box... but he'll accommodate my request even though it upsets his vision of Black by Brian Gavin.

Ugh... the remorse was real heavy on Friday. But, I'll get over it. I'll also feel a lot better when the melee is fixed and there's a box for it that is a tad more fitting of this diamond/setting.

We were posting at the same time. I genuinely wish you all the best here, too. You've made a huge purchase and I hope you guys will be able to get everything resolved and enjoy it!

FWIW, I scratched my Tiffany itch with a Tiffany wedding band.

 

[msop04]

Nah, she's sold the Black by Brian Gavin in a stunning 810 beats Tiffany. I don't need to do anything there now. Just need to address the melee she thought looked like it fell out. And get a $5 wooden box.

Well, that’s good news. So no need for anymore negative talk regarding this experience. Let BG make the melee perfect. Get the box you want to propose with... try to focus on the positive going forward. She will say yes. You will get married. Win-win, my friend.

 

[holeydonut]

Well, I hope it works out for you! I'm sure you'd like to see this process over and done with.

I think I got you confused with a poster whose girlfriend was finding dust in every stone and only trusted brands like Tiffany. If she loves this BG ring, great. But there's nothing wrong with just going with a branded ring if it will give you and your fiancee peace. I have plenty of Tiffany myself and no idea cut stones, no judgement.

Your memory serves you correct, that was definitely my post. Since I don't have a super-ideal vendor named Brian Gavin or Whiteflash out here in San Francisco, I tried to get her to see some stones outside of the T curated environment so she could buy into the concept that VS was very good.

Many trash VS stones later, we landed on her original frame of mind which was Tiffany has some VS that work, but for everyone else, go with VVS.

We still haven't personally (us personally, not online pictures) seen a VS2 from a super ideal vendor that looked hyper-clean. Because I don't know anyone around here with one. So yeah, that thread was a disaster since people thought I was talking about their PS stones; not the stereotype notion ingrained by years of marketing and diamond engagement stories of dirty looking stones.

But just as Tiffany adds 0.3 carats, I think they add a clarity grade as well I kid, I kid. Anyway, there was one Black by Brian Gavin in VVS2... so all's well. Just a bit of an over-pay. I may be doing a sell job with her on BGD, but I'm not going to try the sell job on VS clarity.

 

[Acinom]

Have never worked with BG, but they have an excellent reputation and I am convinced they will make it right for you. Try to trust them and keep the faith instead of tainting the experience by repeating and explaining yourself in 6 pages. Give BG a fair chance.
You will hopefully enjoy the experience better if you let it go...
Do you know the movie Groundhog Day? This thread is starting to look similar to that movie...

 

[msop04]

Have never worked with BG, but they have an excellent reputation and I am convinced they will make it right for you. Try to trust them and keep the faith instead of tainting the experience by repeating and explaining yourself in 6 pages. Give BG a fair chance.
You will hopefully enjoy the experience better if you let it go...
Do you know the movie Groundhog Day? This thread is starting to look similar to that movie...

 

[msop04]

Sorry... I couldn’t resist. LOL

 

[holeydonut]

Well, if she's already seen the ring the box issue is probably a little bit smaller.

Just a hint... If she still sees something wrong with it when it comes back (if it's fixed) or there are any other negative feelings expressed, SHE likely has buyer's remorse and has no idea how to broach it with you. I could be way off base and will stop harping on after this post. I just know as brutally honest I can be, when I'm gauging my own feelings about changing a sentimental gift I test the waters with little comments here and there to see how it would be received. Sure it sounds dumb, but no one ever wants to hurt the person's feelings whom they love.

In this instance, the "gap tooth" thing was something I noticed as well, but I didn't really think much of it because I was always looking at the ring in a rather high light environment.

She's excited for the engagement and was also massively impressed with Brian Gavin's work. She saw the ring in daytime/light as well at first and didn't notice anything. I had hid the ring away and I was gushing over the ring in the Bling forum. She was very glad we went with BGD and all "Tiffany" doubt evaporated.

But one evening she asked me about it to check the sizing of it. At that time, the melee thing was way more noticeable in an a lower light environment. No loupe, no magnification. This would be like a big black crystal inclusion in the middle of an SI2 ... very easy to spot. And once it's seen, it's hard to un-see. The other side of the ring also had a similar thing going on with the melee, although it was a bit less apparent.

Naturally I told her I'd talk to BGD about it and get things remedied. She's looking forward to getting this Brian Gavin masterpiece back.

 

[KirstLWA]

I'm going to step away from this post now as it is doing my head in, but first I have to say...

You actually haven't had a bad experience. You have just blown everything out of proportion in your quest for perfection.

You spent the time researching. Your fiance found 'dust' in all the diamonds you looked at so the goal posts changed in that perceived perfection and you had to start researching from scratch again then you made your decision based on that extensive research.

You eventually chose the stone and the setting that made your hearts sing. You went through the design process together and created the ring of your dreams. A ring that others would envy you for, that they would love to wear themselves every day. You had the budget that most could only dream of.

Then you received the ring, which was absolutely breathtaking and the workmanship deemed second to none but you didn't love the 'packaging' and found a couple of stones a little bit tilted. A couple of tiny stones out of the whole pave encrusted ring. 99% was perfect and yet we are 6 pages into a post that didn't even need to be posted.

You didn't like BGD's response however based on the tone of your posts, I would bet money on the fact that you may have come across as really ungrateful when you contacted him. Brian I am sure puts so much pressure on himself to get these stones and settings perfect, that hours and hours and hours of work would have gone into that ring and then you call him and tell him there is a 'gap tooth' and the box is cr@p. I would get my back up as well and probably say things that aren't entirely in line with great customer service but wouldn't change the fact that the ring will be fixed and made to what he hopes matches your ideal of perfection. And he will give you a different box because the one that he would have spent hours and hours creating and working on to bring together his meeting client expectations with his vision of the whole Black Line ethos is not up to your standard. A standard he was unaware he was expected to meet.

I reckon you need to take a step back, realise how lucky you are and calm your farm! Take a look at your own actions as I am sure the way you are coming across here is the way you spoke with BGD and that was probably the reason for him saying things you didn't want to hear.

How would you feel if you spent hours and hours and hours and hours working on something and then someone rings you up and complains about something so small out of something so intricate and whinges about the packaging. He will fix your ring, no doubt about it. You haven't had a bad experience at all, you've blown a couple of tiny issues out of proportion, told the world about it and made it bigger than it needed to be.

Good luck with your proposal.

 

[holeydonut]

I'm going to step away from this post now as it is doing my head in, but first I have to say...

You actually haven't had a bad experience. You have just blown everything out of proportion in your quest for perfection.

You spent the time researching. Your fiance found 'dust' in all the diamonds you looked at so the goal posts changed in that perceived perfection and you had to start researching from scratch again then you made your decision based on that extensive research.

You eventually chose the stone and the setting that made your hearts sing. You went through the design process together and created the ring of your dreams. A ring that others would envy you for, that they would love to wear themselves every day. You had the budget that most could only dream of.

Then you received the ring, which was absolutely breathtaking and the workmanship deemed second to none but you didn't love the 'packaging' and found a couple of stones a little bit tilted. A couple of tiny stones out of the whole pave encrusted ring. 99% was perfect and yet we are 6 pages into a post that didn't even need to be posted.

You didn't like BGD's response however based on the tone of your posts, I would bet money on the fact that you may have come across as really ungrateful when you contacted him. Brian I am sure puts so much pressure on himself to get these stones and settings perfect, that hours and hours and hours of work would have gone into that ring and then you call him and tell him there is a 'gap tooth' and the box is cr@p. I would get my back up as well and probably say things that aren't entirely in line with great customer service but wouldn't change the fact that the ring will be fixed and made to what he hopes matches your ideal of perfection. And he will give you a different box because the one that he would have spent hours and hours creating and working on to bring together his meeting client expectations with his vision of the whole Black Line ethos is not up to your standard. A standard he was unaware he was expected to meet.

I reckon you need to take a step back, realise how lucky you are and calm your farm! Take a look at your own actions as I am sure the way you are coming across here is the way you spoke with BGD and that was probably the reason for him saying things you didn't want to hear.

How would you feel if you spent hours and hours and hours and hours working on something and then someone rings you up and complains about something so small out of something so intricate and whinges about the packaging. He will fix your ring, no doubt about it. You haven't had a bad experience at all, you've blown a couple of tiny issues out of proportion, told the world about it and made it bigger than it needed to be.

Good luck with your proposal.

I guess it makes you feel better to reboot Groundhog Day only to make false generalizations about my talk with Brian Gavin.

I completely agree with you, we had high expectations coming in. We even talked to Brian’s staff on numerous calls before ordering describing how the setting seemed a bit ambitious (melee everywhere and a fairly high tcw). We asked about the common problem of melee looking like it fell out since it’s seated funny, and there was a ton of melee. We asked if a simpler shank made more pragmatic sense. They talked us out of a simple design, they said this was Brian’s Signature 810 and they could do it.

So yeah, was frustrated after the call with Brian, but I didn’t cuss him out or belittle him once. I told him I didn’t feel right proposing with a paper box, and I asked about his wooden options.

My fiancé was listening on the call since she wanted to hear Brian’s accent (which is cool by the way). After the call I asked her if I did anything to put him on the defensive or say anything he did was sub par. She said I was very calm and polite. She thought I may have gushed a bit too much about the ring and maybe he thought I was being sarcastic? I don’t know.

I thanked him repeatedly and told him how happy we were until this dark melee issue. I didn’t interrupt him at all once he started teaching me about how light reflects off diamonds and now crooked appearance is part of the art form.

She said the time I started sounding a bit agitated was when I brought up how great the left side gallery looked, and how I was confident he could fix the right side, but he started telling me how it was very complicated to set melee.

Anyway yeah, this thread doesn’t need to exist. I was fuming mad about how that call turned out. But don’t create this scenario of me being rude with him while on the phone.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Oh, goodness, @holeydonut next time you ship something like this off please trek to FedEx, grab some boxes, and do the packaging at home!!

Never, EVER pack expensive goods like this in-store in front of clerks! You just never know who might have sticky fingers - best they have absolutely no idea what's in the box! In this case him thinking it's cheap but sentimental junk is the best possible outcome.

@yssie - I agree. But today I shipped out a diamond ring through Fed-Ex and it was in a double box. That double box was put in a Fed-Ex box and I went up to the desk. Fed-Ex clerk asked me what was in the box. I told him- here is the pre-paid shipping label. He asked me again what was in the box. I told him "A mineral specimen." He then said "So it's a valuable piece of jewelry or precious metal- gotcha."

 

[kindred]

@holeydonut, I will say that I agree that the Black line box looks cheaper than the Signature line box, and I do find that strange. But as you said, that wasn't that big of a deal. The big deal was the melee. And I trust that Brian will fix that for you. I hope that you and your GF will end up loving everything about the ring and that you come back with your proposal story.

And the reason that I decided to post in this thread is this:
You wrote "Anyway yeah, this thread doesn’t need to exist."

If you hit the "report concern" button on one of your posts and request that the thread will be locked, a mod will do that for you. It seems like a good idea to me since this thread just seems to keep rehashing the same things.

 

[yssie]

@yssie - I agree. But today I shipped out a diamond ring through Fed-Ex and it was in a double box. That double box was put in a Fed-Ex box and I went up to the desk. Fed-Ex clerk asked me what was in the box. I told him- here is the pre-paid shipping label. He asked me again what was in the box. I told him "A mineral specimen." He then said "So it's a valuable piece of jewelry or precious metal- gotcha."

My great grandmother's candle holders is my go-to answer. Explains the weight and the packaging.
If FedEx is keeping track... my great grandmother had dozens of candle holders that I've been releasing into the ether one by one over the years.

 

[yssie]

@holeydonut I note that your responses in this thread have been unerringly polite and good-humoured, whatever I - or anyone else - might think of the impetus for the thread. And I commend you for that.

I really hope all of this works out quickly and you can move on to the "enjoying your engagement" bit soon!

 

[Maisie]

Imagine your beloved wanted a Hermes bag. So you go to the store and see the orange box. Your hate the box. Do you think Hermes would agree to give you a different box just because you don’t like the packaging they chose?

Brian Gavin chose what he thought suited his product/brand. I don’t think you have any grounds to complain or ask for a different box. You can (and did) purchase something more suited to your vision. This thread is just a new way to have a go at Brian Gavin because you didn’t like the way he spoke to you.

I know you are unhappy with some of the melee but you have even said you didn’t notice it right away. Your initial response was how stunning the whole ring was. You haven’t even given BGD a chance to fix this issue you see and yet here you are going on and on about how “buying this engagement ring is probably one of the worst experiences I’ve had in a long time“.
Really? Over 2 melee and a box? You must live a charmed life if this is the worst thing you’ve had to deal with. Take a step back and think about this. Nothing has happened that can’t be fixed and remember - you loved the ring when you first saw it.

I’m inclined to think there is some buyers remorse here. Either from you or your future fiancée. You do keep saying how amazing this ring is but you are determined to keep complaining about it.

 

[Octo2005]

@LinSF yep, BG is going to send me a signature box. And I bought a simple wood one from Etsy just in case.

@peacechick the Fedex guy behind the counter never saw the diamond. He only saw me putting the inner Black by Brian Gavin ring box (the one in the first post of this thread) into packing material per the precise instructions of BGD’s RMA.

The fedex guy thought I was wasting his materials and overpacking what looked like a cheap jewelry. But he made that assessment looking at the box, not the ring.

For practical purposes of not wanting him to even think about taking the ring, I didn’t correct him. But it cast doubt that’s my finance could think the same about the box. Or maybe she is going to throw the box in the trash... who knows.

Never pack infront of the fedex employee. Always box it up at home or in your car if need be. As you said, why place that temptation there.

 

[Octo2005]

FYI, here is what I thought I was getting; and I believe this is what Brian is going to have sent to me after I inquired.

Edit: Whoops, I posted a blog post link about his custom box on accident; I meant to post his regular box shown in his "news" section.

https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/news/how-much-does-a-one-carat-diamond-engagement-ring-cost/

I just wasn't expecting to hear from him Brian about how this box is not consistent with his his vision of the Black by Brian Gavin Brand, and how I was the only Black customer to ever ask about this. Maybe most of his Black customers just buy loose stones? I dunno.

The other customer who bought a BGD Signature mounted in an 810 halo got this box as well... it looks nice. I kind of wish he'd just use this box with his Black by Brian Gavin line haha. I mean... the box is Black

You do know that this is just a cardboard box wrapped in fabric? Granted it makes it much prettier, but as far as "quality" of the box it is not going to have that substantial feel that I think that you are desiring.

I may be wrong, but I think what it all boils down to is that you were expecting that luxury unwrapping experience and it fell far short of your expectations. This was then compounded by your conversation with BG about the packaging and I agree with you that he could have easily remedied it by offering one of his other boxes without making you feel bad for asking. That said, I didn't hear the conversation but, I hope that it was more of a miscommunication than him trying to belittle you.

When is the big day to pop the question? Remember to come back and share some photos of the ring on its new home.

 

[Octo2005]

The BGD RMA requires a specific set of instructions. I couldn't do it at home.

It needed these materials:

1) Fedex Express Small Box
2) Fedex Express Medium Box
3) Filler padding so things don't bonk around

The Fedex store wouldn't let me take their boxes from the store to pack it in private (yes, I tried to take them and he just about tackled me). And they wouldn't part with bubble wrap to help fill the boxes.

Please understand... buying these engagement rings and dealing with everyone else's expectations is such a swift kick in the nuts. If it seems like I'm ranting (which I am)... just consider that it seems every single step of the engagement ring process is meant to aggravate the ring buyer.

I think you just got a sh*tty employee, I have had to do this several times and never had a problem. I also try to go later in the day close to the pick-up time so that it is not sitting at the location for long. When I sent my cushion to SK I was a complete wreck until I saw that he signed for the package the next morning.

 

[holeydonut]

Imagine your beloved wanted a Hermes bag. So you go to the store and see the orange box. Your hate the box. Do you think Hermes would agree to give you a different box just because you don’t like the packaging they chose?

Brian Gavin chose what he thought suited his product/brand. I don’t think you have any grounds to complain or ask for a different box. You can (and did) purchase something more suited to your vision. This thread is just a new way to have a go at Brian Gavin because you didn’t like the way he spoke to you.

I know you are unhappy with some of the melee but you have even said you didn’t notice it right away. Your initial response was how stunning the whole ring was. You haven’t even given BGD a chance to fix this issue you see and yet here you are going on and on about how “buying this engagement ring is probably one of the worst experiences I’ve had in a long time“.
Really? Over 2 melee and a box? You must live a charmed life if this is the worst thing you’ve had to deal with. Take a step back and think about this. Nothing has happened that can’t be fixed and remember - you loved the ring when you first saw it.

I’m inclined to think there is some buyers remorse here. Either from you or your future fiancée. You do keep saying how amazing this ring is but you are determined to keep complaining about it.

If someone accuses this of being Groundhog Day, consider the posts driving this over and over again are coming from PS-ers.

Assuming I'm proposing with a Hermes bag; you can damn well make sure I'd let Hermes know what I was doing and be willing to work with me to accommodate my request. And if they gave me a paper grocery bag to wrap around the Hermes bag because the design was part of the Derelicte* line... I'd still ask if they could me the normal Hermes orange box. I'd be upset if they said the Hermes box ruined the design motif of Derelicte. I'm using this bag for a proposal! Come on Hermes...

Brian Gavin's team set the expectations pretty damn high entering this transaction. I originally added the 810 Collection and Black diamond into my wish list more as a placeholder for the "super-max-ideal" (like AGS000000000) situation if I went with the Vendor. Black by Brian Gavin diamond with perfect proportions on a ring setting that is so over the top complicated that it just makes you chuckle.

Turns out, their sales team repeatedly provided context that they can deliver on every single one of the positive attributes of the ring, and assured our points of concern we had that we had were unfounded. They knew our expectations and they set a high bar.

For example: since they knew my gf/fiance was part of this whole process, they made sure to include her in the phone calls. One time, she saw a black reflection of the vacuum hole appearing in the 360-degree video of the diamond and asked them if that was an inclusion. She asked about melee being perfect and was assured it took a severe hit on the ring to knock one loose/crooked. She asked about seeing other examples of BGD's work and they produced stunning examples. She suggested a downgrade of the setting to make it less ornate/elegant and they said it wasn't necessary. She suggested losing the split shoulders and they said not to worry. Every single time any concern came up, they assured BGD would meet our expectations.

Brian and his Team had ample opportunity to tell us we were delusional and to get a reality check about what we were going to receive.

But you know what, they delivered. That 810 was amazing at first blush. But once we saw it in a more natural/evening setting, the gap-tooth appeared. Considering we now have witnessed the work of the 99% rest of the ring, we thought this would be an easy fix once BGD looked it.

If Brian or his team hadn't yet inspected the ring during our call, he should have just told me "we'll check it out, but I'm glad you like the ring." I didn't say ANYTHING bad about the ring other than comments about how great it looked. All I wanted to hear from him was he was going to address the RMA.

Instead he comes out with a volley of the reality-check lessons his team was unwilling to share during the sales process.

So, to you PS-ers who want to put me down and throw shade because we had high expectations. Just stay out of this thread. Or quit whining about Groundhog day and throwing your judgments to try and validate your own lower expectations.

Just get this through your head. BGD elevated expectations above where we had ever believed possible, and he Beat expectations with the 810 ring that came in the mail. I didn't notice the little crooked thing since the rest of the ring looked amazing. It wasn't until we saw the slight blemish in the evening light that it fell to 99%. But we had seen what was the highest bar imaginable (now 2 slightly crooked stones away).

So, I'm thinking he can get back to 100%. But then he calls to tells me the 1% is art.

I completely agree, I don't think a normal person would have found any way possible to push their bar this high. I mean, this is getting to an absurd level of expectations that, I hope, is at least entertaining to you all.

But don't vilify me as the person who put the bar there. I'm just playing the piggy-bank-middle-man trying to figure things out.


To lighten the mood a bit... I went to the FedEx store again this morning... and asked for another small box. Then I ran out of the store.

I'm going to propose with this box ya'll ... it'll be the best box ever.










* I really hope you get the reference or this won't be funny.

 

[holeydonut]

You do know that this is just a cardboard box wrapped in fabric? Granted it makes it much prettier, but as far as "quality" of the box it is not going to have that substantial feel that I think that you are desiring.

I may be wrong, but I think what it all boils down to is that you were expecting that luxury unwrapping experience and it fell far short of your expectations. This was then compounded by your conversation with BG about the packaging and I agree with you that he could have easily remedied it by offering one of his other boxes without making you feel bad for asking. That said, I didn't hear the conversation but, I hope that it was more of a miscommunication than him trying to belittle you.

When is the big day to pop the question? Remember to come back and share some photos of the ring on its new home.

We have a getaway planned in early November. At this point, that feels like light-years away haha. Assuming BGD doesn't put this 810 and diamond into a tree shredder... I'll definitely share pics!

And you know what, a few years from now... I'm going to take his wooden Signature box out of the closet and put the 810 back in... and take some more pictures!

 

[LinSF]

HA... Holeydonut. I'd take a ring in that box. It's sort of like SF bay area real estate. You want how much for that place with 4 walls and a toilet?! It's what's inside that counts!

 

[holeydonut]

HA... Holeydonut. I'd take a ring in that box. It's sort of like SF bay area real estate. You want how much for that place with 4 walls and a toilet?! It's what's inside that counts!

Haha, I can charge $100/month to rent that Fedex box!

BTW, I hope you have learned a few things from my experience of "the stupid bar is set so high Elon Musk's rocket couldn't clear it." And don't put your Future Hubby through this level of hair-greying.

 

[skypie]

I think the lesson in all of this is some people just have their minds set on something (e.g. Tiffany) and irrational as it may be, it will be an incredible struggle to change their minds.

@holeydonut has expended a tremendous amount of time and effort and suffered numerous headaches when probably 99% of this could have been avoided by just getting her Tiffany in the first place.

oh well, you live and you learn.

 

[holeydonut]

I think the lesson in all of this is some people just have their minds set on something (e.g. Tiffany) and irrational as it may be, it will be an incredible struggle to change their minds.

@holeydonut has expended a tremendous amount of time and effort and suffered numerous headaches when probably 99% of this could have been avoided by just getting her Tiffany in the first place.

oh well, you live and you learn.

But ... the resulting ring is better than Tiffany! My future wife (I hope) is worth the effort because she's the love of my life.

Yes, I'm paying for the better result through headaches instead of money.

 

[luv2sparkle]

@holeydonut, I hope you get better melee added to your ring. Oh my gosh, this would bother me so much. I am pretty confident Brian will fix it. He does like his customers to be happy. I am really surprised to hear about others negative experiences with Brian, as I have had only the best experiences with he and his team. But that said, you can't please everyone all of the time, and every company has bad days, where they just make mistakes and are perceived as rude and unhelpful. I hope in the end, it turns out well and you are happy.
I also understand your feelings about the box, as well as Brian's. I have a ton of boxes I have saved but will never use. I have a couple of Brian's wooden ones and a couple of his signature boxes. I don't re-use my boxes.
It would be nice if Brian had a more special box for engagement rings if people wanted it and if he made sure he asked them ahead of time. The best box I have ever received was one from David Klass when I spent a couple hundred bucks having him add lever backs to a pair of stud earring. It had a light inside and made the earrings look freaking amazing.
I hope you can find a lovely box that will remain special to your girl. I especially love the flat one with the engraving on the side that was posted earlier in this thread. I would let go of that part of the issue if you can. It is not bad faith on the part of BGD, just a different perspective on what is important. Best of luck and best wishes to you and your girl as you get started on this new phase of your lives.