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Van Craeynest anyone??

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poptart

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Does anyone have a Van Craeynest and would you like to show it off here? I am leaning towards buying a new wedding band from Van Craeynest and would love to hear about your ring and experience! Thanks in advance.

Here is the ring I want:

917-plain.jpg
 

diamondseeker2006

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Widget has a custom ring from them. I loved their work and did talk with them, but ultimately, I just couldn''t justify the price.

Their pieces are works of art, though, so I am sure you''ll love your ring if you get it!
 

poptart

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Yes, I am trying to justify the price as well... but the pieces are just so lovely! I kind of hope I find something better at the jewelers tomorrow. DH is being so supportive about getting whatever I want though, so that''s nice. Hopefully Widget will comment soon and give us some pics!

*M*
 

Mara

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hest88 has a van craeynest set...she has posted about it previously, she is not on that much i don''t think anymore but her posts are still around.
 

innerkitten

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I don''t have anything fom them but I LOVE their stuff. I looked at some designs by them when I was searching for an E-ring and even went to the factory here in San Francisco. Maybe someday :)

Is that for a wedding band?
 

poptart

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Date: 3/19/2007 11:40:52 PM
Author: innerkitten
I don''t have anything fom them but I LOVE their stuff. I looked at some designs by them when I was searching for an E-ring and even went to the factory here in San Francisco. Maybe someday :)


Is that for a wedding band?

Yes it''s for a wedding band. The one I have now is far too wide on my stumpy fingers and it''s really uncomfortable. I was dumb and thought that even though it slightly annoyed me when I got it, that the annoyance would gradually fade away. Wrong. Very wrong. It drives me nuts now how wide the band is and the jeweler I got this band from doesn''t make anything else in a thinner size, so I''m just giving in and getting something different. The price I was quoted wasn''t my ideal price, by far, but it''s not as bad as it would have been if I''d wanted diamonds in the band, thank goodness! So it''s DEFINITELY on my to be considered list!

Mara: Thank you for that tip about Hesst88. I went and looked back at the thread, but didn''t find her specific ring in SMTR... mainly out of sheer laziness tonight, haha.

*M*
 

widget

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I think VC bands are exquisite...here''s a picture of some others. The detail is amazing...

van73f35.jpg
 

widget

Ideal_Rock
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....I looked for Hest''s rings, but couldn''t find them. Anyway here''s my VC star ruby ring:


widget

Unw12345chd-01.jpg
 

poptart

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Date: 3/20/2007 12:03:37 AM
Author: widget
....I looked for Hest''s rings, but couldn''t find them. Anyway here''s my VC star ruby ring:



widget

GASP! Thanks Widget. I momentarily fainted. It was just too much. It''s just lovely. How was your experience working with them? They have been very helpful so far for me, although I''m still deliberating. Also, do you feel it was worth the price? I know there has been some discussion about the prices on here, as well. We know what we are doing monetarily if we choose to go with this, but I want to make sure that it actually IS worth the price, ya know?

*M*
 

widget

Ideal_Rock
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Thanks, poptart..
1.gif


Worth it? Yes, if you value and are willing to pay quite a bit for perfection. Would I do it again? I'm not sure....

The thing is, their work is SO fine, and SO intircate, I suspect average folks wouldm't even notice it. For instance the millegrain on my ring is virtually invisible to the naked eye! (my naked eye, anyway... lol) I think my ring impresses me more than it does anyone else!
1.gif


I saw the bands when I was in their shop. Absolutely lovely, but subtile IRL using naked eyes. You almost need a loupe to truly truly appreciate them..

HTH
widget
 

diamondfan

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they are amazing esp as stacked rings!
 

Cehrabehra

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poptart

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Thanks Cehra, Diamondfan, and Widget! I went today to look at a jeweler who carried Wright and Lato, but I''m sad to say that I wasn''t as impressed with the engravings on their rings. There is *only* (haha) a five hundred dollar difference between the two bands and the Van Craeynest design seems to use a lot more metal, which I like. I would be worried about the other band bending, plus the engraving looked less deep on the Wright and Lato band. I''m just conflicted is all... and need a little push in the right direction, haha. I feel the Van Craeynest would be a true heirloom quality piece, do others agree?

*M*
 

widget

Ideal_Rock
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Date: 3/20/2007 3:26:04 PM
Author: poptart
I feel the Van Craeynest would be a true heirloom quality piece, do others agree?
I absolutely agree. VC rings are not engraved....they are "dye struck"...and Old World method that produces pieces with denser, sturdier metal/ designs that to me ''feel'' heavier. They should hold up for generations.

widget
 

poptart

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Date: 3/20/2007 4:07:02 PM
Author: widget


Date: 3/20/2007 3:26:04 PM

Author: poptart

I feel the Van Craeynest would be a true heirloom quality piece, do others agree?
I absolutely agree. VC rings are not engraved....they are ''dye struck''...and Old World method that produces pieces with denser, sturdier metal/ designs that to me ''feel'' heavier. They should hold up for generations.


widget
They sure do look like they feel heavier, and I am sorry for saying engraving... the Wright and Lato was machine engraved, and I remember reading that Van Craeynest uses the ''dye struck'' method. The fact that it is also an "Old World" type of work makes it all the more special to me. I love that antique look, and they really do look so amazingly sturdy and gorgeous. This ''dye struck'' method also allows for more intricate designs, correct?

*M*
 

widget

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Author: poptart

This ''dye struck'' method also allows for more intricate designs, correct?
I think so...but I''m not sure. I do know that the VC bands I saw were the most intricate I''d ever seen!

Just for fun...here''s a picture of some dyes I found sitting on Mr. Van Craeynest''s desk. I still don''t quite understand how it all works, but it was interesting...

widget

0ovhu763.jpg
 

diamondseeker2006

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When you are talking about the intricate parts, some of that is carved by hand or cut out, I think. The main ring is die-struck. I priced settings for diamond studs, and I think the settings alone were about $2000 per ear! Yikes! Why do I have such expensive taste????

(ETA: I think Hest's rings are just gorgeous! I had not seen them before!)
 

poptart

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Date: 3/20/2007 5:31:48 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
When you are talking about the intricate parts, some of that is carved by hand or cut out, I think. The main ring is die-struck. I priced settings for diamond studs, and I think the settings alone were about $2000 per ear! Yikes! Why do I have such expensive taste????

Because you have an eye for quality... at least that''s what my mom always says about my expensive taste!

Widget, thanks for those neat pictures that you got at the VC shop!
 

poptart

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Thanks diamondseeker!

I think I have decided to go ahead and get the ring, but first I guess I need to talk with them and see how long it takes to ship it and everything. It''s for our anniversary, which isn''t till the beginning of July, so I guess I still have some time. I have a sizing question for all of you though. I was thinking of getting the ring in a 4 1/4 or 4 1/2, just so I have some wiggle room. My e-ring is 3 3/4, but I don''t wear it all the time like I would my wedding ring. Do you think 4 1/2 would leave me some room to "grow" (unfortunate reality), or should I go even bigger? I''m really not sure. Thanks again!

*M*
 

Ann

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Date: 3/20/2007 12:01:06 AM
Author: widget
I think VC bands are exquisite...here''s a picture of some others. The detail is amazing...

Oh wow, that is gorgeous.
 

Love in Bloom

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I am new to PS and after reading some forums here I decided to have Van Craeynest make my wedding set. At the last minute, I even decided to get my fiance a matching wedding band as a surprise. I just recieved our rings this past Thursday. I would love to show you some pics but I am still trying to figure out how to shrink them for viewing.
20.gif
(any suggestions are welcome!).

I had a wonderful experience with this company. Our rings cost a bit more than we had expected but we would do it again in a second. There weren''t any Van Craeynest retailers near me as I do live in the middle of nowhere, so I never got to see the rings in person before I decided to purchase. I did venture to NYCs Belenky Brothers after I had ordered my rings and viewed their small display of VC jewelry. I was not disappointed. Their pieces are of the highest quality in both design and construction. Even though my expectations of VC rings were already high from what I had read on the PS forums, they turned out even better than I could have ever imagined
30.gif
Since their rings are made especially for you it does take a while...I ordered my rings on 2/21 and just received them on 3/29. The wait was almost unbearable!!! But once I saw the details of my new rings I did not think that 5 weeks was that long to wait for such details. I would say if you can comfortably afford the Van Craeynest band to go for it. If you like what is in the pictures I think you will be blown away by what you see in person.
35.gif
 

poptart

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Date: 3/31/2007 2:10:25 AM
Author: Love in Bloom
I am new to PS and after reading some forums here I decided to have Van Craeynest make my wedding set. At the last minute, I even decided to get my fiance a matching wedding band as a surprise. I just recieved our rings this past Thursday. I would love to show you some pics but I am still trying to figure out how to shrink them for viewing.
20.gif
(any suggestions are welcome!).


I had a wonderful experience with this company. Our rings cost a bit more than we had expected but we would do it again in a second. There weren''t any Van Craeynest retailers near me as I do live in the middle of nowhere, so I never got to see the rings in person before I decided to purchase. I did venture to NYCs Belenky Brothers after I had ordered my rings and viewed their small display of VC jewelry. I was not disappointed. Their pieces are of the highest quality in both design and construction. Even though my expectations of VC rings were already high from what I had read on the PS forums, they turned out even better than I could have ever imagined
30.gif
Since their rings are made especially for you it does take a while...I ordered my rings on 2/21 and just received them on 3/29. The wait was almost unbearable!!! But once I saw the details of my new rings I did not think that 5 weeks was that long to wait for such details. I would say if you can comfortably afford the Van Craeynest band to go for it. If you like what is in the pictures I think you will be blown away by what you see in person.
35.gif
Thank you for sharing your experience, and welcome to PS! I''m glad to hear you like your set. The rings were a little more than I expected, but I also want a quality piece. I figure if we have the money to afford it, and I''m going to be wearing it forever, I should probably get exactly what I want! It''s good to hear that the rings were just as good or even better than you expected! The quality really does look exquisite, and they have been so good to work with. Thank you for telling me about the time it takes to get the rings, that''s about what I expected, maybe even a little less time, which is good. I wish I could help you with the pictures, but I don''t know how to shrink them, so I''m pretty useless, haha. Hopefully someone else will help and you can start your own thread!

*M*
 

Love in Bloom

Ideal_Rock
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Thanks for the warm welcome
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I''m really excited to find someone else who will appreciate the quality of Van Craeynest''s work. At first 4-5 weeks did not seem so bad at first but when it came down to the last week I couldn''t sleep or sit still (more so than ususal...), so I would call Larry and ask him to tell me all about the construction of the rings...kind of like hearing "The Night Before Christmas" in anticipation of Christmas morning. If you expereience similar jewelry induced neuroses, I can tell you all the details of my ring experience as I am a constant night owl.
 

poptart

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Date: 3/31/2007 2:44:48 AM
Author: Love in Bloom
Thanks for the warm welcome
1.gif
I''m really excited to find someone else who will appreciate the quality of Van Craeynest''s work. At first 4-5 weeks did not seem so bad at first but when it came down to the last week I couldn''t sleep or sit still (more so than ususal...), so I would call Larry and ask him to tell me all about the construction of the rings...kind of like hearing ''The Night Before Christmas'' in anticipation of Christmas morning. If you expereience similar jewelry induced neuroses, I can tell you all the details of my ring experience as I am a constant night owl.
Haha, I can''t sleep either. I wake up most at night, unfortunately. Larry has been very nice and understanding. I was going to order the ring early this week, but our credit union LOST some of the paperwork I gave them, so now I don''t have any access to anything... a lot of fun. And the only way to rectify the problem is a process that takes like three to four weeks. So I''m annoyed about that. Luckily Larry''s been so good about it, and he knows exactly what I want, but I don''t want to order anything until our credit union fixes the problem they created. Rings do take quite a long time to send, especially when you are waiting for them. This is the second wedding band I''ve gotten, and I remember waiting for the first set to come was just awful. I would hear the mailman outside and think that he was going to knock on the door with OUR RINGS. No. Of course they came when I wasn''t there, haha. All that anticipation for nothing!

*M*
 

iheartscience

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I think that band is absolutely gorgeous, poptart! I''m glad you decided to go for it and I can''t wait to see it once you get it!

I just checked out the Van Craeynest website and I am blown away by how intricate the designs are. I wish they were my style so I could get one...although I think I could change my style for rings like that!
28.gif
 

widget

Ideal_Rock
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Welcome, Love In Bloom!
35.gif


I, for one, am DYING to see pictures of your VC rings!
3.gif


Do you have a photo editing program on your computer? If so, go to it and open the picture you want to resize. Then, usually across the top, there''s an "edit" option. Hit it and a box drops down. On mine, anyway, one choice is "image size"....hit it and a box opens with the pixel dimensions shown. Change one of them (width, for instance), and the other (height) changes automatically. 300-400 pixels is a good size. Hit "OK"...

Hee hee...I don''t know if this is any help. If not, notify the admin, send them the pics, and they''ll post them for you.

Can''t wait to see your treasures!
widget
 

Love in Bloom

Ideal_Rock
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Fuzzy...

SmVcSet02.jpg
 

Love in Bloom

Ideal_Rock
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A little better...

SmVcSet01.jpg
 

Love in Bloom

Ideal_Rock
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A little better and larger...

SmVcSet001.jpg
 
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