What to do ? setting the stone..

[arjunajane]

Ok, so I know this kinda thread has been done to death so I do apologize in advance, but I'm really in need of my fellow PS'ers wisdom and common sense here

So here's the situation -
- Buying an RB from GOG.
- having WF make me the Legato sleek lines setting.

Question - who to let set the stone? (I know, I know not very exciting I'm sorry!..)

complications :
1) I'm in Australia, so absolutely No chance of insurance while its being set. Hence, shying away from the automatic choice of WF..
2) The stone will be covered if set by GOG, BUT -
3)The stone will travel from GOG at purchase, to WF while the setting is being made, and will have to travel back to GOG then before getting set.
4) GOG charges almost twice as much as WF to set it, plus all the additional shipping costs/hassles of sending it all back and forth..
5) WF are familiar with their Legato setting, and hence May be likely to do a nicer job and get it "just right"..

My gut says just do it all at WF - they do this all the time with other people's stones, and although I haven't specifically asked my rep about their track record I'm sure its good..
My head

says "If something happens to it and you didn't go to GOG you'll kick yourself.."

Can you all see why I'm torn!?

What would you do guys..?

(oh, for the record its a 1.25 K SI1 RB with no structural issues to speak of - unsure of the exact nature of the inclusions though, Jon said its good but happy to request more info if needed.)

tia!

 

[arjunajane]

Wha?? 30 views and no responses - is it that hard?! lol

 

[gwendolyn]

I was one of your 30 views (well, now I''m 2

) and didn''t say anything because I don''t know anything. I just wanted to see where you were in the process for getting your ring done.

 

[Muss]

My stone came from Wink and my setting from WF so I just had WF set the stone (with Wink''s recommendation).

Without insurance you are taking a gamble either way, so you might as well just have WF do it and keep the price and amount of travel to a minimum.

Also, having GOG set a stone in a WF setting my void your WF warranty - might want to check on that.

 

[arjunajane]

Thankyou Gwen honey - just this one more decision then I''m there! and don''t say that , you know heaps and give great advice all the time!

Muss, thankyou for the post - thats something i hadn''t thought of , I''ll look into it cheers!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 5/23/2008 10:10:30 AM
Author: arjunajane
Thankyou Gwen honey - just this one more decision then I''m there! and don''t say that , you know heaps and give great advice all the time!

Muss, thankyou for the post - thats something i hadn''t thought of , I''ll look into it cheers!

AJ, I have been thinking about this, personally I wouldn''t want to take the risk of not having insurance, so if it was ME, I would rather it took longer and have the peace of mind of knowing the diamond was covered, even if it involved some to- ing and fro - ing so to speak!

 

[Ellen]

Date: 5/23/2008 10:15:51 AM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 5/23/2008 10:10:30 AM
Author: arjunajane
Thankyou Gwen honey - just this one more decision then I''m there! and don''t say that , you know heaps and give great advice all the time!

Muss, thankyou for the post - thats something i hadn''t thought of , I''ll look into it cheers!

AJ, I have been thinking about this, personally I wouldn''t want to take the risk of not having insurance, so if it was ME, I would rather it took longer and have the peace of mind of knowing the diamond was covered, even if it involved some to- ing and fro - ing so to speak!

What she said.

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 5/23/2008 10:27:47 AM
Author: Ellen

Date: 5/23/2008 10:15:51 AM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 5/23/2008 10:10:30 AM
Author: arjunajane
Thankyou Gwen honey - just this one more decision then I''m there! and don''t say that , you know heaps and give great advice all the time!

Muss, thankyou for the post - thats something i hadn''t thought of , I''ll look into it cheers!

AJ, I have been thinking about this, personally I wouldn''t want to take the risk of not having insurance, so if it was ME, I would rather it took longer and have the peace of mind of knowing the diamond was covered, even if it involved some to- ing and fro - ing so to speak!

What she said.

Really? Both of you huh?..

can I please ask - what if this , like Muss said, will void the WF warranty?
And also. seeing as its one of their popular settings, do you believe GOG will be able to do just as good a job with their benchmen..?
Pls don''t take me as being argumenative or anything..I am having trouble weighing up all the issues..completely simply just confused questions, lol!
thankyou for your thoughts both lorelei and ellen

 

[Ellen]

Date: 5/23/2008 10:54:40 AM
Author: arjunajane

Really? Both of you huh?..

can I please ask - what if this , like Muss said, will void the WF warranty?
And also. seeing as its one of their popular settings, do you believe GOG will be able to do just as good a job with their benchmen..?
Pls don''t take me as being argumenative or anything..I am having trouble weighing up all the issues..completely simply just confused questions, lol!
thankyou for your thoughts both lorelei and ellen

Two thoughts on this. One, cross that bridge when you come to it. In other words, find out first, go from there. Two, I''m doubting (but could totally be wrong) that just having someone else set the diamond voids the warranty. There have been many people who have done the exact same thing you are considering, and I''ve never heard anyone say it did. The policy reads about outside "work" voiding it, which I wouldn''t call setting a stone. But again, I might be wrong.

Secondly, GOG has been setting stones forever, and again, I''m trying hard to remember complaints. I think they can handle it. But,YOU have to be comfortable with the whole process.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 5/23/2008 10:54:40 AM
Author: arjunajane

Date: 5/23/2008 10:27:47 AM
Author: Ellen

Date: 5/23/2008 10:15:51 AM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 5/23/2008 10:10:30 AM
Author: arjunajane
Thankyou Gwen honey - just this one more decision then I''m there! and don''t say that , you know heaps and give great advice all the time!

Muss, thankyou for the post - thats something i hadn''t thought of , I''ll look into it cheers!

AJ, I have been thinking about this, personally I wouldn''t want to take the risk of not having insurance, so if it was ME, I would rather it took longer and have the peace of mind of knowing the diamond was covered, even if it involved some to- ing and fro - ing so to speak!

What she said.

Really? Both of you huh?..

can I please ask - what if this , like Muss said, will void the WF warranty?
And also. seeing as its one of their popular settings, do you believe GOG will be able to do just as good a job with their benchmen..?
Pls don''t take me as being argumenative or anything..I am having trouble weighing up all the issues..completely simply just confused questions, lol!
thankyou for your thoughts both lorelei and ellen

AJ, I am the type to err on the side of caution. I would rather have the peace of mind with knowing that the diamond is covered against breakage while being set, even if it meant I would have to wait longer to get the ring. Admittedly damage is rare, but not unknown, I know that any of the PS vendors are the ultimate professionals and will take the greatest of care when setting a diamond, but occasionally stuff happens which is beyond their control. So I would rather let the vendor physically set the diamond who will take responsibility for it. With the setting, I would rather go all out to protect the diamond and have the setting replaced or repaired as the case may be, if the warranty was in jeopardy. But ask WF about this as part of your action plan and see what they say.

 

[arjunajane]

Ok, thankyou kindly both of you lovely ladies..
I have fired off the appropriate emails and will wait and see..

There sure is amazing advantages for me buying o/seas and online, but gee whiz it does get a bit complex sometimes! But the pros still far outweigh these slight concerns, so I hope everyone knows I''m not complaining!

I will update when get replies..
again, ty all who have posted their help, and especially Ellen and Lorelei - your guidance and thoughtful advice has been totally invaluable for me.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 5/23/2008 11:46:13 AM
Author: arjunajane
Ok, thankyou kindly both of you lovely ladies..
I have fired off the appropriate emails and will wait and see..

There sure is amazing advantages for me buying o/seas and online, but gee whiz it does get a bit complex sometimes! But the pros still far outweigh these slight concerns, so I hope everyone knows I''m not complaining!

I will update when get replies..
again, ty all who have posted their help, and especially Ellen and Lorelei - your guidance and thoughtful advice has been totally invaluable for me.

Of course! You are just hunkering down and covering the wagons to coin a phrase!

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 5/23/2008 11:51:05 AM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 5/23/2008 11:46:13 AM
Author: arjunajane
Ok, thankyou kindly both of you lovely ladies..
I have fired off the appropriate emails and will wait and see..

There sure is amazing advantages for me buying o/seas and online, but gee whiz it does get a bit complex sometimes! But the pros still far outweigh these slight concerns, so I hope everyone knows I''m not complaining!

I will update when get replies..
again, ty all who have posted their help, and especially Ellen and Lorelei - your guidance and thoughtful advice has been totally invaluable for me.

Of course! You are just hunkering down and covering the wagons to coin a phrase!

LOL! I don''t believe I''ve heard that one hon, but the imagery fits..

 

[purrfectpear]

How much is the difference in cost? Enough to cover GoG''s cheapest setting ($250ish?), then have it sent over to WF for the final real setting. Wouldn''t it be insured just as soon as it was in a setting at GoG?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I wouldn''t buy a setting from WF if I was buying the stone from GOG. I''d want GOG to set the stone, so I would buy a setting from them. The Vatche Caroline is just as pretty as the Legato setting, IMO. Or the other option would be to have GOG set it in a plain solitaire and you could reset it locally when you find a setting you love. I would buy a WF setting if I bought a stone from them.

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 5/23/2008 6:31:33 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
I wouldn''t buy a setting from WF if I was buying the stone from GOG. I''d want GOG to set the stone, so I would buy a setting from them. The Vatche Caroline is just as pretty as the Legato setting, IMO. Or the other option would be to have GOG set it in a plain solitaire and you could reset it locally when you find a setting you love. I would buy a WF setting if I bought a stone from them.

ditto...

 

[LtlFirecracker]

I kind of agree with DiamondSeeker, although you are going to be the one wearing it and if that is the only ring for you than go for it. I found this ring while looking for my RHR and I think the profile is beautiful. And I know GOG has this brand. Don''t know what it looks like top down though, looked everywhere for another pic but couldn''t find it. Click here

 

[NeverEndingUpgrade]

Can WF make the setting with just the diamond specs, then send it to GOG to be set? That way the diamond stays put. Just an idea.

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 5/23/2008 6:45:16 PM
Author: mrssalvo

Date: 5/23/2008 6:31:33 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
I wouldn''t buy a setting from WF if I was buying the stone from GOG. I''d want GOG to set the stone, so I would buy a setting from them. The Vatche Caroline is just as pretty as the Legato setting, IMO. Or the other option would be to have GOG set it in a plain solitaire and you could reset it locally when you find a setting you love. I would buy a WF setting if I bought a stone from them.

ditto...

DS, Mrs and Firecracker I understand what you are saying, but you have No idea how much effort has gone into choosing this setting - I admit I hadn''t heard of the Vatche caroline before and it is similiar ( I like the legato head a bit better), but yes they''re very similiar..Just to cover the bases I have emailed Marie for a price.

DS, To be honest I was originally going to go the local route - no one here sells just plain settings , I mean No one.
So I put in the work to find a custom jeweler I liked - well, for a plain solitaire similiar to Leon style or the Legato, its going to cost me more than twice as much to have it made here - and I figured even then I don''t know how it will look as he hadn''t made something like that before. And this was honestly the Best guy I could find in my city. I know, sounds strange - strange but true unfortunately!!

I have sent a very long email with my concerns to both my rep Jamie at WF (who has been fabulous btw) and to Marie at GOG
It turns out, as I am having WF modify the Legato with claw prongs, that GOG won''t be able to set these prongs anyway.

Jamie assures me that to date they have not had one issue with damage while setting a diamond - considering how much work they do, this gave me more confidence..Right?

Anyway, I haven''t made up my mind yet...still have to weigh up the pros and cons, but thankyou for all the suggestions and will update again soon!

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 5/23/2008 4:40:36 PM
Author: purrfectpear
How much is the difference in cost? Enough to cover GoG''s cheapest setting ($250ish?), then have it sent over to WF for the final real setting. Wouldn''t it be insured just as soon as it was in a setting at GoG?

purrfect, I''m an Australian, so matter what it won''t get insured while o/seas.

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 5/23/2008 8:16:36 PM
Author: NeverEndingUpgrade
Can WF make the setting with just the diamond specs, then send it to GOG to be set? That way the diamond stays put. Just an idea.

Thankyou for the suggestion N.E.U - Jamie advised its preferable to have the diamond there so they can make the setting perfect for that stone. I guess they are kinda artistic like Leon or MM after all!

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 5/23/2008 10:00:23 PM
Author: arjunajane

Jamie assures me that to date they have not had one issue with damage while setting a diamond - considering how much work they do, this gave me more confidence..Right?

I wouldn't let anyone set a stone who won't take responsibilty for it no matter how much I loved the setting. Although I'm sure the risk is low for damage, I don't want to be that 1% or whatever whose stone ends up chipped and no coverage or recourse.

I'm not sure what Jamie meant when she said WF has never had issues while setting a diamond, Bbut there was a couple PS members who WF chipped their diamonds that they purchased from them while they set it. I'm sure it doesn't happen often but it does happen and can happen to anyone.

here's the threads:




https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/update-crisis-diamond-chipped-please-help-me-find-a-new-one.74583/

and

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/irony-of-never-wanting-to-change-new-stone.42577/

 

[The sun is shining]

You have probably already checked it out, but beware of the duty you''ll have to pay.

Check it out with Customs - I know when I was looking customs wanted to charge me a huge amount from importing a stone. I did come across some lovely people who said they could have the invoice statre that it was $300 charge for the stone to be polished, otherwise I would be up for thousands. From memory I began to think I could fly to america, pick it up, claim the tax back at the airport for the same amount.

Just in case.

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 5/24/2008 4:17:14 AM
Author: The sun is shining
You have probably already checked it out, but beware of the duty you''ll have to pay.

Check it out with Customs - I know when I was looking customs wanted to charge me a huge amount from importing a stone. I did come across some lovely people who said they could have the invoice statre that it was $300 charge for the stone to be polished, otherwise I would be up for thousands. From memory I began to think I could fly to america, pick it up, claim the tax back at the airport for the same amount.

Just in case.

TY for the heads up Sun is Shining, yeah I''ve looked into it thoroughly and this is my second purchase - although the customs charges are expensive, the way I look at it is its just the same as what you would pay if you bought in Australia - ie. GST and duty.
Although I am all for trying to "beat the system" where possible, I don''t think many vendors would be willing to falsify the invoice - it would probably mean big fines for both the customer and vendor if customs realized.

Truth is, even with shipping and customs it''s still cheaper to buy o/seas and better quality imho..
Did you decide to buy in Australia out of curiosity?

but thank you for the thought!

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 5/23/2008 10:50:50 PM
Author: mrssalvo

Date: 5/23/2008 10:00:23 PM
Author: arjunajane

Jamie assures me that to date they have not had one issue with damage while setting a diamond - considering how much work they do, this gave me more confidence..Right?

I wouldn''t let anyone set a stone who won''t take responsibilty for it no matter how much I loved the setting. Although I''m sure the risk is low for damage, I don''t want to be that 1% or whatever whose stone ends up chipped and no coverage or recourse.

I''m not sure what Jamie meant when she said WF has never had issues while setting a diamond, Bbut there was a couple PS members who WF chipped their diamonds that they purchased from them while they set it. I''m sure it doesn''t happen often but it does happen and can happen to anyone.

here''s the threads:




https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/update-crisis-diamond-chipped-please-help-me-find-a-new-one.74583/

and

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/irony-of-never-wanting-to-change-new-stone.42577/

Thankyou Mrs for the advice and honest opinion - the truth is I agree with you that its a, for lack of a better word, foolish risk to take - which is why I''ve posted this thread as I feel like I''m really backed into a corner.
To be honest, I''m a bit surprised that Marie said they can''t do a different type of prong - it just seems a bit inflexible to me..?

From email from Marie @ GOG:

"Our setter does not make prongs like the sample picture you sent.
All setters have their own style and this is not his style.
If he sets this stone the prongs will look like the ones on your Pink Gold ring."
But of course that is not the main issue by any means..but I just don''t like the idea of paying for a setting when its not what I really wanted..Is it really that hard to just change the prongs?

Sorry Mrs, I''m just a bit upset over the whole thing now, and will have to do some more deciding..ty for the threads, I will need to follow up with Jamie I guess.

This is from the email from jamie:

"This leads me to my next question - how much of a frequent instance is it that a stone becomes damaged during setting in a standard stock style such as the Legato?
Even though the risk of a diamond being damaged while being set is extremely low, there is always the chance that it can happen. To date, we have not had an issue while setting a diamond. "

From the rest of the email, it really does seem like she has my best interests at heart - plus, the only thing they would have to lose is a $70 seting fee if I got GOG to do it...if they weren''t confident I don''t see why they would encourage such a risk??

Don''t people do this all the time? Am I just blowing it out of proportion?

I would Reeaally appreciate if any of the pro''s, jewelers etc see this and can please offer their opinion..feeling bit confused about what to do now

 

[arjunajane]

I know for a fact that I can't have the ring insured by an Aussie Ins Co until its in Australia.
Would anybody know if the opposite is true, as in would an American Co possibly insure me while its there? I know its a long shot, but its worth a go..

thanks in advance

ps. Also found this thread in which Allison D contributed on the same topic https://www.pricescope.com/forum/op-requested/wf-custom-setting-but-my-diamond-not-insured-should-i-just-get-a-different-setting-t78961.html
makes me wonder if I'm stressing unnecessarily..?

 

[softly softly]

AJ you might find these threads helpful. This poster is also an Aussie who faced a similar dilemma:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/to-all-mark-morrell-owners-out-there-a-question.66177/

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/huge-dilemma-chubb-only-insures-set-rings.66376/

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/no-chubb-for-me-or-how-likely-is-a-stone-to-break-during-setting.66424/

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/breakage-statistics.66558/

Good luck with your decision.

 

[mrssalvo]

arjunajane..i think most people buy the stone and setting from the same place so insurance on the diamond isn't a worry. Also, insurance company's here will cover a stone while being reset, so for gals getting upgraded settings they are covered, or someone buys an inexpensive setting, insures the ring, then has it reset. I'm sure there are those who just take the risk as well.

not just anyway can do the claw prongs so I'd be thankful Marie is being honest with you so you wouldn't be disappointed with them and their setting if they just can't do it. they have to be done by hand and i'm sure you know some are masters at it (Leon) and others can look bulky so if GOG says they can't do them right, trust and applaud their honesty.

I understand being distraught over a setting. Maybe just take a break from looking for a couple of weeks to regain perspective.

 

[Deelight]

Date: 5/24/2008 6:08:44 AM
Author: arjunajane
I know for a fact that I can't have the ring insured by an Aussie Ins Co until its in Australia.

Would anybody know if the opposite is true, as in would an American Co possibly insure me while its there? I know its a long shot, but its worth a go..


thanks in advance


ps. Also found this thread in which Allison D contributed on the same topic https://www.pricescope.com/forum/op-requested/wf-custom-setting-but-my-diamond-not-insured-should-i-just-get-a-different-setting-t78961.html

makes me wonder if I'm stressing unnecessarily..?

I don't know yet but as you know I am currently looking for an insurer as well, what makes it hard is that I seem to talk to dumbo's each time I hook up on the phone.

Chubb so far has been helpful (and the girl had a brain sorry to sound catty) to me and I am calling a broker on Monday to arrange an appointment and quiz them(if they are good I will pass on the recommendation ), I actually have many of the same questions as you AJ as I will shortly be in the same situation and definitely don't want to take the risk.


I don't think your blowing this out of proportion and I can fully understand where your coming from.

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 5/24/2008 7:12:33 AM
Author: softly softly
AJ you might find these threads helpful. This poster is also an Aussie who faced a similar dilemma:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/to-all-mark-morrell-owners-out-there-a-question.66177/

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/huge-dilemma-chubb-only-insures-set-rings.66376/

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/no-chubb-for-me-or-how-likely-is-a-stone-to-break-during-setting.66424/

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/breakage-statistics.66558/

Good luck with your decision.

Softly, thankyou so much for those links! It was really helpful to read through someone else''s same position/process - especially before I went on a goose chase to get insurance lol!
So it seems the moral of the story was that poster got his diamond set without ins. and lived happily ever after...