What would you do?

[WhatAboutTheCats]

Hello all!

I have a dilemma for which I'd love to solicit some opinions.

What would you do if you had a ring that was otherwise perfect in every way, except for two prominently sized stones (pears) in the halo that are less than perfect (cloud inclusions, yellowish, darker/cloudier than surrounding stones, less sparkly [but then again, they're pear-shaped]).

Additional info:
-The stones are in bezels, which means unless the ring were remade, the bezel and migrain will not look good at all if the jeweler somehow managed to swap out the stones.

-the ring was re-made once before because the first set of pears had giant vertical culets that leaked all the light. They were pretty hideous. The attempt to swap out the stones without re-making the ring just completely messed up the bezel and milgrain. The current set of pears are a HUGE improvement over the last. Not sure I want to tempt fate by changing the pears again....

-the ring had production issues and was shipped back and forth multiple times. I'm just so thankful that right now, I finally get to happily wear the ring and everything is great about the ring, EXCEPT for the pear diamonds. The craftsmanship is wonderful. But the pears......ugh it bugs me.

-I originally requested VS, G melees so I think there's some kind of sourcing error. The jeweler is quite prominent so IMO he probably has all sorts of supply chains for the materials and maybe I got a bad batch. I'm speculating: but maybe there aren't that many great quality pear diamonds of small size sitting around since they're rarely used. The rest of the diamonds are perfectly white and sparkly. Ditto for the the custom cut stones --they're perfect.

My thoughts on my potential options:
1. Keep the ring as is and just try to ignore the pears. It's bugging me because I'm a detail-oriented person. But honestly, no one but me will ever notice the issues with the pears.

2. Wear the ring for a few years and when it needs serious refurbishing work, pay for the remake of the ring and use that opportunity to swap the pears.

3. Contact the jeweler and ask for a remake with better pears (VS, G color) and pay for it (the current iteration of the ring was accepted about 6 months ago)

4. Contact another reputable jeweler and pay for the remake + new pears. This option is likely the costliest.

I'm leaning towards options 1 and 2, even though the pears are bugging me, because more likely than not, in a few years, I'll have moved on from this ring. In fact, I'm already itching to add another shiny to my collection. But I'm also one of those people who can't "un-see" flaws in a custom jewelry that I spent months waiting for/designing. Knowing myself, the "flaw" will never stop bugging me.

Options 3-4 ,in theory, could resolve the problem permanently. But that means re-allocating part of the fund for a new shiny towards fixing this ring.

PS
I don't think I'll ever get another ring that requires pear diamonds again.... I lack kismet with pear cuts

 

[Dee*Jay]

Is this your e-ring/only ring? I ask because if it is your e-ring/only ring then I'm more inclined toward doing the things it takes to getting it "perfect." If it's not, then I'm more willing to consider other options (although maybe not because I am a perfectionist myself, but it may still be worth a conversation).

Would you please post pics so we can have a more informed conversation.

 

[Rfisher]

This sounds familiar?
Have you posted about this before?

Edited to add I'd pick #3.
Discuss with the vendor. It's not that old. I'm not saying he needs to do it for free tho.

I'm sorry this has not been smooth sailing for you. I hope in the end you can enjoy it with no ill memories. If you expect the ring to have so much wear in 2 years that it will need to be rehabbed - you for sure are wearing it enough that you should get what you want (paid for?) in the first place,

 

[WhatAboutTheCats]

Yes....I discussed this before in a thread jack.

The only remaining issue is the pear diamonds. The first pears were very bad. The new pears are better, but not great. Everything else about the ring is perfect, as it was resolved during previous iterations and finally, a remake. From the beginning, the main problem was less the ring design and more the pear diamond quality. The first iteration of the ring was perfect except for the pears. When I had the pears replaced, it led to defects in the ring, which is why the ring had to get remade. As such, I know that if I attempt to replace the pears again, I'll likely have to get the entire ring re-made.

In all honesty, the cloudiness of the pears is something that your typical PSer would notice, and your typical woman/man would NOT (think big-box jewelry store shoppers). There's a strong selective bias in the custom route group to be very specific, and more demanding, in their requirements. The issue doesn't even photo well (as the pears are tiny),but is more obvious IRL. It's mostly a lack of scintillation, due to the off-white color from cloud inclusions (visible only under loupe). I see very few PS rings with tiny pears in the design, which is why I'm assuming melee sized pear diamonds are of low demand and therefore more likely to be of mediocre quality (?)

The question really is: would your typical PSer be bothered enough by this "small" issue to resume the long journey of getting a ring EXACTLY right? I suppose I'm trying to predict my own response to this small defect a couple of months, or years, down the road by doing an unscientific poll of PSers. If a year from now, I'm still bothered by it, I should just spring for the replacement of the pears NOW to spare myself a year of dissatisfaction. If over time, the issue becomes less apparent to me, I can just wait it out and save myself some $.

Bezels really make the replacement of the pears very hard because based on past experience, the aftermath of replacing diamonds in a bezel is wonky-looking bezels. I'm hesitant to undergo another remake because the first time, it really, honestly, took such a long time. I still think the jeweler is great at his craft. The other items he's made for me are all great. It's only the pear diamonds that bother me. It's really too bad that one can't replace diamonds in a bezel without warping the bezel badly, and thus requiring a remake.

ETA: Is it typical for PSers who opt for custom-route to be 100% satisfied with every aspect of their ring? I'm truly curious to know.

 

[Rfisher]

I think you are spot on. Pears are tough to find well cut. X2 for small ones.
Just curious. Did you get the opportunity to see & approve them before they were set?

Anyways - if you notice it, and you are wearing it often, and your enjoyment is tarnished because of the quality, replace them now, I think.
#4 is a bad idea - IMO.
Maybe call and ask what it would cost to get a better cut on those pears? Maybe that might persuade you or dissuade you?

Typical for PSers to be 100% satisfied with custom? IMO No.
Sometimes you learn as you go. Sometimes you don't know until you see IRL.

 

[OcnGypZ]

Forget the pears - just go with a new design and perhaps an upgrade!?!?!!!

 

[missy]

@WhatAboutTheCats , I'm sorry you're unhappy with your ring.

If the pears bother you now they will probably always bother you and in fact even detract from the enjoyment of your beautiful ER.

My vote is to get a better pair of pears or reset entirely.

You don't have to make any rash decisions though and can live with it for a little while to see if indeed it does continue bugging you.

I am sorry your custom job didn't turn out perfectly. I think it is challenging to get custom the way you exactly want it but that does not mean you should settle for something that will always bother you.

As requested photos would help the discussion. Good luck and I hope you end up with your dream ring.

 

[tyty333]

A few other options.
- Do not bezel the pears. Pears do not have the greatest light return. You bezel them and you shut down even more light.
- (my choice) skip the pears all together and go with a different design. This is already your second set of pears and you arent happy. Time
to punt and go with a new design.

Pictures of your ring would really help.

 

[headlight]

Please post pics so we can give better advice!

 

[WhatAboutTheCats]

Thanks for the great advice, everyone!

I’ve decided that I will definitely change the pear diamonds of my ring and most likely, will go with a custom cut to ensure the the clarity + color are up to my standards. However, I won’t make the changes immediately as I think it makes more sense to take my time and get consults from reputable jewelers who can inspect the ring; just in case it IS possible to swap out the pears without remaking the ring, which is my preference. Furthermore, financially, it’s sensible to deploy money towards a new project. I have a clear idea of how much I’m willing to spend on non-essentials this year (and not a cent more). Ergo, it’s better to end up with a new addition to my small collection than to perfect a ring I already own. In spite of my dislike of the pears, overall,I still derive a lot of enjoyment from wearing this ring.


I considered changing the design, but ultimately, decided against it as I appreciate this ring for its uniqueness. My taste in jewelry isn’t mainstream but it’s what I like. It doesn’t make sense to spend a pretty penny on something “not quite” to my taste.

 

[Catmom]

I can totally sympathize. The pears in my Blue sapphire halo always bugged me. I tried ignoring, I really did but they just drove me crazy. Luckily mine were prong set so it was easier to swap them out. I love my ring now. From experience, if they are bugging you they will continue to bug you and you will never truly be happy with the ring. I'm glad you are changing them out.

 

[WhatAboutTheCats]

I can totally sympathize. The pears in my Blue sapphire halo always bugged me. I tried ignoring, I really did but they just drove me crazy. Luckily mine were prong set so it was easier to swap them out. I love my ring now. From experience, if they are bugging you they will continue to bug you and you will never truly be happy with the ring. I'm glad you are changing them out.

If you don’t mind sharing, how did you find the replacement pears? Did you have the jeweler who made your ring source it for you? Or did you source them yourself? Custom cut?

 

[Catmom]

If you don’t mind sharing, how did you find the replacement pears? Did you have the jeweler who made your ring source it for you? Or did you source them yourself? Custom cut?

No, the setting is a Nelson setting and was purchased as a complete ring from an old jeweler. I now work exclusively with a custom jeweler and she sourced the pears for me. Here is a before and after picture. As you can see from the before, the pears were "dead" in contrast to the rest of the halo. Especially the one on the right. It bugged me to no end. The new pears are so much better. Since the stones were relatively small, it didn't cost that much either.




After new pears

 

[Tekate]

Ask for a remake.

 

[lambskin]

I have a three stone ring with two pear sides with lackluster performance. They are small -10 pts each. The center stone is a colored stone so they are not that obvious. If you are not happy might as well fix it now or it will bug you forever.

 

[WhatAboutTheCats]

@Catmom WOW your ring is incredible!

Gorgeous! Your ring’s current pears look fantastic and are exactly the quality I’m aiming for!

I see what you mean about the previous pears looking “dead”. I have the same issue, and in addition, they’re yellowish/off-white under bright lights. I’m not certain if it's the stones’ color grade or if it is because of the inclusion. Maybe it’s some combination of both. I think the pears in your ring are larger than mine, which would make the issue even more visible. I completely understand why it bothered you.

To all those who say to change the pears, even if I have to remake the ring, I completely agree. It’ll never stop bothering me. I just want to do some research before taking action. I’m still undecided on whom to contact to get the pears fixed. Not sure if I should go back to the original jeweler, who overall, made a beautiful ring that I absolutely adore, or if I should try another PS-endorsed jeweler.

If I go with another jeweler, it would make sense to add moderate aesthetic changes, in addition to the pears, to make the cost “worthwhile”. Besides, the same style ring made by different jewelers always look different, don’t they? It’s hard to decide because I’m not even entirely sure I *WANT* any aesthetic changes to the design itself, unless a designer comes up with great ideas that I never thought of. Asides from the pears, as of now, I think there’s nothing about the ring itself that I want to change.

I think the primary reason that I’ve been dragging my feet on getting the pears changed is because I’m worried the remake won’t be as beautiful as the current ring. I don’t know if the same bench will work on the remake, if I’ll end up with the same craftsmanship, if the ring will look the same/better/worse. I also want to avoid the BUSY season for jewelers…whenever that is.

I’ll happily solicit jeweler recommendations just to get more info!!!

 

[Rfisher]

@WhatAboutTheCats
I'd start by looking back to the original agreement between you and the jeweler. What quality of stones was agreed upon, and did you receive what you paid for?
The faceting and outline shape of pears is so all over the place as well, that it can make or break the look, imo.
Whatever you end up deciding, I wish you the best!

 

[WhatAboutTheCats]

@WhatAboutTheCats
I'd start by looking back to the original agreement between you and the jeweler. What quality of stones was agreed upon, and did you receive what you paid for?
The faceting and outline shape of pears is so all over the place as well, that it can make or break the look, imo.
Whatever you end up deciding, I wish you the best!

Thanks for your advice and best wishes! If I reach out to the original jeweler, I'll also ask if it's possible to custom cut pears for the ring at a reasonable price. I know some shapes are pricier than others. But I have no experience with pears (beyond the melees) so don't know if it's one of the expensive shapes.

 

[Catmom]

@Catmom WOW your ring is incredible!

Gorgeous! Your ring’s current pears look fantastic and are exactly the quality I’m aiming for!

I see what you mean about the previous pears looking “dead”. I have the same issue, and in addition, they’re yellowish/off-white under bright lights. I’m not certain if it's the stones’ color grade or if it is because of the inclusion. Maybe it’s some combination of both. I think the pears in your ring are larger than mine, which would make the issue even more visible. I completely understand why it bothered you.

To all those who say to change the pears, even if I have to remake the ring, I completely agree. It’ll never stop bothering me. I just want to do some research before taking action. I’m still undecided on whom to contact to get the pears fixed. Not sure if I should go back to the original jeweler, who overall, made a beautiful ring that I absolutely adore, or if I should try another PS-endorsed jeweler.

If I go with another jeweler, it would make sense to add moderate aesthetic changes, in addition to the pears, to make the cost “worthwhile”. Besides, the same style ring made by different jewelers always look different, don’t they? It’s hard to decide because I’m not even entirely sure I *WANT* any aesthetic changes to the design itself, unless a designer comes up with great ideas that I never thought of. Asides from the pears, as of now, I think there’s nothing about the ring itself that I want to change.

I think the primary reason that I’ve been dragging my feet on getting the pears changed is because I’m worried the remake won’t be as beautiful as the current ring. I don’t know if the same bench will work on the remake, if I’ll end up with the same craftsmanship, if the ring will look the same/better/worse. I also want to avoid the BUSY season for jewelers…whenever that is.

I’ll happily solicit jeweler recommendations just to get more info!!!

Thank you so much!! I really hope you are able to get a remake that makes your heart sing.