What''s With the Vatche Price Jump?!?!?!

[DancinGirl]

I just checked out Superbcert and Whiteflash for the heck of it today, and I checked out my favorite 3 stone with pears and the price is now in the $3000+ range for just the setting and sidestones!! It was not that high a few months ago I SWEAR?! Am I losing my mind or have the prices increased dramatically? I can''t find my sheet with the old prices!

 

[DancinGirl]

Okay - just found some of my literature I had written down. I have seen this ring (holds 1ct size center round) for $2200-$2400 in the past 5 months or so. What is going on here??!!! The ring is beautiful - YES, but now I am definately going to have to have a non name brand because these prices are just getting ridiculous! You would think with all the business Pricescope's vendors has done for Vatche they wouldn't need to HIKE their prices so dramatically!!! I love Vatche settings, but this is getting ridiculous... a $1000 increase practically!

 

[Nate]

Which piece? I'm in the market for a platinum 3 stone truffle setting (minus side stones).

 

[Boom]

I think you are right! Didn't the Royal Crown use to sell for $900? Yikes!

 

[DancinGirl]

Yup that is true.. I heard it sold for $900 before (the Royal Crown).

I am not a very happy camper at the moment. Waiting to hear thoughts or reasonings of some of the Vatche Vendors though.... (hint-hint)

 

[fsg89]

Go try to look at www.chicjewelry.com

Very cheap cost for platinum

 

[fire&ice]

Vatche is going to price themselves out of the market. Also, they require all vendors to not go below a certain cost. This is a keystone item which means the vendor must mark it up 100%.

 

[jlim]

fire&ice - which "brand" name setting do you think is similar to Vatche but offers a better value than Vatche? I'm looking specifically on the RC setting. TIA.

 

[fire&ice]

My option was to have the setting crafted. Very few stock settings accomodated a 3c stone w/ correct proportional sides. You are in a better position.

If you play nice w/ Mara, she may be kind enought to find a thread she resurrected that had SEVERAL links to setting sites.

BTW, I have tried to upload my ring to no avail. I don't think it would help you as the stone size dictates some qualities in the setting that a smaller size stone wouldn't.

 

[jlim]

fire&ice - thanks for trying to post a photo of your setting. Fortunately, a little probing this weekend revealed that she likes a simple solitaire setting. So, I don't have to worry about getting a baguette setting anymore.

I can find a list of settings via google as well as looking at various designer settings. But since you seem to *know your stuff* and your familiarity with the Vatche baguette setting, I assume you would know off hand what other settings that are very similar or at least offer a competitive price and value advantage over the RC setting. Thanks anyway.

 

[fire&ice]

Try Stuller solstice settings.

 

[Cassandra]

I owned a Stuller Solstice. They're very very comfy and my personal favorite of all the solitaire settings out there. Mine was specifically a Stuller Solstice Bombe Comfort Fit with the 4 prong Medium Height. Not the "cup". I plan on picking up another one at some point.

 

[DancinGirl]

Seriously though - is ANYONE going to sell Vatche at the prices we have seen or is every vendor on here going to hike their prices across the board? Has Vatche explained to any of you vendors the reasoning behind his dramatic price increase??

 

[homer_j]

Increased platinum costs? I remember hearing that the cost of plat has increased.

 

[DancinGirl]

Doubt it - I just think this is his way of trying to become as BIG as Verragio now. He's certainly charging as much!

 

[jlim]

I believe most of the vendors here who carries Vatche have increased the price. At least they are pretty uniform across the board.

But I think they are still lower than B&M stores. I called an authorized B&M store that carries Vatche and got a qoute of $1300++ for a Royal Crown platinum in size 5 or 6. Most vendors who carries the RC setting sells it for $1045.

I did find another internet/B&M store based in Atlanta, SolomonBrothers.com selling the RC for $1035. Hmm, I just looked up their website and the price is back down to $950. Strange.

http://www.solomonbrothers.com/Search/JewelrySearchDetails.asp?sSKU=71375

The link above has this description "LADIES 6 PRONG SOLITAIRE MOUNTING WITH 1CT CZ CENTER".

http://www.solomonbrothers.com/Search/JewelrySearchDetails.asp?sSKU=75244

The link above has this description "LADIES 6 PRONG ROYAL CROWN SOLITAIRE WITH 1.50CT ROUND CZ CENTER".

But both photo source is exactly the same. But the description is different. One w/ RC reference and one do not. One with 1.5ct CZ and one with 1ct. CZ.

It is possible for 1ct size mounting the price is $950.

Time to call them.

 

[Iceman]

ALA has the same style and a heavier piece for a 1/5th of the price. Ask your local jeweler for like kind product if this bothers you.

Just my 2 cents

 

[Lanee]

OMG, I just emailed someone about this two weeks ago that in the two weeks between showing my FH the setting and showing it to my cousin, the price up'd $500. I just got a price the last week of May right before this post, I told her I would be ordering it the week after next and she said she didn't see a problem unless the cost of platinum went up. UGH!!!!! I'm scared to call now.

 

[gtchme]

Who is ALA? Thanks

 

[Boulder]

Thanks for the info, Onyx! I'm currently looking at getting a Stuller Solstice Bombe medium-height 6-prong regular setting in platinum for my girlfriend (Wow! That's a mouthful). Did you try on the regular bombe shank (as compared to the comfort fit)? My girlfriend tried on a comfort fit of another ring style and didn't like the additional thickness, but I'm not sure how they compare with Stuller Solstice settings.

 

[ccuheartnurse]

Greg from Ringdesigners.com has a royal crown version on his website. I dont know off hand how much it was as I was scanning his sight for wedding bands, but he does it.

Greg has some reasonable prices. It wouldnt hurt to ask for a better price either.

Like I said, he's very fair & going through him for my FH band, I'll save approx. $1400 Can. Does that blow your mind? And once he tells you a price, he honours it even though he may have underpriced it. THATS great customer service.

Judy

 

[Kamuelamom]

The timing of this post is amazing. Just last night I was browsing the Whiteflash site while trying to find the ring that was discussed here in another thread. There I browsed and saw the ring I purchased only a year ago for $3083!

Holy smokes, I nearly fainted and my DH nearly did also. Surely I thought this was a gradual thing since a year ago, not realizing the price actually JUMPED from what is being said here. Wow, that's about all more I can say. Wow!

 

[Kamuelamom]

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On 6/2/2003 10:27

8 AM fire&ice wrote:

BTW, I have tried to upload my ring to no avail. I don't think it would help you as the stone size dictates some qualities in the setting that a smaller size stone wouldn't.
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F & I, I love your ring and it needs to be shown.

I'd be happy to try & upload it for you if you email it to me.