WhiteFlash - Custom Engagement Ring experience (Ongoing)

[keres]

Hi guys,

I'm currently in the process of reviewing my engagement ring that was custom made by WhiteFlash but am having a few issues so am after some advice.

Their customer service has been exceptional so far, very responsive and courteous. Though, one of the initial consultant may have been a little annoyed as we (fiance and I) were rather indecisive at the initial stages.

The reason we chose WF was due to the positive reviews on here and because they had the diamond that we were after at a price that we were willing to pay. We also decided to get the ring custom made by them since we're getting the diamond from them and have heard that its better to get the ring set by the same vendor anyways.

I have received images of the actually ring and have been back and forth with their customer relations rep about any changes.

They have been able to resolve most of my concerns, but there are still two of which that I've been told not to worry about. Its a lot of money and I'll like to do all that I can before I approve anything. So it would be great to get others' opinion as i've never got a custom ring made before and don't buy jewellery often so don't know what to expect of the quality and craftsmanship.

Attached is a thru ring view of the actual ring. To be honest, I'm actually quite disappointed with their craftsmanship, but as I mentioned, not sure if this is the norm since i have no experience to relate to.



My concerns are mainly in regards to the triangles (for lack of a better word), that links the shank to the gallery:
1. One of them is noticeable smaller than the other
2. The edges in the triangle is not smooth, looks rather wobbly

I've been told that this is due to the shadowing and how blow up the image is and will not be noticeable when I see the actual ring. I can accept this regarding the non-smooth edges, but I am still concerned about the mismatched triangles. I tried to reduced the image size in photoshop and still feel that the size difference is noticeable. I was told that they couldn't change the triangles because its part of the undercarriage of the ring and not within the scope of making adjustments. I have also been asked to place my trust in them to send it out to me.

We were thinking about getting our wedding bands from WF as well but am definitely reconsidering this now.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think this is normal, am I just being too picking? What would you do in my situation? Any help would be appreciated!

I've also attached the CAD image incase that may be of any use to anyone.

 

[JulieN]

You want the triangles that point up to be the same size as the triangles that point down? I think it is a more open look, a better design, to make the triangles pointing down to be bigger than the ones pointing up.

 

[Mommy2BMR]

I wonder if it's because of the angle of the photo? The ring seems turned ever so slightly, if you look at the basket triangles they look a little uneven as well. Maybe you can request another photo that's exactly straight?
They are probably right in that the image is so magnified, every little thing looks 100 times bigger. If you get it in the mail and don't like it, can you send it back for further adjustments?

 

[keres]

I'm referring to the triangles on the shank that is next to the gallery. Sorry if I wasn't clear. Here's what I meant:


The shape/size looks noticeably different to me. Not sure if its just me being pedantic...

They've sent me both sides of the ring, so here it is for comparison. In both images, I can see that one side is smaller than the other, so I figured that it wouldn't just be the shadow and angle.

 

[Laila619]

Yes, I see it too, the left one looks a bit bigger to me than the right one (side 2 view). Is that what you see?

 

[keres]

I'm not sure if I can send it back to them for further adjustment, but thats something I will have to confirm with them before I approve it

Yes, Laila619, thats exactly what i'm seeing. I'm not sure why they say this can't be fixed. Wonder if that means the left side shouldn't have been made that big to begin with.

 

[Niel]

I think the ring is lovely.

When having one custom made I think it's hard. Cad/cast is going to look different than hand forged so you can't go in with those expectations. Also you are so involved in the process you see every little thing that is different from your vision. Also, these pictures are so zoomed in they distort the delicate nature of rings. My ring I have a terrible time photographing. I feel like close ups just don't capture the absolute delicate nature of the halo. I think this ring probably has the same issues.

Get it home and see how you feel. It's like a 50 foot picture of your face. You'll be like " oh my gosh look at that blemish!" When it's hardly noticeable in real life.

Eta oh I didn't even see the side windows! I thought you were talking about the little Ws....I HAD THIS EXACT PROBLEM PROBLEM WITH A CUSTOM RING

 

[maccers]

I see the difference in triangle size too but I can't comment on whether it's 'fixable' without WF creating a whole new shank.

I also see the lack of sharpness of the edges (I think that's what you're talking about), however, that could be the photography and not the ring.

I don't have personal experience with WF so I don't know what is reasonable to expect - I'm sure some other PSers will be able to comment.

 

[Laila619]

I'm not sure if I can send it back to them for further adjustment, but thats something I will have to confirm with them before I approve it

Yes, Laila619, thats exactly what i'm seeing. I'm not sure why they say this can't be fixed. Wonder if that means the left side shouldn't have been made that big to begin with.

It's almost like they either polished away too much metal on the one triangle, or not enough on the other one. I hope they can fix it. If the unevenness of the triangles still looks noticeable in person, I would ask them what your options are.

 

[distracts]

The lack of sharpness on the edges is probably due to it being cast. I don't think they can really fix that - the lack of super-sharp detail is just one of the "features" of casting. You trade off super sharp detail for being able to make rings quickly, inexpensively, and in shapes you can't with handforging. It's possible that the difference in triangle sizes (which I can see too) is also due to the method of fabrication, but I can't speak to that. From looking at it, it seems like they COULD perhaps file the bottom side of the smaller triangle a bit more to make it look more like the larger one - it appears the ring shank is thicker there and that's what is making it smaller. They may not be WILLING to do it, and it would be a b---- to do, but my incredibly unprofessional opinion is that it's possible.

 

[Niel]

I would tell them to address it before you get it home. If it's an error on there part (not you unhappy with your design) They should fix it at their cost. And they always bend over backwards for their customers- so I bet they would

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Really and truly, I hate these huge magnified photos because they show things that you mostly cannot see in real life. This is going to be SUCH a tiny difference in real life size that I do not think it would matter. You certainly can ask them about it. But I can also understand if they say to take a look at it in real life first.

 

[ame]

I would not want that to leave their hands until it's exactly how I asked for it. So it shouldn't be sent to you til it is right in photos. Otherwise you're going to be dealing with shipping things back and forth and that's going to drag out forever. I would see that in person and I would obsess over it and would not be happy.

 

[justginger]

I see what you are referring to, and agree with distracts, it looks "fixable" to me. Unless, that is, the larger triangle was the result of a mistake of too much filing, and they don't want to make the other side match due to structural integrity concerns.

Regardless, I *like* small differences in my rings. I like wearing my rings on my finger only one way - in my mind it has a top and a bottom, and is only put on one way. Therefore, I need some telltale characteristic to know which way is the correct orientation. For that reason alone, I would leave the ring as it is. Then I would always know that the larger triangle belongs on either the left or right side of my finger.

 

[keres]

Thanks everyone!!! Your comments have been invaluable! Sounds like these sorts of things are quite normal.

I've reduced the size of the image to what the width of the diamond is to get a better idea of its actual size and how it'll look overview. I still personally think its noticeable, even when I've inverted the colours.

I have contacted WF to clarify why it can't be done and what are my options if I receive it and still want it fixed then. The rep have sent my concerns to their production team but mentioned that they may not be able to do anything about it. So am waiting for them to get back to me and also answer what my options are.

I think I would like it fixed if possible, just incase it still bothers me when I do see it in person, so no regrets later. It'll be a big hassle to ship it back especially since I don't live in the US.

 

[distracts]

Regardless, I *like* small differences in my rings. I like wearing my rings on my finger only one way - in my mind it has a top and a bottom, and is only put on one way. Therefore, I need some telltale characteristic to know which way is the correct orientation. For that reason alone, I would leave the ring as it is. Then I would always know that the larger triangle belongs on either the left or right side of my finger.

Yep - My sapphire has a nick in it (whether it happened when they were setting it or was a natural, I don't know) that's so small that you can barely see it even with a 10x loupe, but I can feel it if I run my nail across the girdle, and that side is the side that is down/closer to the right when I put my ring on. On my patterned rings, I always put the pattern going a certain direction. I always thought maybe that was just me! It just bugs me to think of it going on any which way.

 

[missy]

Thanks everyone!!! Your comments have been invaluable! Sounds like these sorts of things are quite normal.

I've reduced the size of the image to what the width of the diamond is to get a better idea of its actual size and how it'll look overview. I still personally think its noticeable, even when I've inverted the colours.

I have contacted WF to clarify why it can't be done and what are my options if I receive it and still want it fixed then. The rep have sent my concerns to their production team but mentioned that they may not be able to do anything about it. So am waiting for them to get back to me and also answer what my options are.

I think I would like it fixed if possible, just incase it still bothers me when I do see it in person, so no regrets later. It'll be a big hassle to ship it back especially since I don't live in the US.

I think you need to have them correct this before you receive the ring especially since you live outside of the US. I see what you are talking about and if you think it will bother you IRL and in real size it probably will and they should redo it if necessary to get it done the way you want it to be which IMO is a reasonable request.

 

[two_little_birds]

I would not want that to leave their hands until it's exactly how I asked for it. So it shouldn't be sent to you til it is right in photos. Otherwise you're going to be dealing with shipping things back and forth and that's going to drag out forever. I would see that in person and I would obsess over it and would not be happy.

I agree with ame, plus like you said... you paid a fair sum of money, it needs to be right (approved by you) before it's sent out. WF has an excellent reputation, so hopefully they'll pull through for you. Keep us posted!

 

[imspecializd]

I can see it too. I hope they fix it for you, please keep us posted.

 

[ame]

You being outside the states makes this all the more of a "big deal" to me. It needs to be perfect at whatever cost to them it requires.

 

[SB621]

Am I the only one who thinks the photos are taken at t aslight angle? To me it looks slightly off and not a dead on photo which would acount from some of the different in size on the sholders.

As far as opinion goes I would ask them about it but ultimately this wouldn't bother me much. To me it comes with the territory of casting rings. Once you get the ring you will never look underneath it. I think you might be fixating on something and makind a mountain out of a molehill. however, with that said I think WF typically bends over backwards for their customers, so if it bothers you see what they can do to fix it. But don't let this be the end all till you see it.

 

[Niel]

When this happened to me i didnt get any glamor shots of it, the first time I saw it was when I noticed it. I will say mine was a bit more uneven then yours is, but it was very obvious in person. (for me anyways, the people trying to sell it to me tried to say it wasnt anything. But they werent near as professional as WF)

when I put it on it was weird, I wanted the shoulders to line up, so when they did my diamond was at an angle to my finger. So i think if it IS that off kilter, it will be noticeable in person

Yes i agree it looks worse in one photo than the other, which leads me to believe part of the issue is the angle of the ring in the photo, but for sure worth addressing with them.

 

[FancyDiamond]

To me, the triangles are uneven. I don't think the unevenness is a result of angle of photographing.

I have had numerous jewelries custom made by Whiteflash. From my experience, I have the following comments/conclusions:

1. If I see from the photos any imperfections that bother me, they will bug me constantly, because I know they are there. Do not let others tell you that you are seeing things or that you would not notice in real life. It is your opinion that matters, because you will be the one wearing the ring.
2. As long as I communicate my thoughts to Whiteflash, Whiteflash will fix the problems to my satisfaction. Most of the time I do not even know how they managed to fix the problems, but they found a way.
3. I know you said Whiteflash SA already said the problem could not be fixed. Try again. I am sure they will figure out a way.
4. One thing special about Whiteflash is their superb customer service (something that is not found in most other vendors). It is to Whiteflash best interest that you, the customer, is satisfied and happy. Especially in your case (outside US), the return process (not just shipping charges) will be costly to Whiteflash. Therefore, it is best that the problem is fixed before sending you the ring.
5. Relax. You have nothing to worry about, because Whiteflash will give you your ring to your satisfacton. Look at me, till this date, I am still a happy Whiteflash customer, and Whiteflash is making me yet another piece of jewelry.

 

[justginger]

Am I the only one who thinks the photos are taken at t aslight angle? To me it looks slightly off and not a dead on photo which would acount from some of the different in size on the sholders.

As far as opinion goes I would ask them about it but ultimately this wouldn't bother me much. To me it comes with the territory of casting rings. Once you get the ring you will never look underneath it. I think you might be fixating on something and makind a mountain out of a molehill. however, with that said I think WF typically bends over backwards for their customers, so if it bothers you see what they can do to fix it. But don't let this be the end all till you see it.

Yes, I think the size difference is exaggerated by a slight angle of the ring - you can see the shadowing down one side of the shank, but not the other, suggesting it is turned at least a bit. I still think they are probably not perfectly identical in size, but the true difference would be nearly impossible to see in real life. It would only be apparent if you were looking for it - which the OP will be.

I don't think it's worth worrying about, honestly. But you're the one who has paid for it, and you're the one who needs to be happy. Just have a good think about if your expectations are reasonable.

 

[stargurl78]

I am a very picky person but I have to agree with Sarahbear and JustGinger. I think the ring is at an angle which is affecting the photo and I honestly don't think this is going to be noticeable in real life.

 

[ame]

I disagree. That is not looking like it's angled. It looks like they're not equal and it needs to either be remade to make them correctly or fixed. That would make me insane in person, esp since I've seen it in photos up front. I don't care who the vendor is, I'd want it fixed prior to shipping til it's perfect in photos before sending to me. Esp if I didn't live in the US. Dealing with shipping is already a pain, but shipping and customs is a bigger pain, and having to declare what you're shipping...insurance...better to ask it be corrected in advance, and be sure it's what you're expecting and not just "wait and see".

 

[Christina...]

I think that it's exaggerated because of the slight angle of the photos, but agree that it will probably be noticeable IRL now that the OP knows that it is there are will be looking for it. Whether it is something that you can live with or not is the question. It sounds to me like it is going to make you enjoy the ring less than if it wasn't there. I don't think it's being unreasonable to expect that it be corrected. I wouldn't consider myself to be nitpicky in general, but if something appeared very obvious to me in photos, I would immediately look for it in real life. In general I think Ame can be nit picky to a fault (just teasing Ame ) but I think that she is right in this case and I would want it fixed to my satisfaction, especially with the complicated shipping situation. Remind WF that you are out of country and that if you are dissatisfied it will result in costly and timely shipping. Good Luck, I hear great things about WF's customer service, I'm sure that you will be able to resolve this in one manner or another.

 

[justginger]

I disagree. That is not looking like it's angled. It looks like they're not equal and it needs to either be remade to make them correctly or fixed. That would make me insane in person, esp since I've seen it in photos up front.

Ame, you have to admit that your standards are significantly higher than the average jewelry wearer when it comes to requiring absolute perfection. I don't mean that in a nasty way at all - there are just many things that have bothered you along your journey that would have been no issue to many (most?) other PSers. For me, this is one of those things, especially because I do think the ring is angled in the photo. If the ring is not angled, what is causing the left side of the ring to be completely in shadow, while the right is not? It is clear to me that the left side of the ring is angled slightly towards the camera, exaggerating the size of that triangle. There may be a slight size difference, but if it has been brought to a WF staff member's attention, they've reviewed the ring and stated that it will not be perceptible in person, that would be enough reassurance for me. I am not a particularly fussy person, I suppose.

 

[ame]

I think that it's exaggerated because of the slight angle of the photos, but agree that it will probably be noticeable IRL now that the OP knows that it is there are will be looking for it. Whether it is something that you can live with or not is the question. It sounds to me like it is going to make you enjoy the ring less than if it wasn't there. I don't think it's being unreasonable to expect that it be corrected. I wouldn't consider myself to be nitpicky in general, but if something appeared very obvious to me in photos, I would immediately look for it in real life. In general I think Ame can be nit picky to a fault (just teasing Ame ) but I think that she is right in this case and I would want it fixed to my satisfaction, especially with the complicated shipping situation. Remind WF that you are out of country and that if you are dissatisfied it will result in costly and timely shipping. Good Luck, I hear great things about WF's customer service, I'm sure that you will be able to resolve this in one manner or another.

Oh I am anal retentive as it gets. And that's exactly the point I am making! AND being out of the country compounds the issue, bec it's not as easy as me walking into the post office with my paper-taped box to return it with registered mail. This is a bigger ordeal that takes longer with declarations and stuff.

I disagree. That is not looking like it's angled. It looks like they're not equal and it needs to either be remade to make them correctly or fixed. That would make me insane in person, esp since I've seen it in photos up front.

Ame, you have to admit that your standards are significantly higher than the average jewelry wearer when it comes to requiring absolute perfection. I don't mean that in a nasty way at all - there are just many things that have bothered you along your journey that would have been no issue to many (most?) other PSers. For me, this is one of those things, especially because I do think the ring is angled in the photo. If the ring is not angled, what is causing the left side of the ring to be completely in shadow, while the right is not? It is clear to me that the left side of the ring is angled slightly towards the camera, exaggerating the size of that triangle. There may be a slight size difference, but if it has been brought to a WF staff member's attention, they've reviewed the ring and stated that it will not be perceptible in person, that would be enough reassurance for me. I am not a particularly fussy person, I suppose.

Oh I don't take that as offensive, I am extremely particular. And especially when I am paying someone for a custom job that I have expressed my expectations of and one that required cads for me to approve that gave me the visual that I expected a finished piece to look, for all intents and purposes, identical to.

I also think that my "issues" that "no other PSer" would've complained about are issues that other PSers HAVE complained about on their own pieces, those same PSers just made me try to feel like a total a$$hole for complaining about the same things on my own pieces when it was my own piece.

I know people are saying it's an angle and a shadow...But that doesn't look shadowed to me, that looks like a reflection of the black camera to me. And frankly, the explanation sounds to me like a "we don't want to deal with it we want to ship it" response. But that's my projecting, perhaps.

The fact that this individual has expressed an issue with it tells me they need to fix it, period. Not say it's nothing just wait and see it. They're not in the states, and that's a lot of time and money to "wait and see it." Because they've seen the issue in the pictures, they've expressed it, they will know to look for it in person, and if they still see it and it still bugs them, then they get to turn around, ship it back, and then wait longer. That's NOT good customer service, IMO. That's not making it right. That's putting it off. I don't care if it's WF, or otherwise.

 

[justginger]

I think that it's exaggerated because of the slight angle of the photos, but agree that it will probably be noticeable IRL now that the OP knows that it is there are will be looking for it. Whether it is something that you can live with or not is the question. It sounds to me like it is going to make you enjoy the ring less than if it wasn't there. I don't think it's being unreasonable to expect that it be corrected. I wouldn't consider myself to be nitpicky in general, but if something appeared very obvious to me in photos, I would immediately look for it in real life. In general I think Ame can be nit picky to a fault (just teasing Ame ) but I think that she is right in this case and I would want it fixed to my satisfaction, especially with the complicated shipping situation. Remind WF that you are out of country and that if you are dissatisfied it will result in costly and timely shipping. Good Luck, I hear great things about WF's customer service, I'm sure that you will be able to resolve this in one manner or another.

Oh I am anal retentive as it gets. And that's exactly the point I am making! AND being out of the country compounds the issue, bec it's not as easy as me walking into the post office with my paper-taped box to return it with registered mail. This is a bigger ordeal that takes longer with declarations and stuff.

I disagree. That is not looking like it's angled. It looks like they're not equal and it needs to either be remade to make them correctly or fixed. That would make me insane in person, esp since I've seen it in photos up front.

Ame, you have to admit that your standards are significantly higher than the average jewelry wearer when it comes to requiring absolute perfection. I don't mean that in a nasty way at all - there are just many things that have bothered you along your journey that would have been no issue to many (most?) other PSers. For me, this is one of those things, especially because I do think the ring is angled in the photo. If the ring is not angled, what is causing the left side of the ring to be completely in shadow, while the right is not? It is clear to me that the left side of the ring is angled slightly towards the camera, exaggerating the size of that triangle. There may be a slight size difference, but if it has been brought to a WF staff member's attention, they've reviewed the ring and stated that it will not be perceptible in person, that would be enough reassurance for me. I am not a particularly fussy person, I suppose.

Oh I don't take that as offensive, I am extremely particular. And especially when I am paying someone for a custom job that I have expressed my expectations of and one that required cads for me to approve that gave me the visual that I expected a finished piece to look, for all intents and purposes, identical to.

I also think that my "issues" that "no other PSer" would've complained about are issues that other PSers HAVE complained about on their own pieces, those same PSers just made me try to feel like a total a$$hole for complaining about the same things on my own pieces when it was my own piece.

I know people are saying it's an angle and a shadow...But that doesn't look shadowed to me, that looks like a reflection of the black camera to me. And frankly, the explanation sounds to me like a "we don't want to deal with it we want to ship it" response. But that's my projecting, perhaps.

The fact that this individual has expressed an issue with it tells me they need to fix it, period. Not say it's nothing just wait and see it. They're not in the states, and that's a lot of time and money to "wait and see it." Because they've seen the issue in the pictures, they've expressed it, they will know to look for it in person, and if they still see it and it still bugs them, then they get to turn around, ship it back, and then wait longer. That's NOT good customer service, IMO. That's not making it right. That's putting it off. I don't care if it's WF, or otherwise.

I am glad that I did not offend you. If what I highlighted above is true, I am sorry for you - it's not nice to experience the hypocritical side of people when it comes to standards for them vs standards for you.

I think perhaps some new photos would be the first step, to ascertain if there is any angling issue going on. I think the alternate side photo shows them as being pretty close to evenly sized. I would just hate the OP to get so finicky as to make it an impossibility for WF to achieve. Perfection, when it comes to magnified jewelry, is darn near impossible.