Who are the well known setting designers?

[orange_horse]

My fiance and I are currently searching the web trying to find a design we like. Other than Tacori, Richard Landi, etc., who are the famous designers? Thanks for your help.

 

[valeria101]

"Famous" comes from advertising and may mean great work or less than great... that remains for you to judge.

Quite a few websites gather designer lines: weddingband.com and The Platinum Guild come to mind first. But I must have seen dozens of the sort by now...

Say:
Nathan Levy, Alex Sepkus, George Sawyer, Jane Bohan, Peter Heim, Joey Clapper (link)

and more added to the lineup at the Clay Pot or Stuart_Moore

No idea where the list ends.

 

[denverappraiser]

Is it really fame that interests you?

Many of the best designers are associated with small shops where the designer controls every aspect of the process from the alloy to the gift wrapping. These are never famous beyond a relatively small circle of customers because they simply don''t have a high enough production rate to make a dent in the market. This certainly doesn''t make their products inferior and may actually result in a better price because they avoid the expensive advertising budgets and have a shorter distribution channel. Not all designers are skilled, of course, but the important issue is to find designs that you like not necessarily ones that are highly promoted.

Neil Beaty, GG ISA
Independent Appraisals in Denver

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 11/26/2004 11:34:12 AM
Author: denverappraiser
Is it really fame that interests you?


Many of the best designers are associated with small shops where the designer controls every aspect of the process from the alloy to the gift wrapping. These are never famous beyond a relatively small circle of customers because they simply don''t have a high enough production rate to make a dent in the market. This certainly doesn''t make their products inferior and may actually result in a better price because they avoid the expensive advertising budgets and have a shorter distribution channel. Not all designers are skilled, of course, but the important issue is to find designs that you like not necessarily ones that are highly promoted.


Neil Beaty, GG ISA

Independent Appraisals in Denver

I agree 100% I would put up some of the customers rings my designer has made against the best anyone makes.
He does most of the custom work for the local shops.
He does however have different levels with the difference in cost being the amount of time spent polishing and the finish not in the quality of the settings.
Most of the local shops will not have him do the very highest level.
But if you know how to find him you can have the highest level done for the cost of the med level going thru a jewler because of the jewlers markup.
He worked/trained in Japan for 6 years and he said the typical quality of even a lot of the us top designers would not have even been close to acceptable on the lowest end stuff in the place he worked at in Japan.

He doesnt however take net or phone orders from consumers and prefers local even from dealers on custom designs.

 

[windowshopper]

i understand what you mean.............do some google searchs. you will find a lot here but its best to go to several high end jewelers for ideas

 

[orange_horse]

I may or may not be in the market for one of the designs. The true purpose of the question was to get some ideas that may later be converted into a custom ring...and to avoid the standard boring settings the B&M''s try to pitch from the catalogs. I''m share everyone''s opinion on the pro''s and con''s of a designer setting.

 

[windowshopper]

for ideas look up michael beaudry and peter norman

 

[PhillipSchmidt]

PM me if you find somebody, and have some questions. I have been designing, making, setting and finishing rings for half my life.

As far as your quest for a great maker goes, look for someone who is clever and capable looking who makes jewellery because he loves it. It shows in his face. Good jewellers are highly skilled and outside of this forum I have heard too much about the jeweller doing a poor job because he/she is shoddy rather than the job was just too much for him/her. No matter how long and hard some people try they never get it right while some find it easy. Making jewellery can be an art and for some this doesn''t enthuse them at all.

I don''t say the trade is entirely tough, as some area of manufacture are childs play and some jewellers do some things better then others, but in setting and fine design, look for your man according to his good looking, humble expression. IMO

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 11/27/2004 4:46:14 AM
Author: PlatinumSmith
PM me if you find somebody, and have some questions. I have been designing, making, setting and finishing rings for half my life.


As far as your quest for a great maker goes, look for someone who is clever and capable looking who makes jewellery because he loves it. It shows in his face. Good jewellers are highly skilled and outside of this forum I have heard too much about the jeweller doing a poor job because he/she is shoddy rather than the job was just too much for him/her. No matter how long and hard some people try they never get it right while some find it easy. Making jewellery can be an art and for some this doesn''t enthuse them at all.


I don''t say the trade is entirely tough, as some area of manufacture are childs play and some jewellers do some things better then others, but in setting and fine design, look for your man according to his good looking, humble expression. IMO

Well said.
Another thing to look for is if they get excited about your project its a good sign.
A good ring designer/custom maker takes great pleasure in their work.

This thread has some info Iv been gathering on what to look for.
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/settings-are-not-an-after-thought-what-you-need-to-know.18307/

PlatinumSmith,
You remind me very strongly of the guy I have do all my setting work.
I would appreciate anything you could add to the above linked thread if you have the time.

 

[scaredgirl]

Date: 11/27/2004 12

7:55 AM
Author: orange_horse
I may or may not be in the market for one of the designs. The true purpose of the question was to get some ideas that may later be converted into a custom ring...and to avoid the standard boring settings the B&M''s try to pitch from the catalogs. I''m share everyone''s opinion on the pro''s and con''s of a designer setting.

Im having the same problem i like steven kretchmer but my BF told me is way to expensive so he told me to search for something else that i like so i want something rare ,contemparay not the same solitair and seems like i cant find any web page to look for it can you guys give me a help on this ??

 

[cushioncut]

Hi,

There are many designers listed on this site below. If you click "online showroom," in most cases, you can get an idea of their style and prices. Good luck in your search!

SB Designer Index

 

[PhillipSchmidt]

Nice of you to say these things.

Interesting. I'll check it out.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 11/27/2004 12:28:35 PM
Author: scaredgirl

Im having the same problem i like steven kretchmer but my BF told me is way to expensive so he told me to search for something else

Can you post the espective model ? Some can be nicely made channel set instead of tension and the more conservative way is safer to boot

 

[PhillipSchmidt]

Hello Strmrdr,

Just removed my topic on setting

 

[PhillipSchmidt]

sorry about the length and the fact my words are not related to the post. I was trying to access the thread linked here about setters, That thread has been locked as far as I can tell. Sorry about rhat.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 11/30/2004 4:10

2 AM
Author: PlatinumSmith
sorry about the length and the fact my words are not related to the post. I was trying to access the thread linked here about setters, That thread has been locked as far as I can tell. Sorry about rhat.

Wierd it seems some can post in that thread and some cant.
I hope you dont mind but I copied your post there.
It is full of very usefull information.
Thank you.

 

[PhillipSchmidt]

Job done.

I will take my message off this thread. I felt bad about that. Yes it is a good post. The practicalities of setting are mostly pretty simple, but people want things that are not practical and it is up to us to make them work.

Your wrong, I am not like your setter. I am like you. I have read your posts and you have said almost everything I have said already