Who's ring is this??

[MNMade]

Is this familiar to anyone? I had saved the picture but can't recall who it is made by. Guessing Leon? I would like to see more photos of this ring.

I LOVE the curved prongs and hoping to have that with my stone (2.5 round). This ring is beautiful and I'm tempted to make it (minus cathedral and band under stone) but the split shank, pave by S. Kirsch is calling me. I am taking ideas from rings I like and sending the 'list' off to Steven. Hopefully someone will have more photos of this ring.

 

[rubybeth]

Edited entirely: thought it was the Victor Canera Trueste, but found the original thread with the image you posted, and it's a Leon, as you thought: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/post-your-favorite-plain-solitaire-setting.164906/page-2']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/post-your-favorite-plain-solitaire-setting.164906/page-2[/URL]

I *knew* it looked very familiar, though!

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

That's not Harriet's Leon is it?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

You know, I have had that setting before, but if I were to do it again, I would get Victor Canera's Trueste:

 

[Rosebloom]

DS, why do you prefer the Victor solitaire? They are both beautiful to me but I admire your attention to detail so I'd love to hear your impressions of the two.

 

[stargurl78]

I'm not sure who's ring it was but there are more pics on the JBEG site, it was re-sold by them:
http://jewelsbyericagrace.smugmug.com/SOLD-ITEMS-1/SOLD-Items/Leon-Mege-Classic-Solitaire/11860932_vPBtdC/1/838845605_LpzQV#!i=838845605&k=gVZqrHM

I honestly like the Leon much better than the Victor version, I like how top of the cathedral sides blend in with the "bar"in the gallery rather than sit on top of the bar like the Trueste.

 

[SB621]

I'm not sure who's ring it was but there are more pics on the JBEG site, it was re-sold by them:
http://jewelsbyericagrace.smugmug.com/SOLD-ITEMS-1/SOLD-Items/Leon-Mege-Classic-Solitaire/11860932_vPBtdC/1/838845605_LpzQV#!i=838845605&k=gVZqrHM

I honestly like the Leon much better than the Victor version, I like how top of the cathedral sides blend in with the "bar"in the gallery rather than sit on top of the bar like the Trueste.

I agree, I just think Leon's lines are better , more sleak, which surprises me as I typically like VC's settings better.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Well, I have one that is available for a 7.5-7.6mm stone since so many of you like Leon's! I should list it! But I think Victor has better sense about stone height. Leon sets stones too low which often causes it to be hard to get a wedding band low enough. Visually I just think the height of my diamond in the Vatche setting is so much more complimentary to the diamond. Furthermore, that was a large stone in that setting and I think the larger the stone, the more appealing those pictures look.

But after seeing workmanship from Leon and Victor, I'd have Victor make every piece of my jewelry if I could afford it! And in fact, Victor can change anything about the Trueste that one wants to alter. They are each individually made and not cast, so he can make the sides join the basket somewhere different. He is much more willing to listen to requests for design changes than some others. And he will explain why if it is not a good idea. (Not to mention, Harriet's Leon solitaire actually came apart but it was a thin version. Someone else's did as well. Mine is smaller and not made ultra-thin, so it is sturdy. But you have to keep in mind that he made those ultra-thin versions when he should have said no, they won't be durable enough.)

 

[yssie]

Well, I have one that is available for a 7.5-7.6mm stone since so many of you like Leon's! I should list it! But I think Victor has better sense about stone height. Leon sets stones too low which often causes it to be hard to get a wedding band low enough. Visually I just think the height of my diamond in the Vatche setting is so much more complimentary to the diamond. Furthermore, that was a large stone in that setting and I think the larger the stone, the more appealing those pictures look.

But after seeing workmanship from Leon and Victor, I'd have Victor make every piece of my jewelry if I could afford it! And in fact, Victor can change anything about the Trueste that one wants to alter. They are each individually made and not cast, so he can make the sides join the basket somewhere different. He is much more willing to listen to requests for design changes than some others. And he will explain why if it is not a good idea. (Not to mention, Harriet's Leon solitaire actually came apart but it was a thin version. Someone else's did as well. Mine is smaller and not made ultra-thin, so it is sturdy. But you have to keep in mind that he made those ultra-thin versions when he should have said no, they won't be durable enough.)

I rarely respond to posts about vendors but DS, based on my experiences I really don't feel that some of your assertions re. which vendor to choose for different types of projects are merited. Different vendors - even in this echelon of workmanship - specialize in different things, and given the prices of stuff we're talking about I think it's really, really important that consumers choose the right vendor *for them* *for that type of piece*, and the answer changes given those parameters.

Between just the PS handforging favourites, for someone wanting a pave halo VC, Leon, and SK are the easy choices. For superbly fluid, clean, and precise metalwork I'd go to DBL or Leon. For someone who wants an artist's eye for aesthetic detail, or for someone who wants a custom design that's not already in the portfolio, I'd go to Leon or Mike R or Haven's jeweller Burdeen's - I would not recommend VC for this customer. For a customer who is not comfortable with turning the project over with minimal input/updates once manufacturing has begun I'd recommend DBL and Mike R, and it sounds like SK belongs in this shortlist too. For the very delicate look that's so popular right now I'd go to Leon, SK, or DBL, VC/Mike R's work is "chunkier", for lack of a better description (still nowhere close to actually "chunky" though).. For someone who wants the Emilya halo or one of its many cousins I'd strongly recommend going to the source, VC.

And then there are yet more considerations - GOG/VC now have that AVC agreement wherein Victor doesn't make settings for AVCs, whatever happened there, Leon will make certain settings only for stones he sources, Mike R is not accepting new PS projects, DBL prefers to reserve the "uber" bench for in-house stones, Burdeen's prefers not to work with customers who need the level involvement that I'm known for, VC is in CA, Burdeen's in IL, Leon/SK in NY, and Mike R is in NZ, Mike R will not reproduce custom designs, VC and Mike R will (to their credit IMO) refuse to make a design that they feel is not sufficiently durable whereas other vendors may be more accommodating if a customer wants a certain look and is willing to accept the tradeoffs...

 

[stargurl78]

I rarely respond to posts about vendors but DS, based on my experiences I really don't feel that some of your assertions re. which vendor to choose for different types of projects are merited. Different vendors - even in this echelon of workmanship - specialize in different things, and given the prices of stuff we're talking about I think it's really, really important that consumers choose the right vendor *for them* *for that type of piece*, and the answer changes given those parameters.

Between just the PS handforging favourites, for someone wanting a pave halo VC, Leon, and SK are the easy choices. For superbly fluid, clean, and precise metalwork I'd go to DBL or Leon. For someone who wants an artist's eye for aesthetic detail, or for someone who wants a custom design that's not already in the portfolio, I'd go to Leon or Mike R or Haven's jeweller Burdeen's - I would not recommend VC for this customer. For a customer who is not comfortable with turning the project over with minimal input/updates once manufacturing has begun I'd recommend DBL and Mike R, and it sounds like SK belongs in this shortlist too. For the very delicate look that's so popular right now I'd go to Leon, SK, or DBL, VC/Mike R's work is "chunkier", for lack of a better description (still nowhere close to actually "chunky" though).. For someone who wants the Emilya halo or one of its many cousins I'd strongly recommend going to the source, VC.

And then there are yet more considerations - GOG/VC now have that AVC agreement wherein Victor doesn't make settings for AVCs, whatever happened there, Leon will make certain settings only for stones he sources, Mike R is not accepting new PS projects, DBL prefers to reserve the "uber" bench for in-house stones, Burdeen's prefers not to work with customers who need the level involvement that I'm known for, VC is in CA, Burdeen's in IL, Leon/SK in NY, and Mike R is in NZ, Mike R will not reproduce custom designs, VC and Mike R will (to their credit IMO) refuse to make a design that they feel is not sufficiently durable whereas other vendors may be more accommodating if a customer wants a certain look and is willing to accept the tradeoffs...

I 100% agree with this post. Some people only recommend Victor over and over again for this type of work but I really think that any of the vendors you mentioned could be the better choice depending on the person and what they are looking for. If I could ever afford a handforged piece of jewelry, I would still choose Leon, even after some of the negativity regarding him around here. His work is still the most beautiful to my eyes. It's just not one size fits all.

 

[CharmyPoo]

I vote the Leon version as well. I find the overall metal work is more pleasing to my eye.

 

[CharmyPoo]

And then there are yet more considerations - GOG/VC now have that AVC agreement wherein Victor doesn't make settings for AVCs, whatever happened there, Leon will make certain settings only for stones he sources, Mike R is not accepting new PS projects, DBL prefers to reserve the "uber" bench for in-house stones, Burdeen's prefers not to work with customers who need the level involvement that I'm known for, VC is in CA, Burdeen's in IL, Leon/SK in NY, and Mike R is in NZ, Mike R will not reproduce custom designs, VC and Mike R will (to their credit IMO) refuse to make a design that they feel is not sufficiently durable whereas other vendors may be more accommodating if a customer wants a certain look and is willing to accept the tradeoffs...

With all this ... I guess SK is really left to be the one no complications vendor left. There is also another thing about SK - he is probably by far the most flexible vendor of all. He is so easy to work with and is willing to do what you want - no ego or work beneath him. I really like that about Steven. He is also very fair in my opinion.

I play no favorites - I have bought from and worked with most of the vendors in some shape or form (minus Burdeen). I like them all.

 

[yssie]

And then there are yet more considerations - GOG/VC now have that AVC agreement wherein Victor doesn't make settings for AVCs, whatever happened there, Leon will make certain settings only for stones he sources, Mike R is not accepting new PS projects, DBL prefers to reserve the "uber" bench for in-house stones, Burdeen's prefers not to work with customers who need the level involvement that I'm known for, VC is in CA, Burdeen's in IL, Leon/SK in NY, and Mike R is in NZ, Mike R will not reproduce custom designs, VC and Mike R will (to their credit IMO) refuse to make a design that they feel is not sufficiently durable whereas other vendors may be more accommodating if a customer wants a certain look and is willing to accept the tradeoffs...

With all this ... I guess SK is really left to be the one no complications vendor left. There is also another thing about SK - he is probably by far the most flexible vendor of all. He is so easy to work with and is willing to do what you want - no ego or work beneath him. I really like that about Steven. He is also very fair in my opinion.

I play no favorites - I have bought from and worked with most of the vendors in some shape or form (minus Burdeen). I like them all.

I have a project with Mike R and he's an absolute dream to work with. He's a visionary - the piece he's designed for me is truly wearable art, and his flexibility wrt working with my particulars is thus far unsurpassed...

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Well, I have one that is available for a 7.5-7.6mm stone since so many of you like Leon's! I should list it! But I think Victor has better sense about stone height. Leon sets stones too low which often causes it to be hard to get a wedding band low enough. Visually I just think the height of my diamond in the Vatche setting is so much more complimentary to the diamond. Furthermore, that was a large stone in that setting and I think the larger the stone, the more appealing those pictures look.

But after seeing workmanship from Leon and Victor, I'd have Victor make every piece of my jewelry if I could afford it! And in fact, Victor can change anything about the Trueste that one wants to alter. They are each individually made and not cast, so he can make the sides join the basket somewhere different. He is much more willing to listen to requests for design changes than some others. And he will explain why if it is not a good idea. (Not to mention, Harriet's Leon solitaire actually came apart but it was a thin version. Someone else's did as well. Mine is smaller and not made ultra-thin, so it is sturdy. But you have to keep in mind that he made those ultra-thin versions when he should have said no, they won't be durable enough.)

I rarely respond to posts about vendors but DS, based on my experiences I really don't feel that some of your assertions re. which vendor to choose for different types of projects are merited. Different vendors - even in this echelon of workmanship - specialize in different things, and given the prices of stuff we're talking about I think it's really, really important that consumers choose the right vendor *for them* *for that type of piece*, and the answer changes given those parameters.

Between just the PS handforging favourites, for someone wanting a pave halo VC, Leon, and SK are the easy choices. For superbly fluid, clean, and precise metalwork I'd go to DBL or Leon. For someone who wants an artist's eye for aesthetic detail, or for someone who wants a custom design that's not already in the portfolio, I'd go to Leon or Mike R or Haven's jeweller Burdeen's - I would not recommend VC for this customer. For a customer who is not comfortable with turning the project over with minimal input/updates once manufacturing has begun I'd recommend DBL and Mike R, and it sounds like SK belongs in this shortlist too. For the very delicate look that's so popular right now I'd go to Leon, SK, or DBL, VC/Mike R's work is "chunkier", for lack of a better description (still nowhere close to actually "chunky" though).. For someone who wants the Emilya halo or one of its many cousins I'd strongly recommend going to the source, VC.

And then there are yet more considerations - GOG/VC now have that AVC agreement wherein Victor doesn't make settings for AVCs, whatever happened there, Leon will make certain settings only for stones he sources, Mike R is not accepting new PS projects, DBL prefers to reserve the "uber" bench for in-house stones, Burdeen's prefers not to work with customers who need the level involvement that I'm known for, VC is in CA, Burdeen's in IL, Leon/SK in NY, and Mike R is in NZ, Mike R will not reproduce custom designs, VC and Mike R will (to their credit IMO) refuse to make a design that they feel is not sufficiently durable whereas other vendors may be more accommodating if a customer wants a certain look and is willing to accept the tradeoffs...

Yssie, I certainly think that there are different preferences of makers for different styles of jewelry! For example, one might like James Meyer for a very particular style of jewelry and one certainly wouldn't choose him for pave! But I will stand by what I said because every piece of jewelry that I currently have in mind to make for the near future would be in a style that Victor makes and makes very, very well. I did not find LM's metalwork on my ring to be as perfect as VC's work, and there are several known problems with some of LM's solitaire and pave settings. I'd probably have to revise my statement to say that I also have a couple of Van Craeynest pieces on the wishlist, though!

Mike Robinson is also probably one of the finest jewelry artists in the world, and if he was in the US, I would absolutely LOVE to work on a piece with him (if I could afford it)! But I understand that he does not even desire to be tied up with PS projects full time since I am sure he has many loyal local clients, and I also am not inclined to send my potential diamonds or gems out of the country. If I ever have the good fortune to visit NZ, I will most certainly be stopping to visit his store, however! Lucky are the few here who will have pieces made by him!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

And then there are yet more considerations - GOG/VC now have that AVC agreement wherein Victor doesn't make settings for AVCs, whatever happened there, Leon will make certain settings only for stones he sources, Mike R is not accepting new PS projects, DBL prefers to reserve the "uber" bench for in-house stones, Burdeen's prefers not to work with customers who need the level involvement that I'm known for, VC is in CA, Burdeen's in IL, Leon/SK in NY, and Mike R is in NZ, Mike R will not reproduce custom designs, VC and Mike R will (to their credit IMO) refuse to make a design that they feel is not sufficiently durable whereas other vendors may be more accommodating if a customer wants a certain look and is willing to accept the tradeoffs...

With all this ... I guess SK is really left to be the one no complications vendor left. There is also another thing about SK - he is probably by far the most flexible vendor of all. He is so easy to work with and is willing to do what you want - no ego or work beneath him. I really like that about Steven. He is also very fair in my opinion.

I play no favorites - I have bought from and worked with most of the vendors in some shape or form (minus Burdeen). I like them all.

Just documenting that the informative quote attributed to me above was written by Yssie. Sometimes that happens when trying to trim the quotes!

I even know a PSer who has had problems with SK. So I suppose there is no one who is perfect 100% of the time. Not that we should expect it.

 

[yssie]

We're all entitled to our preferences - even favourites, though maybe Charmy wouldn't agree

I definitely agree that every vendor will occasionally put out pieces that just don't measure up. I also agree that others' experiences shouldn't stop people from choosing a given vendor, but they *should* pause and confirm that their vendor choices are the right ones in terms of both style of both working relationship and product. When people don't do that, or choose to ignore the red flags, they're pretty much guaranteed unhappy endings... I would know.

You're right, I left out a whole lot of other vendors who do beautiful non-cast work (not that I think there's anything wrong with casting either ) we're lucky to know about so many amazing benches and designers


Ack. DS that was my response to yours, my screen is all weird and I can't even see the quoted text right now!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

It was confusing to me at first because I didn't recall saying all that! However, it was good information and I wanted to give you the credit for it!

I agree fully that it is important to use a vendor that has made something similar before. It is treading on dangerous ground to assume they will do a first-time piece to the level they do their more frequently requested work. I don't like to be the guinea pig!!! I just think there have been some problems with some of LM's solitaires, so I am waving the red flag for the OP!

 

[Rosebloom]

Thank you all for the insight. I'm currently dreaming of a custom project and really appreciate the tips.

 

[sweetpea&babycorn]

It's a beautiful ring! I think I've seen a good number of people with this solitaire. I think a former PSer had her Leon solitaire on sale on DB for a while. I am currently waiting for my SO to propose, and we went with a design similar to this. After seeing the Leon version, I can DEFINITELY tell the difference between the workmanship on mine and Leon's. I do love my ring, but if I had the budget, I would have gone with Leon. Getting a setting by him has always been a dream. His work seems so fluid and sleek. Victor's version is also beautiful, it looks much sturdier, while Leon's looks daintier. Here is someone on PS who set her AVC in a VC Trueste, for comparison:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/20th-anniversary-upgrade-victor-canera-trueste-gog-avc.167044/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/20th-anniversary-upgrade-victor-canera-trueste-gog-avc.167044/[/URL]

 

[CharmyPoo]

I even know a PSer who has had problems with SK. So I suppose there is no one who is perfect 100% of the time. Not that we should expect it.

As do I. No one is perfect.