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Will WF set a stone in an outside setting?

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hoofbeats95

hoofbeats95

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 23, 2008
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Just curious if WF will set one of their stones in a setting that didn''t come from them?
 
Thanks. That is what I thought as I''ve read of people sending them the setting. Which disappoints me even further as to why they won''t reset my ACA in my current setting (even with my willingness to buy a new head from them). I''m quite disappointed by this honestly.
 
Hoofbeats, we're sorry to disappoint you. As the many folks on Pricescope can attest to, Whiteflash has always been about exceeding customer expectations. Part of why we've earned that reputation is our insistence on turning out a quality result.

You are not merely asking us to set your stone in another top-quality setting. You have asked us to repair a ring that hasn't been right since you received it and has undergone two head changes already. You note that the first head was changed because it was the wrong head, but you also commented in your thread that head was crooked as well to begin with.

You then had another jeweler replaced the head again and have felt that is crooked as well.

Our production manager has reviewed the several pictures you've sent of the setting, and he feels that replacing the head may not resolve the problems you're having with the setting looking off. You've also been clear that you're concerned it may still appear crooked to you even if we were to change the head. We share that concern.

In our expert opinion, we feel that further repair work may not only be unsuccessful but may further compromise the setting. Given our shared concerns, it's our suggestion that you'd be better served by returning to your original jeweler for the repairs. He may have a financial responsibility to you if the setting fails or doesn't meet your expectations.

If you're not confident in that avenue, we've suggested that it would be better to have your repairs done locally because you've told us you wouldn't be able to bear the costs to ship the ring back and forth if you were to feel further adjustments were needed. Having it fixed locally, you'd be able to bring it for needed adjustments without further cost to you.

If we felt reasonably certain that the setting could be restored to a top-quality condition and that we could exceed your expectations, we'd feel comfortable accepting the job. However, we don't have that confidence given the history and present condition of this setting and it would be irresponsible for us to undertake this when it's our professional opinion that the setting is already compromised.

We're sorry we can't help on this. We understand that you've invested money into this setting and your desire to fix it if possible, but we cannot confidently take on that repair.
 
Thanks Allison. The other jeweler did not replace the head. He tried to correct the terrible prong work. I'd like to end my association with the B&M store where I got this setting. I believe I'm already out of the return policy for this setting and quite frankly I don't think the jeweler is good enough to fix this correctly. I was willing to eat the cost of the head. I guess I'd like an explanation on how the mounting itself could be contributing to this problem? It's a very simple cathedral setting and from what I can see there is nothing wrong with the mounting. Nor has anyone pointed out that there is anything wrong with it. Ideally I was hoping to have WF replace the head. Could it still be crooked? Maybe. But then it probably boils down to the fact that it's an optical illusion. Probably due to the reflection of the cut of the diamond. This has been a very stressful situation (the whole entire ering process) and once I asked my FI if he minded if I had WF take care of it I guess I had allowed myself to believe (naively I suppose) that if I was willing to spend the money that WF would help. In the back of my mind I thought that if it still came back crooked then it has to be an illusion. Heck it might be now for all I know. I'd love to replace the whole setting from WF, but that just isn't financially an option right now. Your similar setting is quite a bit more than I paid for this one. If it was closer to the same price I'd probably just suck it up and get a whole new setting. Even without returning this one. I guess I'm not educated enough to understand what is wrong with the mounting and why the head can't just be replaced. There are no local jewelers that I trust unfortunately. I'm also nervous about messing with the stone too much due to how fragile princesses are. I thought the safest route was with WF in regards to setting this stone again. But I guess plan B is to just learn to deal with it.


I'd just like to add that it was at the urge of other members of this board that I made the request to WF for help correcting this setting in the first place. It was in the back of my mind, but after several suggestions I thought it was something to seriously consider. Telling my FI I wanted to send the ring to TX was a whole other story though! At some point in the future I will have an ering that I love. . . that's the goal anyways.
 
HB, I was going by what you wrote in your other thread: "Had the store mount the diamond and they did it in the wrong head. Which was WAY more crooked than this one was. Then had a private jeweler try to fix the crookedness in the final head."

By this, I read that the first head (which was the wrong one) was crooked; that head was replaced with this one (second head). Another jeweler then tried to fix this second head, and you still feel it''s crooked even though he''s measured it and assures you that it''s straight.

Regardless, it appears you too have considered that it may just be an optical illusion....possibly from the way the shoulders in the cathedral mounting sit. Changing the head won''t resolve that, and honestly it wouldn''t be ethical for us to agree to (and charge for) a repair we feel won''t ultimately fix the problem. Beyond that, the diamond has already been initially set, unset, and reset by the initial jeweler as well as possibly moved in the head by the second jeweler. It wouldn''t be responsible to expose the diamond to further movement when we don''t reasonably believe doing so will resolve the problem.

Ultimately, we have to rely on the expert judgment of our skilled benchman, and we concur with their assessment. I''m sorry you''re disappointed, but we''d rather disappoint you in being honest than to promise something we might not be able to deliver. We hope you understand.
 
Date: 1/2/2009 1:49:47 PM
Author: Allison D.
HB, I was going by what you wrote in your other thread: ''Had the store mount the diamond and they did it in the wrong head. Which was WAY more crooked than this one was. Then had a private jeweler try to fix the crookedness in the final head.''

By this, I read that the first head (which was the wrong one) was crooked; that head was replaced with this one (second head). Another jeweler then tried to fix this second head, and you still feel it''s crooked even though he''s measured it and assures you that it''s straight.

Regardless, it appears you too have considered that it may just be an optical illusion....possibly from the way the shoulders in the cathedral mounting sit. Changing the head won''t resolve that, and honestly it wouldn''t be ethical for us to agree to (and charge for) a repair we feel won''t ultimately fix the problem. Beyond that, the diamond has already been initially set, unset, and reset by the initial jeweler as well as possibly moved in the head by the second jeweler. It wouldn''t be responsible to expose the diamond to further movement when we don''t reasonably believe doing so will resolve the problem.

Ultimately, we have to rely on the expert judgment of our skilled benchman, and we concur with their assessment. I''m sorry you''re disappointed, but we''d rather disappoint you in being honest than to promise something we might not be able to deliver. We hope you understand.
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Does this mean that I risk my diamond should I decide to mount this in a different setting in the future?

I don''t think it''s the shoulders. Interesting thought, but they look perfectly straight and aligned with each other. If this is not an optical illusion of the cut of the diamond (the crookedness happens mostly at certain distances - so i think uneven light reflection as a novice description) then I think it''s the head or the prongs. The jeweler the tried to fix it did not put a third head on it. I thought that was what you were meaning earlier. He volunteered to do that. He said it''s easier to start from scratch. But . . . well I didn''t like the guy enough to give him more money honestly. I thought my money would be better spent with WF. Of course I realized their would be no guarantees. I decided I would risk that before I even sent an email asking if this was an option.

If I knew of a great jeweler in my area I''d go and see what they suggested. But popping into all the private (i.e. not mall stores/chains) jewelers to ask questions and see who I might like doesn''t sound like the best solution. I honestly don''t know what the solution here is. As someone suggested, maybe this detail won''t be so glaringly obvious in the future as it is right now while the ring is new. I sooo want to love this ring and this stone. . . . but it''s just my luck that my most important piece of jewelery would have these issues. That''s the kind of luck I have.
 
Every stone goes through a certain amount of risk being set. The corners of princess cuts are vulnerable. Stones with thin girdles and inclusions are as well.

But since you've had 3 rings and 2 heads maybe you ought to demand a full refund since you aren't happy with their workmanship. In one of your posts you did said you initially didn't trust WF to set your stone. With all the positive feedback and gorgeous photos what made you doubt WF?
 
Date: 1/2/2009 2:25:07 PM
Author: swingirl
Every stone goes through a certain amount of risk being set. The corners of princess cuts are vulnerable. Stones with thin girdles and inclusions are as well.

But since you've had 3 rings and 2 heads maybe you ought to demand a full refund since you aren't happy with their workmanship. In one of your posts you did said you initially didn't trust WF to set your stone. With all the positive feedback and gorgeous photos what made you doubt WF?
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Well the three rings didn't come from the same store. It's complicated as FI didn't ask for my input prior to shopping. I'm pretty locked on the setting I have though. For several reasons including that my FI will kill me if I return yet another ring. The head though - I'm willing to try a new one and let a jeweler start from scratch if necessary.

Hmm. . . in regards to the highlighted section. . . I'd have to go back and see what I wrote. But I initially only bought the stone from them because I was a bit gun-shy about getting the whole thing online. I felt some obligation to the store I'd been working with (they were so nice and ordered in several rings for me) and so I thought getting the setting from them was a good compromise. My FI wasn't too hip with the online idea to begin with. But we saved money with the stone which was the ultimate selling point for him. The setting. . . well we saved probably 1/2 - 2/3 by getting the setting from the store. The WF reg cathedral setting is significantly more. So it was just nerves in getting the whole finished ring online. I felt like I could examine the stone. Which was a whole new experience for me and then go to the store and look for settings that I liked (trying them on my hand) and stay in my comfort zone. Keep in mind I did a TON of research in a REALLY short time in order to make this thing happen. In order to get a new ering fairly quickly and work within return times. This just seemed the comfortable way to go in all honesty. It wasn't really a matter of trust in direct relation to WF. My experience with them in regards to the stone has been exceptional. I was very lucky to get to talk to both Lesley and Brian just before they left. In hindsight I guess you get what you pay for and I should have gotten the setting from WF. I do regret that. But there's not much I can do about it now. I feel the setting is just fine and I was willing to pay for a new head if that would make the whole crooked issue go away. (At least I assume I was - I never got quotes from anyone - local or WF) However, I can't just get a whole new ring and throw away the money my FI spent on this one. It's a tough situation to be in. If I could go back I'd have gotten the setting from WF. Since that time I've read more on setting specifically and looked at pics and have no doubt I would have been happy. I just spent all my time online researching stones before then. This all happened around T-giving weekend and the holidays along with the issues concerning not liking my original ring (hurt feels and such like a similar thread that was posted recently) made time short and the situation very stressful. I wanted to return the ring - take a deep breath and not have a ring till I could do the kind of research I normally do when making purchases like this. That wasn't an option according to everyone else. (I was fine with being engaged with no ring.) I'm thrilled I found WF for the stone. I just wish I could go back and do the setting thing differently. Live and learn I suppose. If I could figure out how to correct this then one day this would all be just a memory. But right now I have a crooked ring staring me in the face on a daily basis. Though some people don't notice. I'm exceptionally picky I suppose. *shrug* Sorry for the long winded answer to a simple question.
 
Seems like you're in a bind. You don't want to spend FI's money on a brand-new setting at this moment (thus negating the money he already spent on your cathedral setting, which is lovely minus that little crookedness issue). But it also sounds like WF can't alter your setting further without compromising the setting or the stone. Here's what I would do: live with the crooked head for a bit, and then when you have a little more cash and have worn your ring for long enough to want a change, go for a re-set from WF. It sounds like you like some of their designs, and you know you can trust their workmanship. And lots of people get their rings reset just to have a change. Who knows...you might want to trade up from a solitaire to a 3-stone or diamond band in the future...or you'll stick with a simple, classic solitaire, but one with some better workmanship. So if I were you, I'd wait until the time is right for you (emotionally and financially) and go for the whole overhaul.
 
I''d like to echo jstarfireb. I''m willing to testify that the quality and workmanship from WF are 100% top notch. I''d "deal" with the setting you have now, save up, then totally reset it with a new setting from WF.
 
I will probably get the ring reset in the future. I guess I look at my ring though as two separate pieces. I guess since I was billed for the individually. The mounting cost a certain amount and so did the head. I love the mounting. The cathedral is absolutely what I want. So I looked at this as buying a head from WF and having them sauter (sp?) it to the mounting. Just as was done the previous two times. Heck I''d even sent it in for an evaluation if need be prior to making any decisions. I''m pretty flexible in that regard. I was just hoping for some options and some discussion about those options initially. I figured since others can send a setting in for them to mount one of their stones that this was a similar situation. And I thought long and hard about what to do before I even sent them an email. But I thought who better to make an ACA look gorgeous but WF themselves? :) I''d figure I''d go straight to the top rather then mess around with dinky local jewelers. *shrug* But besically I am in a bind. It might not have been so bad if the situation wasn''t what it was (3rd ering and hurt feelings). Now I''m just plain exhausted about the whole thing. So yes I will live with an unsquare princess stone unless someone else can recommend a specific jeweler . . .
 
I had a custom setting made by whiteflash. I felt that it didn''t look right. Some of the prongs holding the melee in are a little out and the halo has f-g diamonds while the centre diamond is a J. I sat for a while looking at it and scrutinising every small detail. I even went as far as to complain to Whiteflash about some of the details I wasn''t happy with. Ultimately I realised I was being over sensitive about those details. I think you can drive yourself a bit mad if you look at things too much.

I am happy and grateful for the beautiful ring I have. It may not be 100% perfect but then again neither am I.

I won''t be sending this setting back again. Not unless I choose a different design in the years to come of course!!
 
I don''t think of WF at a jewelry repair shop. I''ve never heard of them working on and repairing settings other than their own. It''s not a service they offer. There are some jewelers that take on repair jobs. You might be able to find a local jeweler who offers repairs and does nice work. The cost of shipping to and from WF plus the new head, plus the labor would start to add up, too.
 
Unfortunately sometimes you get what you pay for. WF''s settings are usually of the highest quality, thus the more expensive price. Sure there are similar settings out there that are significantly cheaper, but often they aren''t as nice for the reasons you are discovering.

I''m so sorry this is happening, it sucks regardless. I also would just sit tight and save up for a new setting at this point OR try to get the original jeweler to let you return the setting. After all, if it still isn''t right it isn''t right.
 
Date: 1/2/2009 6:26:49 PM
Author: swingirl
I don''t think of WF at a jewelry repair shop. I''ve never heard of them working on and repairing settings other than their own. It''s not a service they offer. There are some jewelers that take on repair jobs. You might be able to find a local jeweler who offers repairs and does nice work. The cost of shipping to and from WF plus the new head, plus the labor would start to add up, too.
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Ditto. WF is primarily in the diamond business. They offer some settings for their diamonds, but they would not repair jewelry like a conventional jewelry store does. I think that''s where there is confusion sometimes.
 
Yeah I guess I just didn''t classify this as a repair. I figured a new head is almost a new setting. :) If I wanted to upgrade to a larger stone in this current setting would WF set it? I''d think they would. I could totally understand this if I didn''t just buy the stone from them. To me the issue is trying to do justice to the ACA. Sometimes I feel like people on this board have so much money. There are so many large stones and really fancy settings. I don''t have that kind of money. And I typically like this very classical setting. I''d like to upgrade the stone later, but ideally I just like simple solitaire settings. So spending money on a new setting that is just a duplicate of what I have is hard to swallow. And I hear you about being overly sensitive to details and driving yourself mad. But to me this isn''t a small detail. The stone is suppose to be square. It''s not tilted or angled. . . it looks warped if that is the right word. And ultimately the reason I chose to ask WF (besides some recommendations from this board) is that it''s their stone and ultimately I feel it''s safest in their hands. I love my stone too much to keep risking it. I don''t know how truly fragile princesses are. More fragile relative to rounds of course. But HOW fragile? What percentage of the time do corners chip? What kind of risk am I taking? I''m not sure. Everyone just says they are fragile and break easily. Ultimately I''ve shed too many tears over this stone. Just replying to this post is emotionally draining for me. I''ve been engaged for almost 2 months and I don''t love the ring. I''m out of options at this point. I can only hope when the photographer takes the hand shot at the wedding that the freaking thing looks square!
 
Oh goodness! One thing we always want is for the girl to love the ring! I don't think you are asking too much to have the head straight on your ring. I looked at your other thread and I wasn't sure whether it really was crooked or whether it was the way the ring was tilted in some pictures. I really do think the jeweler who sold the setting is responsible for making it right. Your setting is very pretty! I like plain solitaires, too! And most youngs couple certainly don't have tons of money. A lot of us on here are older and are getting upgrade rings later in life!

Do you have the ring on a separate rider or insurance policy yet? Please don't let anyone touch it unless you have insurance that covers breakage and any other kind of loss. We recommend this for everyone, but stones with sharp corners certainly need to be insured because they can break or chip.
 
I bought insurance on the whole ring from Touchstone.

I don''t want the original jeweler to make it right. I bought the setting from roger''s and hollands. I''ve never even met the jeweler. Typical mall store. She comes and picks stuff up one day and drops it off days later. The salespeople (which I LOVE!) said she was fabulous. But it doesn''t seem to be so. And considering everything I''ve had them do for me I''d really rather not push my luck honestly. If this was a round diamond I''d feel less stressed about who worked on it.

I can''t tell from the pics either what is wrong with the ring. It actually looks fairly good in some of those pics. But in real life. . . not so much. It does at times. Depends on the distance and the lighting I think. Here''s the thing. When I look at my ring on my hand, the botton line of the square is angled. The whole square is not tilted. That would, in all honesty, probably be easier to handle as it would still be a square. But for this ring, when I look at it the top and the two sides are straight, and the bottom is not. It''s an angled line. To top that off - the angle isn''t always the same. Sometimes the left corner is lower, sometimes the right. And if I flip the ring over you would think the top would look off right? Makes sense. But NO! It''s the bottom every time. Never the top. At least for me. I did have a friend that is apparently as anal as I am look at it and he agreed it doesn''t "look" square, but he saw different probs than I did. This is why it is driving me NUTS! I LOVE jewelery. I have a ton (lots of gemstones) of jewelery and have always dreamed of my ering. I really "want" to love it, but I don''t. The sad thing is that the first two ring, which were typical mall stock rings, looked fine - no problem with the squareness. I go off and research and decide I have to have the best diamond I can find. End up with an ACA and it just isn''t right. The friend I had look at it thinks it''s an optical illusion based on the way the light is reflected from the stone. Maybe? I don''t know! I give up.
 
Date: 1/2/2009 8:20:44 PM
Author: hoofbeats95
I bought insurance on the whole ring from Touchstone.
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If you have insurance then you don''t need to worry about the risk of chipping/breaking because it will be covered. And I still think the original jeweler needs to make it right, even if making it right means giving you your money back here. It''s the setting that''s the problem here, they didn''t do it correctly originally and it still isn''t right so they need to make it right.
 
Hoofbeats,
I''ve been watching this whole thing play out, and I totally feel for you.
I can''t really add any more here than has already been said, but I do want to say that you have a totally gorgeous stone and I love that cathedral setting you picked...and I will be keeping my eyes pealed for any future posts here about any progress made regarding the setting.

Kat
 
I''m confused. Are you saying your diamond isn''t cut properly or that the setting is crooked?
 
Date: 1/2/2009 9:15:37 PM
Author: got2goldens
Hoofbeats,
I''ve been watching this whole thing play out, and I totally feel for you.
I can''t really add any more here than has already been said, but I do want to say that you have a totally gorgeous stone and I love that cathedral setting you picked...and I will be keeping my eyes pealed for any future posts here about any progress made regarding the setting.

Kat
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Thanks Kat! It''s been such a stressful process and the disappointment is profound. While I understand the position of WF, I think after all of this I just believed they were the answer to my problem. :)

Maisie - I''m not saying the diamond isn''t cut properly. Though sometimes it seems to reflect more on one side of the diamond. Which may be what makes it look uneven. I honestly don''t know! I''ve exhausted all ideas and I look at this thing multiple times a day trying to decide if I can reliably tell someone what I see. It''s frustrating beyond belief. Very close up the stone looks pretty square. Arm''s length - when you hold your hand out to admire your ring - it looks terrible! What contributes to that? I don''t know. If I knew maybe it would be fixed by now. I don''t know how to explain this any clearer. And I know some of my posts go in circles (I post at work most of the time!) but I have no specific answers.
 
If I was you I would try to save up for a little bit longer, trade your diamond in for a different one with Whiteflash and start again. I don''t think you will be happy with this ring no matter what is done now.

Start again and find something you will truly love.
 
I am sorry that you aren't happy with your ring. I looked at the photos and I know what you mean - I also don't know what is causing it. I think everyone should love their ring and I hope that eventually you can get it right. I have always seen my whole setting as one thing but perhaps it is the type of setting .. there is no way I can replace my head.
 
Date: 1/3/2009 7:49:31 PM
Author: Maisie
If I was you I would try to save up for a little bit longer, trade your diamond in for a different one with Whiteflash and start again. I don''t think you will be happy with this ring no matter what is done now.

Start again and find something you will truly love.
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ditto 110%, I think it is pretty much tainted for you now.
 
Why do you guys think I should get a new diamond?
 
Date: 1/4/2009 9:26:27 AM
Author: hoofbeats95
Why do you guys think I should get a new diamond?
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Personally, because it seems as if you are unsure whether the optical illusion issue is with the stone or setting, and you seem to suspect it could be either/both, no?

Secondly, as mentioned it seems as if the whole ring is kinda "tainted" for you now. You are upset (understandably), and have bad feelings and memories about it. Speaking for myself, I wouldn''t want that for my ering. You should be happy and have fond memories of the purchase.

I would of course only warrant buying a new stone if you got a reset (or a properly done re-work), and you still weren''t happy or encountered the same issues as now.
I can see it in some of your pics, but I can''t tell if its just the photo or not - photos can do funny things
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I do agree with others that the responsibility lies with the jeweller where you bought the ring, as it sounds as if it were faulty from the start.

Of course, if you love your stone to death and all of what I''ve said above is nonsense, pls feel free to ignore, lol !
 
I agree with AJ. You have nothing great to say about this ring. Thats not how you should view your engagement ring. You should be gazing at it all the time and loving it! If you feel that you can''t love it then move on. Its better than living for years with a ring you just aren''t that happy with.
 
If this wasn't ring 3 piled on top of a heap of hurt feelings I'd probably persue it. But as much as my FI wants me to be happy we are both worn out over this ering thing and I think he's had enough. For now the ring is going to have to stay. I do have fond memories of it. Like ripping open the fedex box in my car when I picked up the stone! :) I truly do like the stone. And I'm far from hating the ring. I wish I would know if other people - those people that say "let me see the ring" - can see the not square issue. (is unsquare a word?) Or if it just bothers me cause I'm anal! :) Really I don't feel comfortable having the initial jeweler mess with the setting. Unfortunately that route is not going to be an option. I really wanted to send it to WF but since that isn't an option either for now it's going to have to stay. Maybe I will stumble across a great jeweler in my area and then consider having something done. But unfortunately the one thing this board has done for me is made me scared to death to have my princess "reset" too much - or tweaked - or just plain messed with. I can't get a clear idea of truly how risky that is. And if something bad happened I don't think I could handle it on top of all this mess. As it stands right now WF is the only place I trust with the stone. I could afford to have them assess it. . . I could afford shipping . . . I could afford a new head (and take the risk that it still doesn't look square to me and not have any hard feelings) . . . but I can't afford to have them set it in their similar setting. We are trying to save for our wedding. The cathedral setting there is just too much right now and at any point before the wedding I believe.
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I wish I could justify it I REALLY do. In all honesty if it was the same price as what he paid for the current setting I'd probably suck it up and do it without saying a thing (Is that terrible?). But the WF cathedral is around $800 I believe. *shrug* Thanks for listening everyone. It's good for me to just be able to tell this to people that understand.
 
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