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Setting help - what kind of customer service to expect?

Camus

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 19, 2011
Messages
54
Looking to have a custom setting made and spending around $2,600 on it. Should I expect the vendor to offer decent customer service

1) replace a pave stone that comes loose?
2) Cleaning/polish?
3) Tightening prongs?

What's something that I should expect?

thanks lovely peeps!
 

yssie

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Aug 14, 2009
Messages
25,534
Very much depends on the vendor and their policies, less so on how much the setting winds up costing you (unless it's an extreme case, which this isn't).

Give your vendor a call and ask, that's the best way to find out for sure ::)


I've seen PS vendors & B&Ms offer free or discounted first-time re-sizing, plating/polishing - haven't seen minor repairs like prong-work included, but that doesn't mean some vendors don't offer this service. One thing to keep in mind is that if you buy online and your vendor is across the country it might be more cost-effective to have these things done locally - shipping can add up! That will usually count as 'someone else working on the ring' and will void the warrantees but if you have the ring insured you have all the coverage these warrantees provide and more, so that's not a big worry.
 

Camus

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 19, 2011
Messages
54
Yssie|1295508465|2827443 said:
Very much depends on the vendor and their policies, less so on how much the setting winds up costing you (unless it's an extreme case, which this isn't).

Give your vendor a call and ask, that's the best way to find out for sure ::)

I did, but I guess I'm wondering what to push/look for.

Currently I live in Los Angeles but I'll be moving to to WA w/ my FI. But I will be back home here every few months. I'm trying to decide between a vendor who makes things handmade and does not have a long term warranty plan and a local vendor in WA who can make the same setting for around the same price, but offers a lifetime warranty.

The designer that I like is here in LA but does not offer long term warranty, but will repair things at cost. But what I love about his work is that it's very unique and handmade.

The other vendor in WA would also do a great job, i've seen their work. It would be around the same price as ^^ and also very sweet and easy to work with, but the only thing is that they don't make the setting by hand, only casting/CAD, BUT they do offer a lifetime warranty which I think is really sweet. In an email the co-owner wrote me saying "We have a 30 day return policy or you can switch out the setting. Everything we create you will get a lifetime manufacturing warranty and also free cleanings and inspections. If a side stone is to fall out of the ring we will replace it with no cost to you."

I've also tried to look them up all over the net and have only seen rave reviews. not a single negative review on Yelp or general "name of store + rating/review" search. They have over 80 yelp reviews all 5 stars. same with other similar websites, I don't know where else to dig up info on them.


and yeah I don't even know where to start looking into insurance, is there a PS tutorial on that or should I just bug you? :mrgreen:
 

yssie

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
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Messages
25,534
Camus|1295510194|2827450 said:
I did, but I guess I'm wondering what to push/look for.

Currently I live in Los Angeles but I'll be moving to to WA w/ my FI. But I will be back home here every few months. I'm trying to decide between a vendor who makes things handmade and does not have a long term warranty plan and a local vendor in WA who can make the same setting for around the same price, but offers a lifetime warranty.

The designer that I like is here in LA but does not offer long term warranty, but will repair things at cost. But what I love about his work is that it's very unique and handmade.

The other vendor in WA would also do a great job, i've seen their work. It would be around the same price as ^^ and also very sweet and easy to work with, but the only thing is that they don't make the setting by hand, only casting/CAD, BUT they do offer a lifetime warranty which I think is really sweet. In an email the co-owner wrote me saying "We have a 30 day return policy or you can switch out the setting. Everything we create you will get a lifetime manufacturing warranty and also free cleanings and inspections. If a side stone is to fall out of the ring we will replace it with no cost to you."

I've also tried to look them up all over the net and have only seen rave reviews. not a single negative review on Yelp or general "name of store + rating/review" search. They have over 80 yelp reviews all 5 stars. same with other similar websites, I don't know where else to dig up info on them.


and yeah I don't even know where to start looking into insurance, is there a PS tutorial on that or should I just bug you? :mrgreen:


If handmade vs. cast is important to you then it's important to you! A high-end handmade piece will be finer than a cast piece, generally - less metal showing around and between melee stones, a daintier, more delicate finish. A cast piece is far preferable to a lower-end handmade piece wherein the vendor says "but it's handmade!" to excuse glaring imperfections and asymmetries in details and finish :rolleyes:

Ask what exactly the lifetime warranty covers, and what it is voided by - if you have someone else replate or polish your ring will that void the warranty? What about if someone else tightens your prongs? Resizes your ring? Also ask what the dollar value limit is (or whatever metric they use) on the free sidestone replacements - I very much doubt they will replace a 0.3ct sidestone for free, for example, but 3pointers are fair game.

Does the 30day return policy apply to both stone and setting, and does it apply to custom settings? If there are different policies for custom work, what constitutes custom - resizing? Adding post-cast finishings like milgrain or engraving? What if you choose to have your piece made in a 'specialty metal' - a non-stock plat. alloy, or non-nickel white gold alloy, are return/trade-in policies the same? If you change your mind and decide to have them switch out the setting to a new one (not because there is a problem, you just changed your mind) what fees are associated with this re-set, if any?

Are there certain requirements you must fulfill to keep the warrantees and guarantees valid - inspections every X months/years, etc.?

Insurance - there are some threads floating about. Usually the standalone policies (companies that specialise in jewellery insurance) have more generous terms than riders on homeowners/renters and the like.. I use jeweller's mutual, they're fantastic and very helpful about telling me how to best allocate my money to them ;)) but I've not had to make a claim so I can't give a personal experience on that. They replace w/ like kind and quality but they do allow you to choose your own jeweller, and they cover shipping and setting of loose stones and loss/damage/owner stupidity, all of which were important considerations for me :halo:
 

diamondseeker2006

Super_Ideal_Rock
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58,342
I think a lifetime warranty is almost a moot point unless you have a delicate ring with a lot of pave. If you think you will have lost stones, then it might be good to have a jeweler who would replace these for free. But really, I had my original set for 25 years before I needed anyone to touch them, and at that time I had them sized and prong tips reinforced (white gold). I had diamonds in the wedding band and never had a problem. So really, I would go for the best quality ring I could afford, then have cleaning and minor work done by a jeweler wherever I was, and only send the ring back to the original maker if there is a major problem. Just pay for the rare problems. I would just not even want a design that was prone to losing stones, so you might want to explore that before choosing a design and maker.

If you haven't already, I'd check with Maytal Hannah who is also in CA and see what her policies are.
 

Camus

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 19, 2011
Messages
54
diamondseeker2006|1295530146|2827518 said:
I think a lifetime warranty is almost a moot point unless you have a delicate ring with a lot of pave. If you think you will have lost stones, then it might be good to have a jeweler who would replace these for free. But really, I had my original set for 25 years before I needed anyone to touch them, and at that time I had them sized and prong tips reinforced (white gold). I had diamonds in the wedding band and never had a problem. So really, I would go for the best quality ring I could afford, then have cleaning and minor work done by a jeweler wherever I was, and only send the ring back to the original maker if there is a major problem. Just pay for the rare problems. I would just not even want a design that was prone to losing stones, so you might want to explore that before choosing a design and maker.

If you haven't already, I'd check with Maytal Hannah who is also in CA and see what her policies are.

Thanks Diamondseeker,

Yes, that's my boyfriend and I decided last night. I want the handmade ring. I spoke to the vendor again and he's agreed to fix up little things that come up if they should, but he stands by his work and I feel confidant in his abilities.

my ring will have micropave work throughout the shank so yeah it's something for me to be worried about. I've even read on here that people have had a stone pop out here and there w/ their LM ring... I figure it just bound to happen here and there when it comes to such delicate settings.

I should try contacting Maytal Hannah. I know she does really nice work. Right now I feel real good about the direction I'm going in with this designer, so unless something major changes I think I'm going to stick w/ him.
 

Camus

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 19, 2011
Messages
54
diamondseeker2006|1295530146|2827518 said:
I think a lifetime warranty is almost a moot point unless you have a delicate ring with a lot of pave. If you think you will have lost stones, then it might be good to have a jeweler who would replace these for free. But really, I had my original set for 25 years before I needed anyone to touch them, and at that time I had them sized and prong tips reinforced (white gold). I had diamonds in the wedding band and never had a problem. So really, I would go for the best quality ring I could afford, then have cleaning and minor work done by a jeweler wherever I was, and only send the ring back to the original maker if there is a major problem. Just pay for the rare problems. I would just not even want a design that was prone to losing stones, so you might want to explore that before choosing a design and maker.

If you haven't already, I'd check with Maytal Hannah who is also in CA and see what her policies are.

YSSIE - thank you for those points, really good questions and things for me to consider. Have you always been so detailed about everything? when did you start to learn about jewelry? was it just on this site or were you a connoisseur before? are you in grad school by any chance? lol
 

yssie

Super_Ideal_Rock
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25,534
haha np :)) no, I'm not in grad school ;)) Waiting for DH to finish *his* grad degree and trying to decide what field to choose - can't afford to live out here if both of us are on stipend salaries!
 

Camus

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 19, 2011
Messages
54
Yssie|1295550255|2827852 said:
Waiting for DH to finish *his* grad degree and trying to decide what field to choose - can't afford to live out here if both of us are on stipend salaries!

Story of my life...

but the other way around. he's working while I finish grad school and get my degree in a subject that will most likely never land me a job. haha
 

yssie

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Aug 14, 2009
Messages
25,534
Camus|1295552757|2827918 said:
Yssie|1295550255|2827852 said:
Waiting for DH to finish *his* grad degree and trying to decide what field to choose - can't afford to live out here if both of us are on stipend salaries!

Story of my life...

but the other way around. he's working while I finish grad school and get my degree in a subject that will most likely never land me a job. haha


well at least you'll have a pretty setting to tide you over :halo:
 
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