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#JOTW 2.22ct Colombian emerald & diamond ring (art deco inspired)
Rockinruby
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Re: 2.22ct Colombian emerald & diamond ring (art deco inspir
Thanks everyone for the additional comments. It's definitely a statement ring with lots of finger coverage and I'm loving it paired with red nails -- definitely starting to get in the holiday spirit! Thank you also to Pricescope for the Jewel of the Week! There are so many beautiful jewels on PS that it is an undeserved honor- there are so many other gorgeous bling on here equally worthy of JOTW
Rfisher, thank you for your thoughts. I do agree with most of what you wrote. I guess what I meant was that Pricescope is primarily a consumer forum, and it may be difficult to get a balanced and full picture as vendors have some restrictions on how they are allowed to post and respond. Also, the project spanned such a long period of time and so many ups and downs that I may not have remembered all the little details correctly. However, I agree that sharing some of the experience may help other PSers who are considering working with Yvonne on a custom project, so maybe I will only highlight a few key takeaways that I got from this project. The main lesson for me is to double and triple check all the details and you need to be a strong project manager & remember all the details of the project as Yvonne sometimes forgets.
1. Responsiveness - Yvonne does respond to messages extremely quickly but sometimes communication seems to be misunderstood or details get lost (this may be due to how understaffed Yvonne is, or the non-user-friendly layout of the Etsy convo system).
2. Gems - I would say that if you are a typical very picky PSer, make sure to see the loose gem in person before deciding whether to keep it and make a setting for it. I know this is lesson 101 for colored stones on PS, but for me (an international customer outside of the US), I decided to take a risk as I had bought a few other gems from Yvonne before with success so I decided to trust her eye and have the gem set without my having seen it in person.
Treatment: For more pricey gems and gems that are subject to treatment I would definitely request an AGL report. One thing that came up is that for emeralds, Yvonne (and her usual lab GAL) does not differentiate between traditional and modern oils. This was a lesson for me, as I originally assumed that her description of the gem as "minimal oil" meant only traditional oil (cedarwood or other similar). In fact, it turns out that her lab GAL uses "oil" to include both traditional (cedarwood) and modern (petroleum-based such as baby oil) oiling. AGL on the other hand does distinguish between traditional and modern oils for emeralds. Yvonne and I discussed this and she is considering adding further clarification about the type of oil treatment for her future listings for emeralds. Either way, for me I paid a reasonable price for a beautiful Colombian emerald with insignificant oil (less than minor oil) so I was happy.
Cut: I would make sure that you look carefully at the photos of the loose stones, as sometimes Yvonne's descriptions of gems are a bit vague or misleading.
A) She sometimes confuses the 'shape' and 'cut/facet pattern' of the stone such as thinking princess cut and carre cut stones and regular step cut diamonds were all the same. Yvonne is getting better at providing the correct description of the stones, and you can always look at the stones themselves to make your own identification, so it's not a huge issue, but it's just something to be aware of if you're asking her to source sidestones sight unseen (like I did for my emerald ring where I originally thought of having carre cut).
B) Yvonne described my emerald as having 'no window'. However I realized that what she meant is that there is no window once it's worn on the hand. To most people this would be the same thing, but to a picky PSer like myself, having no window and having a small window that closes up upon setting are 2 different things. Having a small window that closes up in the setting is not "No window" to me. It may be helpful for other PSers to be aware that when Yvonne describes a stone as 'no window' it may actually mean 'no window' or 'a small window that closes up upon setting'.
3. Checking and Finishing and Mailing. Part of this issue is mostly applicable to international customers since I am outside of the US.
--- The first time that Yvonne sent the ring to me in September, she was on a trip to Africa, so her assistant sent it out. When it was sent, it got turned back by USPS / Customs in New York because her assistant had not filled out the proper paperwork. It was then sent out again and reached me successfully, however, after all the stress and hassle of having a valuable ring go back and forth multiple times with USPS, I had to send it back to Yvonne in the US because it turned out that nobody had inspected the ring before it was sent to me...
There was a loose flap of jagged metal still attached to the basket of the center stone, apparently left over from the casting phase, and it was completely & clearly visible to the naked eye, you didn't even need a loupe to see it. I still can't believe nobody checked this expensive ring before it was sent to the customer. I discussed with Yvonne and she planned to implement a system so that no other piece would be sent to her customers without Yvonne having personally inspected the ring first. I hope she can do this, as it will improve the quality of her product and customers' experience greatly.
-- After the ring was fixed, Yvonne then sent the ring back to me in mid November. It again got rejected by USPS / US Customs and then returned back to Yvonne. (After the exact same thing happened before in September!). Finally Yvonne figured out that USPS Priority Mail Int'l didn't allow insurance on items over $2500, so she should have sent it Registered mail instead. The second (or 4th?) time she sent it, it arrived quickly and without issues!
I will say that Yvonne has maintained a pleasant and open attitude throughout this whole project, and once problems were flagged, she put in more than 100% effort to remedy the issue. This, however, requires the customer to be continually alert to possible issues and to immediately point out possible pitfalls or problems. I realize that part of the issue is that I'm an international customer (more troublesome) and also a picky Pricescoper (even more troublesome!! ), so kudos to Yvonne for sticking through this project and for the beautiful end result. I think it was a learning process for both Yvonne and me. I hope this does not come across as an unfairly negative review of my experience, as my objective is to share some facts about my project that I hope would be helpful to other PSers.
Would I use Yvonne again? Her store policies are rock solid and she has great integrity as a seller and an individual. She is a super nice person and very easy to talk to, I like her a lot. The main issue is that she is experiencing growing pains as a business and as such things may slip through the cracks easily. I would definitely be a little more cautious and ask more questions until I'm sure she has the bandwidth to cope with another large/expensive custom project. I would be happy to buy loose stones and semi-custom / stock settings from her.
To sum up, I do not regret undertaking this emerald ring project with Yvonne, even though it took more time and effort than I had imagined, as the final result is a stunning ring!
Thanks everyone for the additional comments. It's definitely a statement ring with lots of finger coverage and I'm loving it paired with red nails -- definitely starting to get in the holiday spirit! Thank you also to Pricescope for the Jewel of the Week! There are so many beautiful jewels on PS that it is an undeserved honor- there are so many other gorgeous bling on here equally worthy of JOTW
Rfisher, thank you for your thoughts. I do agree with most of what you wrote. I guess what I meant was that Pricescope is primarily a consumer forum, and it may be difficult to get a balanced and full picture as vendors have some restrictions on how they are allowed to post and respond. Also, the project spanned such a long period of time and so many ups and downs that I may not have remembered all the little details correctly. However, I agree that sharing some of the experience may help other PSers who are considering working with Yvonne on a custom project, so maybe I will only highlight a few key takeaways that I got from this project. The main lesson for me is to double and triple check all the details and you need to be a strong project manager & remember all the details of the project as Yvonne sometimes forgets.
1. Responsiveness - Yvonne does respond to messages extremely quickly but sometimes communication seems to be misunderstood or details get lost (this may be due to how understaffed Yvonne is, or the non-user-friendly layout of the Etsy convo system).
2. Gems - I would say that if you are a typical very picky PSer, make sure to see the loose gem in person before deciding whether to keep it and make a setting for it. I know this is lesson 101 for colored stones on PS, but for me (an international customer outside of the US), I decided to take a risk as I had bought a few other gems from Yvonne before with success so I decided to trust her eye and have the gem set without my having seen it in person.
Treatment: For more pricey gems and gems that are subject to treatment I would definitely request an AGL report. One thing that came up is that for emeralds, Yvonne (and her usual lab GAL) does not differentiate between traditional and modern oils. This was a lesson for me, as I originally assumed that her description of the gem as "minimal oil" meant only traditional oil (cedarwood or other similar). In fact, it turns out that her lab GAL uses "oil" to include both traditional (cedarwood) and modern (petroleum-based such as baby oil) oiling. AGL on the other hand does distinguish between traditional and modern oils for emeralds. Yvonne and I discussed this and she is considering adding further clarification about the type of oil treatment for her future listings for emeralds. Either way, for me I paid a reasonable price for a beautiful Colombian emerald with insignificant oil (less than minor oil) so I was happy.
Cut: I would make sure that you look carefully at the photos of the loose stones, as sometimes Yvonne's descriptions of gems are a bit vague or misleading.
A) She sometimes confuses the 'shape' and 'cut/facet pattern' of the stone such as thinking princess cut and carre cut stones and regular step cut diamonds were all the same. Yvonne is getting better at providing the correct description of the stones, and you can always look at the stones themselves to make your own identification, so it's not a huge issue, but it's just something to be aware of if you're asking her to source sidestones sight unseen (like I did for my emerald ring where I originally thought of having carre cut).
B) Yvonne described my emerald as having 'no window'. However I realized that what she meant is that there is no window once it's worn on the hand. To most people this would be the same thing, but to a picky PSer like myself, having no window and having a small window that closes up upon setting are 2 different things. Having a small window that closes up in the setting is not "No window" to me. It may be helpful for other PSers to be aware that when Yvonne describes a stone as 'no window' it may actually mean 'no window' or 'a small window that closes up upon setting'.
3. Checking and Finishing and Mailing. Part of this issue is mostly applicable to international customers since I am outside of the US.
--- The first time that Yvonne sent the ring to me in September, she was on a trip to Africa, so her assistant sent it out. When it was sent, it got turned back by USPS / Customs in New York because her assistant had not filled out the proper paperwork. It was then sent out again and reached me successfully, however, after all the stress and hassle of having a valuable ring go back and forth multiple times with USPS, I had to send it back to Yvonne in the US because it turned out that nobody had inspected the ring before it was sent to me...
There was a loose flap of jagged metal still attached to the basket of the center stone, apparently left over from the casting phase, and it was completely & clearly visible to the naked eye, you didn't even need a loupe to see it. I still can't believe nobody checked this expensive ring before it was sent to the customer. I discussed with Yvonne and she planned to implement a system so that no other piece would be sent to her customers without Yvonne having personally inspected the ring first. I hope she can do this, as it will improve the quality of her product and customers' experience greatly. -- After the ring was fixed, Yvonne then sent the ring back to me in mid November. It again got rejected by USPS / US Customs and then returned back to Yvonne. (After the exact same thing happened before in September!). Finally Yvonne figured out that USPS Priority Mail Int'l didn't allow insurance on items over $2500, so she should have sent it Registered mail instead. The second (or 4th?) time she sent it, it arrived quickly and without issues!
I will say that Yvonne has maintained a pleasant and open attitude throughout this whole project, and once problems were flagged, she put in more than 100% effort to remedy the issue. This, however, requires the customer to be continually alert to possible issues and to immediately point out possible pitfalls or problems. I realize that part of the issue is that I'm an international customer (more troublesome) and also a picky Pricescoper (even more troublesome!!
), so kudos to Yvonne for sticking through this project and for the beautiful end result. I think it was a learning process for both Yvonne and me. I hope this does not come across as an unfairly negative review of my experience, as my objective is to share some facts about my project that I hope would be helpful to other PSers. Would I use Yvonne again? Her store policies are rock solid and she has great integrity as a seller and an individual. She is a super nice person and very easy to talk to, I like her a lot.
The main issue is that she is experiencing growing pains as a business and as such things may slip through the cracks easily. I would definitely be a little more cautious and ask more questions until I'm sure she has the bandwidth to cope with another large/expensive custom project. I would be happy to buy loose stones and semi-custom / stock settings from her. To sum up, I do not regret undertaking this emerald ring project with Yvonne, even though it took more time and effort than I had imagined, as the final result is a stunning ring!
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Re: 2.22ct Colombian emerald & diamond ring (art deco inspir
Thank you mochiko42 for the reply and additional info.
I truly appreciate your thoughtful and eloquently written recap.
This is extremely selfish for me to say but true; reading your words has given me needed closure.
This encompasses so much more than previous accurate existing reviews of "direct/blunt style of speak" and "bends over backwards to please customer" others have wrote.
I could have dealt on the ball, had I an understanding like this beforehand.
Once again, your ring is extremely lovely. It belongs in the iconic thread. Wear it in good health and happiness. It truly deserves the jewel of the week status.
Thank you mochiko42 for the reply and additional info.
I truly appreciate your thoughtful and eloquently written recap.
This is extremely selfish for me to say but true; reading your words has given me needed closure.
This encompasses so much more than previous accurate existing reviews of "direct/blunt style of speak" and "bends over backwards to please customer" others have wrote.
I could have dealt on the ball, had I an understanding like this beforehand.
Once again, your ring is extremely lovely. It belongs in the iconic thread. Wear it in good health and happiness. It truly deserves the jewel of the week status.
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Re: 2.22ct Colombian emerald & diamond ring (art deco inspir
Thanks missy. My two kitties are completely obnoxious! Whenever I try to take photos of my bling they come and plop themselves down in the middle of my photo......it's as if they're shocked when they aren't the center of attention
missy|1479997648|4102240 said:Mochiko! WOW! I LOVE your ring and pendant!
Love your sweet kitty too! Hahaha they do enjoy getting into the action don't they?
Thanks missy. My two kitties are completely obnoxious! Whenever I try to take photos of my bling they come and plop themselves down in the middle of my photo......it's as if they're shocked when they aren't the center of attention
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Your ring is beautiful @mochiko42! May you enjoy wearing it in gd health! Congratulations on the Jewel of the Week too! It's truly an elegant classic!
Thank you for the honest and educational review too. I personally learnt a lot. I am just wondering - and only if you don't mind sharing - how much did the emerald itself cost you? I am currently in the midst of purchasing a 2.16 Columbian oval (from another vendor). I'm new to emerald purchase and it's been so tricky to pick up emeralds in particular. And I, too, am an overseas buyer and am asking for GIA certification (will not be refunded) before seeing it with my own eyes, so I've been concerned about the purchase, for all the same reasons you faced. Should I be getting an AGL certification instead? The main reason why I settled for GIA is because it seems to be more highly-regarded in my country and would sort of help me, in the event I need to re-sell it. Having said that, I do understand gems are not meant to be profitable investments. It's just more of a safeguard for my personal situation in my country.
Thank you for the honest and educational review too. I personally learnt a lot. I am just wondering - and only if you don't mind sharing - how much did the emerald itself cost you? I am currently in the midst of purchasing a 2.16 Columbian oval (from another vendor). I'm new to emerald purchase and it's been so tricky to pick up emeralds in particular. And I, too, am an overseas buyer and am asking for GIA certification (will not be refunded) before seeing it with my own eyes, so I've been concerned about the purchase, for all the same reasons you faced. Should I be getting an AGL certification instead? The main reason why I settled for GIA is because it seems to be more highly-regarded in my country and would sort of help me, in the event I need to re-sell it. Having said that, I do understand gems are not meant to be profitable investments. It's just more of a safeguard for my personal situation in my country.
Maisie
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Mochiko, your ring is absolutely beautiful. I love everything about it!
I too am glad you posted this review. I know it’s not always easy to do this, especially when you have formed a friendship with the vendor. It almost feels like you are so pleased with the completed piece that it was worth all the difficulty of getting there. I personally don’t think I could work with Yvonne after reading this. I’m just not as switched on as you and I feel like I might end up incredibly stressed with a process like yours.
That said, your ring is stunning and I hope you wear it in the best of health and happiness!
I too am glad you posted this review. I know it’s not always easy to do this, especially when you have formed a friendship with the vendor. It almost feels like you are so pleased with the completed piece that it was worth all the difficulty of getting there. I personally don’t think I could work with Yvonne after reading this. I’m just not as switched on as you and I feel like I might end up incredibly stressed with a process like yours.
That said, your ring is stunning and I hope you wear it in the best of health and happiness!
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@mochiko42 so glad this thread was bumped up again because I LOVE everything about this spectacular ring. It is blingalicous and greenalicious and just stunningly delicious!
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Re: 2.22ct Colombian emerald & diamond ring (art deco inspir
Thanks missy. My two kitties are completely obnoxious! Whenever I try to take photos of my bling they come and plop themselves down in the middle of my photo......it's as if they're shocked when they aren't the center of attention
Hahaha, wait, aren't they? I know my kitties certainly think they are.
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