Buying loose diamond and setting separately

[AlliBaba]

Hi,

I''d like some advice on how to buy my loose stone and setting from two separate online vendors (and get them put together, of course!).

I''ll be buying my stone from Whiteflash, and the setting from Blue Nile. So, Whiteflash sends the diamond to the appraiser, then I get it, then... will I be sending the stone to Blue Nile to put in the setting, or will I be getting the setting shipped to me, too, and asking a local jeweler to actually set the stone?

Has anyone been in a similar situation?

Advice is GREATLY appreciated.

 

[TravelingGal]

Here''s how I am doing it:

Diamond from Whiteflash. They sent it to appraiser. We looked at it, and I decided to keep it. Appraiser is sending diamond back to WF.

Setting is coming from Robbins Jewelers in Philly. They have to send the setting to me, per their rules. I will try on the setting, make sure it''s fine, then ship it to WF for the diamond setting. They will ship me back the final product.

 

[jaz464]

I bought my setting from WF but the diamond from a different online vendor. WF set my diamond. I don''t know Blue Nile''s policies, but WF will take full responsibility for your diamond while they are setting it. So in the unlikely event that anything were to happen to your stone, they would replace it, one way or another. I don''t know if BN does this or not but it is very important. Since it it WF''s diamond, I would tend to say have them set it. Some vendors will not insure diamonds that are not theirs, so you must ask. I would have the diamond shipped from WF to an appraiser. Then I would have the appraiser send it back to WF to be set. Have BN send the setting to WF.

However, is the setting a complicated one? Is it custom? This would obviously change things.

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 4/11/2006 12:44:17 PM
Author:AlliBaba


I''ll be buying my stone from Whiteflash, and the setting from Blue Nile.

I didn''t know Bluenile sold their settings seperately. I have heard others have tried and they wouldn''t do it

anyway, I would have the person your purchasing the stone from set it. Many places won''t set a stone you didn''t buy from them because they don''t want the responsibility if something happens to the stone.

 

[lil_jay78]

I am actually in the process of doing the same exact thing. I purchased a loose stone from WF and had it verified by a local appraisor just last night.

My friend recommended a local platinum smith to me to take my stone for it''s setting and even my appraisor recommended a guy that has done a lot of good work in the past. I plan on calling both of them and seeing what they can do for me. It is important to make sure they will cover your diamond should anything happen while it is in their possession. If I find that I do not feel comfortable with the local smiths or that they do NOT cover the diamond, I may just have it sent back to WF for the setting.

I have not really looked into purchasing the setting from a different online vendor and having them put together, but I remember seeing different policies on settings with different vendors, because places like WF, I think will only set their own stones.

Just make sure you''re dealing with someone who will take full responsibility for your stone!

 

[jaz464]

Date: 4/11/2006 1:18:08 PM
Author: lil_jay78
I am actually in the process of doing the same exact thing. I purchased a loose stone from WF and had it verified by a local appraisor just last night.

My friend recommended a local platinum smith to me to take my stone for it''s setting and even my appraisor recommended a guy that has done a lot of good work in the past. I plan on calling both of them and seeing what they can do for me. It is important to make sure they will cover your diamond should anything happen while it is in their possession. If I find that I do not feel comfortable with the local smiths or that they do NOT cover the diamond, I may just have it sent back to WF for the setting.

I have not really looked into purchasing the setting from a different online vendor and having them put together, but I remember seeing different policies on settings with different vendors, because places like WF, I think will only set their own stones.

Just make sure you''re dealing with someone who will take full responsibility for your stone!

That is not true. As I mentioned above, WF set my diamond and I bought it from a different online vendor.

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 4/11/2006 1:20:18 PM
Author: jazmine

Date: 4/11/2006 1:18:08 PM

Author: lil_jay78

I am actually in the process of doing the same exact thing. I purchased a loose stone from WF and had it verified by a local appraisor just last night.


My friend recommended a local platinum smith to me to take my stone for it''s setting and even my appraisor recommended a guy that has done a lot of good work in the past. I plan on calling both of them and seeing what they can do for me. It is important to make sure they will cover your diamond should anything happen while it is in their possession. If I find that I do not feel comfortable with the local smiths or that they do NOT cover the diamond, I may just have it sent back to WF for the setting.


I have not really looked into purchasing the setting from a different online vendor and having them put together, but I remember seeing different policies on settings with different vendors, because places like WF, I think will only set their own stones.


Just make sure you''re dealing with someone who will take full responsibility for your stone!

That is not true. As I mentioned above, WF set my diamond and I bought it from a different online vendor.

When I spoke with Wf last year about purchasing a new custom setting from them and using my current stone, they had no problem doing it.

 

[AlliBaba]

Whew, you guys are fast

I''ll have to check out Blue Nile''s policy on selling settings separately. Otherwise, I know a local jeweler who works with platinum who may be able to design something similar for me and send it to WF with the diamond to set it.

Thanks a bunch! If anyone has more advice, please keep it coming.

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 4/11/2006 1:25:51 PM
Author: AlliBaba
I''ll have to check out Blue Nile''s policy on selling settings separately. Otherwise, I know a local jeweler who works with platinum who may be able to design something similar for me and send it to WF with the diamond to set it.

Please let us know what you find out from Bluenile. Most of their settings are pretty standard, does WF not have something just as appealing? It just seems easier to me to get the stone and setting from the same place if possible

 

[jasontb]

I bought as GOG diamond and will send it to Excel to be set in one of their rings. But if the setting isn''t custom and there aren''t any warranty implications to having the stone set elsewhere, I''d prefer to have it done locally.

 

[lil_jay78]

Date: 4/11/2006 1:20:18 PM
Author: jazmine

Date: 4/11/2006 1:18:08 PM

Author: lil_jay78

I am actually in the process of doing the same exact thing. I purchased a loose stone from WF and had it verified by a local appraisor just last night.


My friend recommended a local platinum smith to me to take my stone for it''s setting and even my appraisor recommended a guy that has done a lot of good work in the past. I plan on calling both of them and seeing what they can do for me. It is important to make sure they will cover your diamond should anything happen while it is in their possession. If I find that I do not feel comfortable with the local smiths or that they do NOT cover the diamond, I may just have it sent back to WF for the setting.


I have not really looked into purchasing the setting from a different online vendor and having them put together, but I remember seeing different policies on settings with different vendors, because places like WF, I think will only set their own stones.


Just make sure you''re dealing with someone who will take full responsibility for your stone!

That is not true. As I mentioned above, WF set my diamond and I bought it from a different online vendor.

Oops...sorry for misleading you!

You''re right Jaz...I don''t know where I got that information from, he he he. My bad.

 

[Angel D]

Hi,
my best advice to you is first make sure that they make your setting according to the size of the diamond that you ordered (for example if you bought a 1.00 carat stone make sure they put a top on your setting for a 1.00 carat).
Another thing you have to do is find out if the place you purchased the setting would set the diamond for you because in most places they don''t take responsibility if an external jeweler touches your ring

 

[AChiOAlumna]

I did this, but not using any online dealers. I bought the setting from one dealer and then the stone from another. I left the setting with the "stone" dealer and they resized the setting and mounted the stone for me. I felt better leaving the setting with the "stone" dealer than bringing the stone to the "setting" dealer as the stone is worth MUCH more than the setting.

 

[tracys126]

Woah! You can do it this way? Fantastic info!

Tracy

 

[AlliBaba]

BN does NOT sell their settings separately

. Grrrr. A big THANK YOU goes out to mrssalvo for the heads-up!

Unfortunately, I am not crazy about any of WFs settings (they''re lovely- just not what I''m looking for). I don''t think it should be too hard for my local guy to replicate, even though it''s not exactly his style (he''s really modern). I might even ask him to reduce the appearance of the bars in between the side stones on the ring. Not sure how that would look. Has anyone seen anything similar, without such prominent bars?

Here''s a link to the BN set. Bling bling.

http://www.bluenile.com/product_details.asp?track=cs1&oid=4085&parent_oid=543