Custom engagement ring with colored stone

[Melvis]

Greetings! I've been lurking around the forums for the past few days and decided to bite the bullet. You guys seem to have an amazing wealth of knowledge, I just can't ignore. My boyfriend and I have recently went ring shopping to begin to get ideas. My dream ring was always going to have colored accents. I'm a may baby, so naturally I get drawn to emeralds.

While looking at green stone engagement rings.. I came across the Kirk Kara Dhalia Tsavorite ring. My first encounter with Tsavorite and I was SOLD. I've compared tsavs vs emeralds and have found that what I really want as my green stone accents is Tsavorite and not emerald ( I feel like Im cheating on my emeralds a little). lol. I have since searched all over for different green stones and durability, Tsavorite seems to keep coming out on top for "sparkle" and clarity.

So.. the ring... please dont laugh.. I've tried looking at custom designs and so many places online..but the one I keep getting drawn back to is a Neil Lane design from kays/Jareds. I know.. some would compare buying from a branded chain like buying a DSLR camera from walmart... Are there any pros/cons to going with them? I know they would provide full warrnaty...Should I allow them to find and set the tsavorite or should I purchase my own stones to guarantee Im getting the right color Tsavorite (Tanzanian vs Kenyan) that I want?

I just recently found out that if you buy any of his "finished" rings the diamonds are not certified (you can send of for certification but your stuck with what ever diamond you have in there). The ring I am wanting is the Marquis vintage look... http://www.kay.com/en/kaystore/diamonds---gemstones/diamond-bridal-set-7-8-ct-tw-marquise-cut-14k-white-gold/100020/100020.100023.100051

at Jareds, you can choose your own diamond meaning you can go with a certified diamond (double the price) or select one of their uncertifieds (about half the price of cert's) and have it sent off (again at my own cost).

Side stones would be customized to Tsavorite in a two to one pattern (Two tsavs then one diamond). Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[chrono]

How big will the accent stones be? If small, it is often much easier for the vendor to source them (to match up size and colour). Don't sweat the origin because it doesn't matter all that much for tsavorites. What I would question though is the quality of the tsavorites provided as I've not seen any in such stores other than synthetic stones.

As for the center stone, I would not purchase from any mall chain as the quality is pathetic. Their grading on colour and clarity is far lower than stated if compared to GIA's standard and the cut is often poor aka no sparkle outside of jewellery store lights. There is good reason why their diamonds without GIA memos cost half the price. I also put very little stock in IGI and other such labs. Read the warranty carefully and you'll see many strings attached. Are you prepared to do them all? Should you miss one just once and they are off scott-free.

 

[Lula]

My advice is that you start a thread over in the RockyTalky forum about the pros and cons of buying this ring from Kays/Jareds versus working with one of the online diamond vendors recommended on that forum. My gut feeling is that the Neil Lane ring will be overpricedd and poor quality. The design is not unique and could be recreated by any competent bench. You absolutely want to be able to choose your own center stone, and it should be a GIA graded stone. As Chrono notes, most of the vendors recommended on this site can source high-quality tsavorites for your ring. Two vendors that I believe could make that ring are Wink Jones from High Performance Diamonds and Brian Gavin from BGD. Whiteflash could also make that ring, but their prices for custom jewelry seem to be a bit higher. You can find their contact information under the Resources tab.

Again, the folks in Rocky Talky will help you find the best diamonds and vendors for your project within your budget.

 

[minousbijoux]

My advice is that you start a thread over in the RockyTalky forum about the pros and cons of buying this ring from Kays/Jareds versus working with one of the online diamond vendors recommended on that forum. My gut feeling is that the Neil Lane ring will be overpricedd and poor quality. The design is not unique and could be recreated by any competent bench. You absolutely want to be able to choose your own center stone, and it should be a GIA graded stone. As Chrono notes, most of the vendors recommended on this site can source high-quality tsavorites for your ring.

Again, the folks in Rocky Talky will help you find the best diamonds and vendors for your project within your budget.

This. If you are comfortable playing a more active role, you could walk away with potentially a much higher quality ring having saved money in the process.

 

[LD]

I agree with all of the above.

If you need help with a coloured stone (rather than melee for example) or design ideas or having something made from scratch we're probably the people to help but for diamonds and reputable diamond vendors you're much better off in Rocky Talky. The guys over there have an unrivalled knowledge about diamonds and can assess them with their eyes shut! If you're happy with something that's not too perfect also make sure you tell them that. They'll definitely make sure you get the deal for your money! Good luck.

 

[Melvis]

Thank you for all the advice.

I've started a similar topic in rocky talk. I've emailed wink and brian consultants for quotes for custom design. Im sure something will pop up, I do like the design features I've chosen so far so we'll see if I can get a better diamond than something the store can provide and stay within our budget. If not.. then I may just have to go wtih what I can and upgrade the diamond later. Thanks for the input. Cant wait to see it and have it with the Tsavorite as my accents (hopefully bigger than melee) lol

 

[Lula]

Thank you for all the advice.

I've started a similar topic in rocky talk. I've emailed wink and brian consultants for quotes for custom design. Im sure something will pop up, I do like the design features I've chosen so far so we'll see if I can get a better diamond than something the store can provide and stay within our budget. If not.. then I may just have to go wtih what I can and upgrade the diamond later. Thanks for the input. Cant wait to see it and have it with the Tsavorite as my accents (hopefully bigger than melee) lol

Great -- I'm sure those vendors can work with you on some better quality options. It's a pretty ring design and for the money, you should be getting better quality diamonds than SI2 and I1 clarity. I also read the comments on the website for the ring -- one woman said the ring fell apart after wearing it for only a short time.

 

[Melvis]

Ive read those same reviews. Typically those situations are if the ring is sized more than one size. Not sure if its a whole size or just half a size in either direction. So they do recommend ordering the ring in the exact size needed so that there is less chance of that occurring. *crossing fingers for something that can hopefully work as a custom piece

 

[chrono]

Typically those situations are if the ring is sized more than one size. Not sure if its a whole size or just half a size in either direction.

The diamonds do not go around the entire shank and there is no pave. This ring design, if well made, should be easily sizeable by 1 size up or down without stones falling out or the ring falling apart. It is a sign of poor workmanship if that happens.

 

[minousbijoux]

Are you open to working with another jeweler, or is your heart set on Jared?

 

[Melvis]

My heart is set on the design.. Not necessarily Jared. Though I may have to if it comes down to budget. If a custom jeweler can come very close to the same price point (bf is trying to stay closer to the lower end of our budget but willing if need be to expand to our higher end) then I dont mind working with a custom Jeweler. What Im seeing so far is that we would need to do a CAD which does cost some..not much.. but definitely not something in the finances this exact moment...(understandably-not trying to get something for free) but to me, if I do put money down on a cad with one vs another..that feels like Im in good faith going to go with a specific one before Im provided any sort of decent quote.

I have emailed some of the ones mentioned here and in rocky talk to open the conversation. Open to any suggestions you may be inferring to with your question..

 

[minousbijoux]

My heart is set on the design.. Not necessarily Jared. Though I may have to if it comes down to budget. If a custom jeweler can come very close to the same price point (bf is trying to stay closer to the lower end of our budget but willing if need be to expand to our higher end) then I dont mind working with a custom Jeweler. What Im seeing so far is that we would need to do a CAD which does cost some..not much.. but definitely not something in the finances this exact moment...(understandably-not trying to get something for free) but to me, if I do put money down on a cad with one vs another..that feels like Im in good faith going to go with a specific one before Im provided any sort of decent quote.

I have emailed some of the ones mentioned here and in rocky talk to open the conversation. Open to any suggestions you may be inferring to with your question..

Got it! No, it was an innocent question. I just got the sense from your last post that maybe you really did have your heart set on them, that's all. You know, I have never gone through the custom process so have no idea of how it works, what you have to pay for, and when you are fully committed to them. I agree that I certainly would not want to shell out for a CAD before I even had a ballpark estimate of cost provided. That would be tough.

 

[Lula]

My heart is set on the design.. Not necessarily Jared. Though I may have to if it comes down to budget. If a custom jeweler can come very close to the same price point (bf is trying to stay closer to the lower end of our budget but willing if need be to expand to our higher end) then I dont mind working with a custom Jeweler. What Im seeing so far is that we would need to do a CAD which does cost some..not much.. but definitely not something in the finances this exact moment...(understandably-not trying to get something for free) but to me, if I do put money down on a cad with one vs another..that feels like Im in good faith going to go with a specific one before Im provided any sort of decent quote.

I have emailed some of the ones mentioned here and in rocky talk to open the conversation. Open to any suggestions you may be inferring to with your question..

Yes, a charge for CAD upfront is typical for most of the custom jewelers recommended on PS. It was explained to me that the quote for the custom job can't be completed without a CAD, and most PS vendors have to pay their CAD designers up front for the CAD. So that's where the charge to the customer comes in.

I thought of another designer that is well-respected on here -- Michael E. from The Gem Shoppe. http://www.gemshoppe.com I'm not sure if he charges for CAD or not.

I truly hope that the custom route works for you and your bf. It is a bit more time-consuming, and there's the element of delayed gratification (you can't just walk in, buy the ring and walk out with it on your finger), but the ring you are looking at costs a fair amount of money, and the quality of the diamonds they use is atrocious, to be blunt. I don't mean to be rude, but as a conservative Midwesterner, I really hate to see people being ripped off by these chain store jewelry companies that prey on uneducated consumers. They really count on consumers not doing their research!

That said, if you do decide to go ahead with purchasing the ring from Kay's/Jared's, I at least feel like you will know exactly what it is you are buying -- and educating consumers is what we're all about here. It's your decision and you money in the end.

 

[chrono]

A word of caution - if you want to compare apples to apples, you'll have to inform the vendors you are getting quotes from to use J/K coloured and I3 clarity diamond melees because that is what is commonly used in settings from places like Jared's.

 

[Melvis]

Im not mad or upset about the charge for the CAD, I totally understand the reasoning for the charges.. it was something that, having never done custom jewelry before, I had expected. I've seen several cad designs on here (rocky talk) from the same vendors I've contacted and havent heard one bad thing about any of them and they will and do work with you to make sure you get what you want.

I guess Im a girl who likes to see options before commitment to a large purchase (even though its not my money lol). and I definitely dont have it within my own budget to have multiple cad drawings created secretly so that I can choose the best and then simply hand my Bf the right cad and say call them.. they know all about it.. just sign a check.. LOL. Im in no rush whatsoever, this is a huge purchase and I think its smart to take time and not make it an emotional purchase.. We do have quite a bit of time to work through all this, so Im not in any hurry to put it on my finger. I simply like my research to have a better idea of the quality and pricing to make sure he is getting the best value for his money. I can't wait to be able to share a cad

 

[Lula]

Im not mad or upset about the charge for the CAD, I totally understand the reasoning for the charges.. it was something that, having never done custom jewelry before, I had expected. I've seen several cad designs on here (rocky talk) from the same vendors I've contacted and havent heard one bad thing about any of them and they will and do work with you to make sure you get what you want.

I guess Im a girl who likes to see options before commitment to a large purchase (even though its not my money lol). and I definitely dont have it within my own budget to have multiple cad drawings created secretly so that I can choose the best and then simply hand my Bf the right cad and say call them.. they know all about it.. just sign a check.. LOL. Im in no rush whatsoever, this is a huge purchase and I think its smart to take time and not make it an emotional purchase.. We do have quite a bit of time to work through all this, so Im not in any hurry to put it on my finger. I simply like my research to have a better idea of the quality and pricing to make sure he is getting the best value for his money. I can't wait to be able to share a cad

Sound like you're going about this in the right way. Looking forward to seeing your CAD.

 

[LD]

Just a thought but why not try Sally at Heart of Water? Many of us have used her and I know she can source diamonds also. I don't think she does CADs though BUT she can replicate designs. She does like to make minor tweaks rather than fully replicate (which is understandable). Drop her an email via Etsy. She's great to work with - do a search for her on this part of the forum and you'll find some rave reviews!

Here's a photo of a pendant she made for me using my design and my diamonds.

 

[minousbijoux]

Excellent solution! Melvis, if you'd like you may want to search around here for Hearts of Water, or Sally, pieces. There have been many made my PS members over the years and the majority of them are truly eye-catching, especially her bespoke pieces.