Diamond Wedding Band Setting -- concerned?

[tigerhearted]

Hey everyone! Yesterday we got our wedding bands in from Brilliant Earth! They''re beautiful (photo attached), but I''m wondering whether I should be concerned about the way the diamonds are set in my band.

It''s this band btw. 0.12 total carat weight, F-G VS2-SI1, bead setting. 2mm in width, size 6.25, 18kt yellow gold. $850 in cost.

Pretty much what is going on is:

A. The diamonds set in the marquis shaped settings aren''t consistent in height. In one of the marquis, the diamonds are fairly level with gold rim. In another, both diamonds are below the rim. In the 3rd marquis, the diamonds are not level with each other.

B. The same issue as with the diamonds in the marquis setting -- a couple are level, a couple seem higher than the rim, one seems below, and one seems cock-eyed.

C. A couple of the diamonds in the round setting are actually askew in the setting -- they aren''t centered. Two of the diamonds actually seem to be resting on the milgrain itself, they are so askew.

I''ll attach some more pics, hopefully you can see what I''m talking about.


Thing is that I am such a fine jewelry newbie that I don''t know if this is to be expected from such small diamonds in such a small and delicate setting. Is this normal/acceptable, or should I ask for an exchange?

 

[tigerhearted]

Close-up

 

[tigerhearted]

Another

 

[tigerhearted]

And another. These are shown with the simple milgrain band that we bought for me to wear camping/hiking/etc...activities I wouldn''t want to wear diamonds for lol.

 

[tigerhearted]

Last one!

 

[tigerhearted]

Anyone? Bueller?

 

[IceExplorer]

I''m having a hard time judging the height from the pictures. If you are not happy with it, I''d certainly be making a call. Whatever your level of knowledge, newbie or expert, if you are questioning quality, call them.

Also, your hands could model for rings !!

Good luck.

 

[AprilBaby]

It certainly looks beautiful on your hand!

 

[mrssalvo]

it''s a pretty ring. in a well crafted piece the diamonds will be consistent in their height, and should be centered etc. I would probably exchange it if it were me.

 

[Rockit]

I think you have a very good eye. I see some areas I would be concerned about (most notably the round up against the outside edge of the thin milgrain that you mentioned), especially when considering wear over time.

Don''t hesitate to follow-up with your concerns and questions.

Also, do keep in mind that this style, in general, is quite refined and delicate. It demands more precision for the setting work, more care when being worn, as well as a little more forgiveness in terms of what you can expect in terms of overall durability. The trick is trying to figure out what is fair to expect in terms of quality and durability for this style of ring, and whether you are comfortable living with this level of quality, precision and hardiness.

Perhaps, it would be helpful to visit a nearby B&M jeweler and compare the craftsmanship of your ring to something similar? If not, can you find some uber close-up photos of similar rings online to study?

I am sorry that I do not own this type of band for comparison. I''m sure someone more knowledgeable will chime in.

Your hand shot is lovely.

 

[tigerhearted]

Thanks for the input everyone! (and the ego-boost IceExplorer...I'm self-conscious over my fuzzy fingers, hehe

I went ahead and expressed my concerns to Brilliant Earth's customer service, along with photos, and mentioned I would like to exchange it. Not sure on the response, hmm:

"Thank you also for sending over the images of your Tiara Ring. I can certainly see the slight differences that you mention. As all of our pieces are handmade, it is very typical to see slight variances in how the small diamonds are set. However, we can certainly have you send in your ring to be adjusted, keeping in mind your sensitivity to such variances.

I understand hand-made means slight differences from piece to piece, but I don't think that includes what seems to be sloppy work... (not when it comes to a wedding band anyway!) Also, please correct me if I'm wrong! But aren't all rings of this style hand-made?

Rockit, it took me a while (and a visit to the FAQ!) to figure out what B&M meant! I did track down some photos we took while band shopping at B&M's in the past months, and did not see similar quality issues. I'll attach a couple pics.

This band was a similar price-point as the Brilliant Earth ring, ~$700 iirc.

 

[tigerhearted]

This band is from the same store, slightly higher cost due to a higher total carat weight.

 

[tigerhearted]

This was a different store, and it''s a Beverly K (so of course very nice quality). A half-eternity version would have been about the same cost.