diamonds from one vendor, setting from another?

[Ice_newbie]

I am considering buying stones from one vendor (JA, because of the PS and wire discount, good customer service, return and upgrade policy), but having the setting done by another (because I don't really like the JA settings). How would this work in practice? Has anyone done this? I would prefer to find a single vendor for the whole project - do any of the other PS approved vendors have policies competitive with JA?

 

[04diamond<3]

It's pretty common. The vendor would just send the stone to the other vendor to have it set. Have you checked out Good Old Gold or Brain Gavin Diamonds? Whiteflash and ID Jewelry are also good. They're all vendors on here. IDJ will work with your budget and find you the best they have.

 

[orbaya]

Which vendor do you want to work with for the setting? Pretty much all of the "big hitters' here on PS have the same critera (good customer service, upgrades, etc). Working with two different vendors is done, but it's typically recommended to create the entire piece through one place if possible.

 

[leeac]

I just recently did something similar (but not exactly) - I purchased the loose stone online and had it set at a local brick and mortar jeweler. This allowed me to work directly with a jeweler on details of the ring, CAD renderings, stop by to see progress, see the setting in a semi-finished condition, and approve the ring before I accepted it. I'm sure an online jeweler could provide comparable services, but being able to see the work in progress in person was important to me.

These were the steps I went through, probably a little overkill, but it worked for me.

1. Select/design setting locally
2. Research, select and order stone online
3. After stone was received, I brought it to a local gemologist who independently matched the stone dimensions and laser inscription to the cert (to confirm it was the correct stone).
4. When the setting was ready, I dropped off the stone with the local jeweler, who scoped the stone with me and confirmed the laser certification and any noticeable inclusions and included them on the receipt for me before sending the stone to be set.
5. I was able to pick up the ring later the same day. As I was picking up the ring, we scoped the stone again to confirm the laser cert and inclusions.

Another advantage of a local setting is that we can stop by whenever we want for a free cleaning, and once every 6 months for a complete checkup to make sure the center and side diamonds are tight.

Also, if you're having your stone pass between different vendors and out of your sight, don't be bashful about asking them to verify laser inscriptions and inclusions with you. Also, ask that they don't cover up the laser inscription with a prong (the inscriptions are tiny!)

Hope this helps!