DK/BGD Custom Setting...The Home Stretch

[sledge]

Looking at the comparisons above, I would say my eyes like the plat900/IR combo the best. It appears more white & shiny. This is from a purely aesthetics standpoint. What do you all think?

If you can swing BGD's price quote, I'd do it all together with them. I like a one stop shop.

I haven't ruled them out, and would also prefer this for pure ease.

I have sent info back to Lesley and waiting on a final number. She quoted me a price on an alternate setting that was "comparable" and it was more than DK's price to replicate the ring I know my girl loves. At this point, I'm not interested in alternates -- the journey has been too tough & long to get to this point to botch it up over an alternate. In the initial emails, Lesley included a note saying a true custom would be considerably more than the alternate but never said exact dollars, which is why I've requested that info.

Another option is to propose with the diamond in a simple solitaire. Then you can work together on the cads for the forever setting and that could be presented on an anniversary.

BGD offered to do this for me. Unfortunately I think this creates a headache of other sorts for me. My girl really tries to be flexible and go with the flow, which can be very frustrating when trying to nail down an exact thing she wants. I think at this point I have enough information that I can make a few minor modifications and be okay.

David's wg/pal mix is not plated. His white gold option isn't going to seem considerably less because it is a wg/pal alloy instead of the typical wg/nickel alloy and palladium costs more. When he recommends using white gold for small prongs it is with the knowledge that there is palladium in the alloy.

Thank you for confirming this. I guess my only thoughts is this seems to be the least shiny of all the materials. It's definitely more dull & grey than the inspiration piece from Jared's. And while my girl will never say anything to me about it, I think she will always feel like she got "less" with the custom because she preferred the shiny white look of a traditional WG mix.

 

[blueMA]

I think she will always feel like she got "less" with the custom because she preferred the shiny white look of a traditional WG mix.

All she saw was the shiny white look of the rhodium plating, and any and all metal plated including silver will have the same look. I agree that some platinum settings out there look like gun metal grey and not very appealing (probably what she saw), and it really depends on the quality of the metal composition - some will look whiter and some will look more dull.

 

[mrsgreeneyes]

Thank you for confirming this. I guess my only thoughts is this seems to be the least shiny of all the materials. It's definitely more dull & grey than the inspiration piece from Jared's. And while my girl will never say anything to me about it, I think she will always feel like she got "less" with the custom because she preferred the shiny white look of a traditional WG mix.

It is definitely not dull and grey. Not trying to talk you into anything, because ultimately this is a personal choice and I don't think you can go wrong with any of the options.

This is my 14 wg/pal solitaire from DK: https://streamable.com/ez1gr

 

[bludiva]

All she saw was the shiny white look of the rhodium plating, and any and all metal plated including silver will have the same look. I agree that some platinum settings out there look like gun metal grey and not very appealing (probably what she saw), and it really depends on the quality of the metal composition - some will look whiter and some will look more dull.

+1 any metal can be rhodium plated for that super shiny look. i don't think you can go wrong. i have an unplated WG piece from DKJ and it is warmer but it's not mixed w/ palladium like mrsgreeneyes lovely ring

 

[Luce]

Sledge, you are working so hard to make the perfect ring....if I were you, I'd be tempted to buy the jarred setting (that she loves), slap in the stone and call it a day. I hope she appreciates your masterpiece!!!!

 

[sledge]

It is definitely not dull and grey. Not trying to talk you into anything, because ultimately this is a personal choice and I don't think you can go wrong with any of the options.

This is my 14 wg/pal solitaire from DK: https://streamable.com/ez1gr

Wow, your ring is gorgeous. Simple and elegant, I like it a bunch.

And yes, I would agree, your ring does not look dull and grey at all. I wonder why the side by side pictures I posted earlier were so out of whack? Blah, has me second guessing my initial thoughts now.

Maybe I should just take the $200 savings and go with the WG/palladium mix. Before doing so I will shoot him another email and ask him to confirm that mix is better for the pave prongs since several of you have voiced that platinum would be a better choice.

+1 any metal can be rhodium plated for that super shiny look. i don't think you can go wrong. i have an unplated WG piece from DKJ and it is warmer but it's not mixed w/ palladium like mrsgreeneyes lovely ring

Can you post a pic of yours as well? Just trying to compare.

FYI, I don't really care for plating. It's a constant maintenance issue and I'd prefer to avoid it which is why I was originally wanting to go platinum. I like the patina look of worn platinum but apparently other people have vary opinions. Who knew? LOL

 

[sledge]

Sledge, you are working so hard to make the perfect ring....if I were you, I'd be tempted to buy the jarred setting (that she loves), slap in the stone and call it a day. I hope she appreciates your masterpiece!!!!

Thank you. You are very sweet. I agree this would definitely be the easy answer. But if you knew my whole life history, you would know I was built without an easy button.

From a logical stand point, the base price of the Jared's ring in a traditional WG mix (yellow gold w/ rhodium plating) is nearly the cost of the DK custom WG/palladium mix. There is a hefty upcharge to convert to platinum with Jared's (not just a mere $200 like with DK). Also, Jared's does not really want to modify their ring to accommodate my diamond. Instead, they just want to slap it in. But if so, then I am looking at a 90+ day window according to the GM, but they may be able to expedite depending which one of their sub-jewelers they farm the work out to.

My girl won't be happy without the custom work to fit the diamond, which brings me back to buying a different stone (which I don't want to do) or dealing with Jared's hesitation to custom modify the ring. Their hesitation and the fact they are farming the work out to someone else tells me what I need to know -- don't do it!

 

[bludiva]

Here you go.. there is an inner bezel of 18k yellow which makes it look warmer from the front. Back view is true to life.

I have a couple of rhodium plated rings and none have discolored yet so it just also depends on your SOs body chemistry. I honestly don't think it's that big of a deal to replate if that's the look she likes, you'll probably want to get it professionally polished periodically anyway.

 

[HappyNewLife]

I would:

• keep the BGD diamond. It's perfect and trust me, it will look smaller on day 2
• let DK make it. It will be SO much nicer
• if she wants white gold, give her white gold. the $500+ you will save can be used for 10 years of replating locally

Any reputable jeweler can resize, adjust and replate a ring. It's not worth paying a brick & mortar a premium on a most likely sub-par ring for their "services"

 

[PintoBean]

I found an adwar casting that is swirly. If you had BGD get it it would be more cost effective
https://www.adwar.com/products/styles/28753L/view

 

[Mturgeon05]

Wow, your ring is gorgeous. Simple and elegant, I like it a bunch.

And yes, I would agree, your ring does not look dull and grey at all. I wonder why the side by side pictures I posted earlier were so out of whack? Blah, has me second guessing my initial thoughts now.

Maybe I should just take the $200 savings and go with the WG/palladium mix. Before doing so I will shoot him another email and ask him to confirm that mix is better for the pave prongs since several of you have voiced that platinum would be a better choice.



Can you post a pic of yours as well? Just trying to compare.

FYI, I don't really care for plating. It's a constant maintenance issue and I'd prefer to avoid it which is why I was originally wanting to go platinum. I like the patina look of worn platinum but apparently other people have vary opinions. Who knew? LOL

To my untrained eyes, the second pic looks brighter overall (background included). So when I look at them side by side, the second ring looks brighter and shinier, but that might not necessarily be how it looks IRL. In my personal experience, my platinum e-ring is not nearly as shiny as my white gold wedding ring because of the plating. I have had my wedding ring on for 9 years and am just now getting around to re-plating it. Sure it could have been done sooner, but it certainly wasn't noticeable to anyone who wasn't looking specifically for that. The re-plating is not a factor in my decision making process, but may be for yours. Who knew there were so many decisions to make?!

 

[16ocean]

“that wants to go smaller and save the bucks.” – No . . . when one starts to wear a diamond it will seem smaller over time it’s called DSS. Diamond shrinking syndrome. Also as she gets older one want’s a more substantial stone . . . .

“leave her out of it now until you propose - she's given you the information you need.”- ditto! !!

I always think getting the diamond and setting at the same "place" simplifies the potential issues. Both DK & BG have done awesome work for members here on pricescope.

 

[rockysalamander]

7. Hey @rockysalamander, why do I want to tilt the diamonds at a 20 degree angle on the swirls/halo?

I'm just catching up. When the diamonds would otherwise be parallel to the ground, they are on the same plane as the main diamond. So, they return light at the same angles (and from the same angles) as the main stone. Plus, the wearer mostly sees them from the sides and setting them parallel means you see more metal from the bottom of the halo holding the stones. If you tilt them out by 20 degrees or so, those stones are now on lots of planes and similarly are visible and return light from more angles. Imagine if the stones highlighted were tilted away from the center. That would make that metal in yellow minimized and the ring will sparkle from more directions.



I really think the ring that PintoBean posted is awesome (https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-avc-1-33-k-vs2-in-an-engagement-ring.224890/) and shows how a very well-proportioned setting can be awesome. I love that top view.

Platinum vs. WG. I love platinum. I love the lack of maintenance, but I also don't like shiny metal. That is the big difference. Platinum will not stay shiny in areas of contact/wear it is squishy. Gold will stay shiny longer. Both can be plated with rhodium.

For the prongs, it is not a choice of nice prongs from the halo or peg head to get height. You can see this setting has the prongs attached directly to the shank (4 points of support).


From the side, you can see the ring maintain the stone height over the setting but those prongs are more graceful. See how they flow up from the shank to the setting? You can keep the higher stone and ignore my lower it comment, but keep the aesthetic and structure. For the record, I don't like how the lower shank/bridge is on this ring -- so ignore that!

 

[rockysalamander]

Sorry for the huge images...they were WAY smaller on my computer.

 

[mrsgreeneyes]

At this point I think it may be easiest to send DK pictures of the Jared’s ring and request a CAD. Once you’ve got that CAD, post it here and we’ll help you make refinements. It can feel overwhelming for all parties involved to list a ton of requests at the outset, especially when you already have a good starting place with the pics. It’s ok to go through a couple of permutations on the CAD before it’s exactly right. Less stressful.

 

[sledge]

So just a quick overall update before I dive into specific comments:

• I've emailed DK and asked them what they specifically recommend for strength/durability to build the rings. I expressed some people believe platinum is a great choice; however, the tone of his last email left me thinking maybe he thought his WG/palladium mix was the right choice. I also asked if his metal choice for strength would vary for "shiny" and if so, what he'd recommend for the shiny effect.
• I've re-emailed Lesley and asked her to confirm pricing. I do think there is some value in having it done in one spot, but her last email left me thinking it wasn't going to be an economical solution.

Here you go.. there is an inner bezel of 18k yellow which makes it look warmer from the front. Back view is true to life.

I have a couple of rhodium plated rings and none have discolored yet so it just also depends on your SOs body chemistry. I honestly don't think it's that big of a deal to replate if that's the look she likes, you'll probably want to get it professionally polished periodically anyway.

Thank you!

I think the reason I am so critical of WG is because of my own personal body chemistry. I am lucky to get 6 months to 1 year of wear before it needs replated. In my head, that's just too much of a headache to deal with, but I also don't really like shiny either. Of course, that's MY body chemistry and not my girl's, so it may not be as bad for her.

I would:

• keep the BGD diamond. It's perfect and trust me, it will look smaller on day 2
• let DK make it. It will be SO much nicer
• if she wants white gold, give her white gold. the $500+ you will save can be used for 10 years of replating locally

Any reputable jeweler can resize, adjust and replate a ring. It's not worth paying a brick & mortar a premium on a most likely sub-par ring for their "services"

Pretty much what I have decided at this point. Except, the price difference between WG and platinum is only $200 savings. But I think that's because DK uses a WG/palladium mix which I believe is more costly.

I found an adwar casting that is swirly. If you had BGD get it it would be more cost effective
https://www.adwar.com/products/styles/28753L/view

I appreciate the suggestion, but the mere thought of starting this over with a new setting choice is just.....terrifying.

To my untrained eyes, the second pic looks brighter overall (background included). So when I look at them side by side, the second ring looks brighter and shinier, but that might not necessarily be how it looks IRL. In my personal experience, my platinum e-ring is not nearly as shiny as my white gold wedding ring because of the plating. I have had my wedding ring on for 9 years and am just now getting around to re-plating it. Sure it could have been done sooner, but it certainly wasn't noticeable to anyone who wasn't looking specifically for that. The re-plating is not a factor in my decision making process, but may be for yours. Who knew there were so many decisions to make?!

Great point, I hadn't really noticed that but I am sure that has some effect. The other thing is I really wonder if she will even notice the shiny level unless she's right next to another comparable ring. Sort of like how you can't really tell a difference between a D-E-F unless you are side by side.

“that wants to go smaller and save the bucks.” – No . . . when one starts to wear a diamond it will seem smaller over time it’s called DSS. Diamond shrinking syndrome. Also as she gets older one want’s a more substantial stone . . . .

“leave her out of it now until you propose - she's given you the information you need.”- ditto! !!

I always think getting the diamond and setting at the same "place" simplifies the potential issues. Both DK & BG have done awesome work for members here on pricescope.

Agree x 3. FWIW, I have reached back out to BGD in hopes to negotiate a better deal. But right now, it appears DK will be doing the setting. That said, I believe I am in good hands. Great reviews on him. I've seen his work which is awesome. And he seems to be good at responding and communicating right now, which I expect will get better once we officially start the project. It's just a matter of getting him the diamond which BGD can ship.

I'm just catching up. When the diamonds would otherwise be parallel to the ground, they are on the same plane as the main diamond. So, they return light at the same angles (and from the same angles) as the main stone. Plus, the wearer mostly sees them from the sides and setting them parallel means you see more metal from the bottom of the halo holding the stones. If you tilt them out by 20 degrees or so, those stones are now on lots of planes and similarly are visible and return light from more angles. Imagine if the stones highlighted were tilted away from the center. That would make that metal in yellow minimized and the ring will sparkle from more directions.



I really think the ring that PintoBean posted is awesome (https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-avc-1-33-k-vs2-in-an-engagement-ring.224890/) and shows how a very well-proportioned setting can be awesome. I love that top view.

Platinum vs. WG. I love platinum. I love the lack of maintenance, but I also don't like shiny metal. That is the big difference. Platinum will not stay shiny in areas of contact/wear it is squishy. Gold will stay shiny longer. Both can be plated with rhodium.

For the prongs, it is not a choice of nice prongs from the halo or peg head to get height. You can see this setting has the prongs attached directly to the shank (4 points of support).


From the side, you can see the ring maintain the stone height over the setting but those prongs are more graceful. See how they flow up from the shank to the setting? You can keep the higher stone and ignore my lower it comment, but keep the aesthetic and structure. For the record, I don't like how the lower shank/bridge is on this ring -- so ignore that!

Wow @rockysalamander you are like a god send. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

The additional descriptions and pictures really helped bring home what you were talking about. I am such a visual learner, so pics help me so much. I will definitely tilt the melee away from the main stone. Also I will forward those pics to DK and ask him to create something similar that works for this specific setting. I do like much, much better how it flows off the shank. It looks natural and very graceful, like it was meant to be.

Sorry for the huge images...they were WAY smaller on my computer.

No worries. You're a rockstar.

At this point I think it may be easiest to send DK pictures of the Jared’s ring and request a CAD. Once you’ve got that CAD, post it here and we’ll help you make refinements. It can feel overwhelming for all parties involved to list a ton of requests at the outset, especially when you already have a good starting place with the pics. It’s ok to go through a couple of permutations on the CAD before it’s exactly right. Less stressful.

I'm just waiting on BGD to get back to me with their final quote so I can make a final decision. But I really think DK is probably the right choice.

I actually know how to use and have CAD programs on my computer. My expertise isn't in designing rings though, lol. But I do have an idea of time involved to create things, and outside the time for the creativity process, I don't think it will be too long before we have something to review. With a little luck, I hope I can have some CAD renderings for us to review in the next week or so.

I have started feeding some of the suggestions to DK already so he has a chance to wrap his head around some of this.

 

[msop04]

@sledge...

I have followed this thread from the start, and I will agree with others that you are a freakin' saint. I can also see where your FF is coming from, because I am super picky, very stubborn, and have trouble visualizing. That said, I'm SO GLAD you ruled out Jared... their quality and service are sh!t. I have several friends with Jared/Kay rings, and they fall apart all the dang time. Also, it is true that if you miss just one appt with them, their "warranty" is voided -- no exceptions.

I agree with all of your decisions here... I encourage you to go for platinum and just have it rhodium plated. I thought I had to have WG, but since upgrading and changing settings, I am so happy I went with platinum. It is very shiny and rich, with heft that is substantial... it just feels more expensive. I still love my WG pieces, but now they feel a little flimsy comparatively, because they are so much lighter.

I would have DK make this ring. I feel like, if provided enough guidance (hello??!! Pricescope!), he can recreate the Jared's setting she loved, but elevate it to the level of quality you and FF will greatly appreciate. As soon as you get your initial CADs from DK, make sure to post them here... the tweaks and advice you'll receive here is priceless and will ensure a flawless execution of her setting.

Looking forward to this finished piece. After all is said and done, I think you need to have your girl read all the threads involved in this process to show her just how much care and thought you have dedicated to giving her a gorgeous setting she'll love...

 

[Lookinagain]

I also agree with the others, keep the diamond and have DK make a more refined version of the ring. If you don't want to have to worry about replating, use DK's white gold, its shiny on its own. If you don't mind re-plating once in a while, go with platinum with the plating. I assume you have looked at the thread with DK's work and if you look at the posts with both inspiration ring/CAD/completed ring I think you will see that he can do a beautiful job creating what is asked for so long as you are able to make any necessary comments/tweaks to the CADS. He is very literal so post your CADs here and ask for help and you will get it. In my experience David produces the CADs very quickly so once he gets the stone and the go ahead, you should get something fairly quickly. I've had him make many pieces for me and the only mistakes were MY mistakes in not noticing something on the CAD that I should have. He is easy to work with and patient when it comes to you asking for CAD revisions. I can't wait to see the final product!

 

[mrsgreeneyes]

One other thing I think is important to note about working with DK - he wants you to be happy. He has completely remade rings for people because something wasn't quite right with the final execution. Not that the workmanship was bad, but because it didn't match their expectation or vision in some way. He made a lovely diamond wedding band for me that was exactly to my specs, but after a week of wearing it I realized all the tiny claw prongs that I loved and looked so beautiful were rubbing against my fingers and making it uncomfortable to wear. Was that his fault? No. But he still took back that ring, generated new CADs, and entirely remade the ring so it would be comfortable for me to wear. I offered to pay and he declined. And I am not the only person who has had this experience.

So while no one wants this to happen, sometimes it does and it is reassuring to know you'll be in good hands with a jeweler that cares about your happiness.

 

[msop04]

One other thing I think is important to note about working with DK - he wants you to be happy. He has completely remade rings for people because something wasn't quite right with the final execution...

This exactly. When he made my platinum triple wire band, it was just ever so slightly thicker than I wanted. Instead of polishing the existing ring, he offered to make a whole new one. His customer service is excellent.

 

[sledge]

Wow @msop04, @mrsgreeneyes and @Lookinagain -- thank you so much for the wonderful feedback and advise about DK! It is reassuring to hear the process should move fast and smooth, and that he stands totally behind his product even when the corrections he may be fixing is the customers fault. This sounds EXACTLY like the type of vendor I like and want to work with on this project!!!

I have not looked through the DK thread referenced, but have seen his work based on other images some of the fine people in this post and others have linked to.

These comments have made me decide to move forward with DK. I will post the CAD's once he generates them for me. Again, thank you all so much.

And @msop04, I hadn't thought about letting her read these posts after all is said & done. You really think it's something she would appreciate and value? I just figured she'd get a laugh about me being all paranoid and (occasionally) frustrated throughout the process.

 

[blueMA]

I hadn't thought about letting her read these posts after all is said & done.

LOL smart man! If she has a good sense of humor, she might get a huge kick out of it. I mean, you even talked about her bra and undy size!

 

[msop04]

And @msop04, I hadn't thought about letting her read these posts after all is said & done. You really think it's something she would appreciate and value? I just figured she'd get a laugh about me being all paranoid and (occasionally) frustrated throughout the process.

Regardless, it would be entertaining. ;)

 

[sledge]

Just a quick update -- I haven't forgotten about all this. I've been (impatiently) waiting for DK to respond back. I've emailed and called and asked him to go forward with CAD's. Blah, I don't like waiting, lol.

 

[sledge]

Some good news, I spoke with Amy @ DK earlier today and they are supposed to have some CAD's to me by tomorrow.

 

[blueMA]

Some good news, I spoke with Amy @ DK earlier today and they are supposed to have some CAD's to me by tomorrow.

can't wait!

 

[farrahlyn]

Some good news, I spoke with Amy @ DK earlier today and they are supposed to have some CAD's to me by tomorrow.

YAYYYY! I can't wait!!

 

[farrahlyn]

Trying to wait patiently @sledge !!

 

[sledge]

Trying to wait patiently @sledge !!

Me too! Me too!!

I never got it yesterday as Amy promised. I need to call and check on it today, but the GF is all up in my business today, lol. We are getting the RV ready for a camping trip and heading out soon. Not sure how I will make contact w/ DK yet.

Funny though, the other night she point blank asked when she was getting her big blingy ring.

She doesn't know the DK debacle going on. She just knows that's the setting she wants. More funny is she called it "blingy", since she originally wanted plain & simple. Got so tempted to just do the solitaire and then bring her into the design process.

 

[blueMA]

Funny though, the other night she point blank asked when she was getting her big blingy ring.