Durability problems with Vatche RC?

[CourtHorn]

Has anyone heard about problems with the RC setting? I received this info from a respected jeweler today:

"The Vatche’ Royal Crown setting is beautiful but it has a durability problem. It is nice and thin which is what you want but being thin also makes it susceptible to damage from minor hits. The head, or the part holding the diamond will bend. This is not good. Of course Vatche’s stands behind their rings with a warranty but they are not very nice people to deal with."

I am trying to decide between a WF custom setting like Jcrows and the RC.

I thought that the RC was wider than most i have been looking at. Any thoughts about this? Anybody have troubles with a Vatche setting?

 

[jcrow]

hum... is this in response to you asking if it can be shaved thinner?

 

[CourtHorn]

Nope, this was just the response i got when i said i was considering this setting. I did not mention i wanted to shave it down.

 

[jcrow]

WOW!! i had no idea! and they think 3 mm is thin?

 

[CourtHorn]

I know! I was really surprised. I also found it interesting that this person said "they are not very nice people to deal with." I have not heard anything about that, so i am not sure what to think.

 

[Mara]

I believe people HAVE had problems working with Vatche in the past....though I can''t recall specifically what they were. Sometimes it seems like alot of the larger designers don''t always seem the easiest to work with, but maybe if you want the design it doesn''t matter.

I haven''t heard about durability issues with RC...that I can recall. I know that PreciousJewels has a 3c in a RC and she has had it for a while.

Tough call to choose...it would be EASIER to go with WF because you are getting your stone from them and you know they will always stand behind their worksmanship, but make sure that you end up with what you really want...it''s soo hard to choose between great settings!

 

[mrssalvo]

I too remember reading some old posts where people had problems with Vatche. I guess if you really LOVE the setting try working with a vendor who carries the line and would be willing to go to bat for you to correct problems, if there are any. I know Wink Jones and Good Old Gold both carry Vatche and I''d go thru one of them if I were purchasing. I also would respect either of their opinions 110% if they tried to steer me away for reasons you mentioned in your quote.

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 3/21/2006 10:28:18 PM
Author: mrssalvo
I too remember reading some old posts where people had problems with Vatche. I guess if you really LOVE the setting try working with a vendor who carries the line and would be willing to go to bat for you to correct problems, if there are any. I know Wink Jones and Good Old Gold both carry Vatche and I''d go thru one of them if I were purchasing. I also would respect either of their opinions 110% if they tried to steer me away for reasons you mentioned in your quote.

I agree 100%, that''s what I would do too.

 

[KristyDarling]

I personally haven''t heard of durability problems with the RC, but when I was considering that setting, I went to look at it in person and aside from not feeling blown away by it (as I had expected), I remember having a gut feeling that it just looked, sort of, well....weak and non-robust. The shank was not particularly thin (it''s 3mm), but the head was very brittle-looking to me, and struck me as potentially flimsy. So I wouldn''t be surprised if some people who are hard on their jewelry might have problems with the head bending. However, it IS a pretty mounting and the way the prongs flow is very unique. I don''t doubt that a place like WF could do a very very good replica, but with perhaps a sturdier head.

 

[CourtHorn]

Thanks everyone. I know i need to check out the RC setting in person, because maybe i wouldn''t love it (like Kristy) on my hand.

If Wink or someone from GoG had told me not to go with the setting, I wouldn''t have, because they would be able to be unbiased. But, because it was WF that told me not to go with it, I am a little more unsure of what to do, because i don''t know exactly what happened between the 2 companies to end the relationship.

Hopefully i can go to the B&M in town that carries Vatche, and i will hate it. Then i can go with the WF design without any regrets.

 

[msdarlinjoy]

Hi CourtHorn ~

I could be way wrong on this, but I thought Kmom was the one who had issues in the past with her setting. I believe it was the prongs, and Vatche I recall said something like it wasn''t their fault that her matching ering and wring rubbed together and wore down the prongs and I don''t think they honored the warranty, or maybe they did in the end. Does anyone remember this from way back? I think She had Michael E fix them and actually the final product was just yummy. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

I personally do like the graceful flow of the Vatche Royal Crown, however, I do worry about the head.

I think if it is a more delicate head, then I would think you would have to acknowledge that you will have to be more careful and or gentle with it. It''s like pave, it sure is pretty, but doesn''t tollerate a rough active lifestyle without it''s consequences.

Have you seen the WF version of the RC? I think I read here on PS that someone did have WF make a replica of the RC, and the person didn''t care for it. It was similar, but it did have a different feel to it. You might want to do a search for "Royal crown", and I know there are pics of WF''s recreation of the Vatche RC.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

 

[Mara]

Maybe one of WF's beefs with Vatche was that their products were not holding up? Hard to say, I would ask point blank when you respond via email or on the phone...ask them what ended the relationship and how many cases of bad worksmanship or flimsiness they experienced, maybe that will set your mind at ease a bit with how much experience they have had with the product?

KMom's setting was one that had problems with Vatche...I do recall she had to have someone else fix it and she had problems with Vatche...but I also think there is someone else who I can't remember who had issues.

I have never seen the RC in person so I can't offer any actual experience! If you are torn, then I think JCrow's ring as an option is just fabulous...!!

 

[MrsFrk]

From the sagas I''ve read here on Pricescope. Vatche EVENTUALLY will fix their mistakes, but not until they''ve put you through the wringer, and a huge amount of b.s. and heartache. There are so many other gorgeous settings out there, I personally would not risk it. I''ve seen the RC in person, and was not blown away by it. IMO, it looks better in photos than in person.

 

[stermag]

Although I own the RC, I can''t speak to its durability as I''ve only been wearing it for 2+ weeks.

That being said, mine doesn''t strike me as any more flimsy than the half dozen other settings I was considering. Granted, it wasn''t made by Vatche, and Jim (from James Allen) did mention in one of the e-mails that ..in his humble opinion, his version (inspired by the RC) will be better than the original. At the time I honestly thought he was just tooting his own horn. Perhaps there was something behind that statement?

At the same time, I have seen some very beautiful settings around here, very delicate and intricate - which appear much more fragile to me than the RC. No matter what setting you choose, every ring will require some care and attention. No more punching walls with your left fist, I''m afraid.

As far as its aesthetic appearance - the first time I saw it in 3d, it was no more and no less beautiful than the pictures I''ve seen of it. It was exactly what I expected. As with most things, the setting is simply a matter of taste - it either does it for you or it doesn''t.

 

[Carlotta]

I always loved looking at pictures of the royal crown.....but when I saw it in person, I was not as impressed....I guess that is because it is so magnified and the detail so exaggerated in the close up pictures..
I still like it!
I would imagine that the person setting the stone would have to be VERY skilled...if the prongs weren''t perfectly aligned (as often happens) the whole effect would be lost!!!!

I liked your ring Sternmag!! Will have to go and look again!!!

 

[butterfly 17]

I have the RC and so far haven''t had any durability issues with it.
My original RC was set with a 1.5 stone, then reset with a 2 ct. stone, then when I sold it, was reset with a 1.5 ct. stone by someone else.

I currently have a RC which was originally Slammie''s which first contained a 1.5 (I think), then she upgraded to a 2 ct. and then she sold it to someone who set a 1.5 stone in it and which I currently own.

Her ring has also been sized up and down. She was a 4.75, it went up to a 6.5 and now it is currently a 5.5.

So far, the setting has been holding up strongly without any problems. The prongs seem fine as well, even with all those stone changes.

I think the issue that K-Mom had wasn''t so much a durability issue as it was a design flaw issue, where the two rings were supposed to match, but the diamonds in the wedding band kept rubbing against the prongs on the e-ring to the point where they left indentations.

This is not uncommon with many e-ring designs. Demelza had a similar problem with her Signed Pieces set, I had the same problem with my Leon Mege ring, etc.

The RC is unique though, because the area under the gallery goes in, so it actually misses the prongs and for the most part, you don''t have to worry about your rings rubbing against each other.

In the end, it''s all up to you. You can hit any setting just the right way and cause it to crack/break, etc. I remember reading a post a while back where someone didn''t even hit their setting, they just looked down and it was cracked in two places. And that was a Whiteflash setting. Now that''s freaky!

 

[Carlotta]

Date: 3/22/2006 10:17:23 AM
Author: butterfly 17
I have the RC and so far haven''t had any durability issues with it.
My original RC was set with a 1.5 stone, then reset with a 2 ct. stone, then when I sold it, was reset with a 1.5 ct. stone by someone else.

I currently have a RC which was originally Slammie''s which first contained a 1.5 (I think), then she upgraded to a 2 ct. and then she sold it to someone who set a 1.5 stone in it and which I currently own.

Her ring has also been sized up and down. She was a 4.75, it went up to a 6.5 and now it is currently a 5.5.

So far, the setting has been holding up strongly without any problems. The prongs seem fine as well, even with all those stone changes.

I think the issue that K-Mom had wasn''t so much a durability issue as it was a design flaw issue, where the two rings were supposed to match, but the diamonds in the wedding band kept rubbing against the prongs on the e-ring to the point where they left indentations.

This is not uncommon with many e-ring designs. Demelza had a similar problem with her Signed Pieces set, I had the same problem with my Leon Mege ring, etc.

The RC is unique though, because the area under the gallery goes in, so it actually misses the prongs and for the most part, you don''t have to worry about your rings rubbing against each other.

In the end, it''s all up to you. You can hit any setting just the right way and cause it to crack/break, etc. I remember reading a post a while back where someone didn''t even hit their setting, they just looked down and it was cracked in two places. And that was a Whiteflash setting. Now that''s freaky!

I read your post with interest, butterfly!!! Then it IS possible to reuse a setting? I know that when I first got my ring , and couldn''t decide on a setting, the jeweler said he would just put it in a simple setting that I could return when we found something. Do they re-use or rework the prongs?? What about the place they cut out to "seat" the stone????
Do you know if re-using (??) a setting would be easier w/plat or gold????
Thanks!!! (maybe I''ll start a thread on this.....)

 

[butterfly 17]

Hi Carlotta,
Yes it is possible, but usually not recommended unless you have it done by someone who knows exactly what they are doing.

My original RC was set by Vatche, then when I got a bigger stone, I had Chris (oldminer''s associate from Accredited GEm Appraiser''s) do the work for me. When I sold it, I don''t know who set it for the person I sold it to.
Slammie''s RC was set by Vatche originally, then Chris ( the same one who set mine), also reset her larger stone (At least this is what I remember from our conversations), and then she sold it to someone else named Stacey. Stacey has Wink Jones set her stone in it and had it resized by him as well.

I eventually wound up with her ring...

When I sold my Leon Mege, it was important to me that the prongs remain claw prongs for whoever purchased it( that was the whole point of the ring), so I contacted Leon to make sure he would reset someone else''s stone into the ring and make them claw prongs as well.
So, he was the one who set the stone and made sure that the prongs remained the same.
I think that it is okay for you to set a stone into a setting as long as they rebuild the prongs up. The stone would have to be similar in size to what was once there. You can''t expect a 1 ct. stone to fit into a 2 ct. setting, etc.

From what Chris told me, his jeweler completely built up the prongs. I am really pick about things and I louped the whole thing a few times and I never noticed a difference of where the prongs where rebuilt etc. and trust me, I am really picky about these things.

I don''t know if it is easier with platinum or diamonds.

Also, Mara has had diamond upgraded a few times and I am not sure if they rebuilt her prongs or just changed the whole head? Maybe you can ask her.

 

[stermag]

Glad you chimed in Butterfly.

 

[msdarlinjoy]

Hi Stermag ~

Thanks for chiming in ... I didn''t know that James Allen had a version of the RC ... I must go take a lookie!

Thanks and enjoy your day!

 

[msdarlinjoy]

Hi Butterfly ~

Thanks for letting us know about the RC. I too read your post with interest.

I didn''t think that the RC could withstand stone changes like that, but I think you right ... as long as the stone is a similar size, and you have someone working on it that knows what they are doing, the ring should be fine.

Thanks for the insight, and have a lovely day.

 

[Mara]

I still have the same head that I had on my ring when we first got it...it''s had 3 different diamonds in it. The stone I have now is larger than the first or second stone and so WF had to seat the stone lower into the head, but the head has been great. It''s just a plain stuller solstice too, nothing special. WF reworks the tips of the prongs each time, and they even thinned them out hugely from the first version of the ring (gotten locally).

I didn''t think it was unheard of to put various stones into the same head a few times...if the stone fits, and the prongs can be reworked to still clasp the stone in the correct manner, it''s all good!

 

[luvmysparklies]

Hi,
I''ve had my Vatche RC since December of 2003. I got the stone and setting from Jon and GoG and my diamond was set by Vatche. I have had no durability problems at all. I have accidentally hit my ring more than a few times and nothing has happend. Stone is still securely in place and no bending at all to the prongs. (I loupe it often and get it checked every year by Jon). The only thing that the head shows is the expected natural wear at the top of the prongs. I have plat prongs with an 18k yellow gold shank. The prong tops are not as shiney as they once were when the ring was brand new, and have formed a patina on them from the tiny nicks and scratches. The sides of the prongs are still shiney though. So, I hope that helps you.
Luv

 

[CourtHorn]

Thanks everybody for all of your help. I am still undecided about what to go with, but as far as price goes, the Jcrow/WF ring is more expensive. Not too much, but a couple of hundred dollars. I was kinda surprised about that-- I had hoped it would be less expensive. I still want to go check out the RC, but getting Jcrow''s would be easier i think. I wouldn''t have to worry about shipping it to anyone else or dealing with any other vendors than WF.

 

[slammie]

Just wanted to quickly chime in that I did not have any durability issues nor a friend of mine who has the RC. But then again, we are fanatics and are very careful with our settings. I also do not think that the RC is a fragile ring...I actually think it looks pretty sturdy but delicate at the same time.

Butterfly is correct. I did have a 1.5 in it then had the prongs reworked by Chris to fit the 2 carat.
BTW.. I miss that ring sooooo much!!! If I never got the pave fever, I would have been forever happy with it...I think

I wish I never sold that one. Butterfly..I want my ring back!!

ETA: I haven't seen many replicas in person but the couple I have seen, well IMHO they just don't have the nice flow like the RC does.

 

[msdarlinjoy]

Date: 3/22/2006 11:34:32 PM
Author: slammie

I wish I never sold that one. Butterfly..I want my ring back!!

ETA: I haven''t seen many replicas in person but the couple I have seen, well IMHO they just don''t have the nice flow like the RC does.

Oh poor thing ... I''m getting the hankie out for slammie!

I agree with you, so far all the replicas are just that ... replicas. The Vatche RC just has that undeniable graceful flow ... Just yummy!

Take care,

 

[butterfly 17]

Date: 3/22/2006 11:34:32 PM
Author: slammie

I miss that ring sooooo much!!! If I never got the pave fever, I would have been forever happy with it...I think

I wish I never sold that one. Butterfly..I want my ring back!!

NOPE, NOPE, NOPE!!!! I love this ring and it''s my alternate when I want a solitaire look.

Honestly, I love it more than my Leon Mege ring!