engagement ring CAD design technical question, am I being conned?

[onlyonce]

Hi all, I have been snooping round this site for several months researching my girlfriends ring to be. Thanks to all the experts out there who have lent their time and knowledge, it has been very very useful reading!!!!

I have finally decided on a company to use for the engagement ring, have put money down, and until now felt I had made the right choice. The problem is that today I received the first CAD design images and they look nothing close to the detailed images and designs I provided. I was floored, placing the images I provided along side the renders that were sent to me today nobody could be mistaken and say the CAD designer had replicated my design. So how can I trust a company that is giving me only three chances at giving notes, if they so obviously haven''t paid any attention to the previous images and notes I provided. I mistakenly thought I wouldn''t have to give any notes as what I provided seemed like everything that was needed to replicate the design (I work in visual effects and am very familiar with the CAD process in that field).

Thus I wrote back explaining my disappointment and pointing out some of the major errors. I got this in reply...

"Please bear in mind that CAD images look 60% larger than the finished ring. The green image is intentionally designed to be a bit more bulky than the actual ring. When they grow the wax model from the CAD, they will need the additional metal to finish the ring to its delicate look."

My question to any expert out there is am I having the wool pulled over my eyes? I mean 60% larger, ehhh are they carving a sculpture out? To my understanding they make the design exactly in the proportions the ring will be, create a wax moulding from this, then a metal version from the wax. From there the milling beads are added by hand, but that is an adding, not a subtracting process, right????

Your comments would be greatly received!!

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Unless you post the CAD images and your sketches none of us can comment appropriately on your concerns. However if you are that unsure of the company ask for a refund and cancel the project and work with someone you do trust. You don''t want to be second guessing the entire time.

CADs will look bigger and bulkier for several reasons but the CAD should be in proper proportion and the major elements should be present. Fine details may be absent like some of the finishing elements (Pave beads, prongs holding the diamond etc.). It is always best to use diagrams and picture examples when making a design file as those leave less room for miscommunication and interpretation.

 

[stone-cold11]

The ring will have to be smooth out and polish down. Milgrain will be carve out.

Really depends on what you are asking.

Post the pics here.

 

[djknap]

Here is the CAD design they sent me for my ring

www.jewelrymovie.com/bengil/knap

and below on the next post is how the ring actually turned out

 

[djknap]

here it how it turned out

 

[djknap]

another

 

[D&T]

I think your ring looks beautiful! those CADs won't show etching but to me the CAD looks like your ring. with the exception of showing the engravings as that is usually handcrafted on after. Are you saying that your ring in hand is a bit bulkier than you'd expected it to be? did you clearly specify the width of the shank and prongs in terms of mm?

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Date: 9/5/2009 11:10:25 AM
Author: D&T
I think your ring looks beautiful! those CADs won't show etching but to me the CAD looks like your ring. with the exception of showing the engravings as that is usually handcrafted on after. Are you saying that your ring in hand is a bit bulkier than you'd expected it to be? did you clearly specify the width of the shank and prongs in terms of mm?

Are you aware that the OP and the poster of that ring are not the same? DJKNAP was showing an example of CAD to finished product. The 60% larger part is a little strange and OP should ask them what they mean by it, but CAD images are usually not done to the exact scale of the ring(often larger to show fine details), but the wax certainly is maybe 10 - 20% larger only depending upon the design.

 

[D&T]

Date: 9/5/2009 11:18:37 AM
Author: ChunkyCushionLover

Date: 9/5/2009 11:10:25 AM
Author: D&T
I think your ring looks beautiful! those CADs won't show etching but to me the CAD looks like your ring. with the exception of showing the engravings as that is usually handcrafted on after. Are you saying that your ring in hand is a bit bulkier than you'd expected it to be? did you clearly specify the width of the shank and prongs in terms of mm?

Are you aware that the OP and the poster of that ring are not the same? DJKNAP was showing an example of CAD to finished product. The 60% larger part is a little strange and OP should ask them what they mean by it, but CAD images are usually not done to the exact scale of the ring(often larger to show fine details), but the wax certainly is maybe 10 - 20% larger only depending upon the design.

lol.... ok, whew! I was getting myself confuse...

back to the OP... yes, 60% chunkier is a bit odd. and you are right, they are not carving out the sculpture out of it...lol Also still I would makes sure you get your measurements in writing and be specific with them on how wide everything you want to be on the final ring. The other thing is be aware, that they maybe charging you excessively more because of the Wax/CAD bulkiness even if they file away 60% after casting. That is how my jeweler determines the cost of gold/platinum content is from the wax model, so if its bulkier, they will charge you accordingly even if they file most of it away. keep that in mind, hopefully they aren't trying to deceive you in the actual cost of the ring this way. I was fortunate with my jeweler to tell me this, the first time they made the back of the ring too wide, and asked what the cost would be, then they redid the wax model and trimmed the sides down a lot of my weight of the ring was on the back so that my ring wouldn't spin much (its a different look, like a modified euro shank), which also brought down my gold cost if that makes sense.

 

[Gypsy]

Yeah. 60% sounds strange.

Here's my CAD of my Pendant. (Yes, I swear it is a CAD, I know it looks real).

Here is the finished piece next to the wax

As you can see the wax is bulkier than the finished pendant... but um... not by that much.

 

[onlyonce]

Thanks all who gave their two cents worth and posted pictures, it was really worth it! I decided to get a full refund, the company have offered to continue with the design and if I''m not happy with it before production I can get my money back. I will be posting a full thread on my experiences on purchasing a ring once I get to the finish line (pictures and all), fingers crossed they can pull their act together, if not it will be back to the drawing board!