Height of New 5 Stone Bezel Ring

[starbrite]

Yes, everything about my quest for this anniversary ring has definitely been a major source of stress. But my husband preferred to use a local, rather than on-line, jeweler.

Now that this jeweler finally has created a setting that I really like, the diamonds for that setting are the next hurdle. Her pricing on everything is quite high. So I really don't want to be forced to just settle on whatever she has on hand - not unless the stones have a good cut in addition to color & clarity. I want nice stones that make me happy. I'm looking at five .4 caret stones for a total of 2 carets. Little stones by PriceScope standards.

From the model that I wore constantly for 3 days, I really like the setting that the jeweler eventually created. So I can't see changing jewelers now. I want this setting!!! To change jewelers now, I'd have to then start all over & it's already taken 7 months to get to this point. I wish I could source my own stones and just have her mount them in this setting that I’ve worked so hard to have designed.

 

[maryjane04]

I think a better option is to buy the diamonds from WF or any super ideal vendor and having someone like David Klass make your setting. It will actually be what you want in the end.

The setting should be easier to change but the diamonds are not. It would be super stressful for you to evaluate each and every diamond that the jeweller presents.

 

[Cerulean]

I think a better option is to buy the diamonds from WF or any super ideal vendor and having someone like David Klass make your setting. It will actually be what you want in the end.

The setting should be easier to change but the diamonds are not. It would be super stressful for you to evaluate each and every diamond that the jeweller presents.

Ditto. You also have a wax and David could honestly easily recreate it I bet - he just made a setting for me that was inspired by an existing style and it was done in a matter of weeks with 2 rounds of CADs (they were the tiniest tweaks)

 

[starbrite]

I think a better option is to buy the diamonds from WF or any super ideal vendor and having someone like David Klass make your setting. It will actually be what you want in the end.

The setting should be easier to change but the diamonds are not. It would be super stressful for you to evaluate each and every diamond that the jeweller presents.

I know you're right... But how do I get the same setting design that I worked so hard to have the local jeweler create?

If this ring ever gets made, I don't want to ever have to change either the setting nor the diamonds. This is the first custom designed ring that I've ever done without first having the stones. I've learned a difficult lesson from this drawn out ordeal. Wish I'd known about David Klass before we started with the local jeweler.

 

[starbrite]

Ditto. You also have a wax and David could honestly easily recreate it I bet

Is that ethical? I'm being charged premium prices (perhaps over charged) by the current jeweler for everything, but I still worry about not being unfair to her based on the work she's done.

 

[maryjane04]

From what I have seen David Klass can recreate anything! Just look at his Instagram lol. I do not think you should be over paying for something that you do not want. It's better to start from scratch knowing you are getting exactly what you want and paying for the quality.

For all we know, the local jeweller might not be able to deliver the promised ring as well?

 

[Cerulean]

Is that ethical? I'm being charged premium prices (perhaps over charged) by the current jeweler for everything, but I still worry about not being unfair to her based on the work she's done.

Well, that’s up to you. I’m sure he could execute

you could also ask to work with their designer (Amy) and recreate something inspired by it if you are worried...but if you like it as is, I don’t know that I’d change much - as an example, I made some aesthetic tweaks to my design. It is heavily inspired, but not an exact replica

I’d pay the current jeweler for her work this far (CAD fees) and cut bait - she’s dragged this on for long enough

 

[maryjane04]

Here goes, stalking DKJ:

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[Cerulean]

Honestly I will say - after having not the best experience with a few jewelers (ranging from mediocre to very stressful) David was such a breath of fresh air. No drama. 24hr response time. Fantastic price and immediately upfront about cost without even having to push. Perfect execution. From start to finish it took around 4 weeks, counting time it took to send me a wax. He even threw in an appraisal for insurance...

I plan to use him for any custom project going forward, maybe even basic bench work. Can’t say enough good things

 

[maryjane04]

Honestly I will say - after having not the best experience with a few jewelers (ranging from mediocre to very stressful) David was such a breath of fresh air. No drama. 24hr response time. Fantastic price and immediately upfront about cost without even having to push. Perfect execution. From start to finish it took around 4 weeks, counting time it took to send me a wax. He even threw in an appraisal for insurance...

I plan to use him for any custom project going forward, maybe even basic bench work. Can’t say enough good things

You are so lucky to have such a talented jeweller local to you. In Australia, our options are limited.

 

[starbrite]

From what I have seen David Klass can recreate anything! Just look at his Instagram lol. I do not think you should be over paying for something that you do not want. It's better to start from scratch knowing you are getting exactly what you want and paying for the quality.

For all we know, the local jeweller might not be able to deliver the promised ring as well?

I think I may be cursed when it comes to getting this ring made. I opened an Instagram account just to look at ring designs. Within just 3 weeks, it got hacked 3 times. So I had to close my Instagram account.

 

[Cerulean]

You are so lucky to have such a talented jeweller local to you. In Australia, our options are limited.

Ah I can imagine...I do lust after lots of Aussie sapphires that are harder to come by here! But yes...Honestly, I do feel very lucky. There are a lot of not so great benches or designers and it took me finding Pricescope to point me in the right direction.

sometimes it’s also just a matter of who you get along with / how they run business. I worked with a few designers where we just didn’t “click”. And I made expensive mistakes. Live and learn. David is a class act and I love the way he does things!

 

[Cerulean]

I think I may be cursed when it comes to getting this ring made. I opened an Instagram account just to look at ring designs. Within just 3 weeks, it got hacked 3 times. So I had to close my Instagram account.

You are not cursed! But dealing with a stressful situation. And you are in control bc you are the client!

here are screenshots of similar designs David has done from insta

 

[starbrite]

Well, that’s up to you. I’m sure he could execute

you could also ask to work with their designer (Amy) and recreate something inspired by it if you are worried...but if you like it as is, I don’t know that I’d change much - as an example, I made some aesthetic tweaks to my design. It is heavily inspired, but not an exact replica

I’d pay the current jeweler for her work this far (CAD fees) and cut bait - she’s dragged this on for long enough

I'll have to discuss this with my husband. No matter who does the ring, we will have to pay the current jeweler for the CAD and the models.

Since this was a custom design, does that I mean I then own the CAD?

 

[Cerulean]

I'll have to discuss this with my husband. No matter who does the ring, we will have to pay the current jeweler for the CAD and the models.

Since this was a custom design, does that I mean I then own the CAD?

That I am not sure of honestly, regarding ownership. I think it’s a good question. I hope they don’t charge you an arm and a leg...I’ve never paid more than $130 for CADs

David includes them in his fee (he did for me)

So many designs are borrowed and replicated...I can’t speak with great depth on the ethical or even legal implications...

 

[starbrite]

You are not cursed! But dealing with a stressful situation. And you are in control bc you are the client!

here are screenshots of similar designs David has done from insta

Beautiful!!!

 

[maryjane04]

I think those rings are really similar to your design. If want to combine elements of those rings that DK made or show them your CAD then they can surely do something similar. I think once you pay for the CADs then you don't owe the jeweller anything else. I am sure DK's bench would mock up another CAD anyway though.

 

[starbrite]

That I am not sure of honestly, regarding ownership. I think it’s a good question. I hope they don’t charge you an arm and a leg...I’ve never paid more than $130 for CADs

David includes them in his fee (he did for me)

So many designs are borrowed and replicated...I can’t speak with great depth on the ethical or even legal implications...

I guess what I do next all comes down to whether the local jeweler can provide me with the quality of stones I really want. If she can't, I can't proceed with her. I'd rather not have a ring than to be stuck with one I'm not happy with. Beyond high end, color and clarity, I want really nicely cut diamonds.

I'm not worried about the legal implications of taking the CAD I had done to another jeweler. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't be a problem. However, I do worry about the ethical one. I really do like this last version of the design we'd been working for months on. I can't see how I'd alter it. It's a design she helped make.

Since she hasn't bothered to reach out to me about whether I like her stone choices or not, we're going to have to call her again. I was hoping to first get something from Pricescope members to tell her about the stones she has offered. I need to be sure she can't provide me with the quality of stones I want before I move on.

This whole experience now has me so gun shy, I feel that no matter what I do concerning this ring will create some new problem.

 

[maryjane04]

This whole experience now has me so gun shy, I feel that no matter what I do concerning this ring will create some new problem.

I feel like this says enough about the process. If it makes you feel that way now, what are you going to do when there are more problems down the track?

 

[starbrite]

I feel like this says enough about the process. If it makes you feel that way now, what are you going to do when there are more problems down the track?

By staying with this jeweler or by moving on?

 

[maryjane04]

By staying with the current jeweller. You have a few problems with them already and they haven't started making the ring yet lol.

 

[Ionysis]

I feel worried that your jeweller is going to try and make a massive profit off you on the diamonds. I really hope not

 

[starbrite]

By staying with the current jeweller. You have a few problems with them already and they haven't started making the ring yet lol.

Undoubtedly 7 months has been too long to just reach a point of first selecting diamonds. Frankly, if it wasn't for this pandemic, I'd be handling all this in person and face to face with the jeweler. And everything would have moved faster; one way or another. I'd also be able to look at the diamonds; not just have a list of numbers.

When you warn about possible more trouble with the local jeweler who has designed the 5 stone ring I want, I shutter.

Although she has fantastic reviews & supposedly is tied for #1 in the area (with the above mentioned jeweler I've had problems with), I've never seen her work in person. In photos, her designs and the diamonds are beautiful. She also speaks knowledgably when I talk to her on the phone. So I have confidence that the design should be structurally sounds. Or as much confidence one can have after 7 months of working on the same ring.

My head is spinning.

I feel worried that your jeweller is going to try and make a massive profit off you on the diamonds. I really hope not

I worry about that, too.

So we're now looking at the possibility of other options.

I like the ring design. I don't like the stones she has offered. I also don't like the idea of paying as much for VS F stones as another vendor is asking for VVS1 D ideal cut stones. Hopefully, something can be worked out that I will get everything I want: one way or another.

 

[maryjane04]

Although she has fantastic reviews & supposedly is tied for #1 in the area (with the above mentioned jeweler I've had problems with), I've never seen her work in person. In photos, her designs and the diamonds are beautiful. She also speaks knowledgably when I talk to her on the phone. So I have confidence that the design should be structurally sounds. Or as much confidence one can have after 7 months of working on the same ring.

I think something to note about PS vs normal jewelers is that we are a certain breed that has higher standards than most. And not many jewelers can deliver to that level.

She might be a great jeweler to those who aren't as fussy but in saying that it is a lot of money so you should definitely get what you want.

 

[starbrite]

I think something to note about PS vs normal jewelers is that we are a certain breed that has higher standards than most. And not many jewelers can deliver to that level.

She might be a great jeweler to those who aren't as fussy but in saying that it is a lot of money so you should definitely get what you want.

I think you are right.

This jeweler does a lot of business and has a lot of happy customers.

However, I am more discerning than the average jewelry buyer who isn't on Pricescope. Always have been.

I also don't have the extra money to throw away on something that isn't quite what I really want. Some others may not price compare diamonds. Obviously since diamonds are each unique, pricing is somewhat subjective. But the Internet has opened the door for more people to see a price range that respectable vendors are asking in general for a specific quality of diamonds. So a higher price for less "quality" is a red flag when watching your budget.

I still really would prefer to establish a relationship with a local jeweler. I have done my best to try to do that. But in this case, it's been difficult. I now find it unsettling that the local jeweler has never taken the time to get back to me to see if I like the stones she offered or not. It's like she doesn't care if I stay with her or not. I'm not important...

 

[MillieLou]

It's like she doesn't care if I stay with her or not. I'm not important...

She probably doesn't care, and furthermore is probably hoping you will take the hint from her lack of communication and take your business elsewhere. This doesn't mean you are a bad customer. It's just that her model of business (which clearly suits a lot of people) does not fit with what you want (or what most of us PSers would want). Cue frustration on both sides.

I would tell her you want to use ACAs (or whatever), end of story, and if she is unwilling to do so, ask to pay her for the CADs for a fair price to reflect the time she has spent on them. Then take them elsewhere to be made with the stones you want. I honestly think she will be glad to be released and you will get the ring you want.

 

[123ducklings]

Is that ethical? I'm being charged premium prices (perhaps over charged) by the current jeweler for everything, but I still worry about not being unfair to her based on the work she's done.

No, it is not ethical. If you go this route, for the sake of all involved, please do not write about it online.

You’ve chosen a vendor who sells diamonds, and who has worked with you for seven months on various custom designs with the explicit goal of selling you diamonds. That’s her business model and she’s been honest about it. You have stayed committed to this vendor despite months of back-and-forth and lots of advice as to other options.

With the route you’ve chosen, the next step is to make an appointment to shop the diamonds she has available in person and select your five. If that’s not possible due to COVID, call and ask her for videos of her best five diamonds together in different lighting situations, eliminate the ones you don’t like and go from there to select your stones and make this ring.

 

[chamois]

If you don’t like any of the diamond options offered then tell her. If she cannot give you the diamonds you want, why settle, you will not be happy in the long run. Would she allow you to get your own diamonds as a compromise to finish your ring?

 

[starbrite]

She probably doesn't care, and furthermore is probably hoping you will take the hint from her lack of communication and take your business elsewhere. This doesn't mean you are a bad customer. It's just that her model of business (which clearly suits a lot of people) does not fit with what you want (or what most of us PSers would want). Cue frustration on both sides.

I would tell her you want to use ACAs (or whatever), end of story, and if she is unwilling to do so, ask to pay her for the CADs for a fair price to reflect the time she has spent on them. Then take them elsewhere to be made with the stones you want. I honestly think she will be glad to be released and you will get the ring you want.

Millie Lou, you were 100% right. The local jeweler here doesn't (didn't) care at all about me as a client. After deciding to go with ACA diamonds, we called her. She hadn't reached out to us in over a month. We asked if she would set the diamonds we're getting into the mounting that took so many months. Her answer was that that isn't how things are done.

However, she also immediately gave a total green light for me to take her CAD and the plastic model to anyone else I chose and let them use them to make up my ring. She actually was the one to suggest that. That surprised me, but it also lifted all the guilt from my shoulders about not using her but staying close to the design that it took months and months for me to get.

During the phone call today, it was clearly obvious that she was happy to not have to work with me any longer. Plus she really didn't care about the ring design itself. She wouldn't be using it for anything. As she has been telling me all along, it only took a couple of minutes for her to do the design work. So my entire project didn't inconvenience her much. Knowing all this, the guilt of walking away from her and changing jewelers has been lifted off my shoulders. I stayed because I really wanted to give my business to someone locally. I stayed because I felt I owed it to her.

It took us 3 phone calls to her today to just get her to talk to us. She was too busy with other clients to take our call.. Between attempted calls #2 & #3, my husband emailed her the specs on the diamonds we are buying & exactly what our call was about. After getting that email, she finally did answer our 3rd call.

We told her that although we found other diamonds, we were still willing to let her do the setting & mount the stones. At first, she was speechless. Then, she said that her bench can only work with stones of a specific dimensions & the stones we're getting don't fit that. Neither my husband or I can understand what she meant by that, but at this point, it doesn't matter. She then voluntarily told us to take both the various photos of the setting she had sent us (plus the plastic model) to someone else & have them make up my ring. She doesn't care if they duplicate things exactly. I wasn't expecting that, but I'm happy and very relieved that I won't have to start from scratch or change what I finally liked.

I may be repeating myself, but I feel like a weight has been lifted. I'm getting the diamonds I want. Plus I also have 100% permission to use the design that I've posted here. That design is mine!!! Now, I have to find someone good and trusted (one of the PriceScope vendors) to put the two together and make the ring of my dreams.

The local jeweler probably is a very good jeweler. She does have a lot of happy clients. But as everyone here has tried to tell me, she just wasn't the right fit for me.

Strangely, I now don't feel at all bad or guilty. I tried to be good customer. I was ultra patient when she kept pushing my project to the back burner. My requests were never unreasonable. Frankly, I often felt rather bullied by her at times, but I still didn't push back. I just went with the flow. But things finally reached the point where I just couldn't accept lower quality diamonds for a higher price. I knew I would never be happy with that.

Anyhow, no drama from the local jeweler and I can now move on with the ring design I have. I am sooooo relieved.

 

[123ducklings]

Millie Lou, you were 100% right. The local jeweler here doesn't (didn't) care at all about me as a client. After deciding to go with ACA diamonds, we called her. She hadn't reached out to us in over a month. We asked if she would set the diamonds we're getting into the mounting that took so many months. Her answer was that that isn't how things are done.

However, she also immediately gave a total green light for me to take her CAD and the plastic model to anyone else I chose and let them use them to make up my ring. She actually was the one to suggest that. That surprised me, but it also lifted all the guilt from my shoulders about not using her but staying close to the design that it took months and months for me to get.

During the phone call today, it was clearly obvious that she was happy to not have to work with me any longer. Plus she really didn't care about the ring design itself. She wouldn't be using it for anything. As she has been telling me all along, it only took a couple of minutes for her to do the design work. So my entire project didn't inconvenience her much. Knowing all this, the guilt of walking away from her and changing jewelers has been lifted off my shoulders. I stayed because I really wanted to give my business to someone locally. I stayed because I felt I owed it to her.

It took us 3 phone calls to her today to just get her to talk to us. She was too busy with other clients to take our call.. Between attempted calls #2 & #3, my husband emailed her the specs on the diamonds we are buying & exactly what our call was about. After getting that email, she finally did answer our 3rd call.

We told her that although we found other diamonds, we were still willing to let her do the setting & mount the stones. At first, she was speechless. Then, she said that her bench can only work with stones of a specific dimensions & the stones we're getting don't fit that. Neither my husband or I can understand what she meant by that, but at this point, it doesn't matter. She then voluntarily told us to take both the various photos of the setting she had sent us (plus the plastic model) to someone else & have them make up my ring. She doesn't care if they duplicate things exactly. I wasn't expecting that, but I'm happy and very relieved that I won't have to start from scratch or change what I finally liked.

I may be repeating myself, but I feel like a weight has been lifted. I'm getting the diamonds I want. Plus I also have 100% permission to use the design that I've posted here. That design is mine!!! Now, I have to find someone good and trusted (one of the PriceScope vendors) to put the two together and make the ring of my dreams.

The local jeweler probably is a very good jeweler. She does have a lot of happy clients. But as everyone here has tried to tell me, she just wasn't the right fit for me.

Strangely, I now don't feel at all bad or guilty. I tried to be good customer. I was ultra patient when she kept pushing my project to the back burner. My requests were never unreasonable. Frankly, I often felt rather bullied by her at times, but I still didn't push back. I just went with the flow. But things finally reached the point where I just couldn't accept lower quality diamonds for a higher price. I knew I would never be happy with that.

Anyhow, no drama from the local jeweler and I can now move on with the ring design I have. I am sooooo relieved.

What a journey! I’m glad you and the jeweler were able to come to an above-board resolution, and I look forward to seeing your ring come together!