How do you determine how much $$$ to spend on a setting????

[Taylorbug!]

I am having a hard time trying to decide how to set my new peach/pink spinel. That wasn't as expensive stone and as much as I adore some of these custom setting (yes, Uppy I am talking about your spinel)....I just don't know that if I spend alot of $$$ on a custom setting if I would wear it more or less (if that makes sense).....so the real question is, How do you determine how much to spend on a setting? Does it depend on how much you LOVE the stone or how much you think you will wear it? I am just not sure!!!

 

[Upgradable]

Re: How do you determine how much $$$ to spend on a setting?

Tbug, you made me chuckle!!!

I usually base the $$ for the setting on how "rare" or "special" the stone may be. Honestly, for my colored stones, the only commissioned $$ pieces I have are the James Meyer mounting for my large star sapphire (currently in my avatar) and the new JbEG for my mahenge. Otherwise I set in quality second hand (8mm madagascar sapphire in Mark Morrell platinum), ebay (LOGR or equivalent), or custom etsy mountings (planned for my chrysoberyl). Hope that helps.

 

[T L]

Re: How do you determine how much $$$ to spend on a setting?

This is truly a personal thing, some people will only buy a custom setting, or spend a great deal on a custom setting, even if the stone wasn't that expensive. For some people, the setting quality is very important. If you're like me, where I rather spend the bulk of my $$$ on the stone, then if it's a nice stone, I will buy a more expensive non-custom setting (LOGR), or if it was less expensive, a lower priced LOGR setting. This is a very individual thing, but first and foremost, you have to decide how much setting quality/workmanship means to you. If you're on a tight budget, that will come into factor as well. You can sometimes find very nice well made second-hand settings as well for a lower price from an estate jeweler or resale shop online or B&M. Freke often obtains beautiful settings that way for reasonable pricing.

For me, I find the nicer quality LOGR's to suffice, even for my more expensive stones, but I know others that just don't care for the quality, and I respect that. It's a matter of personal opinion and taste. Some Etsy dealers also have well priced custom settings too.

 

[chrono]

Re: How do you determine how much $$$ to spend on a setting?

Your question will garner many different responses as everyone is going to set it according to their personal preferences. Some do not care if the setting costs 100x the cost of these stone as long as they love the entire package and others will say only the best stones deserve a custom mount.

 

[Arcadian]

Re: How do you determine how much $$$ to spend on a setting?

In part it does depend on the stone and how much I've spent. Its not the end all and be all but maybe 80% of the time its a factor.

The other factor is wearability. I wear rings daily, so I only tend to go custom for extremely special stones.

-A

 

[Fly Girl]

Re: How do you determine how much $$$ to spend on a setting?

If I was setting that spinel, I'd probably go to my local jeweler for a Stuller setting. He gives me very reasonable prices, and I prefer settings without pave, so that works out well for me. I just tell him what sort of setting I am thinking of, and he gives me the options. I had a large oval amethyst set with round side stones, and he pulled together parts from two different settings to give me a "semi-custom" three-stone ring. He definitely saved me money over a full custom job.

 

[kenny]

Re: How do you determine how much $$$ to spend on a setting?

To me it's all about the stone.
A setting is just a holder.

I love tension settings because they give you a much better view of the stone and titanium ones cost only a few hundred unlike gold or pt which are a few thousand.
That leaves more money for a better stone.
Again, to me it's all about the stone.

 

[chrono]

Re: How do you determine how much $$$ to spend on a setting?

Kenny,
I love the openness of tension settings too but unfortunately, only select sapphires might be able to handle the pressure needed to hold the stone within the setting. In fact, I’m not even 100% sure loupe clean sapphires can handle the pressure. Are diamonds the only gemstone best suited for tension settings? The other disadvantage of tension setting is that they seem better suited to smaller stones as a bulkier setting is required as the size of the stone increases.

 

[kenny]

Re: How do you determine how much $$$ to spend on a setting?

Yes they are certainly not for every stone or everyone.
I think only 9 and 10 on the MOHS scale with high clarity (good mechanical integrity) are candidates.

Just another option.

 

[AustenNut]

Re: How do you determine how much $$$ to spend on a setting?

For me a big issue is wearability. If I'm not going to wear something often, then I don't want to spend much money on it. Last year I got an LOGR very inexpensively, so even though it's glitzier than what I normally wear, I was okay with it because it was a nice addition to my collection (though at the moment that particular pendant has gone AWOL as I've been waiting for a stone to be cut for it...GRR). But I'm not the kind of girl who wears lots of flashy jewelry, so I tend to get simpler settings, because they'll get more use from me. Which also helps out the budget, but it's a dual purpose kind of thing. But if I'm going to wear something a lot, then I'm more inclined to spend more.

 

[FrekeChild]

Re: How do you determine how much $$$ to spend on a setting?

I love my fabulous (and great for my wallet!) secondhand settings! They are my favorite. Lately, (read: since I got a job after getting out of school) I've been putting my money towards A. more expensive stones and B. more expensive settings.

For me, it depends more on the sentimentality of the stone. My colorless spinel? Not my most expensive stone. $180 I think? But it'll probably get a more expensive setting. Perhaps as much as ten times the amount spent on the stone. I haven't figured out which one yet, but I don't exactly have a deadline!

My cheapest setting was a mangled antique setting at $45, the stone at $20, and refurbish/setting fees was $300. So it didn't actually end up being that "cheap" in the long run, but it was still worth it.

So yeah, it depends on the stone and the sentimentality of it. Or how long I waited for the stone. Or some other undetermined reason. I dunno!

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Re: How do you determine how much $$$ to spend on a setting?

I tend to do cheaper settings because 1) I'm poor; and 2) my stones are pretty and I love them, but they're not thousands and thousands of dollars. If I do have the means someday to get some fabulous stones, like a kickass sapphire, I'd definitely be willing to spend more on a nicer setting.