How much are you paying for your designs?

[smitcompton]

Hi,

I don't want this to go too far with Genes comments. Gene intimated that his wife buys 20.00 items because she is concerned about food and heat. That's nonsense. Gene is an engineer, I think who worked for IBM and drives a beautiful sports car. He is retired now, I think. His comments were directed at settings, which are, when they are custom done expensive--in my book- very expensive.

As long as I have known Gene I have thought him to be honest and a decent man. He has always been able to say what he wishes on here. I think when we step back a bit we can say jewelry is not utilitarian. And most would say, "so what" An expensive sports car is so different? Yes, it takes us from place to place. But a little car could do the same.

Custom jewelry was for special pieces unless you are the 1% that can afford all your jewelry to be custom made. A number of women on this forum do get a lot of their jewelry custom made, which I think is unusual. Old timers here were much more selective in what was custom. You pay more for the setting than you do for the stone. I also have a hard time with that idea. I myself have wondered how you all have the money to spend on stone after stone, after setting after setting.
Your money is your money to spend as you wish. I like to do the same. Whether its a sports car, a setting or crystal(I just bought), it doesn't make a difference.

Settings are more expensive than they used to be. Bron buys second hand. I look for sales.
I don't think we ought to be so defensive. Gene is a good cutter, but I have a question for Gene.

Hey Gene, why so many fancy shapes?. Hexigons SP. require custom. No more hexs Gene.

Annette

 

[SouthernGent]

Yeah, let's bury the Gene issue from this point on, please.
As the OP, I would like to hear from more folks on how much they are spending on the design phases of their settings. My final settings will likely cost more than most of you ladies do because men's settings typically have much more gold in them due to styling. BUT, getting a men's ring to the gold-pouring stage should be similar to ladies' rings.

 

[xxxxxx]

I dont feel offended by Gene's comment at all. I had a very friendly and and professional encounter with him just a few days ago. Where after a mistake on my part he even refunded me my deposit, which I found very forthcoming.
I think it's so easy to misunderstand what one writes on the internet without hearing the tone and seeing a facial expression and having the possibility of asking what exactly somebody meant with what they were saying.
I wouldn't take a comment on an internet forum too personal

 

[Batgirl76]

I often think there must be some Hollywood starlets or at the very least some “Real Housewives of (fill in the blank)” secretly posting here, especially in “Show Me the Bling!” - lol! If so, the cost of a few custom settings would have a miniscule effect on their bank accounts. Anyway, to each his own.

 

[prs]

Gene is an engineer,

This explains it all !!!!

Great engineers invariably have no social or political skills whatsoever, it just comes with the territory. I'm sure Gene had no intention to insult or upset anybody, what he meant just came out all wrong. His saving grace is he cuts gorgeous, beautiful gemstones, and his prices are pretty good too!

 

[SouthernGent]

Umm... let's drop the Gene talk....PLEASE?

I'm the OP of this thread and I want to hear about PRICING, not Gene.
Let's. Just. Stop.

 

[MeowMeow]

Yeah, let's bury the Gene issue from this point on, please.
As the OP, I would like to hear from more folks on how much they are spending on the design phases of their settings. My final settings will likely cost more than most of you ladies do because men's settings typically have much more gold in them due to styling. BUT, getting a men's ring to the gold-pouring stage should be similar to ladies' rings.

To answer you I don't think it will apply perfectly but when we did my engagement ring setting which I consider only semi custom. The CAD was rolled into the price. Now keep in mind my setting was full of diamonds and platinum but it was a bit under 2k for a halo with a 2mm shank and diamonds halfway down each size. I would guess you might come to around the same cost with all the gold you would need. Maybe less. I am definitely interested in seeing what they quote you to see who was closest!

 

[2Neesers]

I’m a stock setting person for the most part and the settings I purchase typically run $300-$500, but I have gone custom and know prices vary greatly depending on the retailer you work with. David’s prices are very reasonable, but you have to be willing to work on his timeline which some people find frustrating.
If you are looking for more options for quotes, you could also try reaching out to Ilya Kunin at Ivy and Rose, they do custom work and set outside stones. Ask for Ilya and let him know you are from Pricescope. https://ivyandrose.com/custom_design
Also, Josh at Aurosi Jewels offers full custom work and they set outside stones. He’s very helpful! https://www.etsy.com/shop/AurosiJewels

 

[lovedogs]

Ivy and Rose are great for settings. They have a variety of stock settings (on ebay/etsy/website) under $600. However, if your stone doesn't fit the suggested sizes for the pre-made setting then they will have to alter it to fit your stone. And sometimes those alterations cost another 200-300. So when all is said and done, they range from "super affordable" to "kind of expensive". But they are really nice, and will always reply to email inquiries about whether their settings can fit your stone.

People on here have also had good luck with LeeJewelry on ebay, which I think is owned by the same people as JewelryHoo on ebay. I have one custom piece from JewelryHoo and freaking love it. They did CADS, etc, all without payment upfront and I didn't pay until we were finished with the design process. They worked fast, and I got the piece quickly considering they shipped from China.

 

[icy_jade]

In Asia the settings are generally a lot cheaper. Obviously cost goes up with more/bigger diamonds etc but even then $2k is considered expensive. I did a custom 18k WG convertible ring/pendant that was about $1.7k and that was with a double diamond halo for a fairly large stone.

So have to admit that $5k was quite a shocker to me. But I suppose if you set with a “famous” person/workshop then you are not just paying for the raw materials and basic costs but also a large premium for the “brand name” like you can say that you have a Mark Morrell/VC/etc ring. Just like how you would pay more for any item from a luxury brand.

Personally I have no problem with people who buy more exp stuff even if I can’t afford them myself. Life is short, and if some material item can spark joy/bring happiness and you can afford it then why not right? Anyway this is a jewelry/gem/diamond forum so big spenders are to be expected

Back to OP question, I think $1k would be ok as there is quite a bit of gold. The setting looks really simple so I personally would be reluctant to pay more. Wouldn’t be surprised if can be done for cheaper.

 

[Acinom]

Material used is also a factor: 14K gold will be less expensive compared to 18K, 20K or platinum. Ask your jeweller what the differences are in price

 

[SouthernGent]

Thanks, y'all. @2Neezers I will check both of those jewelers out.

 

[kgizo]

The best things in life are free. The second best are very expensive. - Coco Chanel

 

[MissyBeaucoup]

I am a practical, thrifty person and for most of my life I didn’t spend much on jewelry. I have a lot of appreciation for the frugal “good consumer” side of this forum. I love buying gemstones and I feel like there are good deals to be had. It’s a matter of taste and priorities and it’s a lot of fun to look.

I have to admit, the setting side of our little hobby is more painful. It feels like settings just cost a lot—gold is expensive and labor is expensive. I love the “Under $1250” thread. I am in a rural area and even I was able to find a skilled local jeweler, not at the mall. I think @SouthernGent you will be less likely to find men’s settings on Loupe Troop or Ivy & Rose. Seriously, look at Stuller. I know you can’t see the prices, but the quality and durability will be higher than some of the bargain Internet stuff. (You would have to order through your local jeweler.)

I think after a while gemstone addicts may decide to quit setting every stone we love. It’s also okay to admire some of them loose in the sunshine. If colors feed your soul then save some money to buy more gemstones, lol.

 

[MissyBeaucoup]

Example:

 

[elliefire99]

@lovedogs When you worked with jewelryhoo, did you send them a stone, or was it all theirs?

 

[lovedogs]

@lovedogs When you worked with jewelryhoo, did you send them a stone, or was it all theirs?

I had the stone vendor send directly to them (which was easy since both were in Asia). But I'm planning to do more projects with them, and am a bit nervous about sending stones to China! But also nervous that if I don't, the exact size of a piece might be wrong.

 

[PreRaphaelite]

I hope it’s ok for me to chime in. I’m one of the people who worries about electric bills and so forth. Truth be told, by rights I shouldn’t have a jewellery ‘hobby’ and maybe it’s time for me to downgrade anyway... but...

What @MissyBeaucoup said about admiring them in the sunshine struck a chord. The cost to set the few random diamonds I’ve found in scrap piles at pawn shops and thrift store auctions is prohibitive right now for me. I have been lucky to find the stones at all, and the settings are between double and 10x the cost of them. So they sit, unset, waiting. And they come out into the sun every so often, just for the joy of it.

I hope OP finds a gorgeous setting and enjoys the finished ring. The soul expands upon experiencing beauty, and I wish that feeling for everyone here!

 

[chrono]

When I bought settings online, I had it shipped to me. I had my local jeweller set the stone. I’m not risking my stones getting lost or stolen in transit where they aren’t insured all the way.

 

[SouthernGent]

Example:

@MissyBeaucoup , I have looked at that exact setting from Stuller and it's high on my list. Thanks for reminding me about it.

 

[suzanne2]

Example:

I have a stealth super secret password that tells me Stueller's cost...don't tell anyone...that setting is $670 wholesale. Shhh So @SouthernGent, double it for your cost.

 

[SouthernGent]

I have a stealth super secret password that tells me Stueller's cost...don't tell anyone...that setting is $670 wholesale. Shhh So @SouthernGent, double it for your cost.

Thank you, ma'am. Do you have a super secret jeweler that can work me a bargain on the setting?

 

[Crystal_Dreams]

I’ve had a few things done custom, though not terribly many. My earring settings were the latest project (not a ring, I know) but they were around $600 which I thought to be fair was quite reasonable as they are solid platinum. I did look up the prices of some stock platinum settings and they were cheaper, but not THAT far off (la pousette backs). I find David Klass to be very reasonably priced.

Most of my custom rings have been bands. I have worked with CVB quite a lot whose work does NOT come cheap, but of course, she also has a very specific style and aesthetic which I value and I deem to be ‘worth’ the cost. My two custom rings with CVB have varied significantly in price based on the intricacy of the design and the materials chosen (platinum vs 14k gold). They ranged from $1800 or so (hand carved setting in 14k gold) to $3500+ For platinum and rose gold in a halo with very intricate details. I had forgotten how much that setting cost- the stone involved (diamond) still cost significantly more, and that one is, for lack of a better term, an ‘engagement ring’ level kind of ring... but to each their own

I do feel a bit funny about placing a relatively inexpensive stone in an expensive setting, so my costly custom settings tend to be reserved more for those pieces where the stone is also quite expensive. Having said that, my emerald (in the rose gold hand carved Isadora) cost me significantly less than the setting. I do believe I got the stone for a steal though, for an untreated 4ct emerald (of a lighter less desirable shade) which helps ‘balance’ it out a little.

I might add though, that these are total costs and not ‘the cost up till the point where the gold is poured’. When I discuss with vendors, the quoted price tends to be for the whole package- design, CADs with alterations and tweaks as needed, and production. I’ve not had to pay for CADs alone at any point.

Perhaps I fall into that ‘unusual’ category (maybe not so unusual on PS) who spend a lot of unnecessary money on jewellery. I will absolutely acknowledge that is unnecessary- and I don’t believe I earn anywhere near the top 1% of the population. However, I am comfortable and although the cost involved certainly isn’t nothing to me, I do not spend these amounts regularly or above my means. I agree that jewellery is certainly not a necessity and so could certainly be seen as a waste of money if said funds were more pressingly needed elsewhere! However, it makes ME happy and gives me enjoyment so although I acknowledge those are LARGE sums of money spent, I feel it was ‘worth it’ for the most part as I enjoy the pieces they did not come at the expense of food or heating, that’s for sure!

 

[Atwater]

The first time I used a setting vendor in China, I did send my mint garnet from US to them. I mailed with tracking service, but to my surprise, the tracking stopped once the parcel entered China. I was so worried; luckily everything went smoothly.

This time when I had my chrysoberyl set by them, I happened to have a business trip to China, so I sent the stone to them using their “fedex” with insurance in China. They then sent the ring back to my US address using DHL which provides tracking all the way. I feel more comfortable this way. Luckily in this regard, I will have business trips to China from time to time

 

[GliderPoss]

I think custom settings are very expensive, particularly here in Oz. Elsewhere it varies I assume

Side note: I literally laughed at Gene's comment because I thought he was being sarcastic/cheeky! He has a valid point in that jewellery is a WANT not a need...

 

[fenestrate]

I am going to post about Gene’s words because the moderators, not the OP, determine the content of this forum. As this is a consumer forum, we post our experiences as consumers, good and bad.

I’ve interpreted over the years that he holds those (... I’m going to go out on a limb and say women in particular) who buy from him in high contempt, and always has done, yet has just about managed to conceal it. That’s my opinion. Yes, I have bought from him. (And subsequently returned).

I’m surprised at the number of posters who will leap to defend his words under the gamut from ‘bad week’ to ‘typical engineer’. He’s made his opinions of you quite clear.

He said:

‘At our house we just couldn't justify thousands for dollars for something that is basically useless.’

‘My wife would never pay more than $20 for any piece of jewelry!’

and:

‘Of course not, the stones are very useful! They are used to be set into jewelry. I said "basically useless". So aside from the satisfaction of looking at it, what are the other useful things that you can do with jewelry that would warrant a few thousand dollars?’

Why don’t you contribute to the solution Gene by closing your store. Then you won’t continue risking turning the heads of silly little things beguiled into doing “basically useless” things with money that a righteous household ‘could not justify’.

Can you be the change, Gene? Can you step up? Let’s find out how principled a person you really are.

I remember @NKOTB spending several thousand dollars on a purple sapphire from you a few years ago. Your website price was over 5 figures. Might have been 12k IIRC. Were you secretly laughing at her as you cashed the check for her useless purchase? Just wondering.

 

[ChaiK]

Regarding setting, has anyone just given measurements to LeeJewelry and then they make it. And later, you get your jeweller to mount the gem on?

I don't want to send gem to China for this.

Thank you.

 

[Anne111]

Depends, if it is a full-service, from qualified individual design to ship to my door, I don't expect be get far under 1500 euro plus stones.
Of course, In today's world everything can be gotten dirt cheap somewhere else but the old saying 'you get what you pay for' will stand till the universe implodes.

 

[lovedogs]

Regarding setting, has anyone just given measurements to LeeJewelry and then they make it. And later, you get your jeweller to mount the gem on?

I don't want to send gem to China for this.

Thank you.

I think that's what @2Neezers just did, wirh outstanding results!

 

[2Neesers]

Regarding setting, has anyone just given measurements to LeeJewelry and then they make it. And later, you get your jeweller to mount the gem on?

I don't want to send gem to China for this.

Thank you.

I think that's what @2Neezers just did, wirh outstanding results!

Yes! I have done it that way quite a few times with my pieces from leejewelry and jewelyhoo2 .