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Where can I find this "LeeJewelry"?
 
Wow, thank you so much. I think I shall do that. This has been so helpful. :kiss2:
 
PrecisionGem said:
I'm surprised at how much people are paying to set these stone. My wife would never pay more than $20 for any piece of jewelry! She buys her stuff at the check out counter at Forever 21 or Marshalls. Don't you need to buy groceries or heat your homes?
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As a super longtime lurker on this forum, reading this really made me want to reply, I’m sorry if I’m a day late to the topic or dragging up something that’s settled.

I just wanted to remind everyone that while jewellery somehow seemingly has a stigma of being “useless” these days, that during the Great Depression and especially during word war two, many many families actually relied on their diamonds/ jewellery to barter for their food and survival (when currencies tanked) and it saved lives - I’ve heard even fur coats exchanged for medicine during war time. Even the hope diamond was pawned briefly for expenses.

Anyways, as someone who also shares a passion for jewellery, I think it’s sad to see a vendor make such a comment and especially so when their own clients may now experience major buyers remorse even years later.
People shouldn’t be shamed because they enjoy sparkly things or are willing to pay for great craftsmanship. Life is short and money comes and goes and we should enjoy spending it on what we want, while we can.
 
If hand forged/based on a sketch, anything between 200 and 2500. Depends a lot on gold weight and setting style etc.
I don't pay anything for a crude cad from my local bench. Then I decide if I want to proceed based on the quote. Here, setting runs 10$ per stone for melee. So that quickly escalates if you want a lot of teeny stones. Basically, from 200 to 3k I'd what I've been quoted. I prefer to buy used settings and Frankenstein them into submission. It saves me a lot of money overall even if I end up miscalculating and not being able to use some of the settings for their intended stones... It just means I get to hunt for more stones that fit into them! :appl:
 
Does anyone know a goldsmith/setter who could create a setting for multiple stones using recycled gold for a reasonable price?
 
737lizakg said:
If hand forged/based on a sketch, anything between 200 and 2500. Depends a lot on gold weight and setting style etc.
I don't pay anything for a crude cad from my local bench. Then I decide if I want to proceed based on the quote. Here, setting runs 10$ per stone for melee. So that quickly escalates if you want a lot of teeny stones. Basically, from 200 to 3k I'd what I've been quoted. I prefer to buy used settings and Frankenstein them into submission. It saves me a lot of money overall even if I end up miscalculating and not being able to use some of the settings for their intended stones... It just means I get to hunt for more stones that fit into them! :appl:
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lololol @ Frankenstein them into submission :lol-2::lol-2::lol-2:

@Batgirl76 from what i understand most jewelers don't recycle gold, they'll take your old gold for scrap and use new gold for a new setting. there are some that use "fairmined" or upcycled gold, i can't think of any other than bario neal but maybe there are some on etsy? not sure about their pricing....
 
Thank you bludiva. I’ll check out bario neal. I’m going through all the vendors on Etsy who use recycled gold now. :))
 
SouthernGent said:
I'm wondering what a reasonable cost is to have a ring designed for a certain stone I want to have set. Now, I know that the amount of gold and the carat-weight of the gold makes a huge difference in cost of the final production, but what are y'all paying to have rings designed for your stones up until the gold is actually poured?
Let's say I send a stone to a designer along with several photos of examples of a ring pretty much exactly like I want - what would be a reasonable fee for him/her to design the setting, make it, and have the stone set?
For my personal setting, I'm talking about something relatively uncomplicated like this one:
31750_A_0.jpg
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Well, my local jeweler got back with me yesterday with a quote of $2,100 to duplicate this ring in 14K yellow gold and set the stone. That's about $500 more than my expected budget, so I'm going to have to ask how much of that cost is the gold. Maybe I can save some money by going with 10K or maybe even silver.
I'm going to wait until I get my paraiba YAG stone in and reconvene with him for options.
I've even considered going with sterling silver and putting a dark patina on it with liver of sulfur in order to make it interesting looking.
 
Have you emailed David Klass for a quote? I think he might charge less than that.
 
Yes, that’s his email address, but you might want to send a follow up email or even just text or call, just to make sure they didn’t miss it. I’ve had some of my emails go unanswered before and was told by Amy it’s always best to to text or call if you don’t hear back. They seem inundated with emails and miss some occasionally.


SouthernGent said:
I did, about 2 weeks ago, but haven't heard a peep back from him.
What is his email address? I sent it to: [email protected]
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I paid about 1500 /1600$ for a custom setting in plat. With DK. Design As included. The difference with 18k was under 200$
 
I heard back from David Klass today and y'all were right - his pricing is very reasonable. His estimate is almost $1,000 less than my local jeweler! Now, I really like my local jeweler, we are friends on Facebook, as is his mom, but daggone! If it were a $200 difference, I might be willing to work with my local guy, but at $1,000? I will have to make this an entirely "business" decision.
 
scouty said:
@SouthernGent Are you going to go with the brushed metal look? I really like that. Definitely follow up with DK.
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I'm not sure yet. I believe I may go with yellow gold, either 14K or 10K - do you think the brushed look would look good on yellow?
 
Or maybe this finish would look good?
wb41291__05779.1523361169.jpg
 
I'll wait until I get the stone in hand before deciding. I'll let y'all advise me, as well as David Klass.
 
I think he has a grey gold or black gold alloy too and brushed looks good in every metal to me except plat :lol-2:
 
bludiva said:
I think he has a grey gold or black gold alloy too and brushed looks good in every metal to me except plat :lol-2:
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Oooh, remind me to ask him about that gray gold!
 
Oooh I love that brushed look!
 
I've always wanted DK to make a ring or two for me. I've just been afraid he's too expensive, and I'm embarrassed to ask him for a quote. @SouthernGent and @kipari you give me hope!
 
MrsKMB said:
I've always wanted DK to make a ring or two for me. I've just been afraid he's too expensive, and I'm embarrassed to ask him for a quote. @SouthernGent and @kipari you give me hope!
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Definitely ask him! I found the process super easy. Craftsmanship is superb and I had a very clear and good communication throughout the entire process.
I had, however, a very clear idea of what I wanted and knew that I didn't need much input on the design. I don't think he's the perfect match for someone who is not too sure of their visionand waffling a lot.
 
SouthernGent said:
I heard back from David Klass today and y'all were right - his pricing is very reasonable. His estimate is almost $1,000 less than my local jeweler! Now, I really like my local jeweler, we are friends on Facebook, as is his mom, but daggone! If it were a $200 difference, I might be willing to work with my local guy, but at $1,000? I will have to make this an entirely "business" decision.
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Hi SouthernGent - was wondering if you've received your ring yet?
 
budmanbudman10 said:
Hi SouthernGent - was wondering if you've received your ring yet?
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I did indeed - just picked it up from my local jeweler this past Friday. I decided to go with a stock Stuller setting (#9834) in 14K yellow gold, because after looking at all sorts of different designs from David Klass and others, I felt like the Stuller setting displayed the stone exactly the way I wanted it to and was about 75% of the cost of the David Klass design.
However, I'm not 100 sure I'm going to be satisfied with what I've done. That's because, even after having a couple of stones specifically cut with a minimum pavilion to supposedly fit this particular Stuller setting, the culet of the stone ends up exactly even with the inside of the ring and presses against my finger somewhat when I'm wearing the ring. Part of the problem is that the ring is hollow underneath where the stone is set and my finger skin/fat bulges upwards up under there just a bit.
I fear that I have made an expensive mistake, because the setting can't be returned, nor modified in any way to fix this. Thus, I may have to send my setting to David Klass and tell him to make one just like it, but raise the top up to accommodate the depth of the stone, and fill in the back of it to make it "smoother" feeling on the finger. I love the design of the ring, though - the size and the way it displays the stone is perfect. Maybe I can get some credit for the weight of the gold that's in it when David or whoever melts it down and makes another one, if I decide to go that route.
Here's a few pictures in poor lighting.
thumbnail3.jpg thumbnail2.jpg thumbnail.jpg
 
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What if you had it sized up a slight bit, first, before remaking it? Even just as a temporary holdover, maybe sizing up (even possibly adding those little beads on the inside to keep it from rolling) would let you wear it without the cutlet bothering you, until you decide what to do.
It’s beautiful!
 
Did you express concern about the stone pressing into your finger when discussing the stone and mounting with your jeweler?
If so - I believe they should have at least some culpability? Half?
Sizing up is a good suggestion to research if it will work.
I also imagine your jeweler adding lattice or a different pattern of some sort on the underside of the ring to prevent your finger flesh from migrating up there as much, would be cheaper than eating this Stuller and remaking custom. Few benches will remelt this to use. Scrap credit yes.
 
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