Is my diamond set properly?

[Mrs_Strizzle]

300 CAD the jeweler charged her to do this though! The job isn't finished.

 

[tyty333]

300 CAD the jeweler charged her to do this though! The job isn't finished.

CAD for what? Did they create this ring for Venusara?

 

[Mrs_Strizzle]

CAD for what? Did they create this ring for Venusara?

300 Canadian dollars, so $$$ to set it

 

[Ally T]

Just opened this thread, and....

Any ring is going to get the odd bump & bash, so they certainly should be strong enough to withstand that. An engagement ring should be sturdy enough for daily wear & potentially for your entire life time.

I agree with the others in that this is completely shoddy, crap work (I can't bring myself to say 'craftsmanship' because there doesn't appear to be any).

Her belittling attitude gives away her lack of jewellery knowledge & skill. I'm sure a high street jeweller could do a better job.

I am so angry for you. Please do not wear this ring until it has been re-seated & set correctly by someone who knows their arse from their elbow.

 

[AnastasiaBeaverhausen]

Sorry to see this happen to you, OP. I'm usually the person who goes "meh, looks good enough to me!" but this is just unacceptable! Hope they're able to make you whole more or less.

 

[Venusara]

Ugh I hate bad customer service. I’d be getting a refund at this point. It is obviously not right. I’m far from an expert and I can see that. But to then act rude like that...buh bye. Good luck with everything. Finished correctly, it will be very pretty

I was so happy that I thought I found a good honest jeweller too! We were planning on getting our wedding bands from her when the covid situation gets better. She was honestly really nice until I started questioning her and her team's work (which I tried to ask in the nicest way possible). She just told me I'm funny or hilarious and made me feel like I didn't know anything so I didn't know who else to turn to. But you guys are the best for helping me out!! Thank you so much!!

Under no circumstances let this jeweler try to *fix* this!
Chalk it up to a lesson learned and go elsewhere. Your setting is beautiful and once set properly it will look lovely!

Thank you Bonfire! I am planning on not going back to her. I'm thinking of it as a lesson learned as well because I highly doubt she would do anything else for me at this point. She keeps making appointments to meet but I honestly cannot trust her anymore.

There is enough going on to say skip claws.
Even with a fresh setting its not a good idea unless it was designed for them.

Ok! I'm just going to ask them to do what they think is best as long as it is done securely!

My goodness, thats a poorly executed setting Attempt.
is the setting too big for the diamond ?
The air gap is huge, the prongs aren’t even finished properly.
like they just cut 4 random grooves in prongs, poked the diamond in and went “it’s set”.
As for her customer service attitude
This ring is a modestly priced setting from China.
see how the prongs hug the shape of the diamond.
see how the prong length has been shortened, bent over and rounded near the girdle.
don’t go back, that jeweller is a lost cause.
if you can’t find someone else local, ask to see their work, perhaps sending it away is best.

Yes!! I just want my prongs to hug the diamond and bent over to secure it in place. The way the setter set my stone almost looked like a tension setting. I will be asking to see their work before deciding to let them set my stone. Thank you for your help!

I don't know about any jewelers in Toronto with a good bench, but I follow this designer on Instagram. She's located in Toronto. Maybe if you called her workshop asking for a recommendation for a good bench they could help?

https://instagram.com/emilygilldesign?igshid=129dg0ox71yan

The worst they can say is no and not give a referral. But they clearly have someone setting their stones properly there.

I'll check her out! Thank you for your recommendation! I'm just gonna take a bit more time to research and see if I can find someone local. Not in a rush anymore, just want it to be done right. I'm a little traumatized about who I can trust because she seemed sooooo trustworthy but I read her wrong

I’m so glad you will be going somewhere else to fix your setting. Just looking at the picture gives me extreme anxiety with how unsecure your diamonds looks. Kudos to you for looking closely and asking!

Thank you for confirming my thoughts!! I thought I was being too picky because she kept telling me her setter is the best and that my setting was too hard to work with. But i read through a lot of threads on here about prong seats and how there shouldn't be space in-between these seats and the stone.

Walk (run) away and never go back

your ring is going to be really beautiful once its fixed

Running!! I haven't replied to her because I do not know what to say without her getting more hostile with me. I feel bad like I'm asking for too much but i just really want my stone to be secure. Thank you so much! I cannot wait for it to be fixed!

Contact Martin Sheffield @ USA Certed Diamonds, he is a reputable and recommended vendor on this forum. He is also from Toronto and can definitely help you out.

I will look into that! Thank you for recommending!!

And I’m still mad at that woman from the jewellers!
How rude telling you off for daring to complain.
Her Elite” jewellery store? Really?
There is nothing “Elite” about her condescending attitude in response to your valid concerns.
Blind Freddie can see that’s a totally crap attempt at setting.
Does it look anything like the stock photo example?
A photo showing how a properly set diamond will look in the setting?
No.
She is rude and abrupt because she knows you’re right.
don’t worry, a real jeweller will have no trouble doing it properly for you and then you can wear your beautiful ring everyday with a smile.
Dont go back to them, unless it’s to show her your ring AFTER a real jeweller has corrected their botched and overpriced attempt.

Right?! I myself even felt rude to complain so I just asked if maybe the job was rushed so there was not enough time to do the job properly and then she hits me with all these texts telling me I am hilarious for asking questions and to trust that they know what is best for my diamond and setting. I even sent her the same stock photo before they set my stone, so I was expecting them to know what I wanted. Sigh, lesson learned!! And you're right, I will not be going back unless, I may show her a photo of the corrected work.



You guys are honestly the best!! I really appreciate all the time and help you've given me

 

[Mekp]

I was so happy that I thought I found a good honest jeweller too! We were planning on getting our wedding bands from her when the covid situation gets better. She was honestly really nice until I started questioning her and her team's work (which I tried to ask in the nicest way possible). She just told me I'm funny or hilarious and made me feel like I didn't know anything so I didn't know who else to turn to. But you guys are the best for helping me out!! Thank you so much!!



Thank you Bonfire! I am planning on not going back to her. I'm thinking of it as a lesson learned as well because I highly doubt she would do anything else for me at this point. She keeps making appointments to meet but I honestly cannot trust her anymore.



Ok! I'm just going to ask them to do what they think is best as long as it is done securely!



Yes!! I just want my prongs to hug the diamond and bent over to secure it in place. The way the setter set my stone almost looked like a tension setting. I will be asking to see their work before deciding to let them set my stone. Thank you for your help!



I'll check her out! Thank you for your recommendation! I'm just gonna take a bit more time to research and see if I can find someone local. Not in a rush anymore, just want it to be done right. I'm a little traumatized about who I can trust because she seemed sooooo trustworthy but I read her wrong



Thank you for confirming my thoughts!! I thought I was being too picky because she kept telling me her setter is the best and that my setting was too hard to work with. But i read through a lot of threads on here about prong seats and how there shouldn't be space in-between these seats and the stone.



Running!! I haven't replied to her because I do not know what to say without her getting more hostile with me. I feel bad like I'm asking for too much but i just really want my stone to be secure. Thank you so much! I cannot wait for it to be fixed!



I will look into that! Thank you for recommending!!



Right?! I myself even felt rude to complain so I just asked if maybe the job was rushed so there was not enough time to do the job properly and then she hits me with all these texts telling me I am hilarious for asking questions and to trust that they know what is best for my diamond and setting. I even sent her the same stock photo before they set my stone, so I was expecting them to know what I wanted. Sigh, lesson learned!! And you're right, I will not be going back unless, I may show her a photo of the corrected work.



You guys are honestly the best!! I really appreciate all the time and help you've given me

Do you feel comfortable sharing who this jeweller is? I want to make sure I never, ever use them for anything.

Also, selfishly, I'm currently having custom earrings made from a jeweller in Toronto and I'm anxious at the thought that it might be the same jeweller

 

[Venusara]

Just opened this thread, and....

Any ring is going to get the odd bump & bash, so they certainly should be strong enough to withstand that. An engagement ring should be sturdy enough for daily wear & potentially for your entire life time.

I agree with the others in that this is completely shoddy, crap work (I can't bring myself to say 'craftsmanship' because there doesn't appear to be any).

Her belittling attitude gives away her lack of jewellery knowledge & skill. I'm sure a high street jeweller could do a better job.

I am so angry for you. Please do not wear this ring until it has been re-seated & set correctly by someone who knows their arse from their elbow.

I want my ring to be able to take the random hit because I can be pretty clumsy! I won't be wearing it 24/7, but I would like to know that when i wear it, it will be as secure as possible. I'll definitely baby it, but I'd also like it to potentially last a lifetime for sentimental reasons. The jeweller just kept telling me to be extra careful because my stone can get lost due to the setting being so delicate. Oh and she told me to make sure that I insure my ring. I can't wait for it to get redone by someone else. It's been a nightmare dealing with her. It's given me a bit of anxiety so I haven't replied to her messages yet.

Sorry to see this happen to you, OP. I'm usually the person who goes "meh, looks good enough to me!" but this is just unacceptable! Hope they're able to make you whole more or less.

I don't think she will give me any sort of refund or partial refund because she keeps telling me her setter is "one of the best in the city" and to ask anyone and they would tell me he is the best Also that he had to do what was best for my setting and stone so she still thinks that they did not do anything wrong.

She thinks the way I asked for the ring to be set is based on my preferences. My preference is that the stone gets set securely. I initially asked for claw prongs and she confirmed they will do claw prongs for me but my ring came back with round prongs and I didn't mention that mistake because I was just happy that "one of the best setters in the city" had set my stone in the best way possible.

I also knew that she was overcharging me but thought that since this was a one time thing that it was totally worth it as long as it was set properly.

I feel better after hearing from everyone that I had a good reason to question their work. I've definitely learned my lesson, and will keep you updated! I cannot thank you all enough for all of the help and support I've gotten!! You guys are the best

 

[Venusara]

Do you feel comfortable sharing who this jeweller is? I want to make sure I never, ever use them for anything.

Also, selfishly, I'm currently having custom earrings made from a jeweller in Toronto and I'm anxious at the thought that it might be the same jeweller

I wasn't sure if I was allowed to mention names or if it would be mean of me to mention it. Her name is Dana Mclaven (dmfinejewllery). If it's the same jeweller then hopefully I just had that one-off bad experience because my setting was not made by them? Because I tried to do research and she even has an article written about her. She looks so credible, I still cannot believe this is my experience with her. Maybe they are only good with custom work and not with outside pieces/stones. I just wish she would've told me my ring was too delicate to work with instead of doing it the way it was done.

 

[Mekp]

I wasn't sure if I was allowed to mention names or if it would be mean of me to mention it. Her name is Dana Mclaven (dmfinejewllery). If it's the same jeweller then hopefully I just had that one-off bad experience because my setting was not made by them? Because I tried to do research and she even has an article written about her. She looks so credible, I still cannot believe this is my experience with her. Maybe they are only good with custom work and not with outside pieces/stones. I just wish she would've told me my ring was too delicate to work with instead of doing it the way it was done.

I'm so sorry you had that experience. You have been very reasonable and fair and you got shoddy work. That is just so unfortunate. Thankfully I'm not using her for the earrings.
My Hamilton jeweller is Raphael at Millenium Jewellers on Ottawa St N in Hamilton. Really nice guy, he charges me $40 to set a stone, he is always oohing and ahhing over what I bring in. Decent, honest guy who does good work. If you are looking for someone to set your stone I really recommend him.

 

[Venusara]

300 CAD the jeweler charged her to do this though! The job isn't finished.

CAD for what? Did they create this ring for Venusara?

300 Canadian dollars, so $$$ to set it

Yes 300 canadian dollars... but to be honest if they had done it properly, we were not going to complain because we thought that we were paying for a peace of mind that it will be done right and with expert skills.

I'm so sorry you had that experience. You have been very reasonable and fair and you got shoddy work. That is just so unfortunate. Thankfully I'm not using her for the earrings.
My Hamilton jeweller is Raphael at Millenium Jewellers on Ottawa St N in Hamilton. Really nice guy, he charges me $40 to set a stone, he is always oohing and ahhing over what I bring in. Decent, honest guy who does good work. If you are looking for someone to set your stone I really recommend him.

My fiance asked one of his friends yesterday (we should've asked our friends for recommendations but we wanted to keep it a secret) and he is taking it to get looked at by kilani jewellers? We will see if they are able to fix it, and if not, we will definitely be making the drive to Hamilton to see your guy!! Thank you for being so helpful, i really appreciate you!!

 

[737liz]

So I looked at her insta. And about half of the rings have shoddy prongwork. This isn't a one off mistake. Do not go back as it will end up with your setting ruined. They don't know HOW to properly set. . Looks like the setter, or one of them, does not finish the job. I don't think she even knows how bad her bench is.

edited to say: your setting is beautiful

 

[xxxxxx]

So I looked at her insta. And about half of the rings have shoddy prongwork. This isn't a one off mistake. Do not go back as it will end up with your setting ruined. They don't know HOW to properly set. . Looks like the setter, or one of them, does not finish the job. I don't think she even knows how bad her bench is.

edited to say: your setting is beautiful

Her Instagram makes me crazy. I feel bad for all the couples who waste their money with her and maybe even loose their diamond in the process

 

[Venusara]

So I looked at her insta. And about half of the rings have shoddy prongwork. This isn't a one off mistake. Do not go back as it will end up with your setting ruined. They don't know HOW to properly set. . Looks like the setter, or one of them, does not finish the job. I don't think she even knows how bad her bench is.

edited to say: your setting is beautiful

Oh man, i should have looked more closely at her work. I believe she only has one setter and he has over 40 years of experience so i thought i was in good hands. Definitely a lesson learned! I don't think she knows, she keeps reassuring me that her setter is the best.

Thank you~ I hope my setting can still be saved by someone else.

Her Instagram makes me crazy. I feel bad for all the couples who waste their money with her and maybe even loose their diamond in the process

I hope they've had better experiences than me, I would hate to have to lose my stone before realizing that it was not done right to begin with.

 

[Venusara]

My fiance wants to take it (based on our close friends recommendation) to kilani because they are close by and I want to get opinions here first since you all have a better eye than me. Their instagram is kilanijewellery and their engagement rings can be seen on bridalbykilani on instagram. I'd really appreciate any advice! Thank you for all the support and help, I wouldn't know what to do otherwise!!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Not to be an alarmist but I would not personaly wear it like that.
It is not secure and looks like it has already moved.

Hay Carl and @Garry H (Cut Nut) and any other trade persom following
what's the training to be a jewler ?
Not just the acedemic part but the actual physical know how ?
Is it an apprenticeship ?

 

[MillieLou]

Please, please post a simple, factual online review (on Google, or whatever is commonly used in your area) with a photo of your ring. Sadly a photo will speak for itself It will help protect someone else from going through the same situation.

 

[AnastasiaBeaverhausen]

My fiance wants to take it (based on our close friends recommendation) to kilani because they are close by and I want to get opinions here first since you all have a better eye than me. Their instagram is kilanijewellery and their engagement rings can be seen on bridalbykilani on instagram. I'd really appreciate any advice! Thank you for all the support and help, I wouldn't know what to do otherwise!!

Are you able to get pics of any work kilani has done for your friend so you can vet their work?

 

[Cerulean]

So I looked at her insta. And about half of the rings have shoddy prongwork. This isn't a one off mistake. Do not go back as it will end up with your setting ruined. They don't know HOW to properly set. . Looks like the setter, or one of them, does not finish the job. I don't think she even knows how bad her bench is.

edited to say: your setting is beautiful

 

[Moonie]

Yes I am angry that she talked to you like that! It's never ok to belittle someone for simply asking questions about a very expensive piece of jewelry...I'm upset if she doesn't provide you with a refund and I agree that if she's not confident in her ability to execute on what you want, then taking it to another jeweler makes sense. What you're asking for is very basic and should not require such a fuss...you just want your prongs to hold the stone for god's sake lol. (please excuse my language if I offend)

 

[tyty333]

I ditto writing some reviews. Anyone can say they have the "best bench" in the area.

 

[Karl_K]

Hay Carl and @Garry H (Cut Nut) and any other trade persom following
what's the training to be a jewler ?
Not just the acedemic part but the actual physical know how ?
Is it an apprenticeship ?

classes plus experience basically.
It can be an apprenticeship particularly for benchwork.
Ask this in a new thread and others will chime in, its been a while since it has been discussed.

 

[rainydaze]

Oh sure, best setter around... for her. She gets to make more money on replacing diamonds when they inevitably fall out thanks to hardly being set at all!

There is nothing elite about the work she did for you. I hope you are able to find a jeweler whom you can trust and build a report with, and have your diamond set the way it ought to be so that you can fully enjoy it!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

classes plus experience basically.
It can be an apprenticeship particularly for benchwork.
Ask this in a new thread and others will chime in, its been a while since it has been discussed.

Have done

 

[Venusara]

Please, please post a simple, factual online review (on Google, or whatever is commonly used in your area) with a photo of your ring. Sadly a photo will speak for itself It will help protect someone else from going through the same situation.

I will definitely post a review once I get it fixed with before and after photos. I also want to make sure people can see my review because I could not find any reviews other than the good ones that she posts herself. I will make sure it is all factual because I'm not trying to ruin her business, it really is my real experience/nightmare.

Are you able to get pics of any work kilani has done for your friend so you can vet their work?

We are going to look at his work in person and get a quote before letting him work on our ring. I've learned my lesson and I cannot just trust anyone without seeing their work in person first, because evidently I'm not that great at telling from just photos. Can't wait for this to be over!!

Yes I am angry that she talked to you like that! It's never ok to belittle someone for simply asking questions about a very expensive piece of jewelry...I'm upset if she doesn't provide you with a refund and I agree that if she's not confident in her ability to execute on what you want, then taking it to another jeweler makes sense. What you're asking for is very basic and should not require such a fuss...you just want your prongs to hold the stone for god's sake lol. (please excuse my language if I offend)

Aww you're the sweetest, she made me feel like I was asking really dumb questions, but you guys made me feel so much better!! Perhaps she will offer some sort of refund after I get it fixed by someone else, who knows . The only thing i know is I will not be trusting them with fixing my ring. You're right, I just want my prongs to hold the stone, not anything fancy. I just want to know that I don't have to supervise my stone every time I wear it to make sure the stone doesn't fall out!! I'd rather not wear it if its that delicate

I ditto writing some reviews. Anyone can say they have the "best bench" in the area.

Yes, will definitely do that!

Oh sure, best setter around... for her. She gets to make more money on replacing diamonds when they inevitably fall out thanks to hardly being set at all!

There is nothing elite about the work she did for you. I hope you are able to find a jeweler whom you can trust and build a report with, and have your diamond set the way it ought to be so that you can fully enjoy it!

I kind of came to that conclusion as well when she told me to be extra careful when I wear it because my setting was really delicate and to be careful of the stone falling out.. also to make sure i have it insured. We were supposed to meet up to get wedding bands from her so i'm so glad i noticed this mistake and got confirmation from you all in this thread!! Saved me any further headache down the road. Thank you for being so nice, I can't wait to find someone i can trust to be my jeweller!! Thank you

 

[kare_xo]

I’m curious to know if you end up finding a good vendor! I need my prongs fixed too by my vendor and am in Toronto but haven’t been in touch with them yet cause of the lockdown currently. If it doesn’t work out, would be nice to get some recs!

 

[denverappraiser]

I brought this to the attention of the jeweller and diamond setter and she told me that the diamond setter knows what he's doing and that my stone is very secure. She said "if he hammered it like normal the diamond would drop so low" and she also mentioned that the rose gold (14kt) is too soft to work with?

Good advice from several of the posters above.

Since no one else has mentioned it, I thought I should point out that this explanation is pure nonsense. This setting was not done with a hammer. Hammer settings aren't particularly 'normal' but even settings that are do not 'drop' as a result. The height was chosen by the setter and this had nothing to do with their use of a hammer or not. 14k rose gold is a fine material. Common even.

Oh, and the prongs aren't especially thin and that little ring attaching the prongs together at the bottom is a gallery.

 

[denverappraiser]

Another general comment to add. This sort of discussion is the reason that jewelers don't like to set stones that they didn't sell into mountings that they didn't sell. Fingerpointing routinely follows and, somehow, the setter is always the one who ends up looking foolish.

 

[Venusara]

I’m curious to know if you end up finding a good vendor! I need my prongs fixed too by my vendor and am in Toronto but haven’t been in touch with them yet cause of the lockdown currently. If it doesn’t work out, would be nice to get some recs!

We went to kilani jewellery and they helped us reset it. Alot of vendors are closed due to the lockdown but I'm sure some of them still offer curbside drop off/pick up. Kelani was still pretty busy because of their online orders and custom work. I've only been to dana and kelani, so based on what know, I can only recommend kelani. They usually don't repair or set pieces that they did not make, so I was super surprised when they offered to help us out. Never hurts to ask and try!! They are absolutely amazing. If not, @Mekp made a recommendation, and if kelani had not been able to help us, we would've made the drive to see him

Good advice from several of the posters above.

Since no one else has mentioned it, I thought I should point out that this explanation is pure nonsense. This setting was not done with a hammer. Hammer settings aren't particularly 'normal' but even settings that are do not 'drop' as a result. The height was chosen by the setter and this had nothing to do with their use of a hammer or not. 14k rose gold is a fine material. Common even.

Oh, and the prongs aren't especially thin and that little ring attaching the prongs together at the bottom is a gallery.

Yay I'm so happy that the little halo is a gallery. She kept insisting that this was the best option for the "circumstances"

Another general comment to add. This sort of discussion is the reason that jewelers don't like to set stones that they didn't sell into mountings that they didn't sell. Fingerpointing routinely follows and, somehow, the setter is always the one who ends up looking foolish.

Yes, and I completely understand their reason to not set outside stones into settings not made by them. I wish they would've looked at the pieces and then tell me that they cannot set it due to the setting being too delicate for them instead of reassuring me that the stone is super secure and set by the best setter I can find in my area.

 

[yssie]

I want my ring to be able to take the random hit because I can be pretty clumsy! I won't be wearing it 24/7, but I would like to know that when i wear it, it will be as secure as possible. I'll definitely baby it, but I'd also like it to potentially last a lifetime for sentimental reasons. The jeweller just kept telling me to be extra careful because my stone can get lost due to the setting being so delicate. Oh and she told me to make sure that I insure my ring. I can't wait for it to get redone by someone else. It's been a nightmare dealing with her. It's given me a bit of anxiety so I haven't replied to her messages yet.



I don't think she will give me any sort of refund or partial refund because she keeps telling me her setter is "one of the best in the city" and to ask anyone and they would tell me he is the best Also that he had to do what was best for my setting and stone so she still thinks that they did not do anything wrong.

She thinks the way I asked for the ring to be set is based on my preferences. My preference is that the stone gets set securely. I initially asked for claw prongs and she confirmed they will do claw prongs for me but my ring came back with round prongs and I didn't mention that mistake because I was just happy that "one of the best setters in the city" had set my stone in the best way possible.

I also knew that she was overcharging me but thought that since this was a one time thing that it was totally worth it as long as it was set properly.

I feel better after hearing from everyone that I had a good reason to question their work. I've definitely learned my lesson, and will keep you updated! I cannot thank you all enough for all of the help and support I've gotten!! You guys are the best

Partial refund? She owes you a full refund on the setting labour.

Her bench did a complete crap job and they’ve now made it more difficult for you to get it done properly somewhere else. If they felt that it wasn’t going to be possible to do a good job with the materials you gave them, then they should have told you that and charged you for their analysis/time.

I would, at the very least, tell her that you aren’t buying her BS, and post a public review of the fact that she chose to respond to her own shoddy workmanship with denial and finger-pointing. Even if you decide that pushing for a refund (which, again, is fully deserved here) is too much bother.