More advice requested for Australians

[getgo]

Hi all,
We have purchased a super sparkly 1.3ct F VS1 round brialliant cut diamond from Union Diamond but are now looking for a reputable jeweller to set it in an ER for us. We are based in melbourne and went to a few places today, many dont set loose diamonds, others were charging a premium because we didn''t get the diamond from them. Any one have experience getting a loose stone set in Melbourne?
We are looking for a simple solitaire setting in white gold...how much should we expecting to pay?
Thanks so much, we have learned sooo much from this website already...Thanx

 

[Deelight]

The only reputable jeweler I know in Melbourne is Holloway Diamonds, however I don''t know if they will set other peoples stones. I wouldn''t be able to tell you the cost either because I had mine set OS.

You might find it difficult to get anyone to set the stone due to liability issues, also I am fairly certain no one will cover for any damage should something happen to you stone and loose stones are not insurable here.

GL hopefully someone has some more concrete information for you.

 

[getgo]

Thanks Deelight,
I''ll try Holloway diamonds. I was warned by one jeweller that I would need to insure the diamond when it is being mounted but as you say loose diamonds can''t be insured in Australia... bit of a catch 22.

I met one jewellers I found helpful called Regato jewellers. Anyone heard of them in Melbourne?

Cant wait to get it one my hand!!!

 

[Sharon101]

I know hundreds of jewellers and they all definately set stones. I have never heard of this phenonomen of jewellers not setting a customers stone for any reason.

 

[Lorelei]

Definitely contact Garry at Holloway Diamonds, he is a bonzer bloke!!!

www.hollowaydiamonds.com.au

 

[Deelight]

getgo You might be able to get your stone insured by buying a temp setting and having that included on your insurance valuation therefore technically making it a complete piece of jewelery. However in saying that you will have to see whatever insurance company you choose to go with covers you for resets.

Just might be an option for you

 

[Lorelei]

Dee, I love your new avvie!!!

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 2/4/2009 5:34:32 AM
Author: Sharon101
I know hundreds of jewellers and they all definately set stones. I have never heard of this phenonomen of jewellers not setting a customers stone for any reason.

Sharon, I am quite surprised at this comment - it is often discussed around PS that jewellers will not accept liability to set a stone they did not sell.. They will still set stones, but tough biccies if it gets damaged in the process...
I know some places take that further and say they will set their stones only, no outside ones - I guess its just easier for them to avoid the potential hassle.

I'm sure this is the policy in 99% of places in Aust - if you know of ones with policy otherwise, I'd love to know!

 

[Deelight]

Thanks Lorelei FI and I took that pic the night he proposed

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 2/4/2009 6:26:14 AM
Author: Deelight
Thanks Lorelei FI and I took that pic the night he proposed

WOW! Its an amazing pic!!!!!

 

[Deelight]

Thanks Lorelei

 

[Sharon101]

Date: 2/4/2009 6:25:44 AM
Author: arjunajane

Date: 2/4/2009 5:34:32 AM
Author: Sharon101
I know hundreds of jewellers and they all definately set stones. I have never heard of this phenonomen of jewellers not setting a customers stone for any reason.

Sharon, I am quite surprised at this comment - it is often discussed around PS that jewellers will not accept liability to set a stone they did not sell.. They will still set stones, but tough biccies if it gets damaged in the process...
I know some places take that further and say they will set their stones only, no outside ones - I guess its just easier for them to avoid the potential hassle.

I'm sure this is the policy in 99% of places in Aust - if you know of ones with policy otherwise, I'd love to know!

Arjunajane,

I must be really naive or overconfident....but in all the last 20 years that I have had things made, set, reset....and asked for quotes from all types of jewellers for various jobs to do with setting my diamonds ....I have never once discussed about liability if the stone was to be damaged.

The last project that I did involved leaving my 4 carat princess with a jeweller for many long weeks, and the jeweller kept delaying the time frame.....and I must admit that I did have a few pannick attacks regarding what if the diamond `dissappeared`. Talk about trust!!!!!!


My husband is more cautious and hates when I want to get something reset as he is aware that each handling involves a risk of damage no matter how small. Probably like having minor surgery. We take it forgranted, but things can go wrong!!!!!

Now, back to the question. I thought that the poster was having trouble finding someone who wanted to do the job because they didnt think there was enough profit in it. Personally, I have always found many wonderful jewellers who were bending backwards to help me reset xyz.

I dont remember the poster mentioning anything about looking for a jeweller who would take on the full responsibility of the diamond whilst setting it.

 

[arjunajane]

Yep you''re right about the OP, I guess there has been a misunderstanding. I will wait for getgo to clarify.

Personally, as I''m acutely aware of this whole policy thing, I always ask when starting a project- yes, many are often surprised to even hear the question, and reckon they''ve never been asked. Personally I find that either very odd or very false.
And its the jeweller that boasts to me that "in 25yrs etc etc I have never damaged a stone, this is a non-issue etc etc"..that I do not want to work with. Sure, that may be the case, but I would at least like some reassurance and a back-up plan incase your luck were to run out with my stone in hand, kwim?

The best I have been told so far was they admitted straight up that their insurance does not cover damage to customers stones (no policy in Australia will to my knowledge, for jeweller or for individual), but that it does cover a lost customers'' stone...you can infer what you will about the rest of that convo,

but needless to say this is the jeweller I went with, as they offered a "safety net". Peace of mind is quite valuable imho.

I wish I was more overconfident like you!


Anyway, getgo my apologies for the threadjack and for inadvertently bringing up an issue you potentially weren''t concerned with

 

[Sharon101]

Date: 2/4/2009 8:23:56 AM
Author: arjunajane
Yep you''re right about the OP, I guess there has been a misunderstanding. I will wait for getgo to clarify.

Personally, as I''m acutely aware of this whole policy thing, I always ask when starting a project- yes, many are often surprised to even hear the question, and reckon they''ve never been asked. Personally I find that either very odd or very false.
And its the jeweller that boasts to me that ''in 25yrs etc etc I have never damaged a stone, this is a non-issue etc etc''..that I do not want to work with. Sure, that may be the case, but I would at least like some reassurance and a back-up plan incase your luck were to run out with my stone in hand, kwim?

The best I have been told so far was they admitted straight up that their insurance does not cover damage to customers stones (no policy in Australia will to my knowledge, for jeweller or for individual), but that it does cover a lost customers'' stone...you can infer what you will about the rest of that convo,

but needless to say this is the jeweller I went with, as they offered a ''safety net''. Peace of mind is quite valuable imho.

I wish I was more overconfident like you!


Anyway, getgo my apologies for the threadjack and for inadvertently bringing up an issue you potentially weren''t concerned with

I think that it`s something I percieve as being too small a risk to really factor it into my decisions.

But I will admit, during my last reset, I was having terrible visions of some really bad senareos. And I did second guess how I just left my most expensive position as if it was just some drycleaning, without hardly any paperwork either!!!!!!

At the end of the day, we rely on trust for so many things that we do in life....its really scarey to think about it too much!!!!

 

[getgo]

Hi Everyone, Thanks for your replies.

Firstly my sense with the jewellers who didn''t want to/ don''t set loose diamonds was that there wasn''t enough profit in it for them and also an element of ''down with this sort of thing''. They want to deter people from independently buying diamonds and then being able to get the ring set by them- thus getting the same ring at a much lower cost to consumer and much lower profit margin to them. Quite a few were patronising and clearly dying to tell me I had been ripped off and was terribly foolish for buying on the internet, that was until they looked at the diamond and then their tone changed!! All agreed I had gotten a great diamond.

One guy stated initially to me that I would have gotten a much better deal in his store, so I asked him how much my diamond would cost set in his store he quoted me a price 8,000 greater than the cost of the diamond plus the 2000 I am budgeting for setting it. (I hadn''t told him how much I paid)

There may be a concern by some that if they damage the diamond they will be liable but I really think that is a very minor concern and not the main reason.

The jeweller I think I will in the end go with advised me to get insurance out on the diamond- though that is now also looking like it will be complicated. He stated that in 10 years he has seen two stones get damaged.... At least he was upfront and honest with me! He told me loss is covered by them but not damage.

Wow this whole diamond buying process has been sooo long and soo arduous!!!! Seriously Im frazzled by it all. Maybe it would have been easier to just walk into a bricks a mortar and buy....I know we would not have saved and possibly gotten a lower quality diamond but ..... Id have my ring 2 months ago!

Anyway ....soon...I we will have ''the ring of power'' as we are joking calling it...itll be a dazzler!

 

[katebar]

getgo Hollways set my stone from GOG 2 years ago and were marvellous.
Couldn''t speak highly about them enough and no I didn''t get insurance I took a risk and it paid off.

 

[Deelight]

Date: 2/4/2009 9:11:43 PM
Author: getgo
Hi Everyone, Thanks for your replies.


Firstly my sense with the jewellers who didn''t want to/ don''t set loose diamonds was that there wasn''t enough profit in it for them and also an element of ''down with this sort of thing''. They want to deter people from independently buying diamonds and then being able to get the ring set by them- thus getting the same ring at a much lower cost to consumer and much lower profit margin to them. Quite a few were patronising and clearly dying to tell me I had been ripped off and was terribly foolish for buying on the internet, that was until they looked at the diamond and then their tone changed!! All agreed I had gotten a great diamond.



One guy stated initially to me that I would have gotten a much better deal in his store, so I asked him how much my diamond would cost set in his store he quoted me a price 8,000 greater than the cost of the diamond plus the 2000 I am budgeting for setting it. (I hadn''t told him how much I paid)


There may be a concern by some that if they damage the diamond they will be liable but I really think that is a very minor concern and not the main reason.


The jeweller I think I will in the end go with advised me to get insurance out on the diamond- though that is now also looking like it will be complicated. He stated that in 10 years he has seen two stones get damaged.... At least he was upfront and honest with me! He told me loss is covered by them but not damage.


Wow this whole diamond buying process has been sooo long and soo arduous!!!! Seriously Im frazzled by it all. Maybe it would have been easier to just walk into a bricks a mortar and buy....I know we would not have saved and possibly gotten a lower quality diamond but ..... Id have my ring 2 months ago!


Anyway ....soon...I we will have ''the ring of power'' as we are joking calling it...itll be a dazzler!

No one in OZ will insure a loose stone that said you can buy a temp setting get your diamond valued and include the temp setting on the valuation and insure it as a complete piece of jewelery.

You also want to check what would happen should you lose/damage the ring, many insurers will not replace outside the Australian market this may or may not be a concern for you.

Also check whether you are insured for re-sets .

 

[kmci]

I tried to insure my loose diamond but as per the above posts, it isn''t possible (unless it is worth under $500... what''s the point!!). I did ask one jeweller about insurance and possible breakage and he freaked me right out by saying that it was easy as to break a diamond and carried on quite a bit. After that I spoke again to the diamond vendor who reassured me somewhat, pointed out the jeweller I had spoken to sounded very negative and recommend I stay well clear of him..... which I did and everything was fine (although I''ll admit, I was stressed as while the ring was being made, and was just waiting for the phone call that would have broken my heart... and bank balance). When it comes down to it, how would you get it set without taking the plunge and just trusting that everything will be okay??

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

Date: 2/4/2009 5:34:32 AM
Author: Sharon101
I know hundreds of jewellers and they all definately set stones. I have never heard of this phenonomen of jewellers not setting a customers stone for any reason.

i too have enquired about having a loose stone set in perth and i was told by the majority of jewellers that they would only set stones sold by them... there were many reasons.. people saying it wasn''t the same diamond... damage done when setting wasn''t covered.

One lady just said that i few jewellers had had bad experiences with it and word has gotten around.. you know how it is.. once bitten twice shy!

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 2/6/2009 5:43:54 AM
Author: hawaiianorangetree

Date: 2/4/2009 5:34:32 AM
Author: Sharon101
I know hundreds of jewellers and they all definately set stones. I have never heard of this phenonomen of jewellers not setting a customers stone for any reason.

i too have enquired about having a loose stone set in perth and i was told by the majority of jewellers that they would only set stones sold by them... there were many reasons.. people saying it wasn''t the same diamond... damage done when setting wasn''t covered.

One lady just said that i few jewellers had had bad experiences with it and word has gotten around.. you know how it is.. once bitten twice shy!

Hi hawaiian - if you''re in Perth, I have a very nice jeweller that I trust in London Court.
Let me know if you would like their details (they are the one I am speaking of in my posts above).
Perth is generally crap for decent manufacturing jewellers - I had this place create a pendant to set and antique diamond of mine, and was very happy with the process, price and result.

Welcome to PS btw fellow Perth-ite!

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

Date: 2/6/2009 7:08:26 AM
Author: arjunajane

Date: 2/6/2009 5:43:54 AM
Author: hawaiianorangetree

Date: 2/4/2009 5:34:32 AM
Author: Sharon101
I know hundreds of jewellers and they all definately set stones. I have never heard of this phenonomen of jewellers not setting a customers stone for any reason.

i too have enquired about having a loose stone set in perth and i was told by the majority of jewellers that they would only set stones sold by them... there were many reasons.. people saying it wasn''t the same diamond... damage done when setting wasn''t covered.

One lady just said that i few jewellers had had bad experiences with it and word has gotten around.. you know how it is.. once bitten twice shy!

Hi hawaiian - if you''re in Perth, I have a very nice jeweller that I trust in London Court.
Let me know if you would like their details (they are the one I am speaking of in my posts above).
Perth is generally crap for decent manufacturing jewellers - I had this place create a pendant to set and antique diamond of mine, and was very happy with the process, price and result.

Welcome to PS btw fellow Perth-ite!

Thanks arjunajane!

I do believe i know which place you are talking about.

We ended up purchasing a diamond with Ross Ezekiel and it is being set as we speak.