Not happy with Whiteflash

[jfra]

I just purchased from Whiteflash a cut above 2.18 carat round D VVS2. I am very disappointed with the craftsmanship of the ring. I will include photos here but the prongs where supposed to be petite claw and they look monsterous. The diamond was supposed to be set as low as possible and it is actually higher than the CAD drawing that we agreed upon. The 6 prongs are not symmetrical 1 of them is off. 1 prong shows that the diamond is not seated on the prong properly (space is visable). The six prongs are not attached to the center of the donut, they are closer to 1 side.
This is just horrible craftsmanship, and all this after my salesperson Michelle said she looked at the ring and it was perfect!!
I would never buy anything from Whiteflash again truly horrible craftsmanship!

 

[Mreader]

Have you contacted them yet to see if they can fix the problem? I have not bought from them but many PSers say their customer service is excellent. If they know that you are not happy I think they will try to make it right.

 

[xxxxxx]

I do find the setting to be not very aesthetically pleasing. But the diamond must be beautiful! I would go to Whiteflash for the diamonds not the settings! They will most likely be very happy to help you.

 

[elizat]

I would contact them back and let them know you would like it to be addressed. They are typically very willing to address issues.

@Texas Leaguer

 

[jfra]

I have been talking with them since I received the ring. A lot of time and effort, I’m just feeling that they are not capable of putting out a quality product. I have had many conversations with my salesperson Michelle and the CAD designer Evan prior to giving approval for the ring. I feel that certain elements of the design were understood 100%. (Prong size, height of diamond) so to me it’s seems like a bait and switch tactic!
the poor craftsmanship is just an example of the jewelers they have working for them.

 

[adlgel]

I'm sorry you are disappointed with your ring. I'm not sure I agree with your assessment that the imperfections you see equate to "horrible craftmanship". Oftentimes the magnification that we can achieve with photos gives us a view into imperfections we may not notice otherwise. However, if you specified how high/low you want the diamond set and that was not achieved then it should be corrected.

Similarly with prongs, it seems like it can be hard to articulate how the prongs should look in a way that is not open to interpretation. If you ask for claw and they give you tab, that's a pretty obvious mistake. But qualitative requests like petite vs. not may be harder.

The collective experience has shown that Whiteflash really goes above and beyond to try to address their customer's concerns. I would remain optimistic that Whiteflash will address your concerns or as a recent example has shown be clear with you if they feel they cannot address your concerns.

 

[lovedogs]

I have been talking with them since I received the ring. A lot of time and effort, I’m just feeling that they are not capable of putting out a quality product. I have had many conversations with my salesperson Michelle and the CAD designer Evan prior to giving approval for the ring. I feel that certain elements of the design were understood 100%. (Prong size, height of diamond) so to me it’s seems like a bait and switch tactic!
the poor craftsmanship is just an example of the jewelers they have working for them.

I can understand why you are frustrated, but I disagree that they aren't capable of putting out a quality product. There are many people who have gorgeous pieces from them, so I certainly don't think they can't make you something gorgeous. I also don't think this is an issue of bait and switch. I would contact them and explain what you don't like about the piece. I am confident they will try to make it right.


PS. I also have to disagree that the ring represents "horrible craftsmanship". I truly don't see anything horrible about it. My perosnal preference would be petit (small) claw prongs, but that's a matter of miscommunication and misinterpretation rather than craftsmanship.

 

[marymm]

I am sorry you have had this experience with WF. Have they offered to fix/repair any of these issues? If so, perhaps it would be worthwhile to have them do so? If the prong issues persist even after a fix/repair, that would be grounds for a refund ... i.e., failure to craft a setting which meets the order criteria.

I do see craftsmanship problems with the ring; and while I agree "horrible craftsmanship" may be hyperbolic, in fact the problems seem like those which any decent QA inspection should have revealed prior to shipping out to client ... indeed very disappointing for you OP. Good luck on a resolution which works for you.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I can see that the one prong isn't seated correctly and that is very rare with WF. That's a valid concern and I am sure that's an easy fix. Did they refuse to take a look at it? Because I would surely think one would try to return it to have the prong fixed before posting here. I don't see anything else that would be visible without high magnification. The diamond appears to be set at a normal, good height to me. I wouldn't change that. The diamond is fabulous!!!

 

[lovedogs]

Also, can anyone shed light on what OP might be seeing as an issue beyond the claw prongs not being as delicate as hoped, and the 1 prong not being as flush as it should be?

The height looks expected given the setting style and size of stone. The prongs looks symmetrical and even to me

 

[Dancing Fire]

Based on these pics I don't think the stone can be set any lower.

 

[flyingpig]

On a side note, damn those melees are well cut.

Sorry OP. I hope you get this resolved.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

@jfra ,
I am sorry for your concerns and truly regret any miscommunication on our part about prong style or stone setting height.

We would very much like the chance to address the issues and get this right for you. We know what an important purchase it is.

I understand you have been in touch with our team and have spoken to our production manager. I will be following closely in case I can assist in any way.

 

[Dmndsr4evr11]

I just purchased from Whiteflash a cut above 2.18 carat round D VVS2. I am very disappointed with the craftsmanship of the ring. I will include photos here but the prongs where supposed to be petite claw and they look monsterous. The diamond was supposed to be set as low as possible and it is actually higher than the CAD drawing that we agreed upon. The 6 prongs are not symmetrical 1 of them is off. 1 prong shows that the diamond is not seated on the prong properly (space is visable). The six prongs are not attached to the center of the donut, they are closer to 1 side.
This is just horrible craftsmanship, and all this after my salesperson Michelle said she looked at the ring and it was perfect!!
I would never buy anything from Whiteflash again truly horrible craftsmanship!

I’m sorry to hear about your issues. I can see from your photos about one side not flushed with the prong. Can you provide more photos? Also, did they send you photos at different angles for your approval before they shipped it? If the prongs looked thick then you could have commented on it so they can fix it then send you updated photos for your approval. Did the photos of the prongs they sent you look thinner ? May be good to show those photos to compare with your photos.

I’m sure they will help you resolve these issues So you can have your ring as you envisioned it.

 

[distracts]

Based on these pics I don't think the stone can be set any lower.

I agree with this. I don't think it's possible to set the diamond lower unless it is set literally flush against the metal, which would cause issues with cleaning.

The only thing I think is definitely a problem is that one prong seat. It sucks but it happens sometimes with most vendors.

The claws not being as dainty as wanted - I see it but I think that's the sort of thing that is so open to interpretation I wouldn't call it bad craftsmanship, and WF to my knowledge has never been known for dainty prongs.

 

[Ionysis]

No way on earth could that diamond be set any lower. One prong looks minorly off. A very small issue which can be fixed easily.

I don’t love the style personally as I prefer very delicate metal prongs, but the way the head has been made is exactly what I’d expect from this design of ring as advertised. If you wanted very tiny delicate prongs a different style / design of rings should have been selected. You would also then have a more flimsy ring with greater risk of losing your diamond with a hard knock.

 

[distracts]

I'd also add that there's no pic of the claws from top-down and I'd only ever judge the daintiness from top-down, not from the sides. They don't look unusual from the sides. But then I'm a fan of sturdy prongs since I nearly lost my center stone that one time!

 

[LLJsmom]

I'd also add that there's no pic of the claws from top-down and I'd only ever judge the daintiness from top-down, not from the sides. They don't look unusual from the sides. But then I'm a fan of sturdy prongs since I nearly lost my center stone that one time!

Yes. Fully agree that daintiness is hard to judge from these viewpoints. Top down pics would be helpful.

Also the style of this ring is inherently not super dainty. Caysie has a classic 6 prong solitaire, Jovyn, that is a dainty setting in this style with very small claw prongs. I grabbed this pic off Etsy. There are. A number of peeps on PS that have this. Is this what you call dainty? The design is different from the WF one you ordered.


Can you post a shot from a distance, at least 12 inches?

 

[LLJsmom]

I agree with this. I don't think it's possible to set the diamond lower unless it is set literally flush against the metal, which would cause issues with cleaning.

The only thing I think is definitely a problem is that one prong seat. It sucks but it happens sometimes with most vendors.

The claws not being as dainty as wanted - I see it but I think that's the sort of thing that is so open to interpretation I wouldn't call it bad craftsmanship, and WF to my knowledge has never been known for dainty prongs.

Actually the prongs on my WF six prong martini stud earring settings were very very dainty. I was so happy with them, as tiny as SK prongs. I have not had a ring setting done by them but I would guess they can do very small dainty prongs if it works with the ring design.

 

[jfra]

I can understand why you are frustrated, but I disagree that they aren't capable of putting out a quality product. There are many people who have gorgeous pieces from them, so I certainly don't think they can't make you something gorgeous. I also don't think this is an issue of bait and switch. I would contact them and explain what you don't like about the piece. I am confident they will try to make it right.


PS. I also have to disagree that the ring represents "horrible craftsmanship". I truly don't see anything horrible about it. My perosnal preference would be petit (small) claw prongs, but that's a matter of miscommunication and misinterpretation rather than craftsmanship.

I Did select petite (small) claw. This is an example of Whiteflash’s petite claw.

 

[jfra]

I'd also add that there's no pic of the claws from top-down and I'd only ever judge the daintiness from top-down, not from the sides. They don't look unusual from the sides. But then I'm a fan of sturdy prongs since I nearly lost my center stone that one time!

Here is a photo of my ring top down. Also my prong height is equal to the height of the table of the diamond, I feel that this could have been lower. I will add a photo that I sent white flash for the design of my ring which shows a 1.5 carat diamond, and also from Tiffany’s website of a 2 carat diamond and the prongs are not as high as the table of the diamond.

 

[lovedogs]

From the top down your ring is gorgeous and I think the prongs are a good size. They certainly arent large by any means.

 

[CareBear]

I agree with others that the diamond height looks fine. I don't think you should set it any lower. Regarding the prongs being too large and covering too much of the diamond, I've had the same issue before with my WF setting and it is a very simple fix to shave down the prongs to the desired size. Good luck!

 

[jfra]

No way on earth could that diamond be set any lower. One prong looks minorly off. A very small issue which can be fixed easily.

I don’t love the style personally as I prefer very delicate metal prongs, but the way the head has been made is exactly what I’d expect from this design of ring as advertised. If you wanted very tiny delicate prongs a different style / design of rings should have been selected. You would also then have a more flimsy ring with greater risk of losing your diamond with a hard knock.

That happens to be exactly what the Whiteflash representative told me when I called the day I received my ring. I’m not a jeweler but I feel that if the prongs were made at a wider angle this would have allowed the diamond to be at a lower point in the ring. I think that my prongs were designed with an angle that was too straight up and down. This exact point was discussed with the whiteflash CAD designer Evan and myself prior to the making of my ring. I feel that the discussion was so detailed that Evan stated that the prongs would be designed to follow the pavilion angle of my diamond 40.8 degrees as close as possible. I have seen rings in person at Tiffany’s that had a six prong setting that had the diamond set lower than mine So I don’t know why you would say it’s “impossible”. I will include a photo of my cad drawing. Also Glenn at whiteflash measured my ring when I returned it and said the diamond was even higher then the CAD drawing.

 

[bludiva]

So I don’t know why you would say it’s “impossible”. I will include a photo of my cad drawing.

i think people are saying it couldn't be set lower b/c it's set as low as possible for typical preferences. Looks like what you want for your ring is what most people would consider "squatty." take a look at some other threads where people were upset their diamond was seated too low -- is that more like the look want? hope the vendor will be able to adjust this to your requirements, just consider that if you are asking for something that goes against the grain you'll need to be really specific and they'll need to feel assured that this is what you truly want. the tip of the prong not meeting the diamond is a snag hazard and they should have caught that. the prongs themselves do look dainty considering the design imho.

 

[adlgel]

I'm an example of someone who initially felt their diamond was set too low and asked for it to be raised (from a different jeweler, not Whiteflash). Top pic is before, bottom pic is after.

 

[jfra]

i think people are saying it couldn't be set lower b/c it's set as low as possible for typical preferences. Looks like what you want for your ring is what most people would consider "squatty." take a look at some other threads where people were upset their diamond was seated too low -- is that more like the look want? hope the vendor will be able to adjust this to your requirements, just consider that if you are asking for something that goes against the grain you'll need to be really specific and they'll need to feel assured that this is what you truly want. the tip of the prong not meeting the diamond is a snag hazard and they should have caught that. the prongs themselves do look dainty considering the design imho.

Let me start by saying I don’t know anything about setting height! All I’m saying is that after looking at many rings with six prong settings at Tiffany’s my ring appeared to be set higher. I don’t know is there a setting guide that states -

X mm above the donut is a low setting.
X mm above the donut is an average setting.
X mm above the donut is considered a high setting.

As for the prongs my prongs appear to be bigger and higher than say Tiffany tab prongs. The height of my prongs are to the table of the stone (at profile) where as Tiffany prongs in the previous photos and the photo of the 1.5 carat ring that was sent to whiteflash “that my ring was designed to copy” have prongs that are lower than the table (at profile) And appear to extend less onto the upper girdle facet

you say- the prongs themselves do look dainty considering the design imho.
Michelle at whiteflash said that petite claw was the smallest prong design possible! Do you feel that there is a smaller prong design That could have been chosen?

 

[lovedogs]

Given the design of your ring, I think lowering the diamond would give an unappealing and squatty look. If you want smaller prongs like the tiffany tabs then you need to ask for tab prongs, not petite claw.

You didn't choose a design that will have the daintiest prongs. But none of this indicates poor craftsmanship

 

[jfra]

Given the design of your ring, I think lowering the diamond would give an unappealing and squatty look. If you want smaller prongs like the tiffany tabs then you need to ask for tab prongs, not petite claw.

You didn't choose a design that will have the daintiest prongs. But none of this indicates poor craftsmanship

I kind of like the look of the Tiffany six prong setting the height of there setting seems nice but again I am no expert. However if you feel that the Tiffany setting is to low and” has an unappealing and squatty look” that’s ok also. There are millions of rings with all different styles in the world.
The poor craftsmanship statement is addressing -

-whiteflash mounted my ring higher than what was discussed and what was displayed in the CAD drawing.
-the look of my prong was different then the photo that I sent them
- one prong was miss aligned
- one prong was not set correctly
- the six prongs were not centered on the ring
- there was a slight rough section on the edge of the ring it was not polished smooth
- also today after looking at the face up photo of my ring you can see a box in the middle it looks like the prongs at 2 and 10 o’clock grab the diamond at different points then the prongs at 4 and 8 o’clock the diamond doesn’t look centered ? The prongs don’t look symmetrical, Is this normal, what do you think?

 

[MissGotRocks]

I honestly don’t think your diamond could be set much lower in that setting. I think the ring is beautiful! However, if you want smaller prongs, a realignment or better polish, by all means reach out to WF. I truly don’t think it constitutes poor workmanship. If you want a few tweaks made then call them and discuss it.