NYC vendors accepting outside stones

[amandainnyc]

Hi, everybody. I've been a lurker for a while now, but this is my first post.

I've recently started collecting some colored stones. Mostly for fun, and mostly via eBay (loving Jeff Davies, at the recommendation of PriceScope). Because I'm still learning, the stones I've purchased are all cheapies, even if from vetted vendors.

I want to try my hand at having one of these puppies set. Maybe the 12mm long Morganite (it's peachy, but I love it), or the custom cut almost 3.5 ct. Rose de France amethyst from Jeff Davies; it's 10.45mm x 6.76mm. My style is pretty simple. I like a thin shank, and not too much metalwork that it would overwhelm the center stone. But I'm actually open to lots of ideas.

For those of you near/in NYC, what are your preferred vendors who accept outside stones? I gather this is getting harder and harder to find. Especially if you're looking for something of good value, since I'm not looking to set a 1k+ stone.

I did a quick search, but didn't find any thread like this in the recent past.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

 

[pregcurious]

In NYC, ERD/Brilliantly Engaged accepts outside stones and I have done a reset of a diamond with them. They specialize in CAD/cast and hand-forged custom pieces. There is an thread here showing jewelry they have created, many from PSers own colored stones.:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-me-your-erd-brilliantly-engaged-thread.192763/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-me-your-erd-brilliantly-engaged-thread.192763/[/URL]

ID Jewelry also sets customers stones. If you do a search for ID Jewelry, you will find a lot of jewelry from them. Many members here have had ID jewelry source diamonds, and also set stones in stock settings. The also have the ability to do custom.

 

[chrono]

It HAS to be in NYC? There are many diamond benches but I'm not sure who I'd trust with softer coloured stones such as morganite or amethyst. ERD/BE is a great vendor but has damaged CS in the past, although they stepped up to the plate in the customer service department and corrected/fixed it to the customers' satisfaction. This is not to say that they damage stones often. I have also seen many CS stones set without any issues by ERD/BE. IDJ has set CS but I have not seen any examples of softer CS set.

 

[iLander]

I've had a bunch of stones sets by IDJewelry on 47th St.

They have a lot of stock settings to choose from, or you can have them make you a semi-custom setting using a cast setting from one of their vendors. I prefer the latter, because then they pick out the meless diamonds for you that are "PS quality". The diamonds are all F or G color, SI, and VERY well cut. The quality on those is amazing and I am addicted to those. They also do some amazeballs claw prongs, on both the premade and cast settings. Very high end look.

To pick a cast setting, they have a bunch of catalogs to look through, then it takes a week or so. You want to pick a stock setting that is close in size to your stone. For instance your rose de France is close to a stock 7 x 11 size. They have catalogs from Adwar and Unique Settings of New York (among others) and you can check out what you like on their websites. Then IDJ will give you a quote. Just tell them you're from PS and they will roll out the red carpet.

They have set an emerald, 2 sapphires, and a ruby for me. I'm thrilled with all of them.

IDJ is frequently used by PSers. Let us know how you do.

 

[amandainnyc]

Thanks, everyone. It doesn't have to be in NYC, if there are highly recommended/vetted vendors who I could mail stones to and are easy to work with via phone/email. Happy to hear those recommendations, too!

 

[Arcadian]

BE/ ERD set my blue-green tourmaline without issues. So I can say that I had no issues with them and the bench did a very good job (because I louped that stone to hell when I got it back...lol) My setting was simple though though I do have french cut stones on the shank.

IDJewelry is also good. They've only set hard stones like spinel for me however.

 

[chrono]

Different price points for different expectations of workmanship.

Etsy Setting Vendors
Adzia - http://www.etsy.com/people/AdziasJewelryAtelier
Sally of Heart of Water - http://www.etsy.com/people/HeartofWaterJewels
JuliaB - http://www.etsy.com/shop/JuliaBJewelry
Yvonne Raley of Cecile Raley Designs - https://www.etsy.com/shop/yvonneraley

Custom Setting Vendors
Brian Gavin Diamonds (BGD) - www.briangavindiamonds.com
Brilliantly Engaged - http://www.brilliantlyengaged.com/
Green Lake Jewelry - www.greenlakejewelry.com
Joseph Jewelry - https://www.josephjewelry.com/
David Klass https://www.facebook.com/david.klass.jewelry
IDJewelry http://www.idjewelryonline.com/
Quest Fine Jewelry http://questfinejewelers.com/
Hunt Country Jewelers http://huntcountry.com/
Peter Lees Jewelry http://peterlees.com/
http://www.beatrizfortes.com/

Other sites
Jewels By Grace: http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/
Love Affair Diamonds: http://www.loveaffairdiamonds.com/
Pearlman's www.pearlmansjewelers.com

 

[amandainnyc]

Thanks, again, for the feedback. I had chatted (via the website) with someone from ID Jewelry yesterday, after I'd searched PS for suggestions and before I posted, but the promised email with more information has yet to arrive. I was able to confirm they would accept my stones, and that they'd be willing to set the softer ones like Morganite and amethyst (with the usual caveat that they wouldn't be responsible for damage while setting, which isn't a dealbreaker for me with less expensive stones).

I appreciate the specific recs, since the sticky posts don't specify who is good for softer stones, who is local to NYC, or who takes outside stones. (Or, I should say, if there's a sticky for any of those, do point me in that direction!)

I gather I should widen my search and ask for personal experience getting softer stones set — either local to NYC, or that's easy to ship to. Does anyone have anyone they love for this sort of thing? And, to reiterate, jewelers who take outside stones in particular.

 

[pregcurious]

I have not used them, but this vendor specializes in colored stones, and several PSers have had outside stones set with them:

www.huntcountry.com

Just hang around in this forum and you will see the vendors that people use for their stones. Very few members here buy the stone and the setting from the same vendor, or ready-made colored stone jewelry.

As far as I know, WhiteFlash is the only vendor frequented by PSers that will not accept outside colored stones. In the diamond world, I have read that some vendors will not accept each others stones, but that's because some vendors sell their own diamonds.

 

[Acinom]

ERD/ BE has set 2 stones for me: the first stone was chipped but could be reucut by them. Also, they offer great customer service. So I totally trusted them to set my Amethyst recently.

I would als consider David Klass! His craftmanship is top notch and his prices very very sharp. He is located in LA but is totally used to long distance customers: I live in Europe myself.

 

[amandainnyc]

Will check out all of these suggestions. Thanks again! I'll be sure to post once I've gotten my first project under my belt.

 

[pregcurious]

ERD/ BE has set 2 stones for me: the first stone was chipped but could be reucut by them. Also, they offer great customer service. So I totally trusted them to set my Amethyst recently.

I would als consider David Klass! His craftmanship is top notch and his prices very very sharp. He is located in LA but is totally used to long distance customers: I live in Europe myself.

Acinom, you are the 2nd person (who I know of) on the CS forum who has had a stone chipped by ERD/BE.

 

[chrono]

Cabochons are far less likely to be damaged during the setting process than a faceted stone so I'd have no worries about potential damage to an amethyst cabochon.