Perth PS-ers help please! Local jeweller recs!

[PhillyMcGee]

I don't really know where this should go - apologies if I have gotten it wrong!

I know we have quite a few ps-ers from Perth, so would like some advice as to where I should have my setting done for my e-ring

I'm getting a .78 AVC which is very exciting, it's a beautiful stone and exactly what I want.

I want to get it set locally, as I already have my wedding band (its a family heirloom, and my fiancé used it to propose - he got a bit overwhelmed after me telling him about AVC's and decided it would be better for me to choose but still wanted to do a proper proposal). The wedding band is quite high in the profile, as it has seven tiny diamonds set in an unusual way on top of the actual band. Anyway, I am paranoid about the two rings sitting nicely together so I would just rather it be set here so I can make sure.

I want to set my stone in a simple solitaire, with a thin plain shank, and double claw prongs. No pave. However I am a little concerned about the claw prongs - I want claws, not blobs!

Please can anyone recommend a good jeweller to have do this setting? I got a very rough quote from Smales which was considerably more than I was expecting. I went into Solid Gold the other day and loved their service (although they did think I was going to buy a diamond from them for some reason, they kept bringing me stones to look at), I don't know what their workmanship is like though?

Thanks so much!!

 

[gregchang35]

Hi philly,

Whilst I am in Perth and have had some jewelry recently made, my jeweler is not local. They are in Sydney. up until the last project, I would have recommended them. we post stuff through platinum express post bags. We never have issues with postage. The last project I had was not that detailed (I did not think) unfortunately, it took a while to get it correct.

From memory, I think most Perth PS''ers that had projects done, they were done in the USA.

Hopefully they will see this post and chime in.
The wedding set sounds awesome!

 

[CrazyBirdLady]

Hi Philly

I love the diamond you have picked. I'm living in Perth ATM but don't know a single jeweller here (sorry no help to you). Ive only had one ring made in Aus and that was from a place in Melbourne. I think getting nice double claw prongs here might be a little Risky. I'd only trust Victor, Leon or Steven to get them right.

 

[arkieb1]

I am in Brisbane, I get most of my settings made in the US and then set for me by a guy here in Brisbane. Settings are generally and this is a generalisation, better made and either cheaper or if they are more expensive of a MUCH better calibre than here in Australia.

On a budget consider places like Brian Gavin and Whiteflash, Jewels By Erica Grace, and a range of others and then get it sent here. Most of the common manufactures should make settings that will look fine with your band, you just need to get the measurements of the stones, how high they sit, how wide they are and so on in order to work out which plain band will look O.K next to it.

Alternatively I know two guys in Brisbane that do pretty designs, neither are cheap, but you would have to ship your stone across to them and back again, which probably is no more or less convenient than buying a setting directly from the US.

 

[ZoeS]

Hi, long time lurker, infrequent poster. I currently live in Perth, and have been looking at getting a reset myself. I have been to Rohan Jewellers in Leederville - amazing design service and very nice work. Although they may be a little on the expensive side, but I am not too sure. They would still be worth a look though.

 

[justginger]

You're very limited to who will work with outside stones in Perth.

If you MUST have a jeweller here do it, I would go with Solid Gold and make sure you are explicit with your expectations of size -- I've found their workmanship to be fine (so long as you're not wanting intricate pave, they don't produce LM, SK, VC quality work in that way), but thick. Chunky. I would give them actual mm dimensions of the band, show them prong examples, etc.

However, I don't have any jewellery done locally. I have everything done in the States. If I were you, I would pick the American vendor that makes me happy and send them the wedding band. Then they can do the same thing, for likely 60% the price, and your workmanship is going to be impeccable.

Edit: I just re-read your post. You will not...I repeat NOT...find a Perth bench capable of doing the claw prongs you've seen on PS. It doesn't exist. You will have to have the ring made in the States, or alternatively by Mike in NZ (Robinson Goldsmith Designers).

 

[PhillyMcGee]

Oh
Sending the wedding band anywhere is definitely not an option. This is a much cherished family heirloom that could never be replaced for its sentimental value.
I could send photos and measurements I suppose, and trust it works out. I'm sure with enough info it would be fine.
Another reason I wanted to do it here is so that my fiancé could be a little bit involved! At the moment I have pretty much done everything, I thought he could come to the jewellers with me (even of essentially I already know what I want) and could have a little more involvement in the whole process. I do want those claws to be right though....

Ok, so recommendations of where to have it set in the US, so I can consider that too? I believe GOG will not send a stone to Leon? So Victor or Steven?

 

[arkieb1]

Oh
Sending the wedding band anywhere is definitely not an option. This is a much cherished family heirloom that could never be replaced for its sentimental value.
I could send photos and measurements I suppose, and trust it works out. I'm sure with enough info it would be fine.
Another reason I wanted to do it here is so that my fiancé could be a little bit involved! At the moment I have pretty much done everything, I thought he could come to the jewellers with me (even of essentially I already know what I want) and could have a little more involvement in the whole process. I do want those claws to be right though....

Ok, so recommendations of where to have it set in the US, so I can consider that too? I believe GOG will not send a stone to Leon? So Victor or Steven?

Places like Brian Gavin, JBEG, Engagement Rings Direct, Whiteflash even GOG themselves do quite respectable split double prong claws. I have seen them and purchased them from Brian Gavin & Whiteflash. Brian Gavin and ERD in particular can do pretty fine delicate looking settings...... I am not sure if Victor would take an AVC, you would have to email him and ask (he might consider it because you are an Aussie), Leon will not, so that leaves you Steven or one of the other vendors I have mentioned.

 

[ZoeS]

I would avoid getting anything done by Solid Gold - I also made some enquiries with them about a reset and when they showed me some rings I did not care about the price as the rings were very poor quality and looked quite cheap even though they were handmade. Not impressed at all. Rohans Jewellery on the other hand - their work was amazing! And if their prices stack up after getting a few more quotes (from carefully selected jewellers), that is where I will be going to get my reset done.
Australia does have some very good jewellers, they just take a lot of effort to find! And in general they are going to be more expensive than anything in the US simply as we are a much smaller market. But I am happy to pay that to keep the business in Australia and support Australian businesses. In saying that though, my husband and I could not have gotten a better price if we bought from the US, for both the diamonds and the making of the ring - for example, for the making of my ring (diamonds not included), it cost $1200 for a handmade three stone ring in 18k gold. And it is made very well made (just not my style it turns out!). So I guess what I am trying to say, if you do your research, there are plenty of jewellers in Australia who do very nice work and are happy to work with outside stones - they just take forever to find!

 

[gregchang35]

Oh
Sending the wedding band anywhere is definitely not an option. This is a much cherished family heirloom that could never be replaced for its sentimental value.
I could send photos and measurements I suppose, and trust it works out. I'm sure with enough info it would be fine.
Another reason I wanted to do it here is so that my fiancé could be a little bit involved! At the moment I have pretty much done everything, I thought he could come to the jewellers with me (even of essentially I already know what I want) and could have a little more involvement in the whole process. I do want those claws to be right though....

Ok, so recommendations of where to have it set in the US, so I can consider that too? I believe GOG will not send a stone to Leon? So Victor or Steven?

Hi Philly,

i totally understand your concern with this. I have a listing on Loupetroop where you can contact me (link below) and i think i can help out in some way. I can get a molding of your wedding band so that the molding can then be shipped to the USA, if that is the country that you are going to get the E ring to fit /match styles. you will need to ship/post the mold to the vendor of choice and they can potentially do a wax of the wedding ring so that they can see your wedding ring. It may add another layer of cost to the design element of the E ring, but i still think that it will be cheaper and at a better quality than what you can get here in AUS. But pls ask the vendor if that is something that they can do for you. I cant see why not as they will then have a replica of the wedding band and therefore the size of your finger.

Also note that there will be the 10% GST that you will have to pay as the ring comes back into AUS. There is also an import duty of 5% that the vendor may speak of. You can be seen as importing something into AUS. There is a contra that USA and AUS have with regards to these things. THe US vendor needs to complete a form of some sort. i thought i had saved that post on my computer but i cant find it. Pooh! But i am hoping that other posters have an idea of what it is that i am referring to and can post it. I am sure that it will all be taken care of and all you need to do is pay the 10% GST. OR you can fly to the USA and get proposed over there.... maybe NY if that is where the vendor is... how romantic would that be? hint hint to you fiancee!!!!

While you are deciding on which vendor to use (local or international).... see a few in perth so that BOTH of you get an idea of what they can do and also get ideas on your E ring. Introduce your finacee to PS as well. That way he can see what it is that is out there. Only show him a few things that you like and see what he says... dont overwhelm him with ALL the SMTB threads! hehehehe.

No doubt, if you put your ideas on here, other posters will be able to help you tweak your design.

Anyway, here is my listing on loupetroop to contact me.

http://loupetroop.com/listings/rings-natural-diamond-center/gents-oec-ps-nw-gtg

 

[PhillyMcGee]

I contacted Steven for a quote, but he tells me he doesn't work with White Gold I don't really want to pay the difference for platinum (although his quote for platinum is still $500 less than the quote I got from Smales for WG and $1500 less than their quote for plat! so its not out of the question in terms of cost I suppose) and my wb is white gold.

 

[arkieb1]

I contacted Steven for a quote, but he tells me he doesn't work with White Gold I don't really want to pay the difference for platinum (although his quote for platinum is still $500 less than the quote I got from Smales for WG and $1500 less than their quote for plat! so its not out of the question in terms of cost I suppose) and my wb is white gold.

Did you try Brian Gavin something like this;

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/split-prong-grace-18k-white-gold-5507w18

Or Engagement Rings Direct? You can see they will custom make this setting specifically for you (so if you sent them the measurements of your other ring) I am pretty sure you would end up with something that you would be happy with;

http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/brooklyn-classic-4-prong-cathedral-solitaire-engagement-ring-bpid-43-19.html

Both can alter their settings to fit an cushion....

Steven and Victor both prefer to work in platinum. I had a yellow gold band made by Victor and it was the same price as it would have been in platinum....

 

[La_Bougeotte]

Hi Philly!

I will whole heartedly recommend W&T Nowacki Jewellers in Bunbury. I am from Perth but my partner is from Bunbury, they are family friends of his and we actually went in the other day to start planning my engagement ring woohoo!

When he first mentioned that we get my ring custom made with the Nowacki's I was extremely skeptical as I hadn't seen any of their work plus I was thinking they are from BUNBURY what would they know about quality jewellery? How wrong I was! Since then I have seen about 4 friends engagement rings done through them, the work is very detailed and beautiful, and was instore the other day, they make most of their jewellery on site and none of the mass produced plain stuff you get in the retail stores. After speaking to them and about 7 other jewellery stores, I wouldn't dream of going anywhere else, I've done a complete 180.

It's family run, and they have been open for over 30 years, so they have a very high standard they hold themselves to (The difference I saw in their store compared to even rosendorfs/mazzucchellis was staggering). They were a pleasure to deal with and their prices are amazing, I had been quoted from about 4 different places around $8000 for a .75ct g si1 with a halo and was quoted the same thing with a 1ct through them for $8500. I would ask to work with Anya, she is the daughter of the owners and has been working there something like 15 years and a great help.

I know it's a bit of a drive, and maybe give them a call first to see if they will work with with your AVC but I dont think should be a problem.

Good luck!

 

[GlamMosher]

I had some rings made by Koro in Carillion. They are fine to me, maybe not PS standard to some, but I am not that fussy. I don't know if they do claw prongs but you could try them?

Also check this thread
https://www.pricescope.com/forum/ro...psers-who-repairs-your-jewellery-t170519.html

 

[justginger]

I had some rings made by Koro in Carillion. They are fine to me, maybe not PS standard to some, but I am not that fussy. I don't know if they do claw prongs but you could try them?

Also check this thread
https://www.pricescope.com/forum/ro...psers-who-repairs-your-jewellery-t170519.html

Last I heard from Koro, the saleswoman told me that AGS wasn't a 'real lab' and that AGS0 means 'absolutely nothing.'

I did like some of their men's jewelry that I saw there though.

 

[Venti25]

I had some rings made by Koro in Carillion. They are fine to me, maybe not PS standard to some, but I am not that fussy. I don't know if they do claw prongs but you could try them?

Also check this thread
https://www.pricescope.com/forum/ro...psers-who-repairs-your-jewellery-t170519.html

Last I heard from Koro, the saleswoman told me that AGS wasn't a 'real lab' and that AGS0 means 'absolutely nothing.'

I did like some of their men's jewelry that I saw there though.

...I had my pendant made there but I think that is relatively simple, in terms of e-Ring.. it depends how intricate you want it I guess. I will say the jeweller I worked with seemed quite knowledgeable in terms of old cuts and we had a brief discussion about cut styles when he inspected the ring I took in for him to look at. He also said he had a source for old cuts elsewhere but as to the authenticity of that I can't back up as I did not purchase through them.

I've also had something repaired at Rohan, and whilst their service is great and the work was perfect, (the main jeweller understood the problem straight away and some of the chain stores had NO idea), I was charged an exorbitant amount for an appraisal (note to self, go to an appraiser not a store to have them send something off) which put me off.

I think if you want claw prongs, take an example to the places you're willing to try in Perth and see if they have something similar already in their portfolio. THEN make sure they get your approval every step of the way. Get everything in detailed writing!


Good luck!

 

[charks]

Hi there,

Sorry I can't help re jeweller in Perth.

It's just that I am having a similar problem in UK.

I want to reset my diamond into a halo setting - shrinkage has set in.

I love the Danhov Le Pei LE104 especially the way the stone is set into the halo so only the crown shows.

But I can't believe the price difference between the UK and the US. In the UK it will cost $3700, in US it is $2400 - 2800. I know I will have to pay mail and taxes but it would still be cheaper to buy from US.

But I am reluctant to order anything as expensive from the US.

Danhov rings are made to order to fit the center stone.

They won't have my diamond although I can supply the dimensions.

What happens if it's wrong?

I got a quote from a local jeweller to make something similar - $5200!!!!

And I'm not sure they would make it as well as Danhov

It looks like you have the same difficult decision for you.

Buy from the US and order a ring made exactly as you want but run the risk that when it arrives something is wrong or buy locally, spend more and maybe not get the same quality.

You pricescope members in the US don't know how lucky you are.

 

[PhillyMcGee]

It is a bit of a pain having so few resources here! I have decided to just have it set in the US, and provide photos and measurements of my wedding band. It's not really that complex it's just quite 'tall' along the top of the band.
After getting a few quotes from Perth Jewellers, who I am not sure are even capable of producing the claw prongs! The quotes were pretty exorbitant, considering I am after a simple solitaire in WG. I was quoted $3500 from one jeweller!

 

[gregchang35]

Hi Philly,

I am not sure if you saw my post above to help you out with your quest. but, i also understand that it may not be what you want to do.

Let me know if you would like some help.

 

[BlingObsession]

Try R&J Pearce on Murray Street - opposite Moon & Sixpence. We used him (Robert) to make a lot of my pieces when I lived in Perth and still have him do pieces from time to time even though we live in Singapore. Can highly recommend the quality and creativity of his pieces. Good luck.