Pic heavy and verbose! My CADs, wax, and off to production!

[diamondseeker2006]

Well, I have never had an unprompted update from any vendor in the last 10 years here. I have never been sent any progress photos or updates during the time my pieces were in production from Caysie, Victor, or Leon. They just let me know when the items were completed. And I check in at the proposed completion time (usually 6-8 weeks) if I haven't heard the item is finished.

My items have all been perfect when they came to me. They will recast if something hasn't been done right. The pieces hold up to magnification because they are so finely executed. Caysie sends things back to the bench of they aren't up to her standards. I hear your frustration, but on the other hand, I know that Caysie doesn't rush things just to get them out the door. Your ring is very intricate, too.

This thread began on June 25th when you approved the wax. So it's been 6 weeks. This is when I would be checking in for the first time.

 

[BlingDreams]

Well, I have never had an unprompted update from any vendor in the last 10 years here. I have never been sent any progress photos or updates during the time my pieces were in production from Caysie, Victor, or Leon. They just let me know when the items were completed. And I check in at the proposed completion time (usually 6-8 weeks) if I haven't heard the item is finished.

My items have all been perfect when they came to me. They will recast if something hasn't been done right. The pieces hold up to magnification because they are so finely executed. Caysie sends things back to the bench of they aren't up to her standards. I hear your frustration, but on the other hand, I know that Caysie doesn't rush things just to get them out the door. Your ring is very intricate, too.

This thread began on June 25th when you approved the wax. So it's been 6 weeks. This is when I would be checking in for the first time.

If that's your expectation of a vendor then that's perfectly fine. It's not mine, nor is it the agreement we had with Caysie. We were told we'd receive updates at every stage, would be sent photos along the way, and if important things popped up we would be notified. I won't list them here, but there have been at least five issues off the top of my head that we weren't made aware of until we inquired.

This thread started on June 25, but it's not when I approved the wax. And we were still told the ring would be ready mid-July even after we approved the wax. And for what it's worth, I was just notified it will be at least another 2-3 weeks. Interestingly she reached out after I posted my update with concerns earlier today. I'm not one to believe in coincidences.

It's obvious you have a deep loyalty to Caysie and feel inclined to jump to her defense without knowing the story. I'm not quite sure why that is. I'm trying very hard NOT to drag CvB through the mud with all of the missteps but you're making it hard by essentially saying I am the one who has the problem and that I'm expecting too much. I'm expecting what was promised to us. No more, no less.

 

[whitewave]

It is back to school time, and she may be sending one off to college. Last year, I lost my head during August. Here, one batch of college freshmen went on campus last weekend and another batch is going this weekend.

Not excusing any delays for her... and I'm not sure this is her situation... but back to school is beyond crazy, especially with first time dorm stuff etc.

I know it is frustrating for you because it isn't matching up with your timeline.

 

[BlingDreams]

It is back to school time, and she may be sending one off to college. Last year, I lost my head during August. Here, one batch of college freshmen went on campus last weekend and another batch is going this weekend.

Not excusing any delays for her... and I'm not sure this is her situation... but back to school is beyond crazy, especially with first time dorm stuff etc.

I know it is frustrating for you because it isn't matching up with your timeline.

Thanks Whitewave. Back to school can certainly be hectic, and I've got one heading back to college myself. But hectic times isn't really our issue, nor is it a timeline/"rush to get it done" frustration. We never have had a hard and fast deadline and thankfully gave ourselves 5+ months for the project to be safe (of which we're rapidly closing in on 4 months!). The issue/problem has always been communication and follow-through. Isn't that the case in all of life though? Those two components really are the backbone of all relationships - business, personal, friendships, etc. They make or break many aspects of success.

But I'd like to get back to looking forward to the arrival of my ring. SO and I put a lot of ourselves in to creating the design and still believe it will be spectacular when it's finished. I hope you're still enjoying your beautiful asscher!!

 

[whitewave]

Yes, I am!! I also look forward to seeing yours!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

You know, I seriously love your ring and am excited for you! I am sorry we seem to have some disagreement on expectations, and I do understand the anxiety of custom projects, especially the first time. I just know what most of the best vendors here normally provide, and that may be why my expectations are different and perhaps more realistic. You said in your first post on June 25 it would be 5-6 weeks. So a couple more weeks doesn't sound out of line in the event that some adjustments needed to be made, etc. I know in my case with my antique asscher ring, the side french cuts took 8 weeks to arrive, and I am having custom cuts done for my current ring as well. So I will be looking at longer than 8-9 weeks after CAD approval. I just know the end result is so worth it, and I do think you'll feel that way at the end! Are any of the wedding bands done or were they waiting to make those later?

 

[ac117]

You know, I seriously love your ring and am excited for you! I am sorry we seem to have some disagreement on expectations, and I do understand the anxiety of custom projects, especially the first time. I just know what most of the best vendors here normally provide, and that may be why my expectations are different and perhaps more realistic. You said in your first post on June 25 it would be 5-6 weeks. So a couple more weeks doesn't sound out of line in the event that some adjustments needed to be made, etc. I know in my case with my antique asscher ring, the side french cuts took 8 weeks to arrive, and I am having custom cuts done for my current ring as well. So I will be looking at longer than 8-9 weeks after CAD approval. I just know the end result is so worth it, and I do think you'll feel that way at the end! Are any of the wedding bands done or were they waiting to make those later?

@diamondseeker2006 I'm sorry, I know I'm not @ILikeShiny, but I think it's ridiculous to say your expectations are more realistic. Let's put it another way - if you told your boss you'd have a project ready in 5-6 weeks and completely blew through the deadline and submitted it 2-3 weeks later, let alone didn't bother to provide a STATUS as to when it would be completed, that would be completely unacceptable. In ANY field of work. ILS already said she approved her CADs before June 25 but even with that date we are over 6 weeks and didn't know there was a delay until she asked or you gave her the heads up (because I too do not believe in coincidences). If Caysie needed more time, she had the responsibility to let her client know. Or she could've said 7-8 weeks in the first place to manage a better expectation. She didn't do that and is wrong. Point blank. Stop defending her! It's ok for people to make mistakes. This is the whole reason people don't post negative things on this site.

 

[PintoBean]

While CVB's artistry is undeniable, it seems that the deficiencies in her business have to do with communication and organization.

Please let her know that I'm currently an unemployed WIDOW project manager that would gladly work for her.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

ac177, actually my opinion is as valid as yours is, and I do think after being here 11 years and seeing countless people work with Leon, Victor, SK, Singlestone, Caysie, etc., that I do have a good idea of what is realistic and what most vendors provide as the norm during production. Just one correction, though... no, her project did not start the countdown after CADs because Shiny asked for the extra step of a wax. She says herself in her 6/25 post that it will be 5-6 weeks. This Sunday was 6 weeks. It's not unusual for an intricate ring like this to take a little longer if there are any issues that come up during production. I remember Caysie sending one of my rings back to the bench to touch up something. I appreciated that even though it probably added a week onto the time. But to each his/her own. I think Caysie's work is superior to most as she creates little works of art, and I do think it's worth it. Others may not. People vary, as Kenny says.

Shiny, I hope you can just enjoy your rings at the end of this process. I won't continue posting here but I sincerely do look forward to seeing your rings when they are done.

 

[whitewave]

Try to focus on the end product. You are 6 weeks out and you have beautiful scrolling work, mixed metals and intricate details. It is going to be so worth the wait! Again, I cannot wait to see it. It will be a one of a kind work of art.

 

[ac117]

ac177, actually my opinion is as valid as yours is, and I do think after being here 11 years and seeing countless people work with Leon, Victor, SK, Singlestone, Caysie, etc., that I do have a good idea of what is realistic and what most vendors provide as the norm during production. Just one correction, though... no, her project did not start the countdown after CADs because Shiny asked for the extra step of a wax. She says herself in her 6/25 post that it will be 5-6 weeks. This Sunday was 6 weeks. It's not unusual for an intricate ring like this to take a little longer if there are any issues that come up during production. I remember Caysie sending one of my rings back to the bench to touch up something. I appreciated that even though it probably added a week onto the time. But to each his/her own. I think Caysie's work is superior to most as she creates little works of art, and I do think it's worth it. Others may not. People vary, as Kenny says.

Again you miss the point....and it's funny bc you seem to have agreed with someone else saying the exact thing I'm saying over a year ago when someone else had an issue with LAD/CVB but now all of a sudden you're realistic and everyone else is not.

by diamondseeker2006 » Apr 27, 2016
"Bonfire|1461783730|4024248 said:
Let me start by saying I love Caysie! I communicated directly with her for my latest ring project. I have two other rings that I worked with LAD (Erica). I'm thrilled for them that their business is thriving. A lot of PSers are clients because of this forum. The take away here is that good communication is vital for any customer service business, period. Growing pains are understandable BUT, open, honest and preemptive communication is imperative. For example quoting a 6-8 week time frame post CAD that extends to 9 or 10 wks needs to be communicated in an on going manner. As unexpected issues come up please pass it on to your clients. It would go a long way to alleviate frustration. No one is asking you to call the jeweler every 10 minutes, but periodic updates shows personal commitment and involvement in our projects.
I hope everything resolves itself for the betterment of everyone. "

bydiamondseeker2006
+1

An excellent, constructive post.
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/cvb-lad-communication.222444/page-2

And another!
by diamondseeker2006 » Apr 28, 2016
My realistic suggestion is an email update at the 6 week mark (which begins after the 50% deposit and CAD approval) if the piece is not ready. I do not email a vendor before 6 weeks (after the design and deposit are complete) for an update. I think CVB/LAD generally has a 6-8 week timeline. An email at 6 weeks saying the bench says it will be ready soon is great. Then at 8 weeks (or sooner) another email is necessary to say the piece is either here or the bench had a problem xyz and they say it will be around another week, so sorry for the delay. I think that is reasonable, or the customer can certainly email at 6 weeks and again at 8 if the item has not arrived.

 

[whitewave]

Can we not do this? Not bring up that past trainwreck of a thread.

It isn't very fair to Ilkeshiny. This is her post. Can we keep it that way?

 

[PintoBean]

Can we not do this? Not bring up that past trainwreck of a thread.

It isn't very fair to Ilkeshiny. This is her post. Can we keep it that way?

Correct me if I'm wrong, @ac117

I think that ac117 is not bringing up that thread per se, but rather quoting DS's reply, with the Intent of driving her (ac117) point home by highlighting the inconsistencies of DS's expectations with regard to communication and delivery of statuses and end product from 2016 and the present. (Sorry, run on widow brain sentences).

@whitewave - I'm not worried about @ILikeShiny - she's been on PS long enough to know that bringing to light what she is currently experiencing risks a pile on. She's a tough cookie.

 

[BlingDreams]

Ok, can a truce please be called? We should be able to discuss problems we're having without it becoming a mess. This forum is about help and knowledge; sometimes that includes knowledge of not-so-great experiences, and that's ok! Having expectations about what might happen if you choose to work with certain a vendor is a good thing. I know I've appreciated hearing about difficulties reaching DK, and LM's sometimes-difficult personality. It helps people make decisions, or at least go in to situations better prepared.

@ac117 - I appreciate your posts and that you can see things from my point of view. What you said about turning in a report late with no heads-up is a great example of how I feel this situation is.

@diamondseeker2006 - I appreciate your experience on here and with your past projects. We just have different expectations based on our own conversations with the vendors. I don't like that this blew up the way it did and am glad that you too would like to get back to the focus of my (hopefully unbelievably gorgeous) ring.

@whitewave, @PintoBean, and others - Thanks for keeping it real and on point.

Now, back to diamonds and other gorgeous bling!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Again you miss the point....and it's funny bc you seem to have agreed with someone else saying the exact thing I'm saying over a year ago when someone else had an issue with LAD/CVB but now all of a sudden you're realistic and everyone else is not.

by diamondseeker2006 » Apr 27, 2016
"Bonfire|1461783730|4024248 said:
Let me start by saying I love Caysie! I communicated directly with her for my latest ring project. I have two other rings that I worked with LAD (Erica). I'm thrilled for them that their business is thriving. A lot of PSers are clients because of this forum. The take away here is that good communication is vital for any customer service business, period. Growing pains are understandable BUT, open, honest and preemptive communication is imperative. For example quoting a 6-8 week time frame post CAD that extends to 9 or 10 wks needs to be communicated in an on going manner. As unexpected issues come up please pass it on to your clients. It would go a long way to alleviate frustration. No one is asking you to call the jeweler every 10 minutes, but periodic updates shows personal commitment and involvement in our projects.
I hope everything resolves itself for the betterment of everyone. "

bydiamondseeker2006
+1

An excellent, constructive post.
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/cvb-lad-communication.222444/page-2

And another!
by diamondseeker2006 » Apr 28, 2016
My realistic suggestion is an email update at the 6 week mark (which begins after the 50% deposit and CAD approval) if the piece is not ready. I do not email a vendor before 6 weeks (after the design and deposit are complete) for an update. I think CVB/LAD generally has a 6-8 week timeline. An email at 6 weeks saying the bench says it will be ready soon is great. Then at 8 weeks (or sooner) another email is necessary to say the piece is either here or the bench had a problem xyz and they say it will be around another week, so sorry for the delay. I think that is reasonable, or the customer can certainly email at 6 weeks and again at 8 if the item has not arrived.

I wasnt going to reply to your post again, but since you edited and added the extra quote, I thought I'd reply and say that my comments in RED are exactly what I have been saying!!! I do not expect anything from a vendor during the process, and I contact THEM for an update if I do not hear from them after 6 weeks. Bonfire's post was saying an email would be in order after 6-8 weeks if the time was extending longer. Neither one of us was expecting progress reports (and no photos til completion) prior to 6-8 weeks!

I simply do not believe that Caysie has not communicated with Shiny in the last 6 weeks which is the impression being given.

 

[PintoBean]

I wasnt going to reply to your post again, but since you edited and added the extra quote, I thought I'd reply and say that my comments in RED are exactly what I have been saying!!! I do not expect anything from a vendor during the process, and I contact THEM for an update if I do not hear from them after 6 weeks. Bonfire's post was saying an email would be in order after 6-8 weeks if the time was extending longer. Neither one of us was expecting progress reports (and no photos til completion) prior to 6-8 weeks!

I simply do not believe that Caysie has not communicated with Shiny in the last 6 weeks which is the impression being given.

DS you are crossing the line with the above underlined statement. OP is laying out her journey for us and the obstacles she's encountered along the way. We should give her the benefit of the doubt and not question her credibility like that, unless you personally have a reason to. Additionally, I hope your belief is not shaped by your relationship with Caysie because it would be highly unprofessional for CVB to be discussing this project with you.

 

[ac117]

I wasnt going to reply to your post again, but since you edited and added the extra quote, I thought I'd reply and say that my comments in RED are exactly what I have been saying!!! I do not expect anything from a vendor during the process, and I contact THEM for an update if I do not hear from them after 6 weeks. Bonfire's post was saying an email would be in order after 6-8 weeks if the time was extending longer. Neither one of us was expecting progress reports (and no photos til completion) prior to 6-8 weeks!

I simply do not believe that Caysie has not communicated with Shiny in the last 6 weeks which is the impression being given.

We are clearly past 6 weeks so my BOLDED part of YOUR statement is the relevant portion. Let's dissect so there's no confusion: Your words:
My realistic suggestion is an email update at the 6 week mark (which begins after the 50% deposit and CAD approval) if the piece is not ready (That is assuming a 6-8 week timeline. ILS was given a 5-6 timeline so she should've gotten an update at 5 weeks and did not).
An email at 6 weeks saying the bench says it will be ready soon is great (Caysie didn't do this) . Then at 8 weeks (or sooner) another email is necessary to say the piece is either here or the bench had a problem xyz and they say it will be around another week, so sorry for the delay (Oh wait, she didn't do this either and you deem is NECESSARY!). I think that is reasonable, or the customer can certainly email at 6 weeks and again at 8 if the item has not arrived. (And this is what ILS has done so HOW is she unrealistic if this is reasonable to you???)

 

[BlingDreams]

DS you are crossing the line with the above underlined statement. OP is laying out her journey for us and the obstacles she's encountered along the way. We should give her the benefit of the doubt and not question her credibility like that, unless you personally have a reason to. Additionally, I hope your belief is not shaped by your relationship with Caysie because it would be highly unprofessional for CVB to be discussing this project with you.

@diamondseeker2006 - You really have missed the point. At no time have I said I haven't been in contact with Caysie. What I HAVE said is that the updates and information we've been promised haven't been followed through on the majority of the time without us having to remind or question her. And these are important issues, such as even AFTER the CAD was approved and my ring was supposedly in production she asked ME to send HER a breakdown of what the metal colors and polishes should be for every aspect of my ring! How could she not have that information after all the steps we'd been through? And after I sent it I asked for confirmation, but she never replied. I asked again a week later and was once again ignored. This has left me wondering exactly how my ring would turn out!

Does it really need to stoop to the point of sharing screenshots of our texts? I think not.

I also find it highly unprofessional for you and Caysie to be discussing this, which is very obvious you have been. Please stop this. All of it.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Ok, can a truce please be called? We should be able to discuss problems we're having without it becoming a mess. This forum is about help and knowledge; sometimes that includes knowledge of not-so-great experiences, and that's ok! Having expectations about what might happen if you choose to work with certain a vendor is a good thing. I know I've appreciated hearing about difficulties reaching DK, and LM's sometimes-difficult personality. It helps people make decisions, or at least go in to situations better prepared.

@ac117 - I appreciate your posts and that you can see things from my point of view. What you said about turning in a report late with no heads-up is a great example of how I feel this situation is.

@diamondseeker2006 - I appreciate your experience on here and with your past projects. We just have different expectations based on our own conversations with the vendors. I don't like that this blew up the way it did and am glad that you too would like to get back to the focus of my (hopefully unbelievably gorgeous) ring.

@whitewave, @PintoBean, and others - Thanks for keeping it real and on point.

Now, back to diamonds and other gorgeous bling!

I just want to apologize for not seeing this particular post due to replying to someone else (from an alert) who had addressed me directly which escalated this whole thing far beyond what you (or I) had probably intended. I will ask the moderator to delete my replies to the other person that came after this post. I understand where you are coming from and just wanted to give another perspective based on my experiences. I didn't mean to invalidate yours.

 

[whitewave]

did I miss something? How did the jump happen to DS and Caysie are discussing ilikeshiny?

 

[Karl_K]

Any vendor needs to have a clearly defined process and explain it well and stick to it. Be polite but firm about requests outside of the process. When everything is broken down into a process things go smoothly. The number 1 thing I tell vendors even in my consumer days is stick to your process.
Benchpeople hate progress pictures. When working away they hate to stop and take pictures then take the time to send them. Also at some points in the process it looks really bad. Someone seeing an as cast ring may get really upset because they look pretty bad. It is not part of their normal process for most of them.
Which brings me back to "stick to your process".

 

[LLJsmom]

Any vendor needs to have a clearly defined process and explain it well and stick to it. Be polite but firm about requests outside of the process. When everything is broken down into a process things go smoothly. The number 1 thing I tell vendors even in my consumer days is stick to your process.
Benchpeople hate progress pictures. When working away they hate to stop and take pictures then take the time to send them. Also at some points in the process it looks really bad. Someone seeing an as cast ring may get really upset because they look pretty bad. It is not part of their normal process for most of them.
Which brings me back to "stick to your process".

Just a comment about artisans hating progress pictures. The irony is that clients love them. Me personally? The more hideous the better. It shows that the magic is happening. And it emphasizes the beauty and the perfection of the finished product even more. It emphasizes the incredible amount of labor, and heart and pain-staking attention to detail that goes into a finished product. It makes the finished piece so precious and real. I treasure all the progress pictures I have in the video. I am just adding my thoughts to try to convince the artisans that not only do the progress pictures NOT cast the pieces in a negative light, but rather shows how much hard work and effort went into the finished product. And just because a vendor may not like to give them, or won't, does not stop me from asking.

Sorry, back to OP, don't mean to threadjack. If it were me, I would tell myself the following story, at this point. Caysie is making sure everything is perfect. Maybe it got finished the first go around, and she wasn't happy with something and is making sure it is up to her standards. People have been very happy with the finished product so you can be sure you will too. Generally speaking, when people provide ETAs, it's usually the scenario where everything falls into place at exactly the right time. In my head, that NEVER happens. So I always plan to wait at least 2 extra weeks, at the very minimum. I admit that I do that so I am not too disappointed when the deadline gets blown. (I'm a pessimist so I always assume that it will be. ) And with regard to updates, I wish they all would without any email from me, but I am not surprised when they don't. I'm not saying your expectations are unreasonable, but for your own sake, I would adjust them so you aren't disappointed. I know your finished piece will be utterly beautiful. Stay strong. We all understand the waiting crazies.

 

[Karl_K]

Just a comment about artisans hating progress pictures. The irony is that clients love them. Me personally? The more hideous the better. It shows that the magic is happening. And it emphasizes the beauty and the perfection of the finished product even more. It emphasizes the incredible amount of labor, and heart and pain-staking attention to detail that goes into a finished product. It makes the finished piece so precious and real. I treasure all the progress pictures I have in the video. I am just adding my thoughts to try to convince the artisans that not only do the progress pictures NOT cast the pieces in a negative light, but rather shows how much hard work and effort went into the finished product.

I like them also but in a lot of ways they are not very practical.
Are you willing to pay extra for them?
It could be a value add for a vendor but they need to make it part of the process and their benchs process and charge accordingly.

 

[LLJsmom]

I like them also but in a lot of ways they are not very practical.
Are you willing to pay extra for them?
It could be a value add for a vendor but they need to make it part of the process and their benchs process and charge accordingly.

I didn't realize these could be expensive? A picture? Well, even so, maybe I would be willing to pay. To me it is part of the journey. It adds to the experience and my feeling about the ring.

 

[Karl_K]

I didn't realize these could be expensive? A picture? Well, even so, maybe I would be willing to pay. To me it is part of the journey. It adds to the experience and my feeling about the ring.

Its not the photo itself its the time to take it and send it. 5min here and there adds up quickly.

 

[SimoneDi]

Alright, I am entering this discussion.. first, I want to say, @ILikeShiny I have been meaning to post to this thread for the longest time. Your asscher is drop dead gorgeous. I have met Yekutiel in person and he is the nicest, super- knowledgeable about diamonds guy, he helped you choose a glorious asscher! Further, your engagement ring design is just breathtaking and I really believe that only Caysie would have been able to pull that one off, at least at this time. She is very creative, extremely approachable and when talking to her, you immediately feel like you are taking to your bestie, which is why I think that DS and people alike (read:me) want to defend her when post like this come into life. Now, I will make a little confession, I have blown deadlines before, it is not pretty, but I can tell you that with me it never comes from a place of neglect or not caring, I simply overcommit. I want to please everyone and meet their expected timelines and I promise dates thinking that I can meet them all. Then, other things happen, I pull overnighters, thinking that I can "catch up", but sometimes, I just can't catch up on it all, especially when something important and unexpected happens. I believe that a similar scenario took place here.. now, is communication important - sure, I think that all of us learn from past experiences, and I think that vendors learn from PS discussions, but please don't doubt that your ring will be gorgeous and don't let this minor glitch upset your entire experience thus far. You will have a gorgeous ring and that is all that matters in the end! I had my original engagement ring stolen, at the time I wished that my issues were a delayed timeline.. I guess what I am trying to say is - please try not to upset over this, look forward to seeing your pretty ring (correction: rings!) and know that they will be breathtaking! Also, from a personal experience, I can say that many vendors here "miss" promised timelines, I simply just don't get upset over it anymore, I am not saying that you should follow my example, but lower expectations in the timeline department will spare you some disappointment. You even mentioned that you will not immediately have the ring as your significant other may wait on the proposal (please forgive me if that is no longer the case), but if still true, then 1-2 weeks will probably not matter much in the grand schema of things. In conclusion;
1. You will have a gorgeous ring that will be executed to perfection!
2. Please try not to get upset over a delayed timeline, you will not remember that in year's time.

Can't wait to see pics of your beauty soon!

 

[Ariadne_Theia]

In conclusion;
1. You will have a gorgeous ring that will be executed to perfection!
2. Please try not to get upset over a delayed timeline, you will not remember that in year's time.

Can't wait to see pics of your beauty soon!

I actually want to say that number 2 isn't completely true for everyone. I had a number of delays in my ering process last summer. It was rather stressful and I also had communication issues (with a different vendor) and while I love my ring to bits, I still vividly remember the strife it caused. I don't think I'll ever forget it. It's a sentimental/emotional purchase and it can feel alot different than a regular jewelry purchase.

But I definitely agree with point 1. I am looking forward to drooling over the pictures.

 

[BlingDreams]

Final update to close this post:

We had a phone call with Caysie last night to level-set everything. She acknowledged and apologized for all of the communication issues and lack of follow-through, with a promise to do better in the future. We have a soft date of two weeks before my ring will be ready. SO's ring was finished but in the photo she sent us it didn't really look like the CAD (and we didn't like it at all) so they're going to work on it some more; soft date for completion is early next week. One of my bands is done but the other isn't. She hopes that one will be ready in the next week to ten days. She'd like to take some "family" shots of the rings together so we told her she could hold on to the bands until they're all done and then send them at the same time. If the ring will be finished shortly thereafter, we may wait and have them all sent at the same time so that she can take photos of all four together.

 

[whitewave]

Exciting! I know it is longer than you wanted and were told; hopefully the end result will be so amazing it will have been worth it in the end.

 

[Skhii]

I'm glad you guys were able to talk to Caysie and get everyone on the same page. I'll keep my fingers crossed that all four rings will be completed within two weeks, and you'll have gorgeous "family" photos and rings on your and SO's fingers!