Pink Melee Prices

[pinkjewel]

Pink jewel I am considering a DBTY with pink melee ( I only want it 15" and 4 stones is Leibish my go to or Diamonds by Lauren.. I am also considering putting a .25 yellow pear in the center with the 4 pink on either side who would you use

I've purchased from both and been happy with both vendors. I have seen more DBTYs from David than Leibish. What size pinks are you planning on using? I know David suggested 5 pointers when I thought about doing one previously. I eventually decided not to do one as the fancy pink melee blended so much with my skin it just didn't seem worth the cost- white diamonds actually looked better on me. I've only purchased diamonds from Leibish-no finished jewelry so I can't comment on quality of finish. My sister purchased a finished ring which looks beautiful but I haven't had a chance to analyze it. My pieces from David have been very well made. So, if it were me, I'd probably work with David on it. You could always get quotes from both and decide- especially if you're looking for a yellow pear. It may be that one of them has a diamond you like better than the other.

 

[heididdl]

Thank you so much!!!!!!!

 

[psproot12]

WOW! You have amazing pieces!!

 

[pinkjewel]

Thank you so much!!!!!!!

You're welcome!! Please show us your necklace when you get it made!!

 

[pinkjewel]

WOW! You have amazing pieces!!

thank you

 

[psproot12]

No problem, how big is the pink FCD in your display photo? It is stunning!

 

[pinkjewel]

No problem, how big is the pink FCD in your display photo? It is stunning!

Thank you! It's a .36 fancy purplish pink oval.

 

[minicat]

Hi Everyone,

I saw my first pink melee today. I saw 1.1mm and 1.5mm stones of an unknown colour and clarity. I cant say I was very impressed. They were sourced for me by the guy who is making the ring. I dont think he was very impressed either! They came in at about $5900 per ctw. I am guessing that the stones were more akin to light/light fancy in colour. The invoice he had for them was vague in the sense that it didnt state the colour or clarity, nor did I notice anything saying ''natural/untreated''; but to be fair I wasnt looking for that at the time as we were just wondering what colour they were being sold as. Its not like we were going to buy them... I cant recall the name on the invoice but it was Weiss-something I think... (Weissbach??? IDK).

They seemed too cheap for FP but too expensive for anything else. Anyway,I am hoping that they were not FP because when we placed them next to the diamond I have, the pink all but vanished, and the stones ended up attracting the eye for all the wrong reasons.

Now putting all the bad bits aside for a moment, I was wondering if the pink was washed away because there was nothing separating the E colour center piece from the pink stones, because they didnt look too bad/light when they were on their own? And if so, would the pink come back to its original intensity once set in pink gold? Or if not, how much pink would I lose (if thats quantifiable!)?

I am also going to see a Jeweler called Hirsh in London who says he has a large amount of stock that he bought 10-12 years ago (apparently before people were treating pink melee?). I am hoping that he will have the stones Im looking for. I plan on going there this weekend to have a look at what he has. I liked the 1.5mm size of the stones I saw today.

Anyway, I was just curious about how much colour was lost when they were put next to the center piece!

Thanks

 

[minicat]

i think i found the answer:


Unread post by diamondsbylauren » 17 Mar 2005 16:29
Hi Everyone!

Someone in this thread said " After all, they say setting a slightly yellow diamond in yellow gold can make it look whiter--would the same apply with a pink diamond in a pink bezel?" I find the opposite to be true- a well cut K-L-M in white metal looks like a white diamond.
A D set into a yellow gold bezel looks a lot darker than if it was set into whate metal.

When setting pink diamonds the gold makes a huge difference.
BUT- the problem is- you can''t tell how a faint pink is going to set up till AFTER you make the ring.
We''ve gotten lucky on a number of occasions
Before:
Image

After
Image


But there have been stones with even more pinkish-ness that looked far less pink after setting

 

[pinkjewel]

I have seen very good colored "fancy pink" melee lose almost all it's "pinkness" when set in a white metal. Rose gold makes a huge difference in keeping pinks looking pink. However, the melee you viewed should have looked quite pink on their own when you set them next to the diamond if they were fancy pink- so they were probably a lighter color. The color is only drained when set into a white metal. I've noticed that even Tiffany's keys where they've used a "vivid pink" melee stone in an otherwise white metal key with diamonds- the pink diamond is still set into rose gold.

 

[GeorgeStevens]

Your melee purchase sounds sketchy. Remember the discussion that "know your supplier" is the #1 rule of buying melee. Seems your jeweler failed on that.

These stones are so tiny that you can't expect them to radiate a ton of pinkishness. Even in fairly intense pinks, the diamond is so small, and there's so little light coming through it, that you're not going to get much pink color. Put a pink next to a white and you'll see a difference though.

 

[minicat]

Hi thanks for the replies.

Yeah I dont think they were Fancy Pink. I know pics and colours on the laptops are not exactly reliable, but I think they were too light to be what I want.

Well, unfortunately I have tried all the usual routes with sourcing the stones, but without any luck. But the guy who got the stones for me didnt exactly vouch for them - he just said he would try get some too for me to look at if I wanted, but readily admitted he wasnt sure if I was going to like them or not as he just had no idea. Hopefully my trip on Saturday will be better.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

Why don't you contact vendors who actually use fancy melee like diamonds by Lauren?

 

[pinkjewel]

Hi thanks for the replies.

Yeah I dont think they were Fancy Pink. I know pics and colours on the laptops are not exactly reliable, but I think they were too light to be what I want.

Well, unfortunately I have tried all the usual routes with sourcing the stones, but without any luck. But the guy who got the stones for me didnt exactly vouch for them - he just said he would try get some too for me to look at if I wanted, but readily admitted he wasnt sure if I was going to like them or not as he just had no idea. Hopefully my trip on Saturday will be better.

Sorry to hear that they've been so difficult to source for you. Since you're jeweler can't seem to source them either, I really wonder if they are the best jeweler for you for this particular project. I know it's a pain to ship out of the country, but you might want to think about using a vendor in the US (or Europe) with experience setting pink diamonds and making pink diamond halos. They will have the connections to get the best pink melee. Please let us know hoe it goes on Saturday.

 

[minicat]

I finally got the ring finished! Not got a very good camera and this is the best shot i can get

But it actually looks even better in real life than I was hoping for. The side stones are H&A and i got them in DIF too! Very blingy, but it gets dirty very quickly. Actually it starts to lose it sparkle after half a day, and after a whole day its like a different ring.

I didnt get much of a choice with the rose gold - and the one i got is not really a very good one for pink diamonds. But even so, the pinks ended up looking pinker than i expected. When i got the pink stones i was happy at first, then i started to wonder if they were pink enough. Im still wondering that same thing now they are set, but i am much happier that they are at least pinker than I expected them to be - and as long as the ring is fairly clean, the diamonds look pink form a distance.

My Wife was/is super happy and wears it every day. Thats the main thing really. But then she would be happy with a ring from a choc egg if i gave it to her with love (i hope!).

All in all I think i got a pretty good deal. I think it came in at around £3000 in total. I cant say the setting is flawless, I cant say im all that happy with the rose gold, and I can say that i was reckoning on the pinks being slightly more pink than they are....but i enjoyed the process VERY much, my Wife is over the moon, and i feel like i got a good deal.

thank you again everyone for all your help

minicat

 

[diamondhoarder]

That ring looks really pretty! And it does sound like you got great deal. I too am in the UK and am having the same dilemmas about pink diamond halos, how to source them, etc etc.
Who sourced the melee for you in the end? Did you visit Hirsch? They have a great reputation for fancy colour diamonds although I always had the impression they were quite pricey.

 

[minicat]

Hiya, I wish this forum had PM because i think what i have to say is kind of private, but there isnt one so.....

yes I went there and spoke to James I think his name was. He showed me some pinks but pricey isnt the word! A bit extra I can expect; a lot extra i can appreciate due to the rent; but we are talking many times more than I paid from DBL. But on the positive side you can see what you are buying from him. But that is really a moot point as you can send stuff back to DBL if your not happy. The postage costs back and forth would be irrelavent when you compare the prices.

HOWEVER, i wish i bought FIP, but I wasnt bothered enough to send them back. FIP in London is not even a possibility for me due to price. TBF i recall that his FP looked a little pinker than mine do, but I cant really say for sure. It was probably the lights, or the fact they were the first pinks i saw....who knows! Take that with a pinch of salt, but i thought it worth mentioning.

Bottom line, I was able to source a small quanitiy of FP melee, for a fair price, that I was 100% sure were not treated or enhanced, and could be fairly sure that they were going to be a niceish cut at the Very Very least. DBL have an excellent reputation. The only thing that miffed me off a little was that they were not very well calibrated, which i didnt find out about until later on, which was a bit of a problem due to them being arranged in a halo. Its not like they are in a straight line and can be jigged along a bit....

I admit that the ring I got is probably more like 8 - 9/10 compared to something I would expect Liebish or DBL would make; the rose gold is probably the biggest issue as its not quite the right colour and even the professionals have problems with this, so Im told. That has likely had a massive effect on the colour of the pinks. BUT I knew this might happen so i bought 2 spare pink stones If I want I can always have the ring remade and if a stone or 2 breaks then I have spares! (I bought 2 spare because if I dont need them, i can use them for something else, assuming 2 is betetr than 1 for an unknown application)

I really liked being involved in making this ring. It made me understand more about making a ring than the ering i had done. Silly things that a pro would know inside out, but until someone like me comes across it, I dont know about it!

To be honest, I dont think I will have the ring remade. Besides, its only the halo that would need to be done to get the exact right rose gold mixture. You would have to know a fair bit about jewellery and have it right in your face to know it could be slightly better; and as long as its clean you can easily see the pink from 10 feet away. Job done

If youd like any more advise Id be happy to give it if i can.

 

[diamondhoarder]

Hi Minicat

Thanks for the info, that was very helpful. The Hirsch prices didn't surprise me - they have some pretty steep overheads as well as a brand premium which is bound to have an effect.

I too have a contact in Hatton Garden who has made various things for me, although I am not sure how experienced they are with pink diamond halo's. So I was considering buying the centre diamond and melee loose then having the ring made here in the UK.

Its a real dilemma being in the UK and trying to get good value diamonds and jewellery because prices are so much better in the US, and the range of options and opportunity to get something really amazing seems to be greater from online vendors in the US. But there is no substitute for seeing the diamonds in person (and examples of the setting work, or semi-mounts), especially when considering fancy colours or fancy cuts. I'm a little envious of US diamond shoppers because they can have diamonds sent to them, inspect them, and return them if they are not thrilled with them without outrageous shipping costs and hassle with customs delays and charges.

Anyway, your ring does look lovely and I can see why your wife loves it. Pink diamond halos are a pretty rare sight in the UK so that makes it extra special.

 

[diamondhoarder]

To be honest, I dont think I will have the ring remade. Besides, its only the halo that would need to be done to get the exact right rose gold mixture. You would have to know a fair bit about jewellery and have it right in your face to know it could be slightly better; and as long as its clean you can easily see the pink from 10 feet away. Job done

If youd like any more advise Id be happy to give it if i can.

I just had a thought - if you wanted to boost up the pinkness of your rose gold halo, have you thought about finding someone who could add a little rose gold plating to the appropriate parts of the halo? It might be that plating would look pinker than the particular rose gold alloy your jeweller used, and if it wears off a little after some use you would hardly notice, as its still rose gold underneath. And it's far less expensive than a remake.......