Quality vs. quantity?

[ma re]

Would you rather have:

a) a very well made custom piece whose design you like, but wouldn''t be your first choice if you could afford something else

or

b) a mass produced piece from your "average Joe" local store with obvious flaws i.e. lacking quality craftsmanship and materials, but made in your dream design

?

 

[Rhea]

b - I want exact what I want, exactly what I''m looking for no matter who makes it. It matters more to me that the item is what I want than the brand or who made it. I don''t think of this as a quality vs quantity issue. Just because something isn''t custom made or name brand doesn''t mean that it isn''t as high quality.

 

[luvmyhalo]

I would go with my dream design assuming the flaws and lack of craftsmanship that you refer to aren''t so apparent that they would bug me ''til the end of time!

Do you have specific rings in mind? Can you share pics?

 

[marcy]

After returning, trading up or selling many pieces of jewelry that didn''t make my heart go pitter patter - I would recommend waiting until you get exactly what you want. It doesn''t matter if it''s custom made or right out of the showcase.

 

[ma re]

Date: 9/26/2008 6:55:30 PM
Author: luvmyhalo
I would go with my dream design assuming the flaws and lack of craftsmanship that you refer to aren't so apparent that they would bug me 'til the end of time!

Do you have specific rings in mind? Can you share pics?

Nothing specific yet, one of those "somewhere in the future" projects.

I'm yet to buy my first gemstone piece (most probably a ring), and am one of the people who'd rather have one really good piece than a truckload of low quality or costume jewellery. That's what I mean by quality vs. quantity. I notice flaws like asymmetrical or too thin prongs, accents of unmatched brilliance, lack of proportion, paved areas with larger than necessary empty spaces, lack of good finish on bezels, sharp or uneven edges, poor polish on the underside...and I'm picky.

When it comes to this project, the issue is that I like more elaborate designs, with many accent stones (a bit unusual for a guy, but it can be done to look tasteful), and when it comes to the quality of stones I want it to be really high. Low karat golds are also not an option. But my budget doesen't allow me these fancy projects, so I'm thinking of maybe going for a more simple design with a great quality, instead of having that dream design without the right quality standards.

P. S. My current jewellery (most were gifts) is all plain metal and mostly of rather poor craftsmanship, so I'd finally like to have something decent.

 

[oldmancoyote]

I''d much rather go for quality.

Reading through your second post, I think you should too, particularly since you like fairly elaborate designs. There''s many more details to get right (or opportunities to get them wrong).

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 9/26/2008 10:53:48 PM
Author: marcyc
After returning, trading up or selling many pieces of jewelry that didn''t make my heart go pitter patter - I would recommend waiting until you get exactly what you want. It doesn''t matter if it''s custom made or right out of the showcase.

Yep!

 

[Miranda]

Hmmmm...neither. I would wait to get a high quality piece in my dream design IF this is an important piece. Save longer and get exactly what you want. It will probably cost you less in the long run. I have learned a lesson from buying things because I''m in a hurry and replacing them with exactly what I want down the road.

For trendy fun pieces, say large hoop earrings, I would be more likely to buy something ''average Joeish". That said, the quallity still needs to be there. It needs to be well made or I would go crazy. Not necessarily top of the line, but, without major flaws to the naked eye.

 

[Madam Bijoux]

I would buy the dream design and then take it to a custom jeweler and ask him to duplicate it with better quality stones, as long as it wouldn''t be breakin any copyright laws.

 

[HollyS]

Date: 9/26/2008 4:12:52 AM
Author:ma re
Would you rather have:

a) a very well made custom piece whose design you like, but wouldn''t be your first choice if you could afford something else

or

b) a mass produced piece from your ''average Joe'' local store with obvious flaws i.e. lacking quality craftsmanship and materials, but made in your dream design

?

It''s gotta be a trick question, hmmmm?

a) of course

Mass production with shoddy workmanship and suspect diamonds would never be a good choice. And affordability would have nothing to do with it. The number one jewelry mantra on PS should be: never wear crap.

 

[ma re]

Date: 9/28/2008 1:20:47 PM
Author: Miranda
Hmmmm...neither. I would wait to get a high quality piece in my dream design IF this is an important piece. Save longer and get exactly what you want. It will probably cost you less in the long run. I have learned a lesson from buying things because I''m in a hurry and replacing them with exactly what I want down the road.

For trendy fun pieces, say large hoop earrings, I would be more likely to buy something ''average Joeish''. That said, the quallity still needs to be there. It needs to be well made or I would go crazy. Not necessarily top of the line, but, without major flaws to the naked eye.

Not sure that''s possible. I''ve done my math and looks like "exactly what I want" would cost me around double of what I''d feel comfortable spending for a piece of jewellery, considering my incomes. It''s not that I couldn''t save it, I just wouldn''t feel good about spending that much on jewellery eventhough I love it. Now, if I''d get a sudden increase of incomes (which I don''t see happening any time soon

) or win the lottery, it''d be a whole diferent story

 

[Maisie]

I have spent a lot of money trying to find my perfect ring. I wish I had waited and saved up enough to have exactly what I had wanted in the first place, which was a bigger diamond. The money I have spent on different settings could have given me a much bigger diamond. We live and learn I guess

I would definitely say quality over quantity. I would not like to have something which isn''t as well made.

There are lots of things I would love to have. But our finances will probably never allow for that. I just have to accept that I can''t have these things and put them out of my mind.

 

[Diamond*Dana]

I would want my dream ring, but I don''t want to settle for craftsmanship that is lacking. I think that I would save up until I could have my dream ring made up to my standards.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 10/1/2008 10:26:54 PM
Author: Diamond*Dana
I would want my dream ring, but I don''t want to settle for craftsmanship that is lacking. I think that I would save up until I could have my dream ring made up to my standards.

Absolutely!!! High quality in the design you love! It''s worth saving for! All my jewelry regrets have to do with buying less than the best quality.