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questions about Michael B

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po boy

Rough_Rock
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Nov 4, 2004
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I went to a local jeweler with my future fiance this weekend. We liked a setting by Michael B. I have a couple questions about Michael B....

1) Does he have a website? I haven''t found it if he does.

2) Is there a preferred source for his rings? I have heard Solomon Bros.

3) Are copies or custom copies of intricate rings like his available?

Thanks for the help,
Poor Boy
 
PoorBoy....Which Michael B setting do you like? I too like one of the Michael B settings, but struggled to find a place to see them in person. My bf & I went to Chicago and saw them at Goldins on Michigan Ave. Very nice experience. I like the 3 sided pave band. I originally thought I''d like the Vatche pave band better but once I saw the Michael B that was it. The rings looked a lot different in person. Anyway, on to your questions.

The website is kind of hard to find. http://www.michaelbjewelry.com/collections.html

They list locations where you can buy Michael B.

A lot of folks mention Pearlmans http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/partner.html as a source.

I have talked with some jewelers about getting a copy made but haven''t found anyone who I think can make it look like as good. There are several PS members who have had beautiful Pave bands made...maybe they can chime in here.

Goodluck!
 

Hi Po boy,




My fiancé and I looked around quite a bit for engagement ring settings, from the beginning I liked the Michael B. Petite Pave setting. I tried to find something that came close to save some $$$, but nothing really caught my eye like that one. We actually went directly to the jewelry store that Michael has his studio on top of, called Matthew's jewelers. Michael's wife actually works there and helped me with my ring. They also gave us a discount greater than other jewelers were wiling to give...Matthew's jewelers is located in Los Angeles and their info is listed on Michael b.'s website on their list of retailers. And my ring got made in about two weeks.

I have to say, for me it was completely worth it, I love my setting and am glad I didn't settle and get something else, not a day goes by where people don't stop me to compliment my ring, especially the setting. I am so happy with the quality and craftsmanship...here is a pic, although not a good one at all- it doesn't do the ring justice.

good luck~



DSC00835.JPG
 
Thanks for all that info... ivana, what size/shape is the rock on your ring? We are looking for around 2 carats, so I''m just looking for a reference.

The setting we liked was a three sided pave, I think, I have written down AHG 011, if that means anything to you. We put it with a 5mm wide pave wedding band, and they looked absolutely stunning together.
 
I tried on the three sided pave and it was too die for- it just sparkles like crazy and I like that you put in with a different band- We are looking to do the same thing- My ring is a 1.63 round brilliant. The thin band makes the diamond really stand out.
 
Hi po boy. Michael B is superb, but, checkout www.diamondsbybree.com. I haven''t purchased from her yet, but her prices seem fair. She has several sale rings and settings as well as new ones under engagementrings2 or something like that. Her site is a little confusing. Under the new rings menu scroll down and 3/4''s down you will see some micro-pave'' similar to Michael B. She could probably have made what you want but it would vary slightly from Michael B''s for copyright reasons.

I first heard of her on the www.betterthandiamond.com message boards. I can''t vouch for her work, yet, but I can say she gave away "a Christmas present" jewelry on the message boards to whomever emailed her first. This is kind even if it''s just good business savvy.

Good luck.

There is another woman who does beautiful micro-pave work. I can''t remember her name, but if you want her site I can post it. I wanted a setting with a micro-pave shank and bezel for a cushion cut and she quoted me $3000. Supposedly, micro-pave setting is very tedious to do with hundreds of little diamonds, hence the price.
 
how exciting!

thanks for the info ivanadiamond! i''m in the LA area and love Michael B settings as well though I have yet to actually try one on! now is my chance! did you get the matching wedding band as well? could you post a picture of you wearing both? and what is Michael B''s wife''s name? ok one last question - did you have to purchase the center stone from them as well?

i''ve come across a few jewelry shops that do not set diamonds not purchased through them which i thought was kind of a bummer.
 

Hi twinkletoes,


We bought the diamond from a local jeweler in Hermosa Beach, Michael''s wife is Aieda Bogosian, she is really friendly and super helpful. I tried on Michael b. rings at 23rd street jewelers in both Santa Monica as well as Manhattan Beach, and then got to see their entire line at Matthew''s. If you want to PM me I can give you more details on price info-


We haven''t purchased the wedding band yet (wanted to give my fiance a chance to financially recoup

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) But am thinking of either the matching 1 sided pave wedding band or the 3 sided pave band.



534371598105_0_ALB.jpg
 
pick 2

461461598105_0_ALB.jpg
 
I also love the Michael B settings and am this close to ordering one for my very own. After reading the previous posts here, I''m wondering if there is any price advantage if you contact Michael B directly? Does he (or his wife) just refer you back to one of their retailers to serve as intermediary? Anyone have any input regarding that?
 
I have the Michael B. Three-Sided Pave!!! It is to DIE for!! I got it from Pearlman''s Jewelers! I highly recommend Bill Pearlman!!!!

I have mine set with a 1.5c round brilliant and it is very big! Two carats would be huge!
 
I purchased a MB setting recently.
The website is MichaelBjewelry.com.

You can get a list of the dealers by state there.

I doubt you can get a price advantage by going directly to MB but it would be certainly worth a try. I can tell you that my jeweler charged me 20 % less than the list price and that is their policy for discounting so I don''t think all of the dealers charge the same price. I was quoted a different price elsewhere, coincidentally at Goldins in Chicago. If you want the name of the dealer, PM me. I would encourage you to pick what you want and call around to a few in your area for price quotes.

If you are interested, I purchased the crown lace setting.
 
I emailed Solomon Brothers when I was looking and they gave me $400 off a $2400 list so there are discounts available.

In the end we had a custom piece made that was not micropave due to daily durability and I am hard on my hands. We got our ring made in the prong-set eternity style, rather than pave. It''s about 2.8mm width for .03c stones, so slightly larger than the MB micromelee type .01c stuff, but it''s more sturdy as well.

I love how the MB rings look so delicate but on a daily basis I think I''d end up destroying it after a year or two! I wear my ring to do almost everything.

Good luck!
 
Thanks allisonfaye and Mara.
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My local jeweler is giving me about 20% off from the list price as well. I decided that was reasonable (and since I''d like to get this done before next Christmas!) I''m going ahead and ordering it (the rounded lace ring.) I should have it before Valentine''s Day.
 
I loved the Crown Lace ring as well...but my fiance-at-the-time felt it was too modern.

I was in agreement at the time, since it may have been more of a passing fancy than something I really would have wanted long term but I still love the design, so who knows!!

Please post pictures!
 
I will definitely post pics! It''s interesting that your DH thought the crown lace ring rather modern. (I suppose it is, in comparison to more traditional settings.) My DH looked at it and said he thought it had a rather vintage feel to it, because the pave pattern is suggestive of lace!
 
I think that he thought the wider rounded band was the modern portion of it. I thought it was a great blend of modern and vintage with a 'different' feel to it so it wasn't the typical ring. But he didn't make too many comments during the search and I wanted us both to love what we ended up with, so I nixed it!

I also loved the Tacori 3 sided diamond encrusted ring and he said it took too much away from the center stone.

What we ended up with is a traditional solitaire, but eternity style diamonds around the ring, so it's a nice blend IMO and we both love it.
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Your ring is stunning Mara and, you''re right, it''s important that you both love it. I know the Tacori you''re talking about and it''s a beauty too. I''ve been searching for about six months (this is my 20th anniversary upgrade), trying on everything and anything but kept going back to the Michael B. so I guess it''s meant to be!
 
Most definitely!
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Sorry for reviving this old thread, but I wanted to give an update!

We stopped by 23rd St Jewelers this past weekend where I got to try on the Michael B princess ring. I absolutely loved it (it was set with a 1.64c, F, SI1)! It took all that I had not to act like a goofy smiley freak inside the boutique!

But my bf is concerened with the delicateness of the ring. Primarily the high setting (which I favor over lower ones) and the super thin 2 mm band. Has anyone heard of damage to these types of settings? Is it possible to knock/break the basket from the band? Lose the center diamond? etc?

And I think they were asking $20k for the ring set as is. ouch.

My bf is still pushing for a plain tiffany''s style setting, but *whimper* I''m not sure I''m sold on the idea of having something I don''t consider "me". I''m not classic anything! I own no khakis, I love super girlie things, my favorite color is pink, I love to be kind of different in my own way... and I want my ring to reflect that.

Oh, but I finally found out my ring size!! It''s 4.25 - smaller than I would have thought.
 
Twinkletoes, like I said on the LIW thread, if you had a swooning girly reaction from the Michael B, then I think it''s clear that the plain Tiffany style is more for HIM than for YOU....and I feel like you should be able to find something that''s in-between....something less "khaki!!"
 
Date: 1/10/2005 6:46:46 PM
Author: blueroses
Twinkletoes, like I said on the LIW thread, if you had a swooning girly reaction from the Michael B, then I think it''s clear that the plain Tiffany style is more for HIM than for YOU....and I feel like you should be able to find something that''s in-between....something less ''khaki!!''
Click to expand...

LOL love the "less khaki" comment!

Well, I do LOVE the ring setting & wedding band combo but I do have MY reservations as well. I always figured I''d wear both my ering & wedding band together all the time. But the jeweler said most likely there will be times where I won''t want to wear my ering - vacations and such. And I don''t think the 2 mm wedding band stands well on it''s own. And I''m pretty damn sure getting more than 1 of those tiny bands is out of the question!

I''m also worried about whether or not the delicate design will withold the test of time. I would think as I get older I will want a setting/band set that is more substantial. I can''t really picture the princess ring on my 60 year old hand.

Decisions Decisions....

I haven''t really given the plain setting a chance. Bf suggested we stop by Tiffany''s to try their simple settings to see if I''ll like it. I think by being involved in the process I''m making it more complicated for him. =(
 
twinkletoes, I love the michael B, flat bands. My BF got my ring custom made, so it is very similar and I think it was cheaper than buying the Michael B one. I will admit I am beast to this ring, and I have been terrified that something would happen, but nothing has so far. I think if it is set really well, nothing should happen.

Good luck deciding. Definitely checking out custom designs, maybe you can make something that makes you both happy.
 
Hi. Your ring is gorgeous and exactly what I have been looking for. I have tried on many and done a lot of research. I know what I like- 3sided pave...pretty sure i want Michael B. I want the band to be as skinny and delicate as possible without being worried about it. Is your band a 2mm? if not, what is it? How big is your center stone? I''m thinking 2... so i was curious to know how big yours is cuz it looks big. Did you like your experience buying it? Where did you buy it? Who did you deal with? Did you get the center stone from them too? And..what style is that? number? Does it have paves on the prong? I''m seeing a lot of that too and am curious if that is what you got and if you like that. Sorry for all the questions... thank you so much.

mary
 
Hi Mary,
This thread is from January and I havent' seen Ivanadiamond post in a while. Her stone is 1.63 carats. A 2 carat would look huge with a Michael b pave setting. I would suggest contacting Bill Pearlman at Pearlmans Jewelers he frequents this site and has many happy costumers. He responds very quickly to emails and could help answer all of your questions.
 
It always seems I follow Mrs S :-) Did you also know that Michael B does a petite 3 sided pave. It''s approximately 2.3mm in width and very pretty. It also allows for a different entry level of diamond size. The full size 3 sided is best for 1.25ct and up. The petite version allows for a .75ct and up diamond size. Next up from Michael are his men''s bands. Very Nice!
 
Hi Allison,

I would like the name of your dealer that gave you 20% off your Michael B ring? I have been researching the 3 sided princess ring with the diamonds on the prongs also,and the prices are ranging between 7,000 to 9,000 for the setting and I am curious to see if there are any better prices out there. Please reply if you can help.
 
I agree, when I looked on line the prices of the Micheal B jewelers were signifcatnly higher. Which is a bummer since I want to get my stone on-line...
 
Allison

I am also in Chicago - can you please tell me which jeweler gave you 20% off of list price for Michael B?

Thanks!!!
 
Oh, I am so glad I happened by and saw your post. I am on a husband imposed jewelry moratorium so I don''t come over here as often.

I got mine at Hoffman''s in Highland Park. I would recommend that you check with Goldin''s if you are in the city. But I would definately ask them if they discount before bothering to go it. They work by appointment only. Hoffman''s is just a regular jewelry store.

Good luck! Let us know what you decide.
 
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