Ring is ready!! But, quality is not what I expected!! Opinions?

[elepri]

The whiteflash design looks very nice, just different. If you like the Vatche though, and the price difference is not that significant, why not get the original? No other version is going to look exactly the same. Nor do i think it should.

 

[Greg]

If the vendor said they would make it look identical, then they made a promise to you that they haven't kept. The Vatche ring does look much more elegent.

Who brought up replicating the Vatche ring? If it was you, maybe the thing to do is accept this one anyway, you tried to save a few bucks and ended up with a ring that wasn't exactly what you were looking for. Lesson learned. If it was the vendor that brought up the knock-off idea, I would hold them to their promise of "identical," or find another vendor -- one that will sell you the Vatche, that is.

 

[fuffi]

I kind of like your ring better even though it looks admittedly chunky on the profile and perhaps not as graceful as one would like. I commend WF on offering to remake the ring. That's pretty unusual I would imagine. I also want to comment on how well that diamond is set. Those arrows are so perfectly displayed !

 

[jenwill]

Brandon-

I am sure that Denise will get this taken care of for you! I have only heard great things about htem, and her, and am most likely going to contact them when it is time for my rings to be made.

I would , however, offer one point for when this ring gets redone......make that 2 things!

1) When it is redone, make sure that there are no spaces between the melee stones- I noticed on your first pics that there was a noticeable gap between the first and second melee stones- on a channel set this can be a prime place for grime to collect and show.

2) I do like the more 'fluid' lines of the x-prongs in the vatche, but prefer the non-tapered shank of the whiteflash ring...mostly due to the fact that a wedding band will sit more flush with the whiteflash non-tapered. I notice that the vatche has a non-tapered base under the stone, but I think I would be bothered by the gap in the metal between the vatche and a band...but that is just my .02 worth.

Best of luck, I have a feeling it will come out perfectly with Denise on the job, and please keep us posted!

 

[brandonb]

Well, Denise is checking into the Vatche setting for me. (She said the price difference should be negligible)

The melee diamonds WF uses were .003 A Cut Above stones to make .30ct total weight. She said that Vatche uses .015 stones, so they won't be as big. Do you think that would make a difference I should worry about?

Thanks,
-Brandon

 

[victorianblue]

Hmmm-

I betcha the company that you utilized probably has a very good return policy--which is wonderful for the consumer--I wish I would of been that lucky.

While your heart was set on that specific design, you might still want to consider having them send the one finished product just to look at & confirm your opinion on the ring.

 

[jenwill]

only in that the smaller stones might acutally make your center look larger. as far as spacing, they should be able to make the channel tight enough to contain the stones without gaps.

 

[teebee]

----------------
On 7/19/2004 6:25:16 PM noobie wrote:


The Vatche pieces are not as substantial as the pictures look. They are fine and flowing pieces though and very well made. It depends on what you want. I wanted a more substantial weighty piece, hence I made soemthing different. Is there a Vatche dealer closer to you?


However, if you want it exactly like that, then my advice would be to buy the real thing.
----------------

I agree with Noobie ~ the Vatche pieces are beautiful & graceful, have very languid and fluid lines that I love, but lacked the "weightiness" that I wanted. And in person, I did not care for the tapering, so the ring Whiteflash made was more in line with something I'd pick... although it looks like there are a couple of areas on the prongs that could be refined. I think you should really see some Vatche settings in person (if you have not already, if you have, just ignore me!!) before you decide for sure. Are you anywhere close to OKC ~ if so, Arthur Gordon's on N. May (www.arthurgordons.com) is a Vatche vendor ~ after seeing the setting that I thought I wanted in person, I realized it wasn't quite what I was looking for in an engagement ring.

On the otherhand, if it is what you are looking for, and the price difference is negligeable, then I'd probably just get an actual Vatche setting, since Whiteflash is a vendor... Anyhow, just my 2 cents!

____________________

Boomer Sooner!!

____________________

 

[brandonb]

Teebee...I was one step ahead of you!

I called Aurthur Gordon today and they don't have it in stock. They will call me back tomorrow to see if they can get it in.

So what reasons did you have for not liking the Vatche? What do you mean by "weightness"?

Thanks for the help.

Boomer Sooner!

-Brandon

 

[icelady]

Frankly I love the Whiteflash version much better than the Vatche. I like the delicate sides rather than tapered and bulky, and the side view to me looks more substantial. With the difference in size in the main diamonds, the higher head is more appealing too.

I also know that not everyone has the same opinions on everything, and that if it was not what you thought you were getting, you may be dissapointed. It is certainly wonderful of Whiteflash to remedy the situation. They are a class act!

Good luck and congratulations on your upcoming engagement.

 

[headlight]

Jenwill -- DVatche has a band that is made to fit with their ring, so the issue of flush fit would not apply here.

Brandonb -- I personally prefer the DVatche version and its smaller side stones. I just looked on their site and although the shank is substantial in width (and thus will provide stability so the ring does not spin), it still maintains a very delicate, feminine, flowing look. The version that was made is very chunky and looks uncomfortable to me. And, like I mentioned above, you can get the matching wedding band that will fit it.

 

[rosebud]

Hi Brandon. I was in a similar situation where I got a Vatche Royal Crown copy that didn't quite look the same. I've got a picture attached below (please forgive the poor photo quality!).

I decided to take the plunge and reset mine in a real Vatche and it actually ended up costing me the same amount as the copy. I'm very happy with the results. I can understand what noobie means by a lack of weight, though. It's definitely lighter than the copy, but the elegance of the ring suites me more.

I think your ring is gorgeous. My preference lies with the Vatche, but I don't think you could go wrong with what you have already. I've seen the Vatche Royal Crown with round melees in person and it's also fantastic.

Good luck!

 

[diamonddoll]

I like both versions but agree they are quite different. I think it's great WF is willing to fix the sitaution to make you happy. Best of luck and keep us up to date.

 

[Superidealist]

brandonb wrote:

They said they could make it for me and that it would look identical.

We now know where one Pricescope vendor stands on the issue.

 

[Superidealist]

brandonb wrote:

The diamonds look great, but I am not happy with the ring. I have attached pictures, what do you think?

The center diamond looks great from the picture. The ring looks like a stock shank with a custom head. It doesn't have the grace of the original. That said, I'm not a big fan of the D Vatche, either. They never seem to get right the place where the prong sprouts from the underside of the shank. Of course, I'm neither buying nor wearing it.

 

[Jenn]

I would also opt for the real thing. The thing I love about *my* Royal Crown ring is the gracefulness and the curves, without those things, it would be a totally different ring. It's quite simply a beautiful ring and I wouldn't settle for anything other than the real thing. My ring is pretty substantial IMO. Much thicker than the average engagement rings that I looked at in local stores. I wouldn't worry about the carat weight difference....the stones that DVatche sets are the perfect size for the width of the ring (I've seen it in person at a local jeweler). It's nice to hear that WF is willing to work with you on this issue.

 

[teebee]

----------------
On 7/19/2004 7:57:14 PM brandonb wrote:

Teebee...I was one step ahead of you!

I called Aurthur Gordon today and they don't have it in stock. They will call me back tomorrow to see if they can get it in.

So what reasons did you have for not liking the Vatche? What do you mean by 'weightness'?

Thanks for the help.

Boomer Sooner!

-Brandon----------------

Cool, I hope they can get it in for you to see ~ they were quite helpful when I went in to look.

As for "weightiness"... I was looking at the 3-stone truffle setting, so my issues may not apply since you are considering a setting with channel set stones, which will give the shank more width and weight... I think it just felt lighter and more delicate than I'd expected. I don't mean to imply that it felt flimsy in any way, on the contrary, it was very well-made and I still love the X-Prong, Royal Crown, and Truffle prong designs over anything else I've seen and would really love to have the 3-stone I looked at as maybe a right-hand or anniversary ring... but for an e-ring, I felt something slightly more substantial or "chunkier" would suit me better.

All that said ~ it's really a matter of taste! I don't care for the tapering, some people prefer it. I don't go for a delicate look for everyday wear, some people do. So really, whatever drew you to that Vatche setting, maybe perfectly in line with what you're looking for and that may be what you should end up with. What you can count on though is that you're working with a terrific vendor who will take care of you no matter what you decide.

PS: The stone looks stunning, I'm hoping I can convince my boyfriend to take a roadtrip to Houston!!

 

[brandonb]

Well, I have pretty much decided that I want to go with the Vatche. Denise said it should be the same price, and I don't mind stepping down in size on the melee diamonds since my center stone is all I really care about. Knowing my girlfriend, she would definately like the Vatche rounded, smoother, and tapered look better.

Teebee, if you can't drive down to Houston, give Denise a call! She has been outstanding throughout all of this! If it wasn't for her, I probably would have bought from a B&M vendor!

Thanks,
-Brandon

 

[headlight]

----------------
On 7/19/2004 8:49:34 PM Superidealist wrote:

brandonb wrote:

They said they could make it for me and that it would look identical.

We now know where one Pricescope vendor stands on the issue.----------------

 

[brandonb]

About the identical quote...their actual words were, "Yes, it will look the same." Just to clarify. Not sure if it makes a difference. They weren't making a replica for me, they were actually making a ring that looked similar to the Vatche. I wanted to use WhiteFlash because they could use larger, A Cut Above melee diamonds where the Vatche ones were smaller and could not be replaced.

Thanks
-Brandon

 

[teebee]

----------------
On 7/19/2004 9:21:24 PM brandonb wrote:

Well, I have pretty much decided that I want to go with the Vatche. Denise said it should be the same price, and I don't mind stepping down in size on the melee diamonds since my center stone is all I really care about. Knowing my girlfriend, she would definately like the Vatche rounded, smoother, and tapered look better.

Teebee, if you can't drive down to Houston, give Denise a call! She has been outstanding throughout all of this! If it wasn't for her, I probably would have bought from a B&M vendor!

Thanks,
-Brandon----------------

I think since the features that make the Vatche ring unique are features your girlfriend likes, you are making the best decision going with the Vatche ring and the center stone will really be showcased with the smaller melee.

I'm just waiting for the "go ahead" before calling Whiteflash ~ my boyfriend is still a little leery of making this kind of purchase over the internet so I'm hoping that visiting them will make him more comfortable ~ it's a long drive, but it's a great excuse to go eat at my favorite Chinese restaurant in Houston!!

 

[brandonb]

Feydakin...you're right. After starting this, I realized my mistake with the title. I'm sure the WF ring is of great quality, but it's the design I wasn't happy with.

THanks,
-Brandon

 

[noobie]

Brandon,




Did you ever do you HoF test?




Nice choice with the Vatche

 

[ep6585]

Why did you not get the Vatche setting in the first place? Was the time to do the setting a factor? I ask because I waited several weeks for Vatche to get back from vacation to get my diamond set.

I agree it looks different but I also thinks it looks very nice.

 

[brandonb]

Once I get this ring in, I will do the HoF test for fun, but I'm set on the WF diamond and ring.

 

[glitterata]

I'm glad this is getting settled to your satisfaction.

I think the knock-off looks almost nothing like the original, which has a grace and integrity that's entirely missing in the imitation.

It's nice that they're letting you return this setting, but aside from that, the story disappoints me. I'm disappointed that they offered to exactly duplicate the vatche setting. I'm also disappointed that, having promised to do so, they failed so spectacularly.

 

[brandonb]

I actually found out, that their designer designed my ring after a different style. Instead of doing it like the Royal Crown, he designed it in a similar way as this one:

the Double-U Channel.

So they actually did a good job if that was what I was looking for, it just wasn't the one I wanted. I guess there was a mis-communication somewhere. But they have been great about everything and are getting me exactly what I wanted.

-Brandon

 

[KBerly]

Yeah, that does look like the ring you posted. I know you will be happy with the original D'Vatche design, and I am sure your girlfriend will be thrilled! The diamond you selected from WF is beautiful! Do you have any idea when the proposal will happen?

 

[Manks]

Brandon

I know I'm late into this one, but well done on getting the matter resolved. However, you'd do well to ask them for photos of the new ring (I am sure you would anyway) because my experience is that when something has gone wrong once, it sometimes takes several tries to get it right!

I don't wish to sound pessimistic, but that is just how it is. Furthermore, if you look at the ring they made, there definitely appears to be a kink in one of the prongs. That is not acceptable in a righ of that value. Your concerns seem partly to be based on "finish quality" as well as it clearly being the wrong design. I am inclined to agree that the ring does not look the same as the photo of the ring to be copied - in terms of quality of build.

 

[fire&ice]

----------------
On 7/20/2004 1:11:24 AM glitterata wrote:

I'm disappointed that they offered to exactly duplicate the vatche setting. ----------------

Not really since the side stone are noticeably larger & are H&A ACA stones. Sometimes Vatche's stock settings w/ stones are not the carat weight one desires. They don't like to substitute & their "custom pricing" in the past has more than reflected this.

Just something to think about.

Personally, I like both settings for different reasons.