Setting Prices - AKA Is this jeweler out of their mind?

[fierypyropixy]

Date: 10/26/2009 6:11:11 PM
Author: StonieGrl
LOL, we need to come up with a listing of excellent bench jewelers who charge realistic prices for setting and then just storm them with PS biz!! Maybe some Happy Hour/Meets/Set Your Stones Events, heehee!!!


We can start with JKT out west here in gun-slinging Arizona! I''ll bring the Absolut (gotta be careful typing that, I first typed ''Aboslut!'').


We got Boston covered. Who is next, LOL!

That would be a great idea. A list of jewelers who would be willing to set gems at a fair price, who do reliable quality work, and who wouldn''t turn up their noses at a LOGR or a plain old Tripps setting. At this point I''ll gladly UPS something vs getting it done in town, if the jeweler is "up to snuff" and reasonable.

(Haha @ "up to snuff" . . . I probably sound about 70 there but I assure you I''m not. LOL)

I like a plain band Tripps setting with no extras, but feel wrong in asking the likes of BGD or JKT or anyone else in the US to have to bother with something, since they are so predominantly custom.

I think that Wink is one who would do that? Or is it just for the many different settings he has on his site?

 

[artemiss]

Date: 10/26/2009 6:54:24 PM
Author: fierypyropixy

Date: 10/26/2009 6:11:11 PM
Author: StonieGrl
LOL, we need to come up with a listing of excellent bench jewelers who charge realistic prices for setting and then just storm them with PS biz!! Maybe some Happy Hour/Meets/Set Your Stones Events, heehee!!!


We can start with JKT out west here in gun-slinging Arizona! I''ll bring the Absolut (gotta be careful typing that, I first typed ''Aboslut!'').


We got Boston covered. Who is next, LOL!

That would be a great idea. A list of jewelers who would be willing to set gems at a fair price, who do reliable quality work, and who wouldn''t turn up their noses at a LOGR or a plain old Tripps setting. At this point I''ll gladly UPS something vs getting it done in town, if the jeweler is ''up to snuff'' and reasonable.

(Haha @ ''up to snuff'' . . . I probably sound about 70 there but I assure you I''m not. LOL)

I like a plain band Tripps setting with no extras, but feel wrong in asking the likes of BGD or JKT or anyone else in the US to have to bother with something, since they are so predominantly custom.

I think that Wink is one who would do that? Or is it just for the many different settings he has on his site?

This is a GREAT IDEA!

If I were back in Illinois, I could tell you two places right off the top of my head that are not only competent, but know their coloured stones.
But since we just moved to Ohio a few years ago, I haven''t a clue as to where to go.
I know I could always mail things in, but it would just be nice to have a local B&M to do repairs and be there to see stones and settings/designs in person, rather than trying to convey the nature of a gem with just a photo and a few emails/phone calls. To me, that is part of the experience that cannot be replaced, and like another poster mentioned, is worth paying retail for when it''s pleasant and fun.

 

[fierypyropixy]

Date: 10/26/2009 7:37:35 PM
Author: artemiss

Date: 10/26/2009 6:54:24 PM

This is a GREAT IDEA!

If I were back in Illinois, I could tell you two places right off the top of my head that are not only competent, but know their coloured stones.

But since we just moved to Ohio a few years ago, I haven''t a clue as to where to go.

I know I could always mail things in, but it would just be nice to have a local B&M to do repairs and be there to see stones and settings/designs in person, rather than trying to convey the nature of a gem with just a photo and a few emails/phone calls. To me, that is part of the experience that cannot be replaced, and like another poster mentioned, is worth paying retail for when it''s pleasant and fun.

Hey Artemiss - I AM in Illinois! Can we know the jewelers, or is that against some policy? I''m not in Chicago, I''m a few hours away.

 

[artemiss]

fierypyropixy:
The places I''m thinking of are actually downstate in Springfield..so that might even be better!
My friend whose e-ring was a cc garnet got it from this place
Now I have never dealt with them myself, and they are a bit more upscale, but she has nothing but nice things to say about Shane and his knowledge of rare and unusual stones. I do get the feeling he prefers to work with his own stuff,(which isn''t my taste, but my friend just loves it) but he is quite well-versed in coloured stones, which for me, at this point, would be a blessing.

Kloever and Sons, who don''t have a website, are also in Springfield. They are a smaller place, but they were beyond reasonable on the sapphire I got to replace a broken amethyst a few years ago. I spent an entire afternoon talking gems and looking at pretties when I stumbled onto them a few years ago. I was soo surprised at both how reasonable his prices were and how much stuff he had. I seriously think I learned more in that afternoon than I did growing with a family friend who was a wholesale broker. (which is why retail for anything but artisan-made makes me cringe

)

 

[fierypyropixy]

Those are two great resources . . . thanks so much, Artemiss.

I might have to see if I can persuade the hubby to take a little drive this weekend.

 

[dancingflame]

Wow, that''s ridiculous.

 

[artemiss]

Yay! Road trip!

I just clicked back and realized my linky didn't post right..
Denney's Jewelers



Now is there anyone in NW Ohio?

 

[SB621]

WOW!!!! I feel spoiled. Since I''m in Japan I send my gems to Hong Kong to get set. The labor is cheap and the workmanship is pretty good. I pay about $23 per setting. Plus they clean and polish the setting before setting the stone.

 

[Lovinggems]

Date: 10/26/2009 3:52:16 PM
Author: artemiss

''Caveat Emptor!'' should be some kind of secondary motto around here!!

Not only is the markup stultifying, the lack of knowlege of what these jewelers/jewelry stores sell is mindboggling. I have a decent level of knowledge about colored gemstones and I know more than most retail establishments I have gone into looking for a place to either set or design settings/set my gemstones. It is amazing.

I don''t object to someone making a profit, they need to stay in biz, but I do mind having the wood put to me and particularly if thinking I am stupid goes hand-in-hand with that.

I also don''t care to subsidize the work of people they give a great deal to. ''


This is the part that really irks me, particularly in the ''snootier'' establishments that toss out attitudes and airs about their products and knowledge, when in reality, they sell mass-produced crap with sub-par stones and have very limited knowledge at best.
One place got particularly nasty with a friend who went looking for a replacement for her e-ring colour-change garnet that broke, with the salegirl telling her they only dealt in ''rare and valuable precious stones, not cheap costume jewelry''

needless to say she walked out of that place never to return after informing the gal that a cc garnet of the size, quality, and colour she was looking (a 2-3ct Bekily blue with a strong cc) for was far more rare and costly per carat than the generic diamonds they were trying to push on her.

Not that all my conversation have been of that nature..mostly the folks who don''t know much but are in the business are eager to learn, and enjoy seeing my unusual stuff, but it certainly doesn''t help me find someone I trust to set something a bit more tempermental, like a demantoid or sphene.

artemiss could you please elaborate on the demantoid bit? I am looking for someone to set my demantoids and would like to know what problems I should watch out for, thank you.

 

[artemiss]

lovinggems:
I could be wrong, and maybe someone a bit more experienced can chime in here, but I was under the understanding that some of the grossular garnets (which demantoid is a variety of) can run as soft as a 6 on the mohs, which makes them a bit less sturdy than say, a spessartine garnet that is a solid 7, and definitely softer than a sapphire, which is a 9.
I would like to find someone who at least knows this, and will use that little extra bit of tlc when handling it, or can steer me away from a setting that might leave it too exposed and at risk of damage.

 

[Michael_E]

Demantoid is actually a variety name for andradite garnet. The GIA''s gem reference guide lists the hardness as between 6.5 and 7 AND the toughness as fair to good. In contrast opal has a hardness range of from 5 to 6.5 and a toughness of very poor to fair. When it comes to setting and wearing gems I think that toughness, (basically resistance to chipping), plays a larger part in durability than hardness. When thinking about setting garnets of any type I can''t remember any noticeable difference between them. Typically on softer or more brittle stones, (in my opinion anything under an 8 in hardness), a setter is much more conscious of pressing the prongs in the proper directions to avoid direct bearing on the facet edges so I doubt if you need to have any more concern with a demantoid than you would any other garnet. If the stone in question has any noticeable inclusions it would, of course, require special consideration.

 

[artemiss]

Date: 10/27/2009 12:12:50 PM
Author: Michael_E
Demantoid is actually a variety name for andradite garnet. The GIA''s gem reference guide lists the hardness as between 6.5 and 7 AND the toughness as fair to good. In contrast opal has a hardness range of from 5 to 6.5 and a toughness of very poor to fair. When it comes to setting and wearing gems I think that toughness, (basically resistance to chipping), plays a larger part in durability than hardness. When thinking about setting garnets of any type I can''t remember any noticeable difference between them. Typically on softer or more brittle stones, (in my opinion anything under an 8 in hardness), a setter is much more conscious of pressing the prongs in the proper directions to avoid direct bearing on the facet edges so I doubt if you need to have any more concern with a demantoid than you would any other garnet. If the stone in question has any noticeable inclusions it would, of course, require special consideration.

Thank you for correcting me..I''ll admit that the garnets still confuse me with their various incarnations
One more hijack question for those who know more than I: What about the "horsetail" inclusions? Have you found those to fall into the special considerations as well? I just seem to recall someone mentioning that they weren''t too keen on setting them for some reason, and now I''m confused as to why, lol

 

[Michael_E]

Garnets are very confusing, since they are nearly always some sort of mixture of the various types. I can't think of any reason that the horsetail inclusions in demantoid would cause any concern as far as durability. Unless there are included crystals which are close to the surface or fractures which could cause a stone to chip or break, then setting is pretty straight forward.

 

[Lovinggems]

Thank Artemiss and Michael E.

 

[fierypyropixy]

Update: It occurred to me that we are really very close to the holiday season, and I would be going home for the holidays pretty soon. So I called the man who my family uses for settings and repairs -- no frills, just good reliable work -- and was told probably $35 - 50 for each setting job. Now that''s more like it! I even feel like paying him MORE for being so reasonable. LOL

 

[Fiaind]

If folks are looking for a Jeweler in the Grand Rapids/Lansing Michigan area, I''d absolutely recommend the lady I use, in Ionia, MI. I think the prices were sitting around $20ish for prongs, slightly higher for bezels.