Steven Kirsch or David Klass?

[Mary Queen of Scotch]

Hello, dears! I think I’ve finally settled on an engagement ring style, and the next big question is who will make the damn thing! Right now I am between Steven Kirsch and David Klass. I’ve reached out to a number of different vendors over the last several weeks, and these 2 are left standing due to a combination of their 1) communication/responsiveness, 2) quick estimated turnaround (~3 weeks), and 3) excellent reputations here on PS.

A little context: I already have the center stone (11.05x7.35 emerald cut) and a small baguette I’d like to incorporate, as discussed here. I’ve decided to keep it pretty simple with the setting: either veeery elongated step cut traps or long straight baguette side stones (north-south orientation). No pave, milgrain, etc., just nice and clean. I’m leaning towards claw prongs (hopefully double on center EC, if the corners allow, and single on side stones). If I go for the baguette option, I would be open to tab prongs on the EC and bar set sides, but am wary as I’m incredibly picky about my tabs.

This is what I’ve gathered so far, from my reading here on PS and direct correspondence with each vendor:

Steven Kirsch:

• Handforged (or at least partially/mostly?). Perhaps this bodes better for the prongs (aesthetically), and for lifetime wear and tear.
• More expensive. I was quoted $3600 for the setting in platinum, not including the side stones. However, even with the side stones on top of that, we should still be within budget according to Sandra (<$6k).
• It seems the general opinion of PS is that if you have the budget, SK’s work is superior to DK’s, and in the same tier as LM and VC.
• It seems like I will have some input on important aspects of the design (e.g., setting height, shank profile) but I don’t have to design the whole thing myself. I can trust him to make something attractive.
• I don’t love the proportions on many of the 3 stone rings he’s made, but maybe I haven’t seen enough of them. FWIW, I enjoy LM’s sense of proportion generally speaking. I should say that I am very particular about traps, and I don’t necessarily love what other people think looks great, or what might even be widely considered most “correct.”
• I’m unclear on whether he will custom cut side stones for the design, or if he will just find an existing pair that he personally thinks look nice/compliments the center.
• Not sure if I would get sketches or CADs at any point in the process? How much of a trust fall will it be? All I know for sure as he won’t do anything until he has my stone in hand.
• Sandra is confident Steven will find a way to incorporate my little sentimental baguette.

David Klass:

• Cast, not handforged. He says he will use his “uber bench,” as recommended here on PS.
• Significantly less expensive. I was quoted $1350 for 14k unplated white gold the ring will cost, $1450 for 18k gold (any color), and $1550 for platinum (not including side stones).
• Unlimited CADs! No cost upfront. Doesn’t need the stone in hand to start rendering. I can be as picky as I please, and will have the option to try on a plastic model before it’s cast.
• He will have the side stones custom cut to get the long skinny shape I want.
• I think it might be a bit too much freedom for me to handle! I feel a little overwhelmed and out of my depth when it comes to interpreting CADs and knowing what “works.” This is an important piece of jewelry, and I don’t know if I want it to be the custom project I cut my teeth on.
• He thinks the sentimental baguette is too large to incorporate into the ring, and recommended having it set into a separate wedding (or other)

Is it ultimately a horse a piece? Is there something I’m not considering? Should I just take a pill already? I’d love to hear any advice, personal experiences, etc. you are willing to share!

 

[lovedogs]

I don't have direct experience with SK to share. I will say his work is exquisite and if I had the budget and didn't have an **exact** idea of what I wanted and what the CAD should look like, I would go with him over DK. DK is excellent, but I do think that there is a lot of freedom and that is tricky for some people to handle, especially with a piece in which you have strong feelings about aesthetics.

 

[yssie]

You have very comprehensive lists!

I personally am a fan of choosing experts and letting the experts do their things. I think if you showed SK pictures of the proportions that you like and any details that are especially important to you (double prongs or tab prong style, pinched shoulders, comfort-fit, what you don’t want, etc.) he would #JustMakeItHappen. The thing about the casting process is that the CAD from which the mould is created won’t reflect the final product 100%. The wax you try on won’t reflect the final product 100%. CADs are made with extra metal, which convey to wax models, and nuances of curve and flow will depend on decisions made during final assembly and polish - no matter how many CAD revisions you may iterate through, you have to trust your jeweller to understand and execute on the end aesthetic that you’re looking for. You as the consumer aren’t going to be able to specify all the little details.

So based on their portfolios and your conversations - which vendor do you feel identifies best with the look and feel that you’re going for? Has either vendor done exactly what you want already?

 

[tyty333]

I've worked with DK. I enjoyed the process and can't say enough about how my ring turned out. I have never worked with SK but would love to own a piece he created. This bullet concerns me a little with going the SK route:

• I don’t love the proportions on many of the 3 stone rings he’s made, but maybe I haven’t seen enough of them. FWIW, I enjoy LM’s sense of proportion generally speaking. I should say that I am very particular about traps, and I don’t necessarily love what other people think looks great, or what might even be widely considered most “correct.”

Agree with @yssie that you would need to provide lots of pictures of rings with proportions you liked.

I'm not sure how DK can have custom stones cut and do a 3 week turnaround unless they are saying that they can probably find
them but if they cant they will do a custom cut. Just seems like an awful tight schedule (but I'm not in the business). Or maybe
its 3 weeks after the stones are custom cut??? Might add more to your timeline.

I assume with either DK or SK that you will be provided with pictures of the stones and be able to "approve" the choice(s)? I would probably ask this to make sure.

I have no doubt that either can produce a ring that you would love. Which approach do you think you would feel more comfortable with?

 

[bludiva]

@tyty333 makes a good point about the proportions.... a point in SK's favor would be they are confident they can incorporate the sentimental stone whereas DK doesn't think that would work. how important is incorporating the baguette?

 

[Cerulean]

2 cents, take or leave it

I’ve toyed with this exact dilemma

I’ve worked with DK and done other projects where I called all the shots.

I made stupid mistakes that way. Expensive, stupid mistakes and I’ve burned through multiple resets doing this. Because guess what, I’m not a designer! I wish I’d had someone tell me that what I was asking for wouldn’t ultimately work for me.

The best ring I’ve had made was done by an actual designer, Sholdt, sadly I no longer have, as I found out I’m allergic to the alloy

DK is ideal if you know exactly what you want. For example, I’d go to DK hands down for replicated a ring (I’m doing it right now with an antique) or for something he already has done that you can just recreate and you know already works, OR if I had tons of experience and money to burn

I think from now on, I want to work with designers to avoid mistakes. I’d chose SK, OR I’d ask DK to include Amy, the one house designer, into the process. I wouldn’t try to figure it out on your own TBH

 

[elizat]

You have very comprehensive lists!

I personally am a fan of choosing experts and letting the experts do their things. I think if you showed SK pictures of the proportions that you like and any details that are especially important to you (double prongs or tab prong style, pinched shoulders, comfort-fit, what you don’t want, etc.) he would #JustMakeItHappen. The thing about the casting process is that the CAD from which the mould is created won’t reflect the final product 100%. The wax you try on won’t reflect the final product 100%. CADs are made with extra metal, which convey to wax models, and nuances of curve and flow will depend on decisions made during final assembly and polish - no matter how many CAD revisions you may iterate through, you have to trust your jeweller to understand and execute on the end aesthetic that you’re looking for. You as the consumer aren’t going to be able to specify all the little details.

So based on their portfolios and your conversations - which vendor do you feel identifies best with the look and feel that you’re going for? Has either vendor done exactly what you want already?

Basically this.

If you don't know exactly what you want, don't try to be a designer.

I'd go with Steven here and provide lots of images and details, but I would not try to design something on my own.

 

[marymm]

I had a custom SK ring in hand and for me in terms of quality and feel it was comparable to DK's uber bench pieces I own ... for myself the SK ring failed to meet stated and depicted design criteria. The return/refund process was not easy, although an accord was eventually reached.

If you're having a 3-stone ring created, and you don't care for any of SK's 3-stone proportions, personally I'd remove SK from the vendor shortlist.

As DK will provide you with plastic mold, to me it makes sense to go with him.

YMMV.

 

[lissyflo]

I’m clearly not going to be of help as I’ve liked comments here arguing both sides! I suppose my input would be - why those two? They’re very different prospects/processes. Is lead time such an issue (from your first post) that they’re the only options left to you? Personally I’d rather take my time and do things right than rush and make compromises but you might be on a deadline?

I agree with Marymm that I’d be wary if you don’t love SK’s portfolio of 3 stones. I’d be equally wary of DK if you’re not used to interpreting CADs. That’s why I’m struggling to understand why it’s those two vendors (of hoardes available) you’re left considering.

Have you got any images of settings you love that might help people make other designer suggestions? That’s assuming your 3 week turnaround aim isn’t the be all and end all!

(I need to add that I love your username!)

 

[Mary Queen of Scotch]

I had a custom SK ring in hand and for me in terms of quality and feel it was comparable to DK's uber bench pieces I own ... for myself the SK ring failed to meet stated and depicted design criteria. The return/refund process was not easy, although an accord was eventually reached.

Oh man, I was just about convinced that SK was my guy! If the quality is equal between DK and SK, but SK carries the risk of getting something very different than expected design-wise + difficulties resolving the issue when/if that happens... not so hot. It does seem like SK is mentioned much less frequently on PS than, say, 5+ years ago. I wondered if there was a reason for that.

This bullet concerns me a little with going the SK route:

• I don’t love the proportions on many of the 3 stone rings he’s made, but maybe I haven’t seen enough of them. FWIW, I enjoy LM’s sense of proportion generally speaking. I should say that I am very particular about traps, and I don’t necessarily love what other people think looks great, or what might even be widely considered most “correct.”

Agree with @yssie that you would need to provide lots of pictures of rings with proportions you liked.

If you're having a 3-stone ring created, and you don't care for any of SK's 3-stone proportions, personally I'd remove SK from the vendor shortlist.

I think I need to do some more digging to find more SK 3 stone examples. It seems like when he uses step cut traps, they are usually squat like this:

and for this ring I’d prefer them to be skinny like this:

So based on their portfolios and your conversations - which vendor do you feel identifies best with the look and feel that you’re going for? Has either vendor done exactly what you want already?

Neither have made a ring that is exactly what I want, at least not that I’ve seen. To be honest, I’m not especially drawn to either of their overarching ~vibes~ (although DK is harder to pin down because it seems he’ll make just about anything his clients want). But I figured the ring I have in mind doesn’t have a very strong personality, so it might not matter? I’m most consistently attracted to Leon’s 3 and 5 stone designs, but he won’t work with my diamonds AFAIK.

A bit of a tangent: The one vendor whose designs I most immediately and strongly connected with is Anthony Lent (I’m a sucker for hand and/or serpent motifs in jewelry). I had a video call with them and just loved everything about their sculptural style, sense of storytelling/symbolism/characters, customer service, craftsmanship, plus it would be easy to incorporate that little baguette into any of their rings... but the designs are a little too weird for my BF. Which I get — maybe I’ll save it for a cocktail ring down the road, or possibly commission a serpent wedding band that sits nicely with my more classic, understated e-ring. I was especially a fan of their “cupping hands” rings for an e-ring — instead of 1 right hand and 1 left hand like claddagh ring, it’s 2 right hands, as though 2 people are holding the center stone up together.

 

[Mreader]

I have worked with DK and have had good experiences but will just echo what others have said which is you have to know what you want. The first project, I was indecisive about some things and ask what he thought of A or B and he would just say "I think it will look good" rather than point out why one would be better than another etc. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but if you want someone to be able to "do their thing" then DK may not be the one for you. At the same time you talk about your pickiness with this or that, so it seems slightly conflicting. My second project with DK was easy because I chose an existing style that he had already done. Agree with the above poster who said that maybe another vendor would also work.

SK is tempting if you are ok with the higher price, simply because I personally love the idea of a hand forged setting.

 

[Mary Queen of Scotch]

I’m clearly not going to be of help as I’ve liked comments here arguing both sides! I suppose my input would be - why those two? They’re very different prospects/processes. Is lead time such an issue (from your first post) that they’re the only options left to you? Personally I’d rather take my time and do things right than rush and make compromises but you might be on a deadline?

I agree with Marymm that I’d be wary if you don’t love SK’s portfolio of 3 stones. I’d be equally wary of DK if you’re not used to interpreting CADs. That’s why I’m struggling to understand why it’s those two vendors (of hoardes available) you’re left considering.

Have you got any images of settings you love that might help people make other designer suggestions? That’s assuming your 3 week turnaround aim isn’t the be all and end all!

(I need to add that I love your username!)

Totally understand why these two seem like odd choices. They were repeatedly recommended to me in my previous threads. Other vendors were recommended, as well, but after I reached out to them they were ruled out in fairly short order for various reasons. VC wouldn’t work with my stone(s), CVB was impossible to communicate with (got nowhere over the course of a month in IG DMs, and even when she gave me her cell and I texted her she literally never replied, so I gave up).

As far as rushing/compromising, I’ve been sitting on this loose stone for over a month with no real progress, so I am getting antsy! And I kinda feel like there might not be someone “better” anyway. But I am 100% open to further vendor recs. PLEASE HELP, haha.

I don’t need the ring done in 3 weeks time — there’s no set deadline. But a lot of vendors have given us estimates like 8-10 weeks, and I would really rather not wait that long. We are getting married next summer, and so the timing is getting awkward now with us having to book the venue, band, etc. before we even have a ring in the works. I don’t mind it too much, but it makes BF feel funny.

 

[yssie]

Re. Anthony Lent - my mother has a few Carrera y Carrera pieces, very similar design sense. It's definitely not a wallflower aesthetic! I will say that I had an engagement ring with a "strong" personality for a short time and I discovered that I really prefer that daily staple to have a more neutral character. I put a coloured gem into that mount and wear it (a lot!) as a RHR... Long-winded way of saying that I can see getting a piece like this one day in addition to an EC

 

[bludiva]

Totally understand why these two seem like odd choices. They were repeatedly recommended to me in my previous threads. Other vendors were recommended, as well, but after I reached out to them they were ruled out in fairly short order for various reasons. VC wouldn’t work with my stone(s), CVB was impossible to communicate with (got nowhere over the course of a month in IG DMs, and even when she gave me her cell and I texted her she literally never replied, so I gave up).

As far as rushing/compromising, I’ve been sitting on this loose stone for over a month with no real progress, so I am getting antsy! And I kinda feel like there might not be someone “better” anyway. But I am 100% open to further vendor recs. PLEASE HELP, haha.

I don’t need the ring done in 3 weeks time — there’s no set deadline. But a lot of vendors have given us estimates like 8-10 weeks, and I would really rather not wait that long. We are getting married next summer, and so the timing is getting awkward now with us having to book the venue, band, etc. before we even have a ring in the works. I don’t mind it too much, but it makes BF feel funny.

i think you'll get a beautiful result with either vendor but nothing will be perfect...

with SK (i haven't purchased from him so this is just my impression) you'll cede control and the end result may not be exactly what you envisioned...you'll have to be ok with trusting his artistic vision.

with DK you'll have to be prescriptive about what you want and be able to envision what the end result of the CADs will be...and may not be able to incorporate the baguette if that is a high priority.

 

[Mary Queen of Scotch]

The first project, I was indecisive about some things and ask what he thought of A or B and he would just say "I think it will look good" rather than point out why one would be better than another etc. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but if you want someone to be able to "do their thing" then DK may not be the one for you. At the same time you talk about your pickiness with this or that, so it seems slightly conflicting.

I’m a walking contradiction, I know! I thought I would like the micromanagey DK route, because I *am* picky as hell when looking at completed rings, but once he started throwing CADs at me I was like WTF, I have no idea! It’s an “I know it when I see it” kind of thing, not a, “please raise the head 0.5mm” deal.

I don’t think I could handle a designer fully “doing their thing” without my input. I guess for a ring like this, I’m looking for a design process that’s like 70% me, and 30% them (guidance on the aspects I’m unsure/unknowledgeable about, ideas/solutions that wouldn’t have otherwise occurred to me, etc.). Unless I can find a vendor who has already made a ring that I love and ask them to recreate for me (my kingdom for this vendor!), in which case I’d be comfortable with like a 20/80 split!

 

[Tonks]

Not to throw too big a wrench into your dilemma, but is there a reason you don’t have Victor Canera on your list? He is amazing to work with and also does hand forged work like SK.

My two cents: I like the sentimentality of hand-forged rings when it comes to engagement rings or wedding bands. So I would lean towards SK (or VC, if you consider him).

 

[yssie]

and for this ring I’d prefer them to be skinny like this:

These are fantastic visuals to convey the proportions you're looking for. And I'm confident either vendor could either find a pair of traps or match/recut to match your sentimental baguette. Finding a new pair would certainly be faster and cheaper, depending on how you prioritize wanting it done ASAP.

Oh man, I was just about convinced that SK was my guy! If the quality is equal between DK and SK, but SK carries the risk of getting something very different than expected design-wise + difficulties resolving the issue when/if that happens... not so hot. It does seem like SK is mentioned much less frequently on PS than, say, 5+ years ago. I wondered if there was a reason for that.

I do want to make one comment about this observation. I believe that given a model to copy, both SK and DK could create rings that look very much like each other (and that look very much like the model). But a ring - one that isn't a clone of another ring! - is more than just the sum of its components... The minutiae of proportions and how design elements are "glued together" makes all the difference in terms of flow. With SK, part of what you're paying for is having someone else design and implement those minutiae, rather than you needing to envision and specify each micro detail. So with SK - you do need to have a certain amount of trust that the designer understands the overall look and feel that you want. SK trained with Leon Mege and I think they have very similar approaches to design.

With DK you get more control. But the flip side of that is that those minutiae become your responsibility. I've done a ton of custom design and I now use only vendors whose design sense I trust. What I normally do is photoshop a prelim of what I want, hand it over, and literally say "fix this" - and I rely on my trusted designer to put everything together, add and remove, basically adapt my inspirations into something cohesive. Sometimes they wind up adding and removing a lot!! And what they come up with is honestly always better than my original mental image, and it's always something that I just know I wouldn't micro-dictated my way into. I also think the simpler mounts are the most challenging because a questionable design choice has nowhere to hide!!

 

[SandyK]

@Mary Queen of Scotch Since you mentioned being open to other vendor recommendations, I would definitely recommend contacting Maytal Hannah as well. She also does beautiful hand forged work, and from my experience, and based on a bunch of other reviews I've seen on PS as well, she is very responsive and just one of the sweetest people. She truly cares about making her customer 100% happy and it shows. I think it is definitely worth reaching out to see if you two might be a good fit.

 

[Mary Queen of Scotch]

Re. Anthony Lent - my mother has a few Carrera y Carrera pieces, very similar design sense. It's definitely not a wallflower aesthetic! I will say that I had an engagement ring with a "strong" personality for a short time and I discovered that I really prefer that daily staple to have a more neutral character. I put a coloured gem into that mount and wear it (a lot!) as a RHR... Long-winded way of saying that I can see getting a piece like this one day in addition to an EC

Yes, I can totally see the agrument for a more “neutral” ring, so I didn’t put up too much of a fight when my squeeze shot down the Anthony Lent idea. Although Anthony’s son, who I spoke with, said they would use my EC and could customize the design (still using their “characters”) in way that would make it less cocktail and more wearable and bridal.

That said, to continue on this massive tangent (I am procrastinating on boring work things), I definitely gravitate towards jewelry, fashion, decor, etc. that is very anti-wallflower (my BF often says to me, “not everything must be a statement piece, Mary!”). And I do have several rather loud/strange jewelry pieces that I’ve worn daily for many years, which I have yet to grow tired of (e.g., a large tubogas ring, charm bracelets, the enormous gold hand earrings attached). For whatever reason, if a design is “out there” enough, it sort of comes all the way back around to neutral for me. Kinda the way a dayglo yellow clutch can be just as “neutral” as a taupe handbag, if that makes sense? Anyway, I’ve only worn my neon clutches and strange hand earrings for 10 years, not 50, so maybe my theory doesn’t hold true for e-rings, haha.

You can take the girl out of art school...

 

[Mreader]

Not to throw too big a wrench into your dilemma, but is there a reason you don’t have Victor Canera on your list? He is amazing to work with and also does hand forged work like SK.

My two cents: I like the sentimentality of hand-forged rings when it comes to engagement rings or wedding bands. So I would lean towards SK (or VC, if you consider him).

I think she said VC wouldn’t set her diamond as they prefer to use their own.

 

[Mary Queen of Scotch]

Not to throw too big a wrench into your dilemma, but is there a reason you don’t have Victor Canera on your list? He is amazing to work with and also does hand forged work like SK.

My two cents: I like the sentimentality of hand-forged rings when it comes to engagement rings or wedding bands. So I would lean towards SK (or VC, if you consider him).

I likewise love the sentimentality of handforged! I was definitely counting that as a point in favor of SK over DK, regardless of whether it makes any practical difference or not.

I did reach out to VC a few weeks ago, but they said they would not work with outside stones. I briefly considered returning the diamond I had already purchased elsewhere in order to go through VC (I like some of his 3- and 5- stone step cut rings, plus the price would have been better!), but I didn’t love the stones they showed me as much as what I already have. And now we are no longer within the returns window for the diamond we initially purchased.

 

[bludiva]

if you like the hands....claddaghs are classic...i feel like the anthony lent aesthetic is an artsy version... i think they could pull it off =D

 

[Mary Queen of Scotch]

@Mary Queen of Scotch Since you mentioned being open to other vendor recommendations, I would definitely recommend contacting Maytal Hannah as well. She also does beautiful hand forged work, and from my experience, and based on a bunch of other reviews I've seen on PS as well, she is very responsive and just one of the sweetest people. She truly cares about making her customer 100% happy and it shows. I think it is definitely worth reaching out to see if you two might be a good fit.

Thanks, Sandy! I hadn’t contacted MH because it seems like she really specializes in micropave, halos, etc., and I don’t think I’d seen any 3 stone rings from her. But I have also heard amazing things about her customer service and attention to detail. I will definitely reach out!

 

[Cerulean]

Yes, I can totally see the agrument for a more “neutral” ring, so I didn’t put up too much of a fight when my squeeze shot down the Anthony Lent idea. Although Anthony’s son, who I spoke with, said they would use my EC and could customize the design (still using their “characters”) in way that would make it less cocktail and more wearable and bridal.

That said, to continue on this massive tangent (I am procrastinating on boring work things), I definitely gravitate towards jewelry, fashion, decor, etc. that is very anti-wallflower (my BF often says to me, “not everything must be a statement piece, Mary!”). And I do have several rather loud/strange jewelry pieces that I’ve worn daily for many years, which I have yet to grow tired of (e.g., a large tubogas ring, charm bracelets, the enormous gold hand earrings attached). For whatever reason, if a design is “out there” enough, it sort of comes all the way back around to neutral for me. Kinda the way a dayglo yellow clutch can be just as “neutral” as a taupe handbag, if that makes sense? Anyway, I’ve only worn my neon clutches and strange hand earrings for 10 years, not 50, so maybe my theory doesn’t hold true for e-rings, haha.

You can take the girl out of art school...

Honestly, we sound quite similar.

I'm an art school gal, who occasionally dyes her hair weird colors, covets bold, macabre, or odd objects (like my sculpture of a shrieking, upside-down head that I use as a flower pot, or a child's toy of a mouse made with real mouse fur that I think is awfully sweet). I like bold, bright and designers like Proenza Schouler and Marni over the household classics.

I adore Anthony Lent's work. It's fabulous. I have coveted it for years.

My inclination is to go with classic, and get an ouroboros band or something edgy to add. Not for the sake of classic, but to me, it was important that my spouse loved what I wore too, as it was a representation of our union. Anything he had a knee-jerk "no" response to...I respected. But I still decided all of the details.

A few jewelers I have been following on IG (I have NOT worked with them) might be a sorta "in between" - they may not be able to execute your concept, but just food for thought:

• Dmdmetal
• Leenheyne
• Mociun
• Singlestone
• Digby and Iona

I noticed Leon Mege wasn't mentioned, but his designs were. I actually like his designs more than SK and VC by a large margin. Have you reached out to him and eliminated him already?

I agree with @yssie that your images are extremely clear. I would be a bit surprised to find that they couldn't be executed. You aren't looking at anything too outlandish at all, it's just figuring out the details.

 

[lissyflo]

Have you looked at some of the custom orders on themoonstoned’s site and Insta? I think of her when I think of long, leggy step cuts, plus she has some slightly unusual & artsy but still somehow classic pieces which could bridge between you wanting an engagement ring but also something that’s you. I haven’t used her so I can’t speak to cost or quality but she could be worth a look?

 

[Mary Queen of Scotch]

I noticed Leon Mege wasn't mentioned, but his designs were. I actually like his designs more than SK and VC by a large margin. Have you reached out to him and eliminated him already?

I intend to reply to EVERYTHING in your amazing comment, dear soul sister, but I am running out the door to an appointment. So for now, I’ll just reply to this little tidbit:

No. I didn’t bother reaching out to Leon, as I had read somewhere on PS that he doesn’t work with outside stones. If that is not in fact the case, I would give him the business in a heartbeat, and gladly! I think he is my favorite for non-weirdo jewelry. It’s kind of funny, actually — I was scrolling through ancient screenshots a few weeks ago, and realized that long before PS (and before actively shopping for e-rings, back when I just daydreaming about it a year or so ago), I had saved photos of a number of his designs on my phone, despite not knowing who/what LM was at the time.

 

[Cerulean]

I intend to reply to EVERYTHING in your amazing comment, dear soul sister, but I am running out the door to an appointment. So for now, I’ll just reply to this little tidbit:

No. I didn’t bother reaching out to Leon, as I had read somewhere on PS that he doesn’t work with outside stones. If that is not in fact the case, I would give him the business in a heartbeat, and gladly! I think he is my favorite for non-weirdo jewelry. It’s kind of funny, actually — I was scrolling through ancient screenshots a few weeks ago, and realized that long before PS (and before actively shopping for e-rings, back when I just daydreaming about it a year or so ago), I had saved photos of a number of his designs on my phone, despite not knowing who/what LM was at the time.

<3333

Do your thing. No rush.

Honestly - I would go for it. Reach out. I just think his work is remarkable.

I don't know the details at all...but I think there were a handful of bad interactions, documented on PS. They were nothing to sneeze at, not gonna lie.

But...like...many of my friends are big b*****s, so...if you are anything like me, maybe Leon might be the ticket

 

[Mary Queen of Scotch]

<3333

Do your thing. No rush.

Honestly - I would go for it. Reach out. I just think his work is remarkable.

I don't know the details at all...but I think there were a handful of bad interactions, documented on PS. They were nothing to sneeze at, not gonna lie.

But...like...many of my friends are big b*****s, so...if you are anything like me, maybe Leon might be the ticket

DUDE! Soul sister! You just put an end to my many weeks of agonizing! After reading your last post, I called Leon to ask (rather sheepishly) if he’d take the gig. I nearly fell over when he said yes! Funnily enough, the thing that had me convinced he’d decline is actually the only reason he’s willing to work with a stone he didnt source: my diamond is an unmentionable! Maybe dear Leon isn’t such a hopeless snob after all!

Although I haven’t read all the negative reviews of LM on PS, I think understand the gist of some people’s beef with him. But based on what I have seen described, and on our brief chat, I think we will get on just fine! I have a soft spot for the abrupt types. I also find the descriptions and guides on his site hysterical. This is 100% the energy I want my jeweler to have (I personally have no opinion on this cut, fwiw):

 

[Cerulean]

DUDE! Soul sister! You just put an end to my many weeks of agonizing! After reading your last post, I called Leon to ask (rather sheepishly) if he’d take the gig. I nearly fell over when he said yes! Funnily enough, the thing that had me convinced he’d decline is actually the only reason he’s willing to work with a stone he didnt source: my diamond is an unmentionable! Maybe dear Leon isn’t such a hopeless snob after all!

Although I haven’t read all the negative reviews of LM on PS, I think understand the gist of some people’s beef with him. But based on what I have seen described, and on our brief chat, I think we will get on just fine! I have a soft spot for the abrupt types. I also find the descriptions and guides on his site hysterical. This is 100% the energy I want my jeweler to have (I personally have no opinion on this cut, fwiw):

YESSSSSSSSS!!! I am sooooo excited for you.

Honestly, I vibe with it too! I would love to work with him someday. He just seems brash and straight up.

It reminds me in high school when my favorite teacher was the uber strict statistics teacher who was extremely dry, sometimes impatient, and didn't put up with anything. Everyone obviously hated her. She was my idol.

 

[tyty333]

I'm so glad you found someone that you can work with and you like their style...even if it is Leon Mege. Some people really click
with him and others don't. You sound like you may have that weird sense of humor that he enjoys!