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WF no longer using ACA melee?

Scooba116

Scooba116

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Apr 10, 2006
Messages
199
I am needing to replace a lost tennis bracelet. I was just informed that WF is no longer using ACA melee in its bracelets due to Covid supply chain issues, and they have still raised prices due to issues with Russian diamonds.

Knowing this, is WF still the best vendor to use? They say they are still using the top of the 5 melee grades available. Is there someone else who uses super ideal melee?

i contacted IDJ for A “pricescope quality plus” quote (whatever that really means) but I have not heard back.
 
Also, should I be wary that the platinum alloy used is 950 iridium?
 
I think this has been discussed within threads before, and we have had many discussions about the issue with individual customers, but considering that the issue is in the subject line I would like to try to explain the change in our product line. I trust the mods will see this as informational.

We made a change late last year regarding ACA melee that was a result of supply chain issues that were impacting us (and everyone else) due to Covid. It was taking us longer and longer to get resupply and consequently we were having trouble fulfilling orders in a timely manner, and customers were having unrealistic wait times. So in order to return to reasonable delivery time, the decision was made to use the very best melee available on the market, rather than relying on our specialty production. There are roughly 5 grades of melee available in broad-based production and we use the very top grade. The color and clarity of the goods has not changed, and cutting is excellent, but not every stone will meet our technical criteria for ACA, and we therefore do not want to represent it as such. You might say it is somewhat analogous to Expert Selection in general – more of an “industry standard” ideal cut. Again, it is the best available on the market without specialized production.

Fast forward to late February of this year when Russia attacked Ukraine resulting in the imposition of sanctions on Russian diamonds. Because melee supply has been significantly curtailed globally, prices of melee in general have jumped precipitously. We have had to raise prices on bracelets and other jewelry containing melee, but we’re currently able to keep prices close to original pricing. With ACA melee it would not be possible to fulfill orders reliably within reasonable timeframes, and sticker shock would have been worse.

We do not know how long the current supply issues will continue to affect us, but we do not see things easing soon. We know that customers expect very high quality from us and we are continuing to provide that. As I say, the melee we are using is the best generally available in the market. So, fine jewelry made by the finest designers and benches are not really providing anything better.

Our goal is to continue to serve our clients predictably and reliably and provide exceptional quality and value. We are having similar challenges with our production of our certified diamonds. Prices are up and availability is starting to become an issue. We are doing everything in our power to buffer some of the impacts for our customers in the short term, as we hope the situation will be temporary. It’s impossible to predict the future but we are doing what we can to accommodate our clients in the best ways we can.
 
Texas Leaguer said:
I think this has been discussed within threads before, and we have had many discussions about the issue with individual customers, but considering that the issue is in the subject line I would like to try to explain the change in our product line. I trust the mods will see this as informational.

We made a change late last year regarding ACA melee that was a result of supply chain issues that were impacting us (and everyone else) due to Covid. It was taking us longer and longer to get resupply and consequently we were having trouble fulfilling orders in a timely manner, and customers were having unrealistic wait times. So in order to return to reasonable delivery time, the decision was made to use the very best melee available on the market, rather than relying on our specialty production. There are roughly 5 grades of melee available in broad-based production and we use the very top grade. The color and clarity of the goods has not changed, and cutting is excellent, but not every stone will meet our technical criteria for ACA, and we therefore do not want to represent it as such. You might say it is somewhat analogous to Expert Selection in general – more of an “industry standard” ideal cut. Again, it is the best available on the market without specialized production.

Fast forward to late February of this year when Russia attacked Ukraine resulting in the imposition of sanctions on Russian diamonds. Because melee supply has been significantly curtailed globally, prices of melee in general have jumped precipitously. We have had to raise prices on bracelets and other jewelry containing melee, but we’re currently able to keep prices close to original pricing. With ACA melee it would not be possible to fulfill orders reliably within reasonable timeframes, and sticker shock would have been worse.

We do not know how long the current supply issues will continue to affect us, but we do not see things easing soon. We know that customers expect very high quality from us and we are continuing to provide that. As I say, the melee we are using is the best generally available in the market. So, fine jewelry made by the finest designers and benches are not really providing anything better.

Our goal is to continue to serve our clients predictably and reliably and provide exceptional quality and value. We are having similar challenges with our production of our certified diamonds. Prices are up and availability is starting to become an issue. We are doing everything in our power to buffer some of the impacts for our customers in the short term, as we hope the situation will be temporary. It’s impossible to predict the future but we are doing what we can to accommodate our clients in the best ways we can.
Click to expand...

Grunberger or equivalent?
 
Frustration all around. Being unable to source diamonds or ACA melee has to be frustrating for the vendor and paying more for less than ACA frustrating for the customer. Sadly, no one has a crystal ball to foresee the future so guess we will all have to live with current situation and hope for improvement sooner rather than later.

Thanks @Texas Leaguer for the detailed explanation. Information definitely leads to better understanding!
 
Texas Leaguer said:
We made a change late last year regarding ACA melee
Click to expand...

Is this only specific to tennis bracelets or any jewelry piece that normally would contain ACA melee?
 
bps413 said:
Is this only specific to tennis bracelets or any jewelry piece that normally would contain ACA melee?
Click to expand...

@bps413,
Thank you for that question. I should have been more clear.

The change with regard to our ACA melee pertains primarily to bracelets, bangles and other non-bridal items that are carat weight intensive.

Engagement rings and wedding bands that we make in-house (Whiteflash brand) will continue to be madf with ACA melee. The description on each item detail page will clearly state if the piece comes with ACA melee.
 
Texas Leaguer said:
@bps413,
Thank you for that question. I should have been more clear.

The change with regard to our ACA melee pertains primarily to bracelets, bangles and other non-bridal items that are carat weight intensive.

Engagement rings and wedding bands that we make in-house (Whiteflash brand) will continue to be madf with ACA melee. The description on each item detail page will clearly state if the piece comes with ACA melee.
Click to expand...

Thanks for clarifying. And kudos to you and the WF team for pivoting and being agile, while still providing the same high quality product and level of customer service!
 
I was told I can still do ACA stones in the bracelet, but it would be about 20% more on top of the already premium price. Should I go with WF non ACA? Is there a better or comparable option?
 
Scooba116 said:
I was told I can still do ACA stones in the bracelet, but it would be about 20% more on top of the already premium price. Should I go with WF non ACA? Is there a better or comparable option?
Click to expand...

So hard to say. WF uses VS clarity stones in their bracelets instead of SI or lower as other vendors. I trust that they are using the finest non ACA melee but just have nothing to compare to in the ACA vs non ACA choice. With WF, you know that you are getting a quality piece of jewelry with beautiful diamonds - no matter what. That matters to me - I have no idea about a comparable option that would use the same quality stones for a less expensive price. I am guessing it might not exist!
 
MissGotRocks said:
So hard to say. WF uses VS clarity stones in their bracelets instead of SI or lower as other vendors. I trust that they are using the finest non ACA melee but just have nothing to compare to in the ACA vs non ACA choice. With WF, you know that you are getting a quality piece of jewelry with beautiful diamonds - no matter what. That matters to me - I have no idea about a comparable option that would use the same quality stones for a less expensive price. I am guessing it might not exist!
Click to expand...

Thanks for your response!
 
DejaWiz said:
Grunberger or equivalent?
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Do you know of any vendors who use grunberger or equivalent in tennis bracelets? Do you know if IDJ’s pricescope quality is comparable?
 
Scooba116 said:
Do you know of any vendors who use grunberger or equivalent in tennis bracelets? Do you know if IDJ’s pricescope quality is comparable?
Click to expand...

I think IDJ uses SI1 diamonds which is not equivalent to WF's top tier melee which is F-G, VS. I think others have been pleased with their IDJ bracelets though!
 
Scooba116 said:
Do you know of any vendors who use grunberger or equivalent in tennis bracelets? Do you know if IDJ’s pricescope quality is comparable?
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Hello, Scooba116.
Unfortunately, I do not, on either count.
 
Scooba116 said:
Do you know of any vendors who use grunberger or equivalent in tennis bracelets? Do you know if IDJ’s pricescope quality is comparable?
Click to expand...

JannPaul makes tennis bracelets. When I inquired about their decagon lab option I was told the following

“They will be DEF, VVS quality, non fluorescence.”

I assume their mined option would be the same quality. Since they use super ideal melee in their lab pieces, I assume that they use super ideal mined melee.
 
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Wink said:
Yes, Continental diamond is able to order from Grunberger. The Grunberger are incredibly well cut and well worth the additional cost.
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I can concur with that! I just had a ring made the ACAs and Grunberger melee. They are very well-matched--I cannot tell the difference between the Grunberger stones and ACAs.
 
@Texas Leaguer, is Whiteflash still not using ACA in its tennis bracelets? Is this a permanent change or is it subject to change due to availability? Is there a certain percentage folks can add to the price for ACA melee in tennis bracelets? This comes up time and time again so just looking for some clarification. Thanks!
 
Scooba116 said:
Do you know of any vendors who use grunberger or equivalent in tennis bracelets? Do you know if IDJ’s pricescope quality is comparable?
Click to expand...

Consumers should ask their vendor- many companies can source Grunberger melee
 
MissGotRocks said:
@Texas Leaguer, is Whiteflash still not using ACA in its tennis bracelets? Is this a permanent change or is it subject to change due to availability? Is there a certain percentage folks can add to the price for ACA melee in tennis bracelets? This comes up time and time again so just looking for some clarification. Thanks!
Click to expand...

@MissGotRocks,
Thank you for the question and sorry for the delayed response. Yes, the change I posted about above (has it really been two years?!) is essentially a permanent one - we don't want to over-promise. An item on the website will say in the description if it contains A CUT ABOVE mellee. Otherwise, the item will contain the finest mellee available, without naming names. ;-)

Having said that, I would invite any pricescoper who is interested to inquire. We never want to be limited to our published policies if there is a way to go over and above. If it is possible and feasible to do, we always want to try to accomodate. I don't think there is any set percentage premium that would generally be accurate.
 
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Texas Leaguer said:
@MissGotRocks,
Thank you for the question and sorry for the delayed response. Yes, the change I posted about above (has it really been two years?!) is essentually a permanent one - we don't want to over-promise. An item on the website will say in the description if it contains A CUT ABOVE mellee. Otherwise, the item will contain the finest mellee available, without naming names. ;-)

Having said that, I would invite any pricescoper who is interested to inquire. We never want to be limited to our published policies if there is a way to go over and above. If it is possible and feasible to do, we always want to try to accomodate. I don't think there is any set percentage premium that would generally be accurate.
Click to expand...

@Texas Leaguer, thanks so much for your response. There have been inquiries made here in comparison shopping for diamond tennis bracelets. Always best to know the truth before posting it! There seem to be a lot of quality and price differences with various vendors, so perhaps calling each one with questions about a particular size or order would be the best thing to do.
 
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