Which online Vendor is the LEAST expensive to work with?

[beau13]

I''m getting to the point..where..I said I''d never send my diamond out of the country..but if that''s what it takes!!
Which online vendor (Whiteflash, Good Old Gold, Wink, Excel..etc ) is least expensive for custom rings. If I do send my diamond away..it is insured, and if it gets lost, or damaged, I assume the vendor will be responsible ? Thanks

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 1/25/2009 2:53:18 PM
Author:beau13
I'm getting to the point..where..I said I'd never send my diamond out of the country..but if that's what it takes!!
Which online vendor (Whiteflash, Good Old Gold, Wink, Excel..etc ) is least expensive for custom rings. If I do send my diamond away..it is insured, and if it gets lost, or damaged, I assume the vendor will be responsible ? Thanks

Beau, it might be best to check that with whichever vendor you end up working with and also your own insurance company as to who is responsible should a loss occur. For example, I am just wondering here, in the case of physical loss of the diamond whilst in the vendor's possession, maybe the vendor's insurance would cover it - but if you were having a reset and the diamond was damaged during it ( rare) then the vendor might not assume responsibility. If it was lost in the mail then the postal service would cover it as you would make sure it was insured while in their care. So best to check as to the various possible scenarios with the vendor you decide on.

As to pricing, I am not sure but any of those vendors would be pleased to give you a quote.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 1/25/2009 2:53:18 PM
Author:beau13
I'm getting to the point..where..I said I'd never send my diamond out of the country..but if that's what it takes!!
Which online vendor (Whiteflash, Good Old Gold, Wink, Excel..etc ) is least expensive for custom rings. If I do send my diamond away..it is insured, and if it gets lost, or damaged, I assume the vendor will be responsible ? Thanks

Beau, those are all primarily diamond sellers. If you aren't buying a diamond from them, then I'd be looking at Maytal Hannah, Mark Morrell, and Leon Mege as the best of the custom ring makers around here. It sort of depends on the style you want as to which ones I'd choose for a project. And I'd never recommend choosing a ring maker by who is cheapest since you know what they say...you get what you pay for!

When in transit, you presumably would buy insurance that covers your stone if lost in transit. This is certainly not the vendors responsibility. Many vendors may not cover your stone for damage if you didn't buy the stone from them. That is why you need your own personal insurance that covers the stone for any type of damage or loss.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 1/25/2009 3:09:13 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006

Date: 1/25/2009 2:53:18 PM

Author:beau13

I'm getting to the point..where..I said I'd never send my diamond out of the country..but if that's what it takes!!

Which online vendor (Whiteflash, Good Old Gold, Wink, Excel..etc ) is least expensive for custom rings. If I do send my diamond away..it is insured, and if it gets lost, or damaged, I assume the vendor will be responsible ? Thanks

Beau, those are all primarily diamond sellers. If you aren't buying a diamond from them, then I'd be looking at Maytal Hannah, Mark Morrell, and Leon Mege as the best of the custom ring makers around here. It sort of depends on the style you want as to which ones I'd choose for a project. And I'd never recommend choosing a ring maker by who is cheapest since you know what they say...you get what you pay for!

On the same note though, those are not at all the cheapest vendors to work with and their are many cheaper vendors who do excellent work. ERD is very reasonable as is Whiteflash and Wink and more importantly all do great custom work. That is where I personally would start, but who is the cheapest is really going to depend on the project, so you might need to get multiple quotes.

The vendor will not take responsibility for the stone in transit, so make sure it's insured.

 

[beau13]

Thanks ladies. Neat Freak..my insurance company told me I''m covered if it gets lost in the mail, however, if the jeweler damages the diamond while setting, unsetting..I would have to "go after them" for that! I guess I will have to ask the jeweler I work with, if he/she has insurance to cover that aspect.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 1/25/2009 4:50:43 PM
Author: beau13
Thanks ladies. Neat Freak..my insurance company told me I''m covered if it gets lost in the mail, however, if the jeweler damages the diamond while setting, unsetting..I would have to ''go after them'' for that! I guess I will have to ask the jeweler I work with, if he/she has insurance to cover that aspect.

Excellent idea. Jeweler''s Mutual will cover that I believe...I don''t know if they cover Canada but that might be an option too.

 

[stone-cold11]

I think the only insurance company that covers the setting of the stone is Jewelry Mutual.

 

[jstarfireb]

My ring was custom-made by Whiteflash, and while the workmanship was top-notch, I think they were a little pricey for custom work. That said, I don''t have a basis for comparison because I didn''t shop around; I just had WF do everything (stone and custom setting). But for a near-exact copy of the ring that I purchased at Costco and returned (same size/color/clarity of stone as well), WF cost about $1500 more. The custom platinum setting (weighing 7.5 grams) alone cost $1715, and it appraised for $2325.

 

[Gypsy]

Ocean, through Wink was very reasonable for me. But price wasn''t my primary consideration, so I didn''t ask Leon. And Maytal was on holiday. ERD hadn''t put out the quality of custom rings that they have now, so I was wary, and Whiteflash was higher in price than Ocean when I asked for a qoute.

Here''s what I did.... I put together an email detailing exactly what I wanted and sent it to a number of vendors asking for a qoute. Some called, some asked follow up questions, others just gave me a qoute. Then I was able to follow up with them.

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 1/25/2009 3:00:28 PM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 1/25/2009 2:53:18 PM
Author:beau13
I''m getting to the point..where..I said I''d never send my diamond out of the country..but if that''s what it takes!!
Which online vendor (Whiteflash, Good Old Gold, Wink, Excel..etc ) is least expensive for custom rings. If I do send my diamond away..it is insured, and if it gets lost, or damaged, I assume the vendor will be responsible ? Thanks

Beau, it might be best to check that with whichever vendor you end up working with and also your own insurance company as to who is responsible should a loss occur. For example, I am just wondering here, in the case of physical loss of the diamond whilst in the vendor''s possession, maybe the vendor''s insurance would cover it - but if you were having a reset and the diamond was damaged during it ( rare) then the vendor might not assume responsibility. If it was lost in the mail then the postal service would cover it as you would make sure it was insured while in their care. So best to check as to the various possible scenarios with the vendor you decide on.

As to pricing, I am not sure but any of those vendors would be pleased to give you a quote.

Thank you Lorelei for your most accurate comments.

Beau13, all of us will be liable for physically loosing your diamond, although I can not remember a case of that happening around here, ever.

Most of us will not assume liability for your diamond while working on it though, we can not get reasonable insurance for that and since we did not sell you the diamond we are not willing to assume the liability on a personal basis. Damage to a diamond while being worked on is exceedingly rare, but it can happen.

As for pricing I have no idea where I rank in comparrison with others, nor do I want to. Each of us must charge what we require to pay the bills. I do not believe that any of us listed above would be considered the least expensive (or want to) but I have heard good things about all the vendors listed above.

Wink

 

[denverappraiser]

Some jewelers will assume all risks associated with setting your stone and others won’t. By all means ask them this question directly but I guarantee that those who do won’t be the cheapest. I’m not a big fan of choosing the cheapest craftsman to do a job for reasons beyond breakage anyway but, if you insist on doing that, Jewelers Mutual is the only insurance company I know of who will insure you during the process.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[mrssalvo]

I believe Pearlmans will cover your stone if you are buying a setting from them, but they don''t do complete custom either. I would also suggest verifying that they still do this because their policy may have changed.

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 1/25/2009 6:49:57 PM
Author: denverappraiser
Some jewelers will assume all risks associated with setting your stone and others won’t. By all means ask them this question directly but I guarantee that those who do won’t be the cheapest. I’m not a big fan of choosing the cheapest craftsman to do a job for reasons beyond breakage anyway but, if you insist on doing that, Jewelers Mutual is the only insurance company I know of who will insure you during the process.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

Neil,

I am pretty positive that JM does not have a license to do business in Canada. Of course I could be wrong, it may have been a client from England that I tried to get coverage from. You would need to confirm with JM whether or not this is the case.

If they do cover Canada, then by all means, get a JM policy!

Wink

 

[Pandora II]

If you are in the UK it is basically impossible to get coverage for a loose stone. It is far better to have the diamond vendor set it into a cheap setting, then insure the ring as a whole, ship it to the new jeweller and have the stone reset.

Or you can just cross your fingers and hope for the best...

If you are in the USA, then just talk to JM.

 

[beau13]

Yes, I''m in Canada, and never heard of Jeweler''s mutual!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I probably need to add something. I don''t think ANY of those vendors will be significantly less than another, so I would narrow them down by finding out if any insure your stone for damage while working on it. Then I''d choose by who makes the best examples of the style you''re interested in, and then get quotes from those remaining. If there are two still in the running at that point, I''d get an estimate of how long they''d take to complete the ring.

 

[risingsun]

Beau~are you not having your diamond reset by the jeweler in Canada? I wouldn''t go to the least expensive vendor, if I were you. Choose someone who does excellent work and can make the ring you have been posting about

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 1/25/2009 10:35:53 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
I probably need to add something. I don''t think ANY of those vendors will be significantly less than another, so I would narrow them down by finding out if any insure your stone for damage while working on it. Then I''d choose by who makes the best examples of the style you''re interested in, and then get quotes from those remaining. If there are two still in the running at that point, I''d get an estimate of how long they''d take to complete the ring.

Ditto. Ocean wasn''t inexpensive. But neither was she outrageous. She charged a reasonable amount given what I wanted her to do make. And I did get lower qoutes, Quest was less, and so were a couple of local jewelers. But I wanted quality, I wanted someone who could do what I wanted and do it well. The reason I didn''t contact Leon was because of his personality. But if he had a different personality, I would have contacted in a heartbeat. I wanted 1) Great Quality 2) Collaborative Personality 3) Talent 4) affordability.

If you just want something cheap... you might find yourself paying more in the long run. Beau, if I am recalling correctly I''ve watched you change setting after setting... if you add up all the expenses of those settings... is it more important to get VALUE or to pay less? Ultimately, being too focused on the bottom line, can cost you more in the long run. Forgive me if that was too blunt, but I just want to help you get the RIGHT setting, your dream setting.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 1/25/2009 6:29:55 PM
Author: Wink

Date: 1/25/2009 3:00:28 PM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 1/25/2009 2:53:18 PM
Author:beau13
I''m getting to the point..where..I said I''d never send my diamond out of the country..but if that''s what it takes!!
Which online vendor (Whiteflash, Good Old Gold, Wink, Excel..etc ) is least expensive for custom rings. If I do send my diamond away..it is insured, and if it gets lost, or damaged, I assume the vendor will be responsible ? Thanks

Beau, it might be best to check that with whichever vendor you end up working with and also your own insurance company as to who is responsible should a loss occur. For example, I am just wondering here, in the case of physical loss of the diamond whilst in the vendor''s possession, maybe the vendor''s insurance would cover it - but if you were having a reset and the diamond was damaged during it ( rare) then the vendor might not assume responsibility. If it was lost in the mail then the postal service would cover it as you would make sure it was insured while in their care. So best to check as to the various possible scenarios with the vendor you decide on.

As to pricing, I am not sure but any of those vendors would be pleased to give you a quote.

Thank you Lorelei for your most accurate comments.

Beau13, all of us will be liable for physically loosing your diamond, although I can not remember a case of that happening around here, ever.

Most of us will not assume liability for your diamond while working on it though, we can not get reasonable insurance for that and since we did not sell you the diamond we are not willing to assume the liability on a personal basis. Damage to a diamond while being worked on is exceedingly rare, but it can happen.

As for pricing I have no idea where I rank in comparrison with others, nor do I want to. Each of us must charge what we require to pay the bills. I do not believe that any of us listed above would be considered the least expensive (or want to) but I have heard good things about all the vendors listed above.

Wink

Thank YOU Wink for the praise, it means a lot coming from you!!!

 

[beau13]

Thanks for your input ladies.
GYPSY..I''ve had the ring about a year and a half..and NEVER changed the setting. The head (prongs) had to be changed due to error on the setter''s part! I have spent maybe $200 in total correcting the look of my ring..not enough $$ to even mention! RISINGSUN..the manufactuer (Myerson''s) that initiallt told the jeweler a custom mount like I wanted would run me about $1400..suddenly changed to a quote of $3300. I decided NOT to send my diamond to them!

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 1/25/2009 10:35:53 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
I probably need to add something. I don''t think ANY of those vendors will be significantly less than another, so I would narrow them down by finding out if any insure your stone for damage while working on it. Then I''d choose by who makes the best examples of the style you''re interested in, and then get quotes from those remaining. If there are two still in the running at that point, I''d get an estimate of how long they''d take to complete the ring.

I think this is very good advice and what I would do in your situation.

 

[risingsun]

Date: 1/26/2009 7:58:41 AM
Author: beau13
Thanks for your input ladies.
GYPSY..I've had the ring about a year and a half..and NEVER changed the setting. The head (prongs) had to be changed due to error on the setter's part! I have spent maybe $200 in total correcting the look of my ring..not enough $$ to even mention! RISINGSUN..the manufactuer (Myerson's) that initiallt told the jeweler a custom mount like I wanted would run me about $1400..suddenly changed to a quote of $3300. I decided NOT to send my diamond to them!

I realize that the quote you were given was more than doubled

However, if the designer does outstanding work, it still may be worth it. It's still less than a Tacori halo, for example. I do hope you find the right designer to make your ring. Perhaps, look on Pearlman's site to find a stock setting that will work for you

 

[GaelsGolf]

I''m going through the same process and have read several posts on CHUBB and Jewelers Mutual. After talking with Touchstone (agent of CHUBB), I was surprised to find out that they do not cover several scenarios of lost items.

1. If my FI were to take the ring off to wash her hand in a public bathroom and forget to put it back on and lose it...
2. " " for whatever reason while in the car, put it in her lap, and get out of the car forgetting it was there and lose it...
3. " " in a hotel room, leave for a period of time, only to find it''s missing upon returning to the room...

I was told by Touchstone that none of these scenarios would be covered under the CHUBB policy, however from my conversations with AAA and JM it sounds like they would. Has anyone had similar experiences with these vendors that can confirm if this is valid?

Mike