Why are martini stud settings (esp. James Allen''s) so much more expensive than 4-prong??

[SYC]

I know this has been discussed before -- I think in the context of Whiteflash''s earrings -- but I can''t remember the outcome.
Anyway, I just purchased a beautiful pair of round stud earrings from JA at what I think is a very good price. The diamonds themselves are gorgeous, and I don''t want to return them, but it bugs me that I paid $625 for the three-prong Martini setting in platinum. By contrast, the 4-prong platinum setting is $255, i.e., the Martini setting, for the same metal, is ~245% higher!! See:

http://www.jamesallen.com/create-your-diamond-studs/

I would have gone with white gold, but I''ve had reactions to white gold in the past, so that wasn''t an option. Any input as to the price discrepancy? Is it just a demand issue? Ie, since many people seem to prefer the Martini setting, all retailers charge more for it? Or is it actually more difficult to do the 3-prong setting in any way? If so, I can reconcile myself to the higher price.

The price of this particular setting aside, I am happy with the purchase. JA seems to be very competitive price-wise (with respect to diamonds, that is!) in comparison to other online retailers. These particular diamonds have taken my breath away -- they are absolutely stunning, and as beautiful if not more so than a WF ACA diamond I have. I definitely want to buy from JA again in the future -- the whole experience has been a good one -- but this setting price issue is really nagging at me.

Would appreciate any input -- thank you!

 

[Rhea]

Good question.

For Wink''s there was a $10 price difference in the white gold baskets vs. the white gold martinis. I just looked at the platinum baskets vs. martinis and there is a $65 difference. That''s nothing compared to the JA price difference! More than double just seems crazy. I can''t imagine that there is more metal involved.

 

[SYC]

Thanks Addy -- the more I think about it, the more crazy it seems... I just checked Whiteflash -- 3-prong martini settings in platinum are $325, and 4-prong settings in platinum are... $325. I wish I had thought this through a little more before purchasing. Am still in the 30-day period though, so I guess nothing is undoable. sigh.

 

[Rhea]

No, it''s not undoable. Why did you go with JA? While you were researching something there must have caught your attention and made you want those earrings, right? Is saving the $300 - or less if there''s a restocking fee or if you can''t find the same price stones at WF - worth the time and energy to you?

Oh, another thought, WF charges more for their handmade martini settings. Could that be what you purchased from JA?

 

[SYC]

All good questions!

It just drives me crazy that there is such a HUGE price difference for the difference of one prong!

I don''t mind paying more for things that are really worth more, but I hate the feeling of not getting value for my money. So in this case, an extra $300 for no apparent reason is just getting on my nerves. I''m sure I''ll eventually let it go, but I just wanted to solicit some opinions first, so thank you for your responses

So as background, I was looking for a new pair of stud earrings because I wanted something different from the pair I was wearing all the time. Those were a gift from quite a few years ago. They''re nice, and I expect I''ll still wear them casually, but they just don''t have the quality/sparkle that I want now. (They''re also bezel set, and I wanted a more open 3-prong setting). I checked w/ WF, but they didn''t have anything within the range I was looking for.

So I started looking at JA after reading good things on this site -- and found something with exactly the specs I was looking for. The diamonds themselves were, I believe, a little less expensive than what WF would charge for diamonds with the same color/clarity. It was a done deal once I got the Idealscope images from JA, which were beautiful -- deep red and with crisp, symmetrical H&A patterns (although their IS images are never quite as nice looking as WF''s due to the equipment they seem to use!).

All in all, the extra $300 might be made up in the price of the diamonds themselves. And big-picture wise, it''s really not that bad. I just think $625 for a setting for earrings is objectively too expensive, and seems like a bad pricing decision if other vendors are not pricing their platinum martini settings in the same way!

 

[Fly Girl]

When I purchased diamonds for my stud earrings last year, I shopped around, and finally decided to have my Blue Nile diamonds set in platinum martinis locally. The price was so much better at my jeweler''s that there was no comparison. I was even willing to take the (very slight) risk that one of the diamonds might chip during setting in order to save a bundle.

My guess is that JA can get away with charging that huge premium for martinis, because people look at the cost of the diamonds, and not so carefully at the cost of the settings. There is convenience, and safety, in having the vendor set the stones. I''m thinking that this is what you did.

Your story should serve as a caution to people to price out the whole package, and not just the diamonds. Only you can decide if it is worth the hassle and the risk to return them and either start over, or have them reset. With prices continuing to go up, it might be best to enjoy what you have.

 

[YoungPapa]

SYC,

Unlike our four-prong designs, the three prong martini settings that we feature on our website are completely handmade. We start by melting down the platinum, then hand rolling the wire to the thinnest gauge possible. The five pieces of metal, three prongs, under bezel and post are all constructed to the exact size of the diamonds being used to ensure that the diamond sits perfectly flush into the setting. The diamond is then set exactly as the Martini design was intended - an earring that floats on the ear - perfectly.

We experimented with cast three prong designs (that are available for half the price), but found them to be heavy and not designed for all carat weights. Any suggestion that we are charging a higher margin on these particular designs is unfounded, although understandable given the price delta between our three and four prong designs.

I hope you enjoy your new earrings, that you find them as perfectly designed as I''ve described and that this answer has been helpful.

All the best,

 

[SYC]

Date: 3/17/2008 2:02:11 PM
Author: James Allen Schultz
SYC,

Unlike our four-prong designs, the three prong martini settings that we feature on our website are completely handmade. We start by melting down the platinum, then hand rolling the wire to the thinnest gauge possible. The five pieces of metal, three prongs, under bezel and post are all constructed to the exact size of the diamonds being used to ensure that the diamond sits perfectly flush into the setting. The diamond is then set exactly as the Martini design was intended - an earring that floats on the ear - perfectly.

We experimented with cast three prong designs (that are available for half the price), but found them to be heavy and not designed for all carat weights. Any suggestion that we are charging a higher margin on these particular designs is unfounded, although understandable given the price delta between our three and four prong designs.

I hope you enjoy your new earrings, that you find them as perfectly designed as I''ve described and that this answer has been helpful.

All the best,

Jim,

Thanks very much for the detailed explanation. I didn''t know that these settings were handmade, or that so much attention goes into the making of them. I had assumed that they were stock settings, as I didn''t see anything to the contrary on the website.

The earrings do look beautiful -- I would like to say, as I hope I conveyed in my original post, that the diamonds are stunning, and were terrific values as well. While doing some research for these earrings, it became fairly obvious that your prices are extremely competitive compared to other vendors.

One item of feedback though -- you may want to consider revising the description of these settings to reflect that they are handmade, etc. Unless I missed the notation, I don''t think it''s obvious at all to the customer, and the price delta is shocking without knowing what you''ve just shared!

Best of luck to you in your business,

SYC

 

[oldminer]

Jim Schultz has given you what seems to be a totally proper response. I had a feeling there was either an explanation or a price typo.

After Jim explained why the price is so different, I went to his site and did not find any explanation of why in my own search. His note in this thread would be excellent to incorporate right on his site:

"Unlike our four-prong designs, the three prong martini settings that we feature on our website are completely handmade. We start by melting down the platinum, then hand rolling the wire to the thinnest gauge possible. The five pieces of metal, three prongs, under bezel and post are all constructed to the exact size of the diamonds being used to ensure that the diamond sits perfectly flush into the setting. The diamond is then set exactly as the Martini design was intended - an earring that floats on the ear - perfectly. We experimented with cast three prong designs (that are available for half the price), but found them to be heavy and not designed for all carat weights."

 

[YoungPapa]

One item of feedback though -- you may want to consider revising the description of these settings to reflect that they are handmade, etc. Unless I missed the notation, I don''t think it''s obvious at all to the customer, and the price delta is shocking without knowing what you''ve just shared!

I think that is an excellent suggestion. Thank you.

 

[Fly Girl]

I appreciate getting the explanation as well. It is true that my platinum martini settings are stock settings, and therefore cost quite a bit less. Certainly an apples to oranges comparison considering that JAs are handmade.

Once again, PS helps the consumer to make a decision that is right for them!

 

[kcoursolle]

Date: 3/17/2008 3:32:54 PM
Author: oldminer

Jim Schultz has given you what seems to be a totally proper response. I had a feeling there was either an explanation or a price typo.

After Jim explained why the price is so different, I went to his site and did not find any explanation of why in my own search. His note in this thread would be excellent to incorporate right on his site:

''Unlike our four-prong designs, the three prong martini settings that we feature on our website are completely handmade. We start by melting down the platinum, then hand rolling the wire to the thinnest gauge possible. The five pieces of metal, three prongs, under bezel and post are all constructed to the exact size of the diamonds being used to ensure that the diamond sits perfectly flush into the setting. The diamond is then set exactly as the Martini design was intended - an earring that floats on the ear - perfectly. We experimented with cast three prong designs (that are available for half the price), but found them to be heavy and not designed for all carat weights.''

I strongly agree! Not only do customers want to know why they are more expensive, but the handmade aspect makes them so much more desirable and gives people that "high end/custom" idea when they make a purchase. I would definitely advertise the handmade aspect and I think it would be a huge selling factor.

 

[SYC]

Once again, PS helps the consumer to make a decision that is right for them!

Absolutely! Like most people, I was nervous about shopping for diamonds online at first, but became so much more confident once I discovered PS. The collective knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm of everyone who posts on this site -- experts and novices alike -- has been incredibly helpful (and fun too!).

Diamonds are an expensive commodity, and when you know what you''re getting for your money, it makes the experience so much better (unfortunately for your wallet, the enjoyable experience makes you want to go back to buy more... but that''s a different issue).

So thank you to all!

 

[Rhea]

Yay!! I''m glad that there''s a reasonable explanation. I really like the look of the few handmade martini settings that I''ve seen (in photos only) and would be willing to pay more for them. I think it''s smart of JA to put an accurate description on their website.