Working with Leon Mege

[spike13]

Well, after years of lurking in preparation for this moment, the time has finally come to shop for an engagement ring.

I''ve always wanted to work with Leon, but I want to be informed before I make the initial contact. I know he''s what people call an "artist" type and that''s actually what appeals to me. The reason being I''m not sure if I can exactly specify what I want. I''d rather work with someone I can show examples of what I like and elements that are important - like claw prongs and trust in their design eye to create a stunning piece.

What should I expect from Leon? I know he doesn''t send CAD or progress pictures, but does he show you a sketch of his design first? If you go to his studio, how much time can you spend looking at his designs? Basically, how much of an idea do you need before walking in the door.

What else should I know that I don''t know to ask yet?

As an aside, even though I''ve lurked on this site for a long time and thought I already had a good idea of what I wanted, now that the time has come, I can''t believe how overwhelmed I feel. Suddenly I have no idea what I want LOL.

 

[CrookedRock]

I'm sure Scarlet is posting right now too considering she just met with him on Friday.

I am going to link you to where I described my experience it's down the page some but I was just there not even a month ago, then link you to Scarlet's recent post.

Mine
Scarlet's

The thing about Leon is that he is brutally honest. If he doesn't like something, then he says so... So I guess if you are really sensitive then I would not work with him. I sent him a pic I had been drooling over for 2 years and he told me it was awful! But he explained why and I went on to design something 1000x better with him. He knows his stuff and you kinda have to trust that his eye is that good bc like you said... you will not get progress pics. Is there something that you like exactly on his site or a mix of different things he has done? If you plan to mix it all up I would have to recomend a personal meeting with him, From what I read, the length of the meeting depends on the day and his mood... I went first apt on Monday am and spent a ton of time withhim, so that would be my suggestion. Scarlet went on Friday last apt and also got to spend a lot of time with him.

I also want to add that I was really not sure what I wanted when I walk in, all I knew is that I wanted him to do it. DO you have a stone yet, bc he won't meet with you until you have it in hand. He will then give you his top suggestions if you want them and you can tellhim yours and go from there...

I hope some of this helps!

 

[scarlet16]

Date: 4/5/2008 7:20:25 PM
Author: CrookedRock
I''m sure Scarlet is posting right now too considering she just met with him on Friday.


I am going to link you to where I described my experience it''s down the page some but I was just there not even a month ago, then link you to Scarlet''s recent post.


Mine

Scarlet''s


The thing about Leon is that he is brutally honest. If he doesn''t like something, then he says so... So I guess if you are really sensitive then I would not work with him. I sent him a pic I had been drooling over for 2 years and he told me it was awful! But he explained why and I went on to design something 1000x better with him. He knows his stuff and you kinda have to trust that his eye is that good bc like you said... you will not get progress pics. Is there something that you like exactly on his site or a mix of different things he has done? If you plan to mix it all up I would have to recomend a personal meeting with him, From what I read, the length of the meeting depends on the day and his mood... I went first apt on Monday am and spent a ton of time withhim, so that would be my suggestion. Scarlet went on Friday last apt and also got to spend a lot of time with him.


I also want to add that I was really not sure what I wanted when I walk in, all I knew is that I wanted him to do it. DO you have a stone yet, bc he won''t meet with you until you have it in hand. He will then give you his top suggestions if you want them and you can tellhim yours and go from there...


I hope some of this helps!

Honestly, I think Leon gets a bad rap! I think yes, he is an artist, and yes he is brutally honest, but also he does it in a oddly-gentle way (not in boorish manner) and explains why it isn''t such a great idea. Maybe this was just my take. He never yelled at me or anything.

As a side note, I don''t think he''s great on the phone. I think there is some miscommunication/understanding that happens so if you can get an in person appointment, that is WAY better. But like CR said, he won''t do this unless you have a stone already and are pretty much set to design the ring itself.

With that said, you should go in knowing what elements you like (ie. don''t say "just design me a pretty" ring...be specific). I brought in 2 pages of colored print outs and said, I like this, and this was your ring and I like this (he said he liked that I was prepared). I did ask his opinion with every single element I thought I wanted. I asked why things were good and bad, and what the differences were among things. He took the time to explain everything (AND WAS SUPER PATIENT)!!! And if you''re lucky, he''ll bring out stuff to play with (some fun stacker bands, and yumm-o earrings for us)!!

He has a pretty extensive check-list for every element of the ring and he takes notes during your meeting (basically the work order form). I think you need to have a good idea of what you want, but you don''t have to have a total concrete idea. I would go through his website and see exactly what you like (and from what, and maybe even why so he can make some suggestions). He doesn''t really have designs available for you to look at in the studio (just this HUGE book of photos of all the things he''s done).

I definitely think there is a LOT of trust involved but like I''ve said before, if you look at his site, is there any ring you would turn down? There''s a reason for that.

HTH and feel free to ask more questions!

 

[CrookedRock]

I agree with everything Scarlet added. And I do think he gets a bad rap, and I can't figure out why... If I had to guess, the people that had problems with him probably worked over the phone. And seriously, he's tough on the phone. I would not have been able to work with him had I not flown up to see him.

I went in with about 12 pages of stuff I liked, a lot of it had a common theme (i.e. halo, split shank, pave) so we started there. I literally flipped and reflipped through all his pic in his books and pointed and said like or don't like. He knows what works!

Like Scarlet said... if you have any specific questions let us know. I did see the ring you posted in his other thread. It's very pretty, and more artistic in a nature sense then most of his stuff, but I have no doubt that it would be gorgeous. Again though, with something so intricate, meet the man in person! (If you can)

What kind of stone do you have?

 

[swingirl]

First think about why you want to work with Leon. If you like what you see on his website and you are looking for something close to what he''s already done, it''ll go well. I''ve never seen a ring by Leon that was a total surprise. I had him create my ring (not him as he doesn''t do the bench work any more) and he was very nice to work with. He suggested some things for my ring once he saw my stone and I went with them.

He has seen so many stones and settings that if I trust his eye I will be getting something better than what I could have imagined myself.

People have run into problems when they want him to design something out of his style. But if you love his style he''ll create a fabulous ring with impeccable detail.

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 4/5/2008 8:12:09 PM
Author: swingirl
First think about why you want to work with Leon. If you like what you see on his website and you are looking for something close to what he''s already done, it''ll go well. I''ve never seen a ring by Leon that was a total surprise. I had him create my ring (not him as he doesn''t do the bench work any more) and he was very nice to work with. He suggested some things for my ring once he saw my stone and I went with them.

He has seen so many stones and settings that if I trust his eye I will be getting something better than what I could have imagined myself.

People have run into problems when they want him to design something out of his style. But if you love his style he''ll create a fabulous ring with impeccable detail.

Ditto. I worked with him over the phone. I knew his work, his designs, and wasn''t looking to ask for something that was outside of his comfort zone. Go in with pics, be specific, and all will be fine. Best of luck, I can''t wait to see this ring!!!

 

[spike13]

Thanks you for your replies and your stories...don''t know how I missed those posting as I''ve been spending hours on the site searching for info. What you describe is exactly what I am hoping to find in a designer - someone with amazing design sense who isn''t afraid to tell me something won''t work right. I know that I''m not jewelry designer and with things this delicate I''d rather leave it to a true professional.

Here''s the link to the other post with the picture of the design I am currently thinking of:
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/does-anyone-have-a-setting-like-this-leon-mege.82499/

He also did another version here of it here:
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/leon-mege-slh-part-2.19983/
This one is currently on his site. I wish he had more designs up, I could spend hours just looking at his work.

I don''t have my stone yet. Originally I thought of a cushion -- CrookedRock your stone is absolutely breathtaking!!!!! But now I''m second guessing and considering a round (although after viewing CR''s post I am quickly back to wanting a cushion).

I can''t wait to see both you and scarlet16''s rings!!!!

 

[ringster]

sorry - i had a really bad experience with him. i wasnt't going to post about it but i saw your post and i felt that i had to give my experience and balance out the input already given.

i understand the "artistic temperment" and was prepared for that and i don't consider myself the sensitive type but he was just plain rude. i barely said much on the phone with him because he was just going on and on about how my ering was horrible. i had contacted him to see if he could make a plain platinum milgrain wband as i love his milgraining. i sent him some pics of my ering so that he could get an idea of what it looked like and let me tell you he did not hold back.

i understand being brutally honest (have been that person a few times in my life for sure) but he just went way overboard and it was not necessary. i had already bought my ering so i am not sure what his point was in totally trashing it.

however you are starting out from scratch with him in that you are asking him to do your engagement ring so he doesn't have anything to trash.

my advice -- don't ever show him any jewelry you own and hold dear.

ETA : i would never recommend him to anyone because i don't like to give business to people are just plain rude and in a way cruel and who get away with it because they do great work. i'd prefer to spend my money at businesses where not only is the work great but the business knows how to treat its customers with respect. i'm not asking for someone to kowtow to me just because i am the customer and i don't believe the customer is always right but some common decency and less ego please. i wouldn't want my friends to possibly go through what i went through just because he is considered THE guy to do such and such work.

 

[dani13]

Date: 4/6/2008 4:18:40 AM
Author: ringster
sorry - i had a really bad experience with him. i wasnt't going to post about it but i saw your post and i felt that i had to give my experience and balance out the input already given.


i understand the 'artistic temperment' and was prepared for that and i don't consider myself the sensitive type but he was just plain rude. i barely said much on the phone with him because he was just going on and on about how my ering was horrible. i had contacted him to see if he could make a plain platinum milgrain wband as i love his milgraining. i sent him some pics of my ering so that he could get an idea of what it looked like and let me tell you he did not hold back.


i understand being brutally honest (have been that person a few times in my life for sure) but he just went way overboard and it was not necessary. i had already bought my ering so i am not sure what his point was in totally trashing it.


however you are starting out from scratch with him in that you are asking him to do your engagement ring so he doesn't have anything to trash.


my advice -- don't ever show him any jewelry you own and hold dear.


ETA : i would never recommend him to anyone because i don't like to give business to people are just plain rude and in a way cruel and who get away with it because they do great work. i'd prefer to spend my money at businesses where not only is the work great but the business knows how to treat its customers with respect. i'm not asking for someone to kowtow to me just because i am the customer and i don't believe the customer is always right but some common decency and less ego please. i wouldn't want my friends to possibly go through what i went through just because he is considered THE guy to do such and such work.

I am sooo sorry to hear that, Ringster... I was with Scarlet the other day when she met with Leon, and I too thought he got a bad rep for nothing. However, he knows what he likes and what he dislikes, and is not afraid to comment on that...which I can see being very offensive to some people, especially if you own the piece already, and he trashes it. I got really nervous that he was going to say something negative about my rings, but he actually didnt. At one point he even said they were very pretty. But who knows what he truly was thinking...I feel like he knows he is good, and his feeling is that almost anything else made by any other designer is sub-par. Who can say whether he is right or wrong, but I would tell you that if he went on and on trashing your ring, then that's not very nice at all, and I can definitely understand how you feel.

 

[Deelight]

Date: 4/6/2008 5:28:48 AM
Author: Dani

Date: 4/6/2008 4:18:40 AM

Author: ringster

sorry - i had a really bad experience with him. i wasnt''t going to post about it but i saw your post and i felt that i had to give my experience and balance out the input already given.



i understand the ''artistic temperment'' and was prepared for that and i don''t consider myself the sensitive type but he was just plain rude. i barely said much on the phone with him because he was just going on and on about how my ering was horrible. i had contacted him to see if he could make a plain platinum milgrain wband as i love his milgraining. i sent him some pics of my ering so that he could get an idea of what it looked like and let me tell you he did not hold back.



i understand being brutally honest (have been that person a few times in my life for sure) but he just went way overboard and it was not necessary. i had already bought my ering so i am not sure what his point was in totally trashing it.



however you are starting out from scratch with him in that you are asking him to do your engagement ring so he doesn''t have anything to trash.



my advice -- don''t ever show him any jewelry you own and hold dear.



ETA : i would never recommend him to anyone because i don''t like to give business to people are just plain rude and in a way cruel and who get away with it because they do great work. i''d prefer to spend my money at businesses where not only is the work great but the business knows how to treat its customers with respect. i''m not asking for someone to kowtow to me just because i am the customer and i don''t believe the customer is always right but some common decency and less ego please. i wouldn''t want my friends to possibly go through what i went through just because he is considered THE guy to do such and such work.

I am sooo sorry to hear that, Ringster... I was with Scarlet the other day when she met with Leon, and I too thought he got a bad rep for nothing. However, he knows what he likes and what he dislikes, and is not afraid to comment on that...which I can see being very offensive to some people, especially if you own the piece already, and he trashes it. I got really nervous that he was going to say something negative about my rings, but he actually didnt. At one point he even said they were very pretty. But who knows what he truly was thinking...I feel like he knows he is good, and his feeling is that almost anything else made by any other designer is sub-par. Who can say whether he is right or wrong, but I would tell you that if he went on and on trashing your ring, then that''s not very nice at all, and I can definitely understand how you feel.

ringster thats awful just for the record I think your ring is BEAUTIFUL with a capital B . What he said to you was rude and not nice at all.

 

[CrookedRock]

I''m really sorry that happened to you Ringster, but I''m not surprised that it happened over the phone. Like I said before when I talked to him and sent him the pic of the ring I had been drooling over for 2+ years he tore it to pieces. Fortunately I didn''t own the ring, so I probably didn''t take it as personally. That being said. I still paln on pruchasing that ring at some point but witha colored stone in it. His dislikes did not sway what I like, they just made me reevaluate why I liked certain things. I think your story just reiterates why it is best to work with him in person. Unless, like Kaleigh, you know exactly what you want and can point to very secific parts of his work, the phone would be tough.

Spike... very kind of you. I couldn''t be happier with the stone we got. I literally spent about 10 mins talking to Mark explaining what we wanted and he was off to find this lil guy for me! He nailed exactly what I wanted, slightly larger, but who complains about that?!

Regardless of what you chose, I don''t think you could possibly go wrong having Leon set it! Please keep us posted. We love these projects! Well... I know I do! Are you in the city by any chance? Or are you close enough to go meet with him in person?

 

[vespergirl]

Hi ringster,

I haven''t worked with Leon so I can''t comment on your experience with him, but I do know some great guys to work with in the northern VA area.

Pete at Quest Jewelers was incredibly nice and helpful when I sent him a design that I was considering for my RB reset. I still haven''t done the reset because I''m still undecided on what I want the new setting to be, but he couldn''t have been nicer or more helpful. I sent him a really long email describing what I wanted, along with a pic. He thanked me for all the detail I enclosed, because it would make it easier for them to make exactly what I wanted.

When I met with him in their store, he pulled out my file and started sketching right away, to make sure I''d be happy with the design. I have seen the finished work they''ve done for other PSers & it''s great, so if you''re looking for a jeweler who is very customer-oriented, I can''t think of anyone better to work with than the guys at Quest. Good luck!

 

[ringster]

i didn''t meant to threadjack spike''s thread but to share my experience in response to spike''s question.

thanks dani, vespergirl and CR, i appreciate your good thoughts and advice ! yep, i don''t mind honesty but unnecessary dissing i am not paying for that.

CR, i''m sorry but i don''t play like that. and i don''t think i am that sensitive, i think he was unnecessarily rude. and if he can''t control himself via phone but can do it in person, that is not ok with me. this shows me that he can control himself and i think it is quite cowardly of him - he can be cruel via phone because he feels safer, the person isn''t there across from him ready to knock his block off. i also don''t like the idea of rewarding this type of behavior which is what i would be doing if after he trashed my jewelry via phone, i went to see him in person. but i understand, i''m not going to put a dent in his business. his work is highly coveted and for what he does he seems to have a pretty good rep. i personally do not want to support this type of behavior and i don''t prize his work that much to take his abuse.

i am going with singlestone and will post pics when my project is done in may. vespergirl, quest is definitely a good resource. i ended up picking singlestone because i''d worked with them when i was trying to find my ering stone but didn''t end up getting my ering from them. i felt comfortable going back to them and am also working with them to make a ring for my mom for mother''s day/wedding gift. will also post the ring when it comes in.


p.s. - thank you deelight !!! and i love your avatar - a kitty''s life is so hard huh {wink, wink}

 

[surfgirl]

ringster, no need to offer any apology for thread jacking as you weren't. You are simply providing another perspective on your experience dealing with Leon. I've had prickly conversations with him where he was quite rude as well. I think his work is lovely, but I also dont care for the 'tude. But plenty of people here have gorgeous rings from him and that's great for them. The point of Spike's thread was indeed to get different perspectives on working with a PS vendor. All experiences are worth mentioning. No one vendor is invincible and all have their strengths and weaknesses. One has to find the vendor that they can work best with. It's not a competition. Nor is anyone right or wrong. Your experience is your experience. And as you rightly pointed out, a person's demeanor - whether by phone or in person - shouldn't be different. A polite person is one who is polite in both situations, not one or the other.

And while I dont need to say this, ringster, your ering is fantastic. But then again, you already knew that!

Spike, I can totally relate to your feeling overwhelmed when it's "go time"! I always thought I knew what I wanted and then when the time came to look "for real", I felt like "oh no, am I really sure that's what I want??? This is for real this time, not window shopping..!" Just look as much as possible, try on stuff, it'll come to you. One style always rises to the top.

 

[CrookedRock]

Ringster~ I in no way was trying to imply that you are overly sensitive. I was just saying that had I owned the ring that he was ripping on I would have taken it a lot harder than I did. I am the first person to defend what I like and what I want. So please take no offense, as it was certainly not meant that way. I do agree that giving some business after you feel that you had poor customer service is not the thing to do. I am so big on customer service, and I actually do think the customer is right.

I guess luckily for us we had an amazing experience with Leon. Even my BF can't stop raving about him. Having said that I do think he has gone over and above what he normally does with our ring. And I don't know why, but we appreciate it.

BUt I do think it is important to share your experience, like you did here, in order to warn people ahead of time what they may be getting themselves into. The OP asked for stories about working with him and you gave him yours, and I am glad you did!

Again I apologize if you took my post to be rude.

ETA~ I just went and looked up your ring and it is so beautiful, truly. It just proves that while Leon does do beautiful work, he is not the end all, be all of rings!

 

[spike13]

Vesergirl - thank you for adding another perspective. Ringster is right, no need to apologize. I want to know what I''m getting into including the not so nice parts.

Ringster - thanks for letting me know I''m not alone in this feeling. I also feel rushed because I don''t want to announce the engagement until I have my ring and a proper proposal, so that''s contributing to a sense of urgency.

 

[mrssalvo]

I think if you like something on leon''s site that you can point to and say make that for me, you''d be fine working long distance. I''ve spoken with him a couple of times on the phone and he was always friendly and nice. i''ve also seen his pave work in person and he does live up to his reputation IMO. that said, i''ve heard of him knocking other rings/designers a few times now and I just don''t think that is cool. I''d be scared to show him my ring for what he might say, of course if he did decide to rip it apart I can dig up pics right here on PS of rings he''s done that aren''t *perfect* either

so he really should be careful how harshly he critizes IMO.

 

[swingirl]

Leon must be a very opinionated guy who can''t keep quiet when he should. On his own website (about a year or so ago) he posted a picture of an eternity band and said that he made this ring for a client but he didn''t like it and didn''t think it looked very good. I think it was channel set and he seemed offend that he had to put his name on something he didn''t like. There was thread on it where everyone agreed why post it and then say you don''t like it?

 

[CrookedRock]

Date: 4/6/2008 3:23:37 PM
Author: mrssalvo
I think if you like something on leon''s site that you can point to and say make that for me, you''d be fine working long distance. I''ve spoken with him a couple of times on the phone and he was always friendly and nice. i''ve also seen his pave work in person and he does live up to his reputation IMO. that said, i''ve heard of him knocking other rings/designers a few times now and I just don''t think that is cool. I''d be scared to show him my ring for what he might say, of course if he did decide to rip it apart I can dig up pics right here on PS of rings he''s done that aren''t *perfect* either

so he really should be careful how harshly he critizes IMO.

MrsS... your stunner would be hard to criticize!!! I''m glad that you hae examples of his imperfect work. BC I have news for ya... If mine comes back with one lil teeny tiny glitch, you''ll be the one I am going to ask for those pics! LOL I am expecting perfection in the craftmanship and nothing less. He has put himself in a position that requires perfection by the way he criticizes... And given that your ring is so spectacular and the work is fabulous, I am glad to hear that you feel Leon''s work lives up to what it should!

Spike, have we scared you away from Leon yet? LOL

 

[icekid]

Date: 4/6/2008 4:15:52 PM
Author: swingirl
Leon must be a very opinionated guy who can''t keep quiet when he should. On his own website (about a year or so ago) he posted a picture of an eternity band and said that he made this ring for a client but he didn''t like it and didn''t think it looked very good. I think it was channel set and he seemed offend that he had to put his name on something he didn''t like. There was thread on it where everyone agreed why post it and then say you don''t like it?

I forgot about that! Rather uncouth, to be sure. If it''s so far beneath you, why did you agree to create it?

Anyway, I do find it off-putting that Leon is so bash-happy with the work of others. Certainly he is a great craftsman, so why not let your work speak for itself? Whenever I see people doing this sort of thing, it makes me think that they are trying to put down others in some bizarre attempt to elevate their own work. It seems Leon cannot say a nice thing about anyone other than himself! Even still, I do hope to work with him at some point… provided he does not tell me that I have the ugliest diamond that he’s ever seen!

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 4/6/2008 4:19:44 PM
Author: CrookedRock
MrsS... your stunner would be hard to criticize!!! I''m glad that you hae examples of his imperfect work. BC I have news for ya... If mine comes back with one lil teeny tiny glitch, you''ll be the one I am going to ask for those pics! LOL I am expecting perfection in the craftmanship and nothing less. He has put himself in a position that requires perfection by the way he criticizes... And given that your ring is so spectacular and the work is fabulous, I am glad to hear that you feel Leon''s work lives up to what it should!

CR, somehow, I bet Leon could find something but that''s ok i know what I got

and you should expect and accept nothing less than perfection from him, especially since he does claim his ability to do that despite the whole handmade aspect. But, indeed, the ring I saw that he made was incredible and could hold it''s own next to other big name big $ designers so you''ve got nothing to worry about there. If it would come back off I''d be happy to help you though

 

[CrookedRock]

Date: 4/6/2008 4:15:52 PM
Author: swingirl
Leon must be a very opinionated guy who can''t keep quiet when he should. On his own website (about a year or so ago) he posted a picture of an eternity band and said that he made this ring for a client but he didn''t like it and didn''t think it looked very good. I think it was channel set and he seemed offend that he had to put his name on something he didn''t like. There was thread on it where everyone agreed why post it and then say you don''t like it?

That''s hysterical! Any chance you can find that thread? I would love to read it.
I''m not surprised at all. Actually one ring that we really liked in his books that I pointed out to him, he told me was the ugliest ring he ever did and he hated it. But the bottom line for me was that he was willing to do whatever was going to make me happy and in the end that was all that mattered!

 

[ringster]

surfgirl - thanks for the props and i totally agree - this was my experience and people will do as they may. i hope my sharing helps spike out in some way.

mrssalvo, swinggirl and icekid - thanks for chiming in and i agree - let your work speak for itself. yes, leon people like your work so no reason to be a d*ckhead.

CR - i didn't take offense so no worries. i just wanted to make it clear that it wasn't a case of me being too thin skinned plus wanted to let you all know my own personal feelings with being on the receiving end of this type of treatment and how i personally won't put up with it no matter how good someone is in their field.

i guess if i HAD to put up with it - i.e. he was the only jeweler left on earth - then maybe i would - even then i think i just would not get any jewelry out of principle. luckily i have tons of choices and don't need to go with him and so wanted others to know that they too have more options and don't have to worry about whether or not leon is going to be temperamental (euphemism for d*ckish).

frankly i feel it is very high schoolish the way he works with the "oooh o, i hope i get to be in the "IN" crowd and that leon likes my taste in jewelry". and i am not trying to diss anyone here who went with leon, heck i contacted him knowing that he can be temperamental. but i did not expect the sheer magnitude of ego that came from the man. and lucky you that didn't get to experience it but you know i think it sucks when someone operates like and people are on pins and needles whether or not this guy is going be "tempermental" or not when they talk to him.

i just want people to know that they don't have to subject themselves to that. that they do have a choice and the power and just because he's considered THE guy doesn't mean that you deserve to be worried about whether or not he's going to be a jerk before you talk to him.

sorry, i'll get off my soapbox now but i really got flashbacks to stupid high school behavior and haven't experienced that since ummm ... high school.

 

[scarlet16]

ringster and surfgirl, I''m sorry you guys had such bad experiences with Leon. He is definitely not very nice on the phone, and he can use an attitude adjustment. I don''t want to make excuses for him but maybe it''s a cultural thing? He also actually mentioned to us that over the years he''s gotten more flexible and when he acknowledges that he was even worse about designs, in the sense that he wouldn''t design things he didn''t like at all. Clearly, he thinks he has gotten better.

Spike - the thing is, Leon does fantastic work; there''s no doubt about that. But like ringster mentioned (and as evidenced by her fantastic ring), there are many other designers out there that also do fantastic work. I wouldn''t ever sway you one way or another. I do love his stuff, obviously, since I''m going with him for my setting. If you have something specific in mind that is from his collection (or at least specific elements), then he''s the best person to go to for that (ie. his claw prongs can''t seem to be emulated by anyone).

Best of luck with your decision!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I really have nothing but positive to say about Leon. Of course, I was asking for a setting he has made many times.

But crookedrock, I will tell you right now that if you are expecting perfection, you''ll probably be disappointed. Handmade rings are rarely perfect. We''ve seen magnified Tiffany rings on here with very tiny minor imperfections, and those pictures were taken from an ad. Leon''s will be no different.

 

[babysteps]

Ditto to diamondseeker2006, I had a great experience with Leon and love my ring (he''s actually doing a band for me now, as my DH was really impressed with the quality of his work and how happy I was) but that being said, I had seen almost exactly what I wanted on his website so I wasn''t really trying to mesh my expectations with his style - it was just discussing/tweaking to get the design (and he did a quick pencil sketch for me) He does have firm opinions on many design elements, but that was OK with me - whether it''s jewelry, floral design, interior design, whatever, I think that many professionals have opinions on what''s "right", and it''s a matter of finding the right match to your needs and style. Do you already have your stone? That is key.

 

[bem3231]

I feel like I should chime in to say a little bit about my experience working with Leon.

Although I met with him twice, both meetings were very brief and most of my work with him happened over the phone or via e-mail. The first time I met him I had happened to plan a side trip to NYC at the last minute to see some stones at GOG, and I asked him if I could just stop by to meet him and say hello. Despite it being a very busy time of year (December), he accommodated me. He was very cordial, and had good things to say about Good Old Gold, saying that he had seen many lovely stones come from Jon. We chatted for maybe ten or fifteen minutes.

My second trip to NYC two weeks later was also unexpected and planned at the last minute - a trip that I made to make a final decision on a stone before the Christmas holidays. I e-mailed Leon the day before asking if I could meet with him to actually discuss a design, and again he accommodated me (it was the afternoon of December 21st, the last day that his studio was open before Christmas). Despite it being such a busy time he sat down with me, looked over the photos that I had brought, and took notes about the design that we were discussing. He spent probably 25 or 30 minutes with me.

He is, as has been mentioned before, very honest. He flat out told me that the Tacori design that I had brought as inspiration was a very bad design, but said that he would make it for me exactly if that''s what I wanted. He pointed out to me all of the reasons why he thought that it was poorly designed, and although I am certainly not a jewelry design expert, his explanations made sense to me. I told him that the reason that I had chosen to work with him was that I wanted him to put his own unique design ability to use and make me something that incorporated some elements that I liked while staying true to his ''style''. I also had many photos from his catalogue of details that I liked.

Once he received my stone, he sent me the quote and workorder via e-mail. I called him probably six or seven times during the process of finalizing the order and throughout the completion of my ring. I actually found him even more accommodating over the phone, but this is perhaps due to the fact that both times I''d met with him in person were very busy times for him.

I spent the six week wait for my ring second guessing every little thing, pouring over images in his catalogue, wondering if I should have been more specific about this or that detail given that I was getting a custom design. In one of our final conversations (when I was obsessive-compulsively inquiring about pave stone size) he said, "I promise you that when your ring leaves here, it will be perfect". With that, I told him to make it exactly as he thought that it should be, and decided to put the details entirely in his hands. I am so happy that I did - my ring is, in my opinion, so much better crafted and designed than the Tacori that I had originally drawn inspiration from. As far as I can tell with a 20X loupe, it is perfect. Even my fiance, who is totally not *into* jewelry, was completely blown away by the quality of Leon''s work.

I am sorry to hear that some of you had negative experiences, and I absolutely agree that no one should have to suffer rude remarks or an arrogant attitude. I just had to chime in to say that that was not typified in my experience with Leon at all, either in person or over the phone. I actually found him to be quite humble about his work.

Although I am certainly not trying to make excuses for bad behavior, perhaps one thing to keep in mind is that Leon, like anyone, likely has good days and bad days. The fact that he generally answers his own phone and is the personal interface for his customers is something that I think many of his customers (myself included) appreciate, and yet also puts him in a position of having to deal with all types of people regardless of whether he''s having a good or bad day. This is not an excuse, but at the end of the day I think that his forte is first and foremost the platinum smithing that he and his studio are synonymous with. That''s not to say that customer service is not critically important, but I think that he does take a personal approach to his customers that might lead to some inconsistencies in terms of people''s experiences with him.

My fiance and I will be in NYC at the end of this month and will be visiting him again to order our wedding bands. I am anticipating another positive experience.

For anyone interested in reading any more about my experience, the link to my ring thread is here: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/im-engaged-introducing-my-2-68-fvs2-in-my-new-leon-custom-setting-at-last.80177/

Good luck to you, Spike! Please keep us updated on your quest!

 

[CrookedRock]

Date: 4/6/2008 8:51:26 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
I really have nothing but positive to say about Leon. Of course, I was asking for a setting he has made many times.

But crookedrock, I will tell you right now that if you are expecting perfection, you''ll probably be disappointed. Handmade rings are rarely perfect. We''ve seen magnified Tiffany rings on here with very tiny minor imperfections, and those pictures were taken from an ad. Leon''s will be no different.

Are you saying that your ring is flawed? Bc I do expect to be completely satisified and will take nothing less and he is well aware. Hence the reason I spent so much time on the phone with him last week working out a design flaw, that could not be forseen bc he has never done a piece like it before.

 

[LegacyGirl]

Date: 4/6/2008 4:15:52 PM
Author: swingirl
Leon must be a very opinionated guy who can''t keep quiet when he should. On his own website (about a year or so ago) he posted a picture of an eternity band and said that he made this ring for a client but he didn''t like it and didn''t think it looked very good. I think it was channel set and he seemed offend that he had to put his name on something he didn''t like. There was thread on it where everyone agreed why post it and then say you don''t like it?

Does anyone have the link to this thread? I couldn''t find it.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 4/7/2008 11:29:59 AM
Author: LegacyGirl

Does anyone have the link to this thread? I couldn''t find it.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/i-guess-leon-didnt-like-the-ring.63352/