Post # 1
Member
2807 posts
Sugar bee
i’ve had my heart set on a moissanite for a while. one, i don’t want a diamond because the industry isn’t exactly “healthy”. two, diamonds are expensive and i’d rather have a house than a $10,000 ring on my finger.
anyway. i’ve been looking at 6mm cushion cut moissanites. but it’s hard to judge the size of them. so, while i was out, i stopped at the “jared” store that we have here (side note- they’re my favorite out of the chain jewelry stores. they have the best customer service), to see if they had a cushion cut stone that size. they didn’t have one exactly 6mm, but they had one that was close. so i asked to see it. and the woman at the counter pulled it out, and then asked me to choose a setting so i could see it in the setting. and needless to say, i fell in love with the setting. not just any setting, but a $1500 setting. it’s beautiful. and perfect. and i can’t find anything that’s the same setting on moissaniteco. i’ve found close, but nothing is that dainty and set like that. but looking at the price of the diamonds that jared had (the cushion cut wasn’t perfect, it was kinda cloudy, and it cost close to $4000 just for that stone, and it was smaller than i want), i don’t want him to spend close to $6000 on a ring. i’d rather have that $6000 to put towards other things, like a house. you know?
anyway. long rambling story over. so. i was thinking. i could buy a loose moissanite in the size i want. but will the store set the ring with the moissanite centre stone? it’s like, $500 for the moissanite centre stone (hello, $500 for perfect amora vs $4000 for a cloudy diamond.. i think that’s a no brainer). so if we got the amora moissanite, and then bought the setting from jared, that would be perfect.
but would that be possible? i know that some stores won’t set anything that isn’t purchased there. has anyone done this?
Post # 3
Member
2203 posts
Buzzing bee
i’m not sure, i know that local jewelers are more likely to set it, and you could also ask moissaniteco if they would do it if you sent the setting in.
Post # 4
Member
5148 posts
Bee Keeper
I don’t think Jared will set moissanite.
Indeed, I have heard some rather horrible stories about how snobby they could be if they found out you wanted to set a moissanite, or if you were wearing a moissanite. Maybe some Jared stores are different, I am sure there are, but this is what I have heard, anyway. I would just make a call to the store near you and ask them if they would set moissanite.
You could see if you could buy the setting as a semi-mount and take it somewhere else for setting.
Or…you could go somewhere else, like Brian Gavin Diamonds who has this setting:
It is $2100 in 18K gold but BGD is fantastic quality, and better than Jared’s In My Humble Opinion. They use much better melee and have much nicer finishing (like their claw prongs). They will set created stones, like moissanite, for you.
Or, look around. I am sure you can find something similar – that is not likely a Jared-exclusive setting and a casting house or some local independent may have some similar.
Post # 5
Member
451 posts
Helper bee
Like the previous poster mentioned, I would ask moissaniteco if they would set it instead. While I can’t imagine Jared would turn down setting it, I simply believe that moissaniteco has more experience setting mossanites, so they would probably handle the stone better. I’m only recommending this route instead because from my understanding, setting a moissanite is different than setting a diamond. Either way, I personally would just make sure anyone who set it has set them in the past. Good luck!
Post # 6
Member
270 posts
Helper bee
I am kind of in the same boat. I already have a ring from Kays but want to put a 5mm moissy in place of my current diamond. Kays told me my warranty would be void with them if I put a moissy in my setting. I have decided to go ahead with the moissy and go through jewelers mutual for insurance coverage. A local jeweler will be setting my moissy for me.
Post # 7
Member
1244 posts
Bumble bee
I know Jared will set a diamond you did not purchase from them but I do not know about a moissy.
Post # 8
Member
2807 posts
Sugar bee
thanks for the responses, everyone. i’ll ask jared and see, and i’ve emailed moissaniteco as well.
@RayKay:
that setting is GORGEOUS, but a little outside my price range 🙁 thank you for sharing, though!
Post # 9
Member
2393 posts
Buzzing bee
OP, I don’t want to put a damper on your excitement, but make sure before you buy that setting that you take it away from the jewelry counter and walk over to an area by the windows so you can see it in the light of day.
I had bookmarked that exact setting and was semi-obsessed with it for a couple of weeks back in December. I finally found a local Jared that had it in stock, went and tried it on, and fell in love… it sparkled like Las Vegas under the lights at the jewelry counter.
Then I asked to walk around the store with it so I could see it in different lighting. When I walked over to the window to look at it in the sunlight, the diamonds turned dull like green glass. I was soooo disappointed. I had wanted that setting so badly. In fact the same thing happened with several other similar settings I tried on at Jared. I found that the settings that had smaller diamonds just fell flat in sunlight by the window, whereas at the jewelry counter they were blindingly sparkly. Maybe it was because of the way they were set? The quality of the diamonds? I honestly don’t know.
Maybe in my case it was just a fluke, and the setting you’re looking at has more sparkle. Just be aware of that issue. I would hate for you to be disappointed.
I agree though that it is a really pretty style of setting! Good luck in your search!
Oh and also — Jared told me as part of their sales pitch that they will have nothing to do with moissy. But if you buy that setting, or any other Jared setting, I am certain you can find a local jeweler in your area who happily do the work for you. I think the moissy center stone in a diamond setting is a great idea!
Post # 10
Member
501 posts
Busy bee
I have the dream half eternity from Brian Gavin (like the one you posted but w/ a different head). You could get the sabrina which is a 3/4 eternity that looks like the picture you posted if you want a 3/4 eternity…. it costs a little more than the one at Jared, but as a previous poster stated, it will be better quality. Then you could send it in to Moissanite and have them set it for you. The only problem I see for you is that the setting will have diamonds and you said that one reason you didn’t want diamonds bc of the industry.
You could also check blue nile, or whiteflash. They all have the settings that you like. I know it is more than the $1400 you like, but you will have better quality and it will show in the diamonds.
Post # 11
Member
2807 posts
Sugar bee
@Andr0meda:
interesting. she barely let me leave the counter with the setting on my hand. if we go back, i’ll be sure to do that. and i wish i had a local jeweler out here. i can think of a handful back home, but where i am for school? there’s nothing but chain stores (kay, jared, belden, zales, etc), which is sad. i grew up living next door to a family who owned a jewelry store. so if i wasn’t here, i’d go to a private jeweler.
@thenuggetbride:
it’s not that i don’t like diamonds, i just don’t want a diamond centre. if the setting already has them? so be it. i just don’t want to buy a $4000+ centre stone that came from the crappy industry which is the diamond industry. if that makes sense. i don’t know. and i agree that the settings on brian gavin are GORGEOUS. just a bit pricy for my soon-to-be fiance.
Post # 12
Member
270 posts
Helper bee
@colorofmyheart: Will you post an update on what you hear back from moissaniteco I am also curious if they will set it for you because I am trying to do the same thing.
Post # 13
Member
478 posts
Helper bee
Yes, they will. We had a sapphire that we purchased separately put into a Jared setting. They overcharged for it, IMO, but they did it.
Maybe it’s changed from the person above who mentioned it, but the Jared I went to, when I said I didn’t want a diamond, did say they can order moissanite (and some other white stone that I can’t remember now) for me. I told them I wanted a pink sapphire and they said they could order that for me, too. They did give us a quote on a sapphire, but it was much higher than we were able to get it for elsewhere.
Post # 14
Member
2807 posts
Sugar bee
@lyns86stc:
moissaniteco responded that they would set the stone in the setting. they gave me a quote to do it ($35 if the head fits the stone, $110 if the head needs to be replaced). not horribly expensive, actually. i put in an email through their site, and chris (owner i think?) reponded within a few hours. i have to say, their customer service is awesome (:
@shychigirl:
good to know. i haven’t gone there and asked yet, it’s been an insane week, with finals starting next thursday. and yeah. i’m gonna go over this weekend, though. it can’t hurt to ask, right? i’m glad you had a semi-good experience with asking them, it makes me feel less worried about asking.
Post # 15
Member
454 posts
Helper bee
I had a 6mm cushion amora moissy that I wanted to put in a ShaneCo setting. ShaneCo would set the stone…for a price. However, Shane (and most big box jewelers, I think), will consider the warranty void if another jeweler works on your setting. I decided to have ShaneCo set the moissy.
HOWEVER…I caution you getting a moissy with side diamonds if you’re color sensitive. I ended up returning my moissy before it was set and going with an asha. You can see pics here: http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/the-bee-who-returned-her-moissy-is-finally-posting-pictures
Post # 16
Member
2807 posts
Sugar bee
@Papillon23:
interesting. very interesting. thanks for the info! and yeah, i figured that warranties would be voided.
i think i’m most likely gonna end up with a completely moissanite ring, and i’m fine with that. it was the plan originally, until i saw the setting at jared. i just wish moissaniteco had a semi-eternity setting that was 2mm wide (the one that’s 90% identical is 2.5mm wide. i liked the narrow of the 2mm). i’ll figure it out.
thanks everyone, for all the input and advice. i appreciate it (: i love weddingbee, it makes wedding planning and all of that so much easier, and much more fun!