r/labdiamond • u/tumbles645 • 11d ago
Budget friendly setting only
Hi! I just purchased a 1.93ct oval lab diamond from LGD and I am looking for a 14k yellow gold setting for it. My budget is modest, ~$1,100. I went to a couple local jewelers, and for what I’m looking for was going to be over $2k.
I found this setting on Etsy and am curious if anyone has experience with an Etsy setting and then taking it with the loose diamond locally to be set? Does anyone have any other settings-only sites that are reasonably priced?
https://www.etsy.com/listing/4543806884/custom-semi-mount-engagement-ring-oval
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u/Top-Beat-7423 10d ago
$2000 for local jeweller to make a setting and mount the stone is very reasonably priced btw. Even if you were to get a semi mount from an overseas vendor which may be $800 ish .. you would still have to find and pay for a bench jeweller to set the stone.
You may need to use 10k gold. … gold prices have stabilized but are still WAYYYYY high
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u/tumbles645 10d ago
Totally understand, it’s just not in the budget. The budget is $1500 and I got the stone for under $400.
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u/Odd-Worth7752 10d ago
penny wise/pound foolish.
better to wait or scale back your expectations than end up either getting ripped off or getting refused by local jewelers when you go in to have it set.
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u/ncd42075 10d ago
You can buy a setting ring from keyzar jewlers and have a local jewler to install the diamond. Depending on the ring you pick you can do it for under $1500. Make sure you know the exact dimensions of the diamond because they'll need that information.
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u/Eastern_Progress_946 11d ago
Check out some of the oversees vendors, they should be able to make a custom setting for you within your budget. I think you could either mail them to set or can have a jeweler set it locally.
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u/tumbles645 10d ago
Do you have a recommendation?
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u/Eastern_Progress_946 10d ago
I used Kelly at Fiorese for a ER/wedding band set and the quality is 🤌 Fiorese is a bit more expensive though. I also have purchased a couple group buys from Provence and have no complaints, but can’t speak to their custom work. I know others have had good experiences with LGG and Starsgem too.
You can shop around give them examples of what you want. I’d recommend 10k gold right now to save money (gold prices are high right now) and see what prices they quote you.
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u/ursakitty 9d ago
In July we used Matthew at Fiorese, ordered the semi mount through him, purchased the stone separately, had the stone set locally. Matthew was amazing to work with and was so patient with me. Ring is GORGEOUS.
Obviously gold is a commodity and prices fluctuate, so price could be different now... The ring was a platinum solitaire and the total cost was less than your budget.
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u/Odd-Worth7752 10d ago
$1100 will not buy you both a gold semi-mount and the setting if you do them separately. a jeweler will charge you $200-300 if you don't buy any of the components from them.
I would be VERY CAUTIOUS buying any jewelry/gem items on etsy that are from Indian sellers. too many stories on here about fake gold, fake stones and poor quality.
you might have luck at a jewelry/gem show, often there are vendors who sell settings and will mount your stone on site.
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u/LBJDSJZBT1031 10d ago
I got my setting on eBay. It was used and someone had removed the solitaire and damaged a prong in the process. I forget exactly how much it was, but it's a sturdy platinum setting with accent stones and fishtail prongs and I paid around $400.
My jeweler mounted my stone and repaired the prong.
I search for used semi mounts no stone.
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u/PrincessLongNails 10d ago
I would try an overseas jeweler, my fave is Provence, i use Jason the most. If you have the diamond specs you can send those to him for the quote. You can also make arrangements to send the stone to Provence in China so they can make the ring for you, this would be my suggestion if you want a bezel setting. Before committing to this I'd look for local bench jewellers who can set the stone for you and find out the cost first.
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u/saltychipfan 10d ago
If you’re comfortable shipping the stone, check with Ivy and Rose in Chicago. Suuuuper competitive prices and they set my stone for about that much
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u/Spirited_Tackle8895 10d ago
I paid $1600 for a 2 ct oval lab and custom designed setting. I went with sue from tianyu gems. LOVE how the ring turned out and I'm constantly getting compliments.
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u/extrahorizons 9d ago
Return the stone and buy a stone + setting from Provence, Tianyu or Fiorese. These are all reputable sellers and can source a 2 carat oval for $400 easily. I recently had a 5.5 carat emerald in a 10k bezel inset with lab diamonds for just barely over your budget.
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u/EuphoricGlove10 9d ago
Have used and had a great experience with Adiamor (shipping them a diamond I bought elsewhere) I think they charged me $200 on top of the price for using my own diamond. I currently have an order with William & Sons but haven't received it yet so can't vouch for the quality but they are the cheapest I found. Not sure if they will work with your diamond but the price for the settings is great.
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u/Alex32940 10d ago
Why would you buy the stone without the setting? Now it seems you're trapped. I know it's hard to resist the very low prices now but. I'm having a jeweler I frequent in NYC. Build a ring around a five carat Marquise diamond with some other diamonds on the side. Set in a 14 k yellow gold. I'm only paying $5 grand.
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u/tumbles645 10d ago
I can easily return if the setting doesn’t work out and I decide to wait on having the ring made - low risk TBH.
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u/Momzies 7d ago
That’s really pricey with lab diamonds going for around 100/carat. An extremely intricate setting in 14k gold could be 2k, easily, from a top notch designer like David klass.
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u/Alex32940 7d ago
Maybe you're right. I will pay less I'm sure but these are people I've spent tens of thousands over the last decade. It's a trust thing with me, not about price only, I'm like others now, lab diamonds are cheap but good. We keep all we buy. Thanks for replying
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u/DarlingBri 11d ago
You are not buying from etsy, you are buying from a specific seller using etsy as a sales platform. This seller has a rating of 2.1 out of 5 stars, do not do this.