18K 4 prongs wire basket stud settings, why is it impossible to find, please help?

[VivianYY]

http://www.jamesallen.com/design-your-diamond-studs/earrings/item_180-7878.asp

Hi Ladies,

I need some help. I purchased a pair of 2ct tw diamonds from my local jeweler awhile ago to be set in diamond studs and I fell in love with the ones from Jamesallen above. The problem is Jamesallen wouldn't sell me these settings alone. My local jeweler is telling me that in the current industry, 14K and platinum stud settings are readily available, but 18K is almost impossible to find so they would have to be custom made. Is that really true?? I find it very hard to believe as these are so common. I browsed online but no luck, does anyone know where I can purchase 18k stud settings similar to the ones above? TIA!!

 

[doreenjoy]

Sounds crazy to me. Jewelers have access to huge catalogs of standard settings. I know my jeweler sets all of the diamond studs she sells in 18k. Platinum would be a special order for her, but she could get the settings without having to "custom make" them.

 

[Shigeru]

No...it was extremely easy for me to order any basic setting like this in 10K/14K/18K (white or yellow and usually rose too), while platinum was a little more difficult to get in.

It is more expensive to "spot order" 18k findings as you pay the current market rate, and cannot get a bulk discount. Custom would give your jeweler a lot more profit.

Stuller is one of the main suppliers of basic findings/settings/mountings. Here's a few examples:

http://www.stuller.com/products/1874/2456710/?groupId=9050
http://www.stuller.com/products/21427/149546/?groupId=12639
http://www.stuller.com/products/21349/40679/?groupId=12522

Pricing would require a jeweler to measure the mm width of your loose diamonds. Also note that screwbacks and la pousette (locking disc) backs cost more...

 

[ame]

Stuller is your best bet and i'd be SHOCKED if they don't have 18K versions. Also Ingwer, Unique, Overnight something...

 

[VivianYY]

No...it was extremely easy for me to order any basic setting like this in 10K/14K/18K (white or yellow and usually rose too), while platinum was a little more difficult to get in.

It is more expensive to "spot order" 18k findings as you pay the current market rate, and cannot get a bulk discount. Custom would give your jeweler a lot more profit.

Stuller is one of the main suppliers of basic findings/settings/mountings. Here's a few examples:

http://www.stuller.com/products/1874/2456710/?groupId=9050
http://www.stuller.com/products/21427/149546/?groupId=12639
http://www.stuller.com/products/21349/40679/?groupId=12522

Pricing would require a jeweler to measure the mm width of your loose diamonds. Also note that screwbacks and la pousette (locking disc) backs cost more...

Stuller is your best bet and i'd be SHOCKED if they don't have 18K versions. Also Ingwer, Unique, Overnight something...

Yes, my jeweler is buying from Stuller and they didn't have 18K on their website. I am looking for 6.5mm and I really like the ones from Jamesallen.
Unfortunately they wouldn't sell it to me without the stones. Anyway, my jeweler contacted me yesterday and said they found the below in 18k with screwbacks. Since I read about the problems with screwbacks on the forum, I told her I prefer pushbacks and so she said she can replace it with different poles but she will have to charge me an extra $75... to which I was kinda shocked considering the price of the stones and the costs she originally charged me for the settings, but finding this simple stud settings has been more stressful than I had originally anticipated so I decided not to stress over $75. The setting looks pretty dull to me but I hope it will look better once it's finished. Picking up the studs this weekend so we will see. Thanks Ladies!

 

[VivianYY]

Sounds crazy to me. Jewelers have access to huge catalogs of standard settings. I know my jeweler sets all of the diamond studs she sells in 18k. Platinum would be a special order for her, but she could get the settings without having to "custom make" them.

For simple 4 prongs like the ones she found me attached on my previous post should be easy to find, but the ones from Jamesallen needs to be custom made if I wanted the settings to look exactly like that. I am bumped out as I didn't want to wait any longer and spend more $$, so I settled with what she found hoping the finish product will turn out nice.

 

[ame]

Stuller does not have their entire stock online, none of them do. They don't even have it all in their catalogs I dont' think.

I do think it's odd that they don't make a standard post though, I guess for that metal they do more business with screwbacks.