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Venetian D-106CU – WhiteFlash
When it comes to designer bridal jewelry, Verragio is arguably one of the most well-known brands in the world. With exquisite design details and intricate craftsmanship, Verragio rings are fabricated with some of the highest quality standards in the industry.
From contemporary to vintage designs, Verragio’s collections showcases classy elegance and timeless beauty. Having seen a number of their settings in person, I would openly admit I’m a huge fan. The elaborate scrollwork and lacy edges found on many of their signature designs are stunning.
In this review of Verragio engagement rings, I’m going to show you some of their best designs and reveal crucial tips on how to go about shopping for your perfect engagement ring.
The founder, Barry Verragio, began his jewelry career as an apprentice to a master jewelry maker at a young age of 14. As he began understanding and mastering the art of jewelry making, he decided to further develop his skills by enrolling in the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology.
At the institute, Barry learned from some of the best instructors in the field of jewelry design including Maurice Galley, who had years of experience with Tiffany And Co. With Maurice’s guidance, Verragio began making designs for engagement rings and bridal jewelry.
By the 1990s, Barry accumulated a wealth of experience in designing fine jewelry and developed his own unique setting technique. The first Verragio ring ever made was designed as an engagement ring for his girlfriend (who later became his wife).
It utilized a unique setting technique called the Lumino which suspends the center stone. This allowed more light to enter the diamond which enables the stone to display its brilliance and fire to the fullest. The success of his first ring led to many more to come as Verragio began making his mark into the world of bridal jewelry.
Verragio’s design philosophy revolves around enhancing the engagement ring’s overall look instead of creating an overwhelming presence. Regardless of how elaborate the setting is, the center diamond is always the focal point.
In total, Verragio has 6 different collections which are all targeted at specific market niches. His innovative designs are all handmade and evoke a strong feeling of prestige.
The Parisian collection is Verragio’s latest line of budget friendly vintage ring designs. The special feature of this collection lies in their customizable shoulders and the availability of the ring setting in 14K gold (lower costs!)
The Venetian Collection is specially focused on the side profiles of the rings. With extremely detailed craftsmanship and intricate details, the Venetian designs are unlike anything you have ever seen.
In total, there are 5 different ways you can customize the bottom portion of the Venetian ring designs. For more details and information, click this link.
The Couture Collection features Verragio’s trademark Lumina setting together with a crown shaped bezel under the center stone. The highlight of this collection is focused on the use of multi-colored gold (white & rose) and a clean cut design.
The Insignia collection features carefully crafted ring designs with ornate scrolls, delicate swirls and the trademark Lumino setting. I personally find the Insignia designs to be extremely elegant as it makes very good use of the curves and fine details to create feminine appearances.
The Paradiso collection features an attractive scrolling design that is made for comfort. If your recipient has an active lifestyle, this series of rings is the perfect place to start looking. In my opinion, the Paradiso designs provide a beautiful combination of form and function.
To create a snug fit and prevent the ring from slipping around, the Paradiso designs make use of a scalloped design on the underside of the shanks which matches the contours of your finger.
Finally, the guys have their own special collection of wedding bands designed by Verragio. If you are looking for individuality and want to make a fashion statement, Verragio offers some of the most original designs available in the market.
Whenever a particular product or design gets popular, it’s inevitable to see replicas and imitations being made. It’s the same with Verragio rings. However, I would caution you against buying the knock-offs for a couple of reasons.
First of all, the replicas may not produce the same level of quality and craftsmanship. Unlike the Tiffany setting (a simple plain ring), the majority of Verragio rings have intricate details and complex designs which aren’t easy to replicate. You don’t want to end up paying for a ring setting that looks like a botched job.
Secondly, even if you can find a skilled bench jeweler to custom-make a similar design, the cost will still end up being very close to what you would pay for an authentic Verragio setting. In my opinion, the hassle and risk you end up taking aren’t worth it for the small amount of money you could potentially save.
My advice? Stick with the genuine Verragio rings. Even though you may be paying slightly more for the branding, you get an assurance that the quality is going to be top-notch. The bottom line is, I don’t recommend replicas when it comes to buying designer rings.
The easiest verification you can perform is to look for a “VERRAGIO” marking which is inscribed on the internal surface of the ring’s shank. In the photograph below, I highlighted an example of such an inscription with a red box.
However, this is not a fail-proof method of verification because it’s really easy for unscrupulous replica makers to laser-inscribe a similar marking on any rings.
Unfortunately for the consumer, Verragio does not sell their products directly to the public and you have to go through an authorized retailer to make a purchase. Now, the best way to protect yourself and ensure you are getting the real deal is to make a purchase through Verragio’s authorized retailers.
Needless to say, you may want to “verify” the jeweler/person you are buying from is indeed a designated vendor by Verragio. For your convenience, you can find a list of them here.
As I mentioned earlier, Verragio only sells semi-mounts (empty setting without a center diamond) through their authorized retailers. It is up to you to select your own diamond in order to complete the ring. And this is where many consumers run into problems.
The problem here is that many of Verragio’s authorized retailers aren’t the best places for consumers to buy diamonds if you are shopping for an engagement ring. You see, most of these retailers are brick and mortar stores that have an extremely limited diamond inventory for you to choose from.
Granted, some of the physical stores may have access to online diamond inventories and can help you call in diamonds for preview if you place a deposit with them. However, the terms and conditions that usually apply in such arrangements usually put the consumer at a disadvantage.
More importantly, the cut quality of diamonds being offered usually range from being bad to mediocre. What’s the point of having a great looking designer ring setting only to have a mediocre center diamond tarnish the overall quality?
With Verragio’s authorized retailers, it’s a mixed bag. Some of the stores I visited offer a mixture of IGI, EGL, GIA graded diamonds and if you don’t know yet, EGL and IGI are some of the grading labs you need to avoid. I strongly recommend that you download my free ebook where you will learn how to avoid getting ripped off.
If you want to avoid all the problems mentioned above and save yourself the hassle of transversing across different states to look for a jeweler, I recommend WhiteFlash. Their signature A CUT ABOVE diamonds have optical performances that are second to none in the industry.
Here’s an example of a detailed listing you can expect to find at WhiteFlash. Not only do you get to see the diamond upclose with a 20X magnification, you also get access to additional information like the Sarine Report that helps connoisseurs discern the finest of details.
Besides competitive prices, White Flash also provides you with tangible optical performance information and cut data for their diamonds. In turn, you can verify the optical performance for yourself using the reference ASET chart I had compiled here.
23 Comments
I’m having trouble contacting Verragio as there isn’t any form of contact, telephone or emails listed on their official site: http://verragio.com/
Do you know anyone there? Can you point me in the right direction where I can speak to someone with regards to a recent purchase?
I understand your frustration and I know it can be really frustrating to get support when you need it. You aren’t the first person to ask me this question. Anyway, you can try to reach them on their social media pages:
https://www.facebook.com/Verragio
https://twitter.com/Verragio
They are pretty active there and you should be able to get hold of someone there. Alternatively, you may want to view the list of Verragio store locations: http://verragio.com/Store_Locator
This is a very insightful review. What do you think of Tacori and Ritani? Are they as good as Verragio’s rings? I love the Insignia 7050 design but the price is a little over my budget. I’m wondering whether they do flash sales or offer discounts during the festive seasons. When comparing tacori vs verragio settings, which brand is better?
I think Tacori and Ritani each appeal to different people. It boils down to a matter of tastes and preferences. One of the differentiators when comparing tacori vs verragio is their designs. Tacori is well known for their crescent motif while verragio uses mixed metals creatively. Ritani specializes in micro pave settings. To find out more, you can read the reviews I did for both companies:
https://beyond4cs.com/reviews/tacori/
https://beyond4cs.com/reviews/ritani/
As far as I know, sales and discounts don’t happen. You might want to consider the secondary market for a pre-owned item if you are looking for better prices.
Thanks for the insightful review! Are verragio rings good quality and long lasting? How do you feel about the pointed Parisian tips on the bottom of the band? Do you think it’s functional for everyday wear? I’m concerned it could either get damaged or make for unwanted clanging sounds. Would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks in advance!
They shouldn’t interfere with daily activities. While it may seem like the tip is very protruded in the images, you don’t actually feel the tips hitting on objects in daily wear.
Hi Paul, I found your reviews right on time. I plan on purchasing the 2 tone Veragio (gold interior/platinum exterior). If Side stones are G/H with VS, & I want a 1.2 to 1.5ct center – what should I look for? I don’t know what parameters fit my budget to make the best purchase . Would you not go lower than Excellent/Ideal Cut, H, and VS2 ? Asking because I want to maximize my budget.
I would stay within the G or H color range to maximize the value for your budget.
I got me dream verragio two months ago and I have to say, it lives up to its hype. I have a two toned, rose gold diamond inlay and white gold exterior, 0423. I literally stare at it all the time. The details are amazing.
Hi, I am trying to get verragio to customize a ring that combines the insignia 7050 and 7060, but my jeweler comes back to me saying that they won’t do it and that it defeats the purpose of having separate collections (although they are from the same collection). However, on their website they specify that they can combine THREE different rings into one and that the possibilities are endless. Do you think I’m being lied to by the jewever or that Verragio is being misled to what I want done or maybe Verragio is false advertizing? I’d appreciate your personal knowledge or opinion on what’s going on? Thank you
I’m not so sure about the details of customization you are looking at. I would recommend you get in touch with White Flash and ask them about this: https://www.whiteflash.com
I have the Insignia 7010R-GOLD setting with a stunning Forevermark center stone for 3 months. Since the beginning, different stones have been falling out on the setting. The first was on the shank and then 2 stones on the halo. Have you ever heard of this? My jewelry store, which is an authorized dealer has been great. They are sending the ring back to Verragio to be repaired and looked over.
I have heard of a couple of cases but they are extremely rare. Sorry to hear about your experience but I do have confidence that Verragio will make it right.
I love the verragio rings and I am wondering what color and clarity of diamonds look best in the verragio settings?
When it comes to designer rings, most people tend to couple them with higher colored diamonds. I would recommend G or better colors.
hi Hogger/ Paul Gian,
Verragio has online chat option now on their site. Its really annoying that such a big brand doesnt sell directly, as the stores need to contact them when they cant answer our queries. I dint find their online CS great. He seemed clueless on how to answer my query but at least i’m directly chatting to someone in Verragio!!
Cheers.
Verragio’s business model is to sell through authorized retailers. The customer service will only point you towards the list of retailers at best. If you are looking for a reliable retailer who also offers super ideal cut diamonds, you may want to check out White Flash: https://beyond4cs.com/go/wf/
hello guys, i couldnt stop thinking/looking at verragio engagement rings ever since i seen the pictures of them! i’m thinking of upgrading my engagement ring with an astor cut from blue nile, E color VVS2 1 carat centre round diamond. only thing is, verragio seems to use G colour small diamonds on their setting, and i’m considering a ring that has a cushion halo (venetion 5061 CU to be specific) surrounding the centre diamond. would this take away from my centre diamond as they’re not as high grade? And i’ve read that some people complaining about stones falling out, does anyone take out an insurance policy for their jewellery? Also, is it worth paying extra to get it in platinum rather than 14k white gold settings?
would like to hear if actual lucky receivers of these rings think they’re actually worth the buck too!
Thanks in advance paul!
The color grade differences in the melees are not an issue at all. The most important thing is that cut quality of the center stone from Blue Nile and with the Astor selection, you will generally end up with a pretty stone.
Stones fall out of settings all the time and this is something that isn’t isolated to Verragio rings. Stuff like this happen across the board with Tiffany, Cartier or other well known brands. Most of the time, it’s due to carelessness of the wearer and poor maintenance of the ring. Personally, I never believe in buying insurance for something I can afford to lose in capital value as the cost of insuring the item will far outweigh the cost of the insured goods.
I personally would prefer 14k white gold over platinum as they offer better value for money. Anyway, the cost differences between a 14k and a platinum Verragio ring aren’t that big. So, it’s really up to your personal preferences.
hello Paul. Thank u for a great review of Verragio engagement rings. Very helpful and answered most of my questions. Why do u think about 18 K white gold Insignia collection 7087R? Couple of jewelers told me I should not choose pave settings because it will wear off in about 1-2 years because diamonds on the sides are going to be rubbing off on things and eventually fall off? What do u thing about this ? Is it true? I really love this ring and about to purchase it. Thank u
Whoever told you that nonsense that you shouldn’t choose pave settings because of the reasons they stated above is outright bullshitting you and have no idea what they are talking about. Logically, are you going to be rubbing on things with your hand when you are wearing a diamond ring? Most people don’t. If you do, then you better get a comprehensive insurance coverage because the melee diamond is the least of my worry. Your center stone is going to be the costly component that is going to get lost and that has nothing to do with a pave setting but your behavior.
Hello, I’m torn between two designs of Verragio for the past 6 months and absolutely cannot decide. Which one would you prefer Parisian 151 or Venetian 5052. Which one would you prefer stylistically?
I prefer the Parisan 151 because of the rose gold wraps. It’s subtle but adds a really flavorful design element to the ring setting.