I am very impressed with Eric at Gemsetter. We approached him having acquired a stone and a ring, and learned a lot about porosity and other issues which are pervasive when getting jewelry on the Internet.
With Eric's expert advice (and some stone envy), we kept our stone and returned the overly porous setting acquired via the Internet. We went with a setting from Gemsetter's supplier (only $100 more in the end) and wound up with a beautiful engagement ring for my lovely bride-to-be.
In my opinion, Eric @ Gemsetter is the one stop shop for anyone looking to build their own ring. He is happy to work with stones you bring in, help you find the right setting, and will work around your finances in ways you'd never think possible.
I am so glad we happened upon him in our search for a gem-setter. Henceforth, all jewelry purchases we make from Arizona will come under his advisement; it truly is a remarkable value to know a veteran goldsmith who manages a jewelry shop-- he can tell you anything you want to know about the business.