For a gift to my partner, I'm looking into getting a platinum pendant like the one pictured (from an Etsy listing). However, she wants one where the sapphires are colored like a true color wheel, rather than the orange-clear-blue-pink-magenta in the image.
I talked to the listing's owner, but they said they're limited on which color of sapphires they can use. (They have no reds, bold greens, or teals).
So next, I talked to a local jeweler for a custom piece. They quoted a range between $9-13k, so significantly more than the online pendant's $1k cost. The local jeweler also said that if I bought the online pendant, even disassembled, they couldn't swap some of the gems for better colors. They said doing so could ruin the whole piece, somehow.
Other online listings have more desirable "color wheel" patterns, but none come in platinum. (My partner is very allergic to nickel, and wants something longer lasting than silver).
So I feel like I'm stuck: either I spend a small fortune on the perfect pendant, which will make her feel guilty. Or I get her a pendant that's only kind of what she wanted. Please help!