If you don't want to pay the Jewler his exhorbarant prices, just go get all the comonpents yourself and ask a jewler to make the attempt for you. Most of them are more than willing to make the attempt for free in the off chance that they will get a skill increase and not lose any of thier own pp in the process.
I am only up to 207 skill now in jewelry and it makes me laugh everytime I read post or get tells from people on how much a jewelry item should cost from a non jewelers.
Even with a 250 skill level the highest item that is trivial is a Platinum Jade ring. That means that even Platinum Fire Opal rings are never trivial. I have been selling them on The Rathe for 425pp or 775pp for a pair and still don't break even selling them.
I use a ton of wis gear when I am making jewelry to cut down on failure rates, but I still was only successful 1 out of 6 tries one time making the Platinum Fire Opal rings with 207 skill and 130wis. This means my cost was 6 times 160pp or a total of 960pp just to make this one ring, so even selling it for 425pp I lost 535pp.
I have been stuck at the 207 skill now for a while and estimate my failure cost to be over 4k now just at this one skill point level. I guess I have spent a total of over 14,000pp now on failures to get my skill to this level so all you wanabe jeweler remember this skill does not pay. Once you hit 202 skill Platium is the only metal that will advance your skill so it is over 105pp for every failure you have not counting the gem cost.
I am sooooo tired of trying to explain this to people who look at a jewelry chart and see the cost of componets and think that is what a item should cost. I just send them a nice message to go find another jeweler. The person who bought the rings for 300pp or 400pp for Velium Fire Opals probably bought them from a person who got an upgrade to his rings and was just trying to get rid of them.
Well, you know that jewelry is worth what you're willing to pay, but never less than the item you're getting. Lately it's become that only "good" items have been the DBD items, and for a few people the ACHP items. Also, for those that can't quite afford the DBD, other resist gear is still a lot more affordable, and quite good, if not as versatile.
There are some items, particularly imbued, which *Cant* be topped outside of *exteremly* top end stuff, that jeweling can make. Check out Platinum Imbued Fire Opal (solusek ro) for example; 8int, 4ac, hp, mana, and fire resist, all in one ring.
There aren't too many rings around that can top that. Also check out Gold/Platinum Imbued Ivory (Tribunal.) Jeweling offers MANY rewards, for those willing to spend the time and money.
Friedrich Psitalon Guildmaster, Povar-Tarew Artisans
400pp for a Velium Fire Wedding ring?! Thats cheaper than it costs to make em, I wouldn't be to sure about that. I know at least on Brell that they standardly go for at least 600pp.
Sheesh, I don't think Jewelcrafting is worth the result at these levels. The items that you can buy in market or off mobs is better than most of the Jewelcrafting stuff...