Can''t decide between micropave or shared-prong.

[peonygirl]

First, I just wanted to say thanks for all the help ya'll have given me thus far! I really appreciate it.

I think I've narrowed down my e-ring setting/wedding band duo to two different styles: micropave (specifically Ritani: http://www.ritani.com/home_html_2.php?stone=all&cat_id=98&gender=women&page=20&get_descr=1RD1966ERP&metal=&collection=&matching=&related=&nav=&top=jewelry) and shared prong (here's the one from Signed Pieces I've been liking: http://www.thefacetscollection.com/item.cfm?item_id=2363). Unfortunately, although I've been to a ton of B&M stores in Chicago, none of them have had full-eternity shared-prong bands so I'm having trouble visualizing whether they'd look good on my finger. Until I find a store that has them (Dimend Scassi didn't have any on their websites, so I'm assuming there aren't any in-store), I feel a bit stuck. However, I was wondering what people thought were the pros and cons of these styles. Just personally, I really like the diamonds on the basket of the Ritani style, but I think the shared-prong setting would be more sparkley/glittery which is the look I'm going for. Also, what do you think of a shared-prong set with really tiny (1-2 point) stones? I love the look of a really thin band because it sets off the diamond nicely, and I was thinking about asking SP whether they could make an e-ring setting w/ super small stones. I see they already have a full diamond eternity band that's .5 ctw, so perhaps they could custom an e-ring setting to match that. Unfortunately the smallest carat weight I've seen on here has been a 1.07 eternity band, which was gorgeous but would probably look significantly different than a thinner band.

Thanks again for all your help, and sorry about the length of this post!

 

[MissAva]

Send an e-mail to Issac they normally reply in less then 24 hours. You have choosen the same two styles that I was attracted to. I decided pave was not for me becuase I was told it was not a great idea to clean it with an ultra sonic, stones can and will get lost every few years, and a few other issues which I cannot recall with out looking at past threads. In the end I am too hard on things for that to have been the right choice for me. If you look at the Half Eternity on their web page you will see that it is 2.2mm wide. That is very thin I think the Ritani bands are 1.8 mm if memory serves, that would be less then .5 mm diffrence very small. Perhaps they could make you a full eternity with stones that size, they also do 3/4 as jjaks choose, though I do not know the width of her bands. They are willing to work with you on stone size and how far around you want the diamonds to go. I went to their store front and tried on the rings. The half does go down past your finger line so it looks like a full eternity from the top, I know that some do not and it can look goofy. I loved the full eternity as well but I am so rough on my things that I am now leaning towards the half eternity. HTH

 

[mrssalvo]

they really are to totally different looks and you have to decide which you like better. I have an eterntiy band with 3 pointers, sparkles like crazy. IMO the ritani pave still sparles but it''s more subtle. so if you after bling, go for a shared prong. I love the ritani set you posted too. i wouldn''t worry to much about the pave if you get one of their settings. they are extremely welll crafted pieces and ritati designs with everyday wear in mind. butterfly 17 says she puts here set in the ultrasonic all the time and has never had a stone come out. both syles have risks you should be aware of but I honestly don''t think the risk of either would prevent me from purchasing it. for me , choosing a setting is so hard, so you''ll have to go with the one you like the best..

have you seen this thread with tons of pics of eternity wedding sets, both shared prong and pave...good luck, they are both beautiful..

 

[peonygirl]

Thanks so much for your replies. I'm definitely leaning toward shared-prong now. Would 3/4 eternity be the best for my needs (don't want to have to worry about slight spinning and resizing), or should I get full eternity or almost full eternity with a tiny place to resize? Or is resizing not a huge issue (I'm 22 now, and while I don't think I'm going to grow anymore I've heard of people's fingers getting bigger as they age)? I have a ring with 1/2 eternity right now and I really don't like that the metal shows a bit from the side (although it sounds like that isn't a big problem w/ SP).

I like jjack's shared-prong even though it's a bit on the thick size for me; is it around 2.4 mm?

I guess the last thing to add is whether I'm supposed to get SP to set the diamond when I buy the band, or the place I buy the diamond from? I know my boyfriend likes the idea of getting a diamond from the internet so it will probably be from Whiteflash or one of the other Pricescope vendors.

Edited to add: if I got a really thin prong-set band (1.7-2mm), would there be an issue with the prongs looking huge next to the diamonds? Or would SP just use really small prongs (and keep all the proportions the same) to accomodate the smaller diamonds? Thanks!

 

[Demelza]

I have a full eternity wedding set from Signed Pieces. My rings are about 2.3 mm. Many jewelers on here don''t recommend going any thinner than 2mm because it might impact the structural integrity of the ring. The set is indeed beautiful and very sparkly. If you want lots of bling, shared prong is the way to go. I''m not wanting to discourage you from this set, but you should be aware that there is the potential for problems with wearing 2 shared prong rings together. Because the girdles of the diamonds are exposed, there is the potential for scratching and chipping as the diamonds in one ring rub against those in the other. You also may find that the prongs on your center stone will get scratched from the diamonds in the wedding band (although this depends on how the head is installed). I am in the process of changing my wedding set in part because of this concern. Again, I don''t want to discourage you from buying a shared prong set. They''re very beautiful and you probably won''t have problems. I have heard that the Memoire eternity set has found a way around this. I don''t know how, but might be worth checking out. They are, unfortunately, much more $$$ than SP. Good luck and can''t wait to see your new rings!!

 

[peonygirl]

Demelza, do you think this problem would be alleviated somewhat if I got a 3/4 eternity instead of a full eternity? I was under the impression that the chipping is more of a problem on the bottom of the band since people tend to be rougher on it. But I understand what you mean about the prongs on the center stone getting worn; that would be very unfortunate.

Also, do you think it would be helpful if I got the band a little bit tighter so it wouldn''t spin or move very much? Perhaps that would help reduce the amount of grinding between the bands?

Thanks again for your help!

 

[peonygirl]

Also, it doesn''t seem like there''s any warranty information on the SP website. I know they have a 30 day money back guarantee, but what if something goes wrong after that time (like a stone falls out)? Will they replace the stone for free?

 

[Mara]

the interesting thing is that people with shared prongs who get eternity so far do not complain about the diamonds on the bottom of the setting, it''s more about the diamonds in the shared prong eating away at the other ring''s prongs etc. so i don''t know that 1/2 eternity or 3/4 would alleviate that problem at all.

i have an eternity band with prong set stones. it''s a bit more metal but i don''t have the problem with anything falling out, coming loose in the ultrasonic or rubbing diamond to metal or diamond to diamond. it''s a hassle-free way to set the stones if you want full eternity.

sometimes i look at the micropave styles wistfully but then i hear all the various complaints on here about one thing or the other and im glad we went with my set the way it is.

good luck!!!

 

[peonygirl]

Hmm, so this "eating away the other ring''s prongs" problem is an issue with platinum as well as white gold? I still really love the look of the shared prongs, but I''m not clear about the warranty on them. If it''s good enough I suppose it would be worth the risk.

 

[Demelza]

I agree with Mara. I don''t think the problem would be eliminated by going 1/2 or 3/4 around. There would, however, be fewer diamonds and therefore less contact. But there will still likely be rubbing girdles. Re: SP warranty: I would ask them what their policy is and have them put it in writing. When I originally bought my set, I asked if there would be any problem with rubbing girdles. They said no. Well, even though I haven''t had any chipped stones (that I know of -- I don''t inspect with a loupe because I just can''t deal), the girdles definitely do touch. And the prongs on my center stone are totally scratched. When I told them about this, they seemed surprised (hard to imagine, but whatever) and said they would stand behind their product. They were even going to allow me to trade in my engagement ring mounting for somthing else. Wish I had done that. Anyway, I think you will find that they will be very accommodating. Good luck!

 

[Mara]

diamonds rubbing on anything other than a diamond will eat away at it over time. diamonds rubbing on diamonds would eat away at each other's girdles over time.

the shared prong styles are lovely but i'd probably do micropave with bead sets in a slight channel wall setting more like the ritani between the two options. i couldn't deal with the shared prong hassles.

 

[MissAva]

I do not think you will be able to find a place that will replace a stone for free, the time and money simply is too much for them to do this. With the SP set the half eternity rings did not quite sit flush, so with that pareticular brand in that style they will not rub, I do not know about the 3/4 you may want to PM jjaks and ask her to see what she says.
Also if you are going back and forth between full and half eternity PM Ame she is super friendly and was willing to go over the pros and cons of her full eternity wedding band which she just had made into a half.
I think you first need to determine which ones look best on your hand, and with the size of the stone you are thinking of. It makes a huge diffrence.

 

[pebbles]

This setting from Gottlieb & Sons is kind of like Mara's set. It looks like each stone is held by 4 prongs, so there would be no rubbing issues. It looks thinner and daintier than the SP shared prong set.

Try this link:

http://www.gottlieb-sons.com/products/25316/still.jpg

This one by Gottlieb is shared prong. It has a .10ct round on each side of the center stone. It's very dainty. The rest of the side stones are 2 points each:

http://www.gottlieb-sons.com/products/26108/still.jpg

ETA: Sorry! I am so bad at attaching pictures!

 

[peonygirl]

Matatora, I'm planning to get 2mm bands custom-made for the e-ring and wedding rings. I guess there's really no way of knowing this, but do you think it's possible that with such small diamonds the rubbing together issue would be less problematic?

I'm probably dreaming here.

Also, I'm surprised you say that nowhere will replace a fallen-out stone for free. Every mall B&M place we went to last weekend said they had a lifetime guarantee even on the melee.

 

[Mara]

Places will replace melee for free depending on policies but you should be sure to get the information/warranty in writing...and also figure out what they mean by wear and tear etc because if their warranty is that they will fix things not related to 'regular wear and tear'.

Unless your rings are built so that the diamonds do not touch at all, or that metal is not touching any of the stones (aka built with a small gap between etc) then you will probably have issues over time regardless of stone size...etc.

 

[MissAva]

Check the fine print on that...you will find it to be pretty empty. Or at least I did.
As for the size issue it may or may not be an issue. I would email Issac he has been prompt and polite in all of our correspondence. Also after Dem had her issues I was told by the people of Facets that they were re working the setting to eliminate this problem. Also Whiteflash makes a similar ring if you want more info about the differences they can be found here.
Hope this helps