Have to Decide SOON - Help!!

[AmberGretchen]

Hi everyone - exciting news is that my bf just got his profit-sharing bonus for the year and so we now have enough money to finish paying for the ring!!  We are schedule to go next Saturday morning and make a final decision about the stone and the setting, but I am wavering about the setting!  So I need serious opinions about this - overall, I want something classic and fairly simple that I can wear every day ( I am a grad student, will be a scientist, so can''t be super-fancy), it can''t sit very high because I am both active and a klutz and ideally I would like to be able to wear it under my gloves at the lab (btw, does anyone have experience with this - can you put it on a chain safely when you are working with dangerous things??  If so, what kind of chain?).

Anyway, so I have narrowed it down to three main options.  The first is what we have already picked out, which is a simple round with bullet sides that are long and tapered.  The bullets are set such that they create a kind of channel that the diamond we picked out fits perfectly down into and we would just have them bring prongs up on the four corners to make it secure.  The diamond is a .86 ct E VS2, GIA cert ideal cut with really nice hearts and arrows.  The total ctw of the side stones in this ring is .47 ct.  It looks very similar to a classic round center and baguette sides, but with a bit of a twist and more practical for me to wear.

One of the other two things I love are the really delicate pave or channel or bead set bands with just the diamond in the center, no side stones.  This is the style I want for my w ring (not full eternity for resizing purposes, but all the way across the front of the finger) and at first I thought that would be too much sparkle but I tried on a really beautiful set in BB&B yesterday, very delicate, and it looked gorgeous.  The other thing I love is a round center with pear sides, either as in the picture attached or as in another one I will try to attach - please let me know if they work.

The upside of the plain pave band is it would probably be less expensive so we might be able to get a bigger center if that''s what I want, but my hands are really small even though my ring size isn''t and I think I''ve decided that that is because my fingers are deep if that makes any sense, and so the space across the front isn''t very large.

Anyway, I will try to attach pics of all my current favorites for the pear sides and pave - I haven''t found any pictures that look like the original ring we picked.  Opinions ASAP please because I have to make a decision (I know, rough life...

)

Thanks!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Here''s another version of the pear sides that I really like...

 

[AmberGretchen]

And a pretty good example of the delicate small diamond band look I like, although this is bead set as opposed to pave...

 

[AmberGretchen]

Here is one that looks really similar to the one I tried on at BB&B

 

[teebee]

Hi AmberGretchen!! Beautiful choices!! I''m not sure that I should vote because I''m pretty biased towards something like your last picture because it is similar to what I have.

Although, my ring is not pave or bead set ~ the melee diamonds are on shared prong, which made me feel a little better about the klutz factor. In person, the band looks very thin and quite delicate, but in a simplistic way. What I love about this setting is that it is very sparkly and "pure bling" as one of my friends put it because you don''t really see anything but diamonds ~ but it is also still very simple and not overly ornate for my style... So, the specifics: the stone is 1.01c, the band is 2.3mm wide w/ .02 melee, size 5.5:

Aside from that, I have to say that the first two settings you posted were beautiful as well!! I don''t know anything about wearing a ring with gloves, but I will most likely encounter that situation eventually as well, since I''m trying to get into a dental hygiene program. For right now, I''ve been carrying my ring box in my purse to put it away during my chemistry lab... I would think that a chain could be an option ~ but have no idea what kind of chain?

 

[northstar_78]

Ohhh...I like both! I do like the idea of a three-stone ring but I have a soft spot for Pave bands...they look so beautiful! Maybe you could have your enagement ring as the three-stone (the pears look great!) and have a pave'' wedding band?

 

[allycat0303]

AmberGretchen: Well it''s a nice problem to have! I have a ring that is somewhat like choice a. Except it is a sapphire rectangle with trillion. I like it. I wore it under my latex gloves during my master''s degree (i wore medium instead of small gloves) However, I wasn''t working with anything that was highly toxic or biohazardous. That being said, my sapphire ring isn''t really my style and like Teebee, I have a very strong preference for PAVE. Love it. I think of it this way: Sidestone (choice A) resemble more of a thick band of diamonds accross the finger. Choice B, more of a slender band with a big diamond on the center. I think pave makes the center stone more the focus, while choice A has a higher bling factor. It all depends on what you like more! Good luck with your decision.

 

[MelissaSue]

i love solitaires with the pave band. I have a three stone e-ring which I adore.. but everytime I see a girl with a solitaire with a delicate little pave band I just about faint. The thinner the band.. the better. I would go that way.. and then you can get a 3 stone later on for an anniversary band!

 

[Blue824]

I actually like choice #2 the best, but they''re all very beautiful choices so you can''t really go wrong. Have you tried them all on already to see what you like the best? Good luck!! Can''t wait til that''s my problem

 

[AmberGretchen]

Thanks for all the advice everyone - I am trying to get as many knowledgeable opinions as possible.

Teebee - your ring was actually what really inspired me to start looking at that style of ring - I think its gorgeous, although I would need something set lower. Thanks for the thoughts.

MelissaSue - I really like your ring as well, although bf doesn''t so I would probably be looking at something more like the 3 stone D Vatche classic style (as opposed to the truffle-like style) with either the bullet or the pear sides

I have a few more questions for you girls - I have a pretty good sense of pricing on the 2 3-stone options, but what might the prices be like on the pave band ring? I would want it small and delicate, as suggested, with diamonds not all the way aorund so it could be resized. Any good websites that have prices on these? Are bead set vs. channel set vs. shared prong priced significantly differently or is it more a function of the size/quality of the diamonds?

Thanks again everyone for the advice - this is a really big decision and I want to make it as well as possible. I have to admit I am leaning towards the pave band right now, but by next Saturday, who knows...

Thanks

 

[teebee]

Date: 2/6/2005 8

9:49 PM
Author: AmberGretchen
Thanks for all the advice everyone - I am trying to get as many knowledgeable opinions as possible.

Teebee - your ring was actually what really inspired me to start looking at that style of ring - I think its gorgeous, although I would need something set lower. Thanks for the thoughts.

MelissaSue - I really like your ring as well, although bf doesn''t so I would probably be looking at something more like the 3 stone D Vatche classic style (as opposed to the truffle-like style) with either the bullet or the pear sides

I have a few more questions for you girls - I have a pretty good sense of pricing on the 2 3-stone options, but what might the prices be like on the pave band ring? I would want it small and delicate, as suggested, with diamonds not all the way aorund so it could be resized. Any good websites that have prices on these? Are bead set vs. channel set vs. shared prong priced significantly differently or is it more a function of the size/quality of the diamonds?

Thanks again everyone for the advice - this is a really big decision and I want to make it as well as possible. I have to admit I am leaning towards the pave band right now, but by next Saturday, who knows...

Thanks

Awww thanks!!! As for pricing... wow, it just runs the gammut ~ and I haven''t seen a lot of websites with prices on this particular type of setting. I think if you''re not going the ultra expensive route (Michael B) then you''re probably looking at around $1200 - $1800. I think the lowest quote I got by far was from Signed Pieces (I think you posted one of theirs?). I emailed them to ask how much the setting would be w/out center stone or wedding bands and the price was so low that at first I thought he''d misunderstood me. I will PM you... As for how channel/bead/prong setting the melee affects the price, I really don''t know ~ I would think that it mainly is a function of labor and how much craftsmanship is required for each of those. My uneducated guess is that bead setting may be the most expensive of the three options, followed by prong, then channel ~ but I seriously have no idea how much the price is affected by it. Although, I would also guess that how many melee diamonds and what type of metal would affect the price more? I dunno...

 

[fortheloveofdiamonds]

Michael B. settings run from mid - $2000 range for an eternity pave band... he does not make half-eternity..

 

[MelissaSue]

I thought we decided in that other thread that the jaffe half-eternity band style was right around $1000 for the e-ring and like $800 for the matching band. I guess a LOT of this depends on whether we are talking platinum or gold though too!

 

[flopkins]

thought I would pipe in on this issue -
I, of course, love the three stone look bc thats what I have!

On the glove/lab question, the sizes of center and side stones you give are approx the same as the ring I have, and I have worn my ering in lab all day every day for the past... 3 months, and it's been fine. in fact, one of the reasons I preferred the 3 stone over the solitare is the solitare diamond 'sticks out' a lot, and might catch on things more easily/be uncomfortable ... although that is just pure speculation on my part.

As for the pave and wedding band, I LOVE LOVE LOVE pave/eternity styles, and actually love the look of the 3stone w/eternity w-band. however, that being said, I'm going with a plain wedding band, because I am not that careful w/my hands and I work w/my hands all day, and I don't want to worry about it... i get the impression the pave/eternity styles are a tad more delicate.

Bottom line, I think you should get what you love but what you're most comfortable with, because you'll be wearing it every day! (hopefully!

)

Edited to add: And about having the ring on a chain when working w/dangerous things, I am of the opinion that if the gloves/protective gear I'm wearing don't protect my hands/body from whatever I'm working with, my primary concern wouldn't be about my ring, it would be about my personal safety!!!!

 

[blue_chica]

AmberGretchen: WHEEEE!! How exciting!

I think the first three stone ring you posted is my favorite, based on your considerations. Someone mentioned that the three stone setting keeps the ring from having a protruding solitaire, which would likely make gloves easier, though gloves are pretty strong nowadays, right? My setting is a solitaire but the shank comes up almost to the top of the setting, so it "feels" low. I don''t catch it on anything on the sides, though it does get pushed a little forward a back (not sure how you''d avoid that). The pave is gorgeous though too. I''m planning on getting a semi-eternity band for my wedding ring, which you can''t do with pave (I''ve heard it can damage the pave).

Also, re: chain - I was wondering the same thing because I do pottery and play sports etc. and will need to take it off frequently. Two jewelers told me to never put it on a chain because the metals will wear against each other and scratch or damage the ring. They suggested a strong string or leather cord. Personally I''m not entirely happy with that solution either, but am going to look into it.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Thanks for all the advice again everyone...

I have to say though, I think I am even less sure than before now. In terms of the gloves thing, I agree flopkins that they should be protecting me, but the dangerous stuff I work with is infectious stuff, and so I guess I''m thinking that on the off (and scary) chance that something got through the glove, it would be much easier to disinfect my hand or a piece of clothing than my e-ring.

With the chain, I wonder if a platinum chain would make a difference (the ring will be platinum)? Also, I guess I''m a little confused about pave vs. melee and whether they can both be in channel, bead set, shared prong etc... or whether these are only able to be set in particular ways. I guess I''m getting the impressing from what people are saying that non-pave is the most sturdy, and I think I would be willing to trade down a teeny bit in the delicate look of the ring for it to hold up to my very active lifestyle... Is there a difference in how sturdy shared-prong vs. channel vs. bead set are? I know I''m asking a lot of questions, and if there has been a thread about this, please post the link and I will check that out...

Thanks again everyone for the advice, and blue chica - super congrats - your ring is beautiful and it sounds like you are so happy

 

[blue_chica]

Thanks AmberGretchen - I am so happy. I''ve been trying to work fiance into every sentence. It''s not as hard as it sounds.

I don''t think a platinum chain would help matters. Actually, although platinum is very hard, it''s easily scratched, so a platinum chain would most likely just make it worse. I''m not sure about the relative sturdinesses of various pave setting methods, though I would think channel-set is the most sturdy since only the tops of the diamonds are exposed.

 

[teebee]

Date: 2/7/2005 12:44:11 PM
Author: AmberGretchen
Thanks for all the advice again everyone...

I have to say though, I think I am even less sure than before now. In terms of the gloves thing, I agree flopkins that they should be protecting me, but the dangerous stuff I work with is infectious stuff, and so I guess I''m thinking that on the off (and scary) chance that something got through the glove, it would be much easier to disinfect my hand or a piece of clothing than my e-ring.

With the chain, I wonder if a platinum chain would make a difference (the ring will be platinum)? Also, I guess I''m a little confused about pave vs. melee and whether they can both be in channel, bead set, shared prong etc... or whether these are only able to be set in particular ways. I guess I''m getting the impressing from what people are saying that non-pave is the most sturdy, and I think I would be willing to trade down a teeny bit in the delicate look of the ring for it to hold up to my very active lifestyle... Is there a difference in how sturdy shared-prong vs. channel vs. bead set are? I know I''m asking a lot of questions, and if there has been a thread about this, please post the link and I will check that out...

Thanks again everyone for the advice, and blue chica - super congrats - your ring is beautiful and it sounds like you are so happy

It''s easy to get confused isn''t it? I''m still not absolutely clear on what the difference is between bead set and pave... There are some good threads that I remember reading on Rocky Talky, if I get a chance I will look for them. Um, I *think* that pave is the visual outcome or effect but how that effect is achieved can vary ~ like you can bead set the diamonds to achieve a pave look...??? That''s how it is organized in my brain but I could be way off. Oh, one thing that may clarify things a little ~ melee is simply the term used for the teeny tiny diamonds that are used in the setting, whether it be a channel, bead, prong setting... So, in other words, my melee diamonds are set in shared prongs, some melee diamonds are bead set, some melee are channel set, etc. From what I can recall, I think I remember someone saying that if the bead set is done well, it is incredibly sturdy, but that kind of work is highly detailed & requires a high level of craftsmanship. I guess I feel pretty comfortable with the shared prongs mainly because I can SEE them (not much, but they''re there) and some of the rings I looked at I couldn''t even tell how they were set ~ beautiful, but it made me nervous!!

As for the gloves... I still can''t really help you there... Can you double up? Also, wouldn''t the ring be subjected to a greater probability of contamination if it were hanging on a chain than protected inside of a glove? I''m clueless about this though so please forgive my ignorance.

 

[AmberGretchen]

hi teebee - I did find some helpful threads when I searched for "pave" - they seemed to say that pave refers specifically to more than one row of diamonds and they are set in a hexagonal pattern with beads in between (I think)? You would think being a scientist-in-training this would be a little easier for me to understand...on the other hand I haven''t been sleeping super-well because of all the excitement and so thats always a good excuse. Also, I just wanted to say that the more I look at your ring the more I love how delicate it looks. Are you getting a similar (shared prong) w band?

The reason I was concerned about gloves is because my brother, an NP, told me that medical/scientific people shouldn''t wear rings because they are magnets for bacteria and so I should take it off when I am working. That said, what I am most concerned about is that I do work in a biohazard level 3 lab a fair amount, with infectious blood and human tissues, (although no bacteria), and so I was trying to figure out how it would have the least chance of being contaminated. We do have to double-glove in the BL3 anyway, so maybe that is sufficient. There''s a girl in my lab who just got married - I will ask her what she does.

I am also not sure what people do when they go to the gym. I have a lock that I put on the locker, but is that sufficient? Is it safer to wear the ring while working out? I guess I am just paranoid - I mean, bf has assured me that the ring will be well insured but I know it will be very meaningful to both of us and I want to make sure that I am keeping it as safe as possible, but I also want to wear it all the time, as much as possible.

 

[teebee]

I know what you mean ~ sometimes I just can''t picture something that is being explained and it just makes me feel stupid!! But I''m kinda visual so at times transferring words into a visual representation is difficult for me.

Anyhow, yes, I''m planning on getting a shared prong wedding band made to match ~ although I have to say that I really do love the look of the ring by itself!!

I would definitely ask some other people at the lab what they do or would suggest ~ I know you can''t be the only person that has encountered this situation.

As for the gym ~ if I''m doing cardio only, I usually just leave it on because I know that it''s there & don''t have to be paranoid about someone getting into my locker. If I''m doing any strength training w/ free weights then I usually put the ring in it''s box inside of my purse which I lock inside my trunk while I''m inside. Since I keep my gym bag in my trunk, I just switch out the purse for the gym bag going in, then the gym bag for the purse when I come out. I guess my car could get stolen...

 

[honeynut]

Is there any way to get the three stone on a pave band?? I''ve never actually seeon one like that before

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 2/7/2005 10:54:21 PM
Author: honeynut
Is there any way to get the three stone on a pave band?? I''ve never actually seeon one like that before

Honeynut,
Here''s a pic of a leon 3 stone with pave