Tension ring help for a long distance couple-lots of Questions!

[easterchild]

Hi everyone,

I'm new here and this is my first post.

I happened to come across this forum while browsing the net for ring designs/settings and it was thanks to this forum and a particular poster's picture that I heard about Gelin Abaci tension set rings.
I saw that pic and went nuts!

My problem is that my boyfriend lives in the USA (New York, though he's currently finishing his MBA studies in Pennsylvania) and I live in Sri Lanka (South Asia, just below India). The distance makes it harder for us to organise an engagement ring.

Anyways, I went to the jewellers today, tried on some rings and also checked out my US ring size. I'm a size 5 1/2 and my fingers are medium lenght and taper slightly. I had a ring with a 1/2 carat diamond on it-set in a 6 prong setting-and it looks small on my finger. I checked to see how a 1 carat round diamond looks...I have to say it looks pretty Faboo!

I don't have pics but I can also tell you that a .75 princess cut diamond (looks about the size of a 1 carat round) looked good on my hands. My fingers till looked nice and long...

Okay here's what i am sure about...

1. I definitely want a Gelin Abaci tension set ring

2. As for design, my boyfriend mentioned the TR-040 and I can't take my eyes off the TR-007 I think the pic I see just looks so darn gorgeous! I think the ones with the daimond raised as opposed to having a clasp like gadget will work best for my hand. More of the diamond on show, after all!

3. A 1 carat diamond should be about right and we also have my ring size now...definitely round diamond.


Questions, questions????

1. Can my boyfriend buy a diamond through one of his jewllers and have it set by another jeweller? I have heard a lot about Mickey Roof and I believe it happens to be in New York too. Any recommendations?

2. Has anyone had any problems with tension settings? i.e. Loosing a diamond?

3. Can the tip of the diamond (bottom) cut into the skin if the ring is made improperly? I read about that somewhere. 5 1/2 is my exact size but will they have to make it bigger because of ring thickness and the tension mount?


Sorry, I know I have bombarded you with a tonne of questions...please bear with me as I only very recently got the hang od the whole diamond thingy...see, dad was the only person who ever got me a ring...so as you can imagine, I'm totally in a daze right now!

Any comments, help will be so appreciated. If there is further info I need to provide, please do ask...

Thank you so much...btw, this place looks great, the folks look nice and I'm really glad I stumbled upon it.

God Bless,

Pascha

 

[paulsiu]

1. Depends. Some store will allow you to bring in your own stone. Some will not. Tension rings are generally set by the manufacturer, so it will probably be sent out. A warning about tension ring, they may not be resizable in the future. Check with the manufacturer or vendor.

2. Poorly constructed tension ring will result in loss of stone. Most jewelers do not have the metallurgy background to craft such a ring. I believe Gelin Abaci is one of the reputable vendor though.

3. Only if they made incorrectly. The arms on tension rings are usually thick and massive and so should be able to handle most stones. Again, you''ll probably have to check with the vendor or manufacturer.

Paul

 

[Sundial]

First of all welcome to pricescope! I''m afraid that I have not personally had any experience with tension settings, but the designs you are considering are just gorgeous! You might try doing a search on tension settings to see what experience others may have had with them. I have heard that they do suggest a thicker girdle on the diamond for those kind of settings. Have fun with your ring search!!!

 

[valeria101]

Beautiful setting!

Nothing to add, really...

... just a link to another maker of tension settings Kretchmer

The sizing issue is treted one way or another by the makers of tension rings. Even if you order through a local jeweler, it may help to ask directly the maker what their policy (or cost for resizing) is and if it does vary from one seller to the next.

 

[Garysax]

I'm getting a G+A tension once I find the right diamond, and Mickey Roof has been treating me extremely well in their correspondences with me. Obviously I have no idea what the finished product will be/how that will come out but thus far they have been very communicative and helpful.

Prices are pretty good too for G+A rings.

OTOH you might want to look out of state, say dimend asaaci (sp?) who I have heard do a good job with these rings--that way you won't have to pay sales tax and can save some money.

 

[Rod]

I love the setting, but be careful. I actually wanted to get that setting, but chose a semi-tension mount for a few good reasons:

1. True tension mounts are VERY difficult if ever to resize

2. It is possible to lose the stone out of a tension mount

3. The girdle of the stone needs to be thicker to handle the pressure involved in a tension mount

4. My jeweler, a quality custom shop, would not make a tension mount ring for me

I would post a picture of the ring I had made, which turned out great in platinum, but I just can''t seem to repost the picture. Use the search bar and type in "three more days" and you will be taken to my post and pictures.

Best wishes with whatever you decide to do.........

 

[easterchild]

Paul, lots of sound advice there and I have emailed my boyfriend about those details. Thanks so much!

Yes, regarding resizing it's really important. I have told him to ensure that its Gelin Abaci and that he deals with a reputed Gelin Abaci dealer. I told him about resizing and about the thickness at the mount section.

Forgive me, my tech savinnes with regard to diamonds and mounts is laughable...excuse the newbie!

Sundial, yes I'm currently doing loads of browsing and I'm also reading up what other tension ring buyers are saying on this board. The reports look lovely-when the rings have turned out all right. Ofcourse I guess I'm all nerves coz my sweetie is over there trying to sort it out and I'm here.

Oh and thanks about the setting..it's simple but shows off the rock doesn't it?

And many thanks for the welcome.

Thank you Ana, I hadn't heard of these settings until just a week or so ago and it was all thanks to this forum and the posters here.

Oh I will check out the link you've given me as well.

Thank you!

Garysax-ooh, someone who's actually getting one made at the moment...may I PM you regarding info? Anything you can tell me about how you went about getting the ring done will help. If it's all right with you that is.
And you recommendation of Mickey Roof has only further encouraged me to ask my boyf to go through them. Plus, they are in New York aren't they?

dimend SCAASI, yes checked out their designs-lovely stuff and they have one of mine. Actually that's where my sweetie noticed the TR-040 first. I don't think they have the TR-007 though. But re cost cutting its a good option, is it? I have emailed him loads of links today...poor guy is gonna go nuts.

Rod I'm in the process of checking you pics. I tried searching but I must have made a boo boo somewhere. I will give it another go As for the advice...thank you again. I see the importance of going through the Gelin Abaci dealers...for good reason to. I don't want the rock going for a walk!

And regarding the thicknes of the girdle...yes, in fact one design seems to hold it better. But i guess a good chat with the jeweller will help sort things out.


Loads more to do now...I hope you will all bear with me. You have been such amazing help...and to a newbie too. Thank so much, I'll keep you posted as to how my sweetie is getting about the ring search!


God Bless,

Pash

 

[paulsiu]

I have heard that dimend SCAASI in Chicago is a good firm. Seemed to recall that they mention a guy name Issac there. If you do a search on dimend, you can probably find posters who have use them.

As for stone vulnerability, a tension mount (if done correctly) is actually more secure than prongs. Your stone is pinch between two massive arm under very high pressure. Unlike prongs, you do not need to worry about the stone coming loose and having to reset it.

Most tension ring cannot be set in stores because they are typically heat treated to increase the strength. This is also why most tension rings tend to be diamond since the heat treatment will damage other gems. This also mean they are beyond the technical means of most jeweler maker.

Paul

 

[easterchild]

Paul-That explanation certainly helped me understand a bit more about the setting. Yes, apparently most people do wonder about whether a diamond can get lost and have to be reassured by the jewellers who deal with Gelin Abaci rings.

I told my boyf to check on Mickey Roof coz he's closer New York. Plus he has friends there who can help out.
But your suggestion about dimend is a nice one...thank you Paul. I will do a search read up on them as well.


Question
Oh does anyone know about/recommend sndgems?
They also do Gelin Abaci tension rings, they offer to resize them as well as remake them later on if need be.And they will set a stone provided by the customer...


God Bless,

Pash

 

[Garysax]

Date: 1/24/2006 11:19:55 PM
Author: easterchild
Paul-That explanation certainly helped me understand a bit more about the setting. Yes, apparently most people do wonder about whether a diamond can get lost and have to be reassured by the jewellers who deal with Gelin Abaci rings.

I told my boyf to check on Mickey Roof coz he's closer New York. Plus he has friends there who can help out.

But your suggestion about dimend is a nice one...thank you Paul. I will do a search read up on them as well.



Question

Oh does anyone know about/recommend sndgems?

They also do Gelin Abaci tension rings, they offer to resize them as well as remake them later on if need be.And they will set a stone provided by the customer...



God Bless,


Pash

Mickey Roof also has a resize plan if you need it--it has to get sent back to G+A and remade but better than rebuying the setting, that's for sure. I don't remember the particulars off the top of my head but it isn't terribly expensive (100$, maybe less)... I guess they figure they have to offer that service so that people will purchase the rings--so I suspect you might find such a replacement plan at most places that sell G+A.

Also, my ring isn't being made yet, so I can't tell you much about that, but everything is in place once I buy my diamond and send it to them.

The one nice thing about shopping tensions from G+A is that you know you're getting the same product wherever you're shopping it, since it all goes to the same place to be created anyway. So price comparisons are very easy and you don't need to worry much about quality differences over jewelers.

 

[easterchild]

Gary-Yes, that resizing plan was also a huge bonus. I heard about it while reading up. And at that price it sounds reasonable too.

Thank you for the response Gary because I am more and more confident about the idea of both the Gelin Abaci tension setting and getting it through Mickey Roof.

My boyf will have to check on the diamond first and then he'll be going up to New York next week sometime, I think....Then he'll check out Mickey Roof along with his friends, one of whom is a girl so it will help to have her perspective too.

Oh I cannot wait to see pics of your ring when it's made.

I'll be looking out for that.

There are so many that at first I thought I would go a bit nuts...then I saw a few that I liked...and one or two that I loved...

If you don't mind me asking Gary, which tension design is it?


God Bless,

Pash

 

[JoangA]

Welcome.

I have a tension ring from Kretchmer, the stone is 1.2, and I have had no problems with it. Yes it''s true they can''t be resized, but that''s an incentive not to gain to much weight!!

Even when my fingers swell, the diamond point does not press into my finger. I do not wear my rings around the house and garden though, also don''t sleep in it. I am carefull with it.

As mentioned the bands need to be thicker so be sure your OK with that.

Good Luck, and enjoy!

 

[Garysax]

Pascha--

I am getting a TR-105 with purple sapphire sidestones instead of diamonds for her.

If you haven''t seen them in person, it is important that you go and see one in person or have someone you trust w/your taste go and see them. They tend to be heavy and large bands, the G+A pictures are a little deceptive as they do not have the bands in relation to anything--my intended didn''t mind as she has large fingers; she didn''t want an extremely delicate band at all so it was actually a plus. But definitely have either your intended, if he has a good feel for your taste, or a girlfriend you trust go and look at them in person as they are rather exotic.

Good luck.