So my Jeff White sapphire is all boxed up.....just gotta figure out who to send it to....some feedba

[DianaBanana]

I''ve got a few things to figure out before I send my little beauty out to get set.....

First things first...well maybe this shouldn''t be first but this is what is causing me the most turmoil..... which designer to send it to. I''ve got quotes from Joe Escobar, they made MissRocks beautiful sapphire ring which is my inspiration, Leon Mege - enough said, and Ocean who is an amazing talent and a wonderful person. Any guesses on which quote was the least/most expensive?

Second - gallery design....I''m torn between the pave and the filigree. Thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated!

Third - proportion of the side stones...Erik from Joe Escobar has shown me a couple of different options on a stone similar in size to my 7 x 7.5mm sapphire. I''m thinking something in between the sizes shown would be best but I think my neuroticism is showing

...I am difficult to please!

I''ve attached all my ideas in this collage...2 different gallery designs, side stone choices, my sapphire, MissRocks sapphire ring which is the inspiration and a sketch of my dream ring (well, scaled down dream ring - I wish this was a 5 carat stone!

).

All your feedback was so helpful in the finding and keeping of my sapphire, I hope you won''t mind helping me with this stage of my project as well!

Many thanks in advance,

Diana

 

[FrekeChild]

Um I think I''d do filigree. It looks less...cluttered? Not to mention that''s less pave to worry about, And have you though of what kind of wedding band you''ll wear with this? (It is an ering right? I''ve been slacking a bit recently...)

 

[DianaBanana]

Date: 4/24/2009 2:19:07 AM
Author: FrekeChild
Um I think I'd do filigree. It looks less...cluttered? Not to mention that's less pave to worry about, And have you though of what kind of wedding band you'll wear with this? (It is an ering right? I've been slacking a bit recently...)

Thanks Freke....I'm leaning towards the filigree. My goal is to create an heirloom piece that will have timeless appeal, I have two daughters and I would love it if they enjoy wearing this ring 15-20 years down the road (they are 12 and 18 now).

This will be another left hand/e-ring...I have a platinum pave'd Tacori set with an Asscher center and a wide yellow gold native indian carved wedding ring that I switch up depending on what activity I'm doing and what metal I want to wear. I may get a matching pave band at some point but I'll try to be content for a while!

 

[ma re]

Another vote for filigree; with all the diamonds you plan on top, you don''t really need any extra on the gallery. What''s the mm size of the stone again? BTW, when it comes to side stones, are you sure you don''t want anything but pears? I have a feeling trillions might also work great with the cushion. In terms of size, I don''t think any of the options you showed above would work great - I''d say get something in between.

 

[Pieface]

Date: 4/24/2009 2:38:57 AM
Author: DianaBanana
...I'm leaning towards the filigree. My goal is to create an heirloom piece that will have timeless appeal, I have two daughters and I would love it if they enjoy wearing this ring 15-20 years down the road (they are 12 and 18 now)....

I'd buy two rings then. This project is sure to inspire jealousy between them!!

I second the call for filigree. Tastefully done I think it has a timeless "classic" feel that I'm not sure pave will maintain. I can see pave moving in and out of fashion so to speak. With such a beautiful centre I'd keep the side stones relatively small. I also prefer the half moon shape. The pears are nice enough but the half moons complement the cushion shape better IMHO.

*edit*

i third it then. Trillion is a nice idea too Ma Re

Good luck with your project!

 

[Kismet]

I like the pears with the cushion. If you''re going to halo the sidestones too, I''d go with the smaller pair otherwise they might overwhelm the center stone.

 

[packrat]

I vote filigree too. Designer..I think I''ve only seen Leon''s work and it''s amazing..I''m not familiar w/the other 2, so I''m no help. BUT, I think it''s going to be beautiful and I''m excited for you!!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Beautiful sapphire!
I like the filigree better too Simpler, sleeker, and will probably hold up better over the years with less maintenance And more versatile to wear (in my opinion anyways) My favorite heirloom pieces are the one with gorgeous center stones, and carved/filigree settings. I love the attention to detail.

I actually quite like the pears with the cushion, I think it'll make it very unique.
Man, 2 daughters and 1 ring huh? Tricky...

 

[Gailey]

Diana, did you ask your 3 designers to each quote you on filigree and pavé? In their responses did any of them give you a point of view on design direction or simply provide you with a written quote? I''m guessing Leon is the most expensive?

For me, personality plays a great part in any partner I choose so it''s important to me that I find someone I have a good rapport with. Reading about other people''s interaction with the various designers has given me great insight.

 

[cushioncutnut]

I too am guessing Leon is more expensive, especially the more intricate the design is. I don''t believe I have seen a piece of his work showing filagree so it will be interesting to see his it if he does the work. Anyone of the designers sound like they would do wonderful work. I do vote for pear shaped sidestones (they may be cheaper), but I am a little biased. Honestly, from what you have shown above, I don''t think you can go wrong with anyone of those designs!!

 

[DianaBanana]

Date: 4/24/2009 5:46:48 AM
Author: ma re
Another vote for filigree; with all the diamonds you plan on top, you don''t really need any extra on the gallery. What''s the mm size of the stone again? BTW, when it comes to side stones, are you sure you don''t want anything but pears? I have a feeling trillions might also work great with the cushion. In terms of size, I don''t think any of the options you showed above would work great - I''d say get something in between.

Thanks Ma Re - the filigree is definitely growing on me! The stone is 2.34 carat - 7 x 7.5mm. I''m open to other ideas on side stones but I do love pears...I love how they transition into the shank like this...

 

[DianaBanana]

Date: 4/24/2009 9:43:38 AM
Author: Gailey
Diana, did you ask your 3 designers to each quote you on filigree and pavé? In their responses did any of them give you a point of view on design direction or simply provide you with a written quote? I''m guessing Leon is the most expensive?

For me, personality plays a great part in any partner I choose so it''s important to me that I find someone I have a good rapport with. Reading about other people''s interaction with the various designers has given me great insight.

Good question Gailey - Ocean quoted the filigree which is one of her specialties, Leon and Joe Escobar quoted the pave''. I didn''t ask the latter two designers to quote the filigree as I wasn''t sold on it and didn''t see any examples of it on their websites.

Ocean was the most expensive by about a fair bit, followed by Joe Escobar....Leon was the cheapest (or should I say, least expensive)!!

He was pretty willing to negotiate actually.

So the real contenders are Leon and Ocean - the conundrum being the difference in price and whether or not Leon can do the filigree. That''s probably a silly thing to say, I''m sure he could do the filigree, I''ll drop him an email today. Ocean is wonderful and the few pieces I''ve seen of hers are beautiful but I have absolute confidence that if I send the stone to Leon, he will do something amazing. What to do? What to do?

 

[DianaBanana]

Thanks for your input Pieface, Kismet, Packrat, MTG and CCN! Two daughters = two rings, right?

I think my next project will be a pink stone, either sapphire, spinel or garnet set in one of James Meyer''s settings ala AJ.

Here is an example of a similar design with trillion sides tones like Ma Re suggested - it''s beautiful but I think I would prefer the way pears would transition into the shank. You?

 

[Gailey]

Date: 4/24/2009 12:44:10 PM
Author: DianaBanana

Date: 4/24/2009 9:43:38 AM
Author: Gailey
Diana, did you ask your 3 designers to each quote you on filigree and pavé? In their responses did any of them give you a point of view on design direction or simply provide you with a written quote? I''m guessing Leon is the most expensive?

For me, personality plays a great part in any partner I choose so it''s important to me that I find someone I have a good rapport with. Reading about other people''s interaction with the various designers has given me great insight.

Good question Gailey - Ocean quoted the filigree which is one of her specialties, Leon and Joe Escobar quoted the pave''. I didn''t ask the latter two designers to quote the filigree as I wasn''t sold on it and didn''t see any examples of it on their websites.

Ocean was the most expensive by about a fair bit, followed by Joe Escobar....Leon was the cheapest (or should I say, least expensive)!!

He was pretty willing to negotiate actually.

So the real contenders are Leon and Ocean - the conundrum being the difference in price and whether or not Leon can do the filigree. That''s probably a silly thing to say, I''m sure he could do the filigree, I''ll drop him an email today. Ocean is wonderful and the few pieces I''ve seen of hers are beautiful but I have absolute confidence that if I send the stone to Leon, he will do something amazing. What to do? What to do?

Diana, am I understanding this correctly? Ocean quoted more for a ring with no pavé, just filigree in the gallery than the other two who were quoting on a higher overall diamond tcw? Did you go to Ocean directly or through Wink? That''s quite a surprise. Were there other differences in the type of manufacturing process for instance?

 

[DianaBanana]

Hi Gailey,

Yep, you are understanding it correctly, her quote was for a filigree gallery and the others were for pave''. The quote was through Ocean directly, I should say that Ocean will deal directly with the public but not if referred by PS - PS referrals go through Wink. I found her through a friend that has a vacation home in Tucson.

I have to say that my jaw hit the floor when I got the quote - I''m not sure about differences in the manufacturing process. I can''t imagine that the handmade filigree would be more labor intensive than setting pave'' but you never know.

Leon''s quotes aren''t overly detailed so I can''t be sure that I am really comparing apples to apples but the difference was about $2000! Maybe Leon gets a better deal on his platinum and diamonds?

Ocean has followed up a number of times and is more than willing to work with me on the pricing but I don''t want to bug her anymore until I''m sure about what I want.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

That is going to be GORGEOUS!!!!!!!

So, I love the idea of the smaller pair of pears, and if Leon''s the smallest quote, I say that''s a WIN!!!!

 

[ma re]

Diana,

after seeing the photos you provided, I''m even more convinced that trillions are great sides for a cushion. I understand what you''re saying about the transition, and I actually believe that the most important role of side stones is to connect the center stone with the shank, but I also believe that it''s easier to match shapes with similar lenght to width ratios (meaning, pears are elongated, cushions are not - well, some are, but that''s another story). Don''t get me wrong, I''m not trying to talk you into anything, I''d just like you to see things from several perspectives before making decisions. Leon''s ring has a stunning color combination (dark red and yellow; one of my favorite), wonderful gemstones and an obviously high level of craftsmanship. But one thing that the ring in question doesen''t have (IMO) is a sense of proportion and good visual balance. To my eye that stone just looks too large for the ring, and doesen''t feel like it''s an integral part of the whole arrangement, which it should. I feel like it sticks out of the ring. Maybe there were some structural or other limitations that influenced the ring''s proportions and materials used, but it just doesen''t grab me as a masterpiece.

Hope this helps.

P. S. There is a chance I''d combine pears with a cushion, but I''d make sure pears are a bit "fat" (wider) like HERE.

 

[DianaBanana]

Date: 4/24/2009 2:08:29 PM
Author: ma re
Diana,

after seeing the photos you provided, I''m even more convinced that trillions are great sides for a cushion. I understand what you''re saying about the transition, and I actually believe that the most important role of side stones is to connect the center stone with the shank, but I also believe that it''s easier to match shapes with similar lenght to width ratios (meaning, pears are elongated, cushions are not - well, some are, but that''s another story). Don''t get me wrong, I''m not trying to talk you into anything, I''d just like you to see things from several perspectives before making decisions. Leon''s ring has a stunning color combination (dark red and yellow; one of my favorite), wonderful gemstones and an obviously high level of craftsmanship. But one thing that the ring in question doesen''t have (IMO) is a sense of proportion and good visual balance. To my eye that stone just looks too large for the ring, and doesen''t feel like it''s an integral part of the whole arrangement, which it should. I feel like it sticks out of the ring. Maybe there were some structural or other limitations that influenced the ring''s proportions and materials used, but it just doesen''t grab me as a masterpiece.

Hope this helps.

P. S. There is a chance I''d combine pears with a cushion, but I''d make sure pears are a bit ''fat'' (wider) like HERE.

Thanks Ma Re - you''ve given me a lot to ponder.

Erik at Joe Escobar was kind enough to show me this picture of a cushion with trillions but he did caution me against using them....this is what he had to say "I would strongly recommend against using trillion side diamonds. They are awesome looking when the ring is new, however with a few days of wear, any dirt or debris really shows. This is due to the nature of the cut style of trillions, they are much shallower than other shapes. Trillions can work, however you must be very diligent about keeping your ring clean."

Interesting, huh?

 

[chrono]

I''d try to stick to something classic and timeless so when your daughters are grown up they won''t think the ring is dated.

 

[loriken214]

Beautiful sapphire....can''t wait to see your finished pretty!!!

Lori

 

[DianaBanana]

Thanks Chrono....I know, I know - if I was smart, I''d do a simple, elegant three stone in platinum but I''m not so smart, I''m really selfish and spoiled and my inner princess wan''t that fricken'' halo!

Thanks Lori, my sapphire wasn''t love at first sight, now I can''t believe I ever thought of sending it back - I love it! Speaking of love, what are you going to do with that beautiful Torraca peridot? Inquiring minds want to know!

 

[LostSapphire]

HiYa DianaBanana!

How exciting is this!!! WOW so many choices!

I''ve been looking at your montage at the top of this thread all day, and trying to sort out in my minds eye what it is that is or isn''t working for me.

I like the half moons of MissGotRocks because they are similar enough design elements and flow very well together.I also see what you''re trying to do with the pears.

What''s throwing me off design-wise is the hand sketch of the cushion sapphire with pears all haloed....it''s almost like the pear sidestones aren''t substantial enough to "live up to" the big blue bling in the middle.

Then I thought about more simpler lines...there are a few Leons out there that are to die for, but your inner princess is calling!

The Leon with the haloed'' side stones irks me somehow. It''s almost like there''s too much going on, but I think that''s because of the 3 colours in the ring.

So I found my original pic of MissgotRocks'' ring. I have kept that ever since I first saw it. Love it. And then I found a few at Ms Rau that might give you some inspiration. Side by side it might give you a sense of what you prefer.

The pears in the one pic you''ve posted are good: big and FAT. I think any sidestones going up against that sapphire are going to have to hold their own. Thin skinny ones don''t feel right to me, especially if you''re going to halo them.

Anyhow, here are a few more pics. Can''t wait to see what you end up with.

Hope this helps. AM LOVING THE BLUE!!!

LS

 

[ma re]

I can''t say I understand what he meant with the trillions getting dirty. I see the point of shallower stones possibly getting dirty more easily as their pavillion facet angles are not as steep (so might get more contact with the skin), but I don''t think the difference between the two cuts is so dramatic. Let''s not forget that all jewellers prefer selling deeper stones, as those weigh more, so obviously cost more too - I''m not saying that''s the case here, but it could be. Not to mention that a good jeweller should be able to protect any stone from dirt as much as possible with a good design and a proper level of craftsmanship. It also goes without saying, that a stone''s chance of getting dirty depends on how much it''s worn. Well, you have a lot to think about, hope you find a wonderful solution that will give you joy for years to come.

P. S. I also wanted to suggest hearts, but I see you have too much ideas already

 

[zoebartlett]

Hi Diana,

I just wanted to chime in and say that I love the three stone look with pears as the side stones. If I was trying to decide the style of the setting, I''d go with the one that looked less busy, if that makes sense. I''d want to show off the stone as much as possible.

 

[DianaBanana]

Thanks LS...your posts are always so helpful, that collage is great! It helped me realize that, yes, I really do want a halo.

I was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed and unsure of what I really wanted

....but I''ve made a decision! I''m going to send the stone to Leon and let him work his magic....I''ll leave the side stone selection and proportion to the expert.

Thanks again...I''m looking forward to wearing my BLUE bling soon...my friends and family are starting to think I''m a little nuts carrying a sapphire around all the time, it goes everywhere with me!

 

[DianaBanana]

Date: 4/25/2009 7:39:35 AM
Author: ZoeBartlett
Hi Diana,

I just wanted to chime in and say that I love the three stone look with pears as the side stones. If I was trying to decide the style of the setting, I''d go with the one that looked less busy, if that makes sense. I''d want to show off the stone as much as possible.

Zoe, thanks for your vote on the pears...I REALLY want to incorporate pears...FAT ones, right LS?

I think you''re right about the setting, I''ll keep it simple and leave the details to Leon - whatever he thinks will look best with all the halo action I''ll have going on!

 

[DianaBanana]

Date: 4/25/2009 3:16:14 AM
Author: ma re
I can''t say I understand what he meant with the trillions getting dirty. I see the point of shallower stones possibly getting dirty more easily as their pavillion facet angles are not as steep (so might get more contact with the skin), but I don''t think the difference between the two cuts is so dramatic. Let''s not forget that all jewellers prefer selling deeper stones, as those weigh more, so obviously cost more too - I''m not saying that''s the case here, but it could be. Not to mention that a good jeweller should be able to protect any stone from dirt as much as possible with a good design and a proper level of craftsmanship. It also goes without saying, that a stone''s chance of getting dirty depends on how much it''s worn. Well, you have a lot to think about, hope you find a wonderful solution that will give you joy for years to come.

P. S. I also wanted to suggest hearts, but I see you have too much ideas already

Ma Re - I think you''re right about the jeweller wanting to sell deeper cut stones...that was an odd comment about them getting dirtier than other shapes...HUH?

I''ve been stressing out about the setting all day, I''m not a person who enjoys the custom design process - I''d prefer to see what I like and just order it. You should see me in the paint store trying to visualize an entire room based on a tiny color chip..argh.

 

[ma re]

Date: 4/26/2009 1:33:59 AM
Author: DianaBanana

Ma Re - I think you''re right about the jeweller wanting to sell deeper cut stones...that was an odd comment about them getting dirtier than other shapes...HUH?

I''ve been stressing out about the setting all day, I''m not a person who enjoys the custom design process - I''d prefer to see what I like and just order it. You should see me in the paint store trying to visualize an entire room based on a tiny color chip..argh.

I have no problem with paint colors as I know exactly what I want (paint color visualization software like CBN Selector helps too

), but when it comes to jewellery - I''m just like you. I want too many different things, but don''t have a clear idea on how to put it all together and end up with something that would look incredibly tacky...and then start from scratch...and again...and again...you get the picture

 

[LostSapphire]

Date: 4/26/2009 1:33:59 AM
Author: DianaBanana

I''ve been stressing out about the setting all day, I''m not a person who enjoys the custom design process - I''d prefer to see what I like and just order it.

How goes it, DianaBanana? Making any progress with your decision?

LS

 

[DianaBanana]

Thanks so much for asking!

Since I don''t have as solid a vision as you did for your setting, I''ve decided to send it to Leon as he doesn''t appear to need much input - in fact, the ring will probably come out better if I just give it to him and say, "please make me a beautiful halo".

I''d love to have the fat pears but will defer to his expertise - if he doesn''t think the design will look right, I''ll leave them out.

I''m sending the stone out this week and Leon''s lead time is only about 3 weeks right now....yikes...I could be wearing BLUE very soon!

Woo hoo!!!