Question About Custom Ring Building

[sparkle_plenty]

Hello All,

I have become a Pricscope ADDICT! It''s pretty bad...I think about Diamonds all the time! I read the posts every day and have become obsessed with finding just the right setting for a .50ct radiant that I currently own.

Since I live in NY, I stopped into a few random dealers on 47th Street today. I met one that was not a hard sell at all...just a guy who really seemed to know what he was talking about.

I told him I was looking for a micro-pave shank and halo to go around my stone. I explained I wanted the shank to be VERY thin (about 1 to 1.5mm).

He told me that a ring so delicate and small is very difficult to make and nearly impossible to make WELL. He said it''s difficut to make the ring as stable as it should be and that the thin shank would cause problems over the years including becoming mis-shaped and pave falling out. He did add that he''d be happy to do it, but he wanted me to know what I was getting myself into. Furthermore, he said the piece would NOT be made from a wax, but the whole thing would be designed on the computer and then milled in plastic using CAD/CAM equipment. Instead of a wax, I''d have a rigid plastic model to look at before it was cast in platinum or gold.

Does any of this sound reasonable? He showed me a plastic model and to my untrained eye, it looked amazingly perfect and beautiful. Is it true I should opt for a slightly thicker shank?

Needless to say, I''m more confused about the process now than when I walked into the store!
Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

 

[LaurenThePartier]

He''s right about 1mm being too delicate. I always thought I wanted a really thin 1mm band to wear every day.

My BF gave me a delicate little 1mm bagueete band for my birthday, and it''s almost too delicate for daily wear. I''ve had to take it back twice in 3 months to have the diamonds that loosened up, either reset or retightened.

Here it is with a 5mm ring that I had made years ago . . .

 

[MissGotRocks]

Wow - that is dainty. It''s very pretty!

 

[BrownEyes]

Sparkle ...

Next time you are on 47th Street, check-out Firenze Jewelers and ask to speak with either Myles or Gabrielle ...

Both Myles and Gabrielle helped with my recent on-line purchase of a Natalie K platinum setting - both are very knowledgeable and neither one is a ''hard sell''.

The setting hasn''t arrived yet, but Myles and Gabrielle both stay in-touch and they''ve always been responsive to my questions ...

I don''t live in the NYC area, but I was in NYC during that week between Christmas and New Year''s to see a few B''dway shows ... I stopped-in to Firenze Jewelers and actually got to meet Myles in-person (Gabrielle wasn''t in that day). He''s even nicer and more knowledgeable in-person than he is on the ''net ...

Here''s the link to Firenze Jewelers website: www.firenzejewels.com

Hope this helps you out!

 

[FireGoddess]

It does sound reasonable to me - both the plastic "wax" to look at and the 1-1.5 mm band being too thin. That really is on the side of a little *too* thin, whether you''re planning on daily wear or not. Thinner bands are definitely more prone to bending or having stones pop out once you reach a critical minimum thickness, and I think something that thin is flirting with disaster, or at least a serious maintenance headache. What about 2 to 2.5 mm?

 

[diamondlil]

I''d be afraid to go so thin for everyday wear. I think a 2 mm or 2.5 mm is still very, very thin yet still sufficient enough that you should not have a durability problems. I like the idea of the plastic model. I''d like to see pics of that if you go that route.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I agree with everyone else. I have a 2mm plain WG band and even on my small hands and small fingers it seems too thin to wear alone. I cannot even imagine wearing a band 1/2 that size.

I understand you want a delicate look but trust the jeweler. I think it would be a mistake.

 

[BrownEyes]

Something like this:

http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/jewelry-specials/previously-owned-jewelry/rings/040PO1/0/a-great-18kt-white-gold-diamond-and-natural-hot-pink-tourmaline.-the-ring-is-set-with-50-fc-diamonds/

Only with a diamond center stone?

Doesn''t this one look like a great deal??[$$)]

 

[valeria101]

Second the 'at least 2mm' motion

and one more thing...

I was wondering how would a halo setting with half carat centre would look, and found one by Ritani... with a half carat Asscher:

They say the diamond pave has a total weight of 30 pts and this mean each can't be larger than half a point - which is very, very tiny and perhaps not easy to work with. You may want to ask what size these small diamonds would be in your custom piece. Sometimes, those used in the ring's band are slightly larger. On the Ritani ring it isn't obvious if they are just a tiny bit larger or just the same. These rings are less than 2mm, but I would rather not try to replicate that, especially if the maker themselves advise against.

My 2c.

 

[SoonIHope]

My Vera Wang setting is only ~1.3mm (eyeballing it with a ruler, but definitely significantly under 2mm) and it is VERY sturdy. One thing I think is that it makes a lot more sense to get a non-custom band for something this delicate since they are used to making it exactly this way and they can do it exactly the same each time, as opposed to a custom jeweler who is only making this particular setting once. I have tons of pics of mine in my thread here

 

[Mara]

here's a question for you, why do you want the shank to be 1mm to 1.5mm? you don't mention this in your original post so i am just curious.

i used to want a super thin shank but now that i have had a little bit thicker shank (2.7mm for e-ring and 2.3mm for w-ring) for a few years now and have tried on other rings etc etc, i actually think that too thin can be just as unappealing visually as too thick. i think that the ring has to have some amount of 'presence' to it to be a complement to the stone if that makes sense.

for me around ~2mm is a really nice thin band that can emphasize a stone's diameter but still not too small so that it's barely there.

my two cents having tried on tons of rings, and owned multiple 2mm to 3mm rings with diamonds and without.

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 1/16/2006 8:36:34 PM
Author: albicocca
One thing I think is that it makes a lot more sense to get a non-custom band for something this delicate since they are used to making it exactly this way and they can do it exactly the same each time, as opposed to a custom jeweler who is only making this particular setting once.

I agree with this. Everything your jeweler says sounds reasonable and true to me.

 

[vivosogno]

Hey there. I want the same thing as you except I dont want diamonds around the center stone. Check these out:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-confused-lost-please-help.38706/

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/i-love-my-new-radiant-engagement-ring.29538/

 

[sparkle_plenty]

Thanks Albi..
I so enjoyed your story and ALL those yummy photos.
Your ring is TO DIE FOR. I hope to find my dream ring soon and wish you good luck and congratulations!

 

[sparkle_plenty]

Thanks to all of your for your help and advice. This is one friendly forum!
I feel much better about what the jeweler told me and I''ll soon be trying on some 2mm rings for size. You know, I reeeeally had my heart set on tiny and delicate, but I''ll be keeping an open mind now. You guys are GREAT. THANKS.