Choosing a setting (pear side stone vs unique marquise side)

[girlguineapig]

My boyfriend and I went to seven jewelry stores this weekend. So far, there are two setting styles in contention. The first is the basic pear side stone setting. I really love oceanblue's ring below, including the knife-edge wedding band! (Stats are: Center: 1.027 ct., Sides: 0.44 tct. pears)



For this setting I've seen plenty of online vendors that offer something like this, and of course I could go the custom route as well though I'm not sure why I would want to? oceanbeach's ring is custom though...

• http://www.whiteflash.com/engagemen...und-and-pear-3-stone-engagement-ring-2357.htm
• http://www.bluenile.com/pear-shaped-diamond-engagement-ring-setting-platinum_4508#
• http://www.b2cjewels.com/Diamond-Ac...-Stones-14K-White-Gold-(1-4-cttw)-6004-1.aspx
• http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/engagement-rings/three-stone/the-summer-18k-white-gold-5371w18
• http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/e...ne/grace-3-stone-pears-18k-white-gold-5557w18

My question here is, what differences should I be paying attention to in deciding which of these rings to go for, if I decide on the pear side setting? I can try on the version offered at Tiffany and hopefully that will be enlightening but in the meantime they all look the same to me.

Then we went to Jared and I fell in love with the setting ($1,500) below. The online photos don't do it justice - for some reason the marquise stones look so grey in these photos...

http://design.jared-diamonds.com/engagement-rings/vault-value-settings/ring/item12_10818/



I know Jared is not usually recommended here, especially for stones. Has anyone seen anything similar elsewhere? Would getting it custom made from a PS recommended vendor be a lot more expensive? And also, what do you think of the setting? I'm afraid it's a bit risky, versus the more classic pear side stone choice.

And lastly, I am feeling strongly tempted to pick a heart center stone instead of round brilliant. Opinions appreciated. I am only 23 now and it's totally me, but I'm afraid I'll regret it later!

My ring size is ~4.5 by the way.

 

[Gypsy]

Re: Choosing a setting (pear side stone vs unique marquise s

One of my mother's cousin's has a setting very close to the one with Marquise.

I feel that we should be able to find it stock for you at one of the casting houses. Especially if Jared is offering it at that price.

Custom will cost much more.

There's nothing wrong with getting a setting from Jared and sending it to your stone vendor for setting.

This is the closest thing so far: http://www.stuller.com/products/12655/184505/?groupId=6458 but I know it isn't want you want.

I can look through adwar for you.

 

[girlguineapig]

Re: Choosing a setting (pear side stone vs unique marquise s

It's great to hear that you know someone with a similar setting. Looking around I found the same setting available at MDC Diamonds, but for more ($1,680 instead of $1,499).

 

[Gypsy]

Re: Choosing a setting (pear side stone vs unique marquise s

Found it.

Any of our jewelers can order it for you: http://www.adwar.com/products/styles/13847L/view

I actually really like this variation of that setting: http://www.adwar.com/products/styles/16592L/view

 

[girlguineapig]

Re: Choosing a setting (pear side stone vs unique marquise s

Wow, awesome! So will it cost more to have a PS vendor use this casting to make the ring than to just buy it from Jared? The advantage of having the PS vendor do it would be that I could get the ring and the stone from the same place, right? Are there any other pros?

 

[Gypsy]

Re: Choosing a setting (pear side stone vs unique marquise s

Wow, awesome! So will it cost more to have a PS vendor use this casting to make the ring than to just buy it from Jared? The advantage of having the PS vendor do it would be that I could get the ring and the stone from the same place, right? Are there any other pros?

I don't know if the pricing will be lower or not. Best thing to do is ask the vendors you are considering buying your stone from quote it for you.

As for other advantages: our PS vendors usually use much higher quality stones and achieve better finishes so the overall product will likely be better quality.

 

[girlguineapig]

Re: Choosing a setting (pear side stone vs unique marquise s

Thanks so much. To be honest, it's very hard for me to envision the second casting you linked to. It's asymmetrical, right?

I will request quotes from Whiteflash, James Allen, GOG, Brian Gavin. Steven Kirsch, and Engagement Rings Direct and see what they say.

 

[Gypsy]

Re: Choosing a setting (pear side stone vs unique marquise s

Thanks so much. To be honest, it's very hard for me to envision the second casting you linked to. It's asymmetrical, right?

I will request quotes from Whiteflash, James Allen, GOG, Brian Gavin. Steven Kirsch, and Engagement Rings Direct and see what they say.

Steven may not quote for an Adwar cast setting. That's not what he does. i wouldn't even ask him.

 

[girlguineapig]

Re: Choosing a setting (pear side stone vs unique marquise s

Thanks for the heads up. Brian Gavin already got back to me with a quote of $1,575 for a 14K white gold version of the setting with G/H VS Marquise melee diamonds, which is the same metal and better diamonds for only $76 more! So it looks like I can definitely go the "custom" route here. Of course they recommended going for platinum instead of 14K white gold, and I'm open to that. I'm excited to get more quotes and try more rings on as soon as possible!

 

[girlguineapig]

Re: Choosing a setting (pear side stone vs unique marquise s

Went to some other diamond stores and nixed the pear side stone ring.

Question though, Gypsy - are we totally sure the adwar casting is the same as the Jared ring? Especially from the side, they look different, and from the top the spacing between the first two marquise diamonds on each side (that look like > and <) seems bigger in the adwar casting.

 

[Gypsy]

Re: Choosing a setting (pear side stone vs unique marquise s

Both settings are Peg Head settings. Any center stone can be put in them for any proportionality you want. Adwar can cast the setting as it is, or make it with larger or smaller sidestones at your jewelers request. You would have to find out how large the marquise in the one you tried on were and what size the center stone is. That's on you. Just ask the store you tried it on in.

As for the rest of the setting. The sides are different, actually the Adwar is a nicer construction and better lines from the profile.

 

[girlguineapig]

Re: Choosing a setting (pear side stone vs unique marquise s

I'm just a little worried because the beginning of the band at the ends of the last marquise stone on each side looks wider than the Jared one, which I'm worried might change the look. And it really looks like there's a bigger space between the first two 'petals' on each side of the center. Disclaimer, I am extremely inexperienced with rings so I have no idea if this is the case, or if I'm seeing things in the first place.

Also, I just found a similar setting here:
http://www.overnightmountings.com/engagement-rings/fancy-shape/marquise-remounts/mq-accent-remount.html

What do you think? Thanks for holding my hand throughout this process

Similar interesting setting I'm putting here for my reference:
http://www.overnightmountings.com/engagement-rings/fancy-shape/marquise-remounts/marquise-engagement-ring.html

 

[Gypsy]

Re: Choosing a setting (pear side stone vs unique marquise s

It may. You can ask a vendor to ask for pictures from Adwar of that setting, because that one artistic image doesn't give you the details you want. Hopefully Adwar can get you images of the casting, or of a wax casting to see. I don't know anything about the place you linked to. If you bought from there, buy only a semi mount, no stones at all (no marquise) and then send to a PS vendor for them to set the stones for you.

I'm happy to help you.

You can also just buy the setting--- with no head (headless) from Jared and then send to however you buy the stone from and have them set a peg head on it and get it completed for you.

 

[girlguineapig]

Re: Choosing a setting (pear side stone vs unique marquise s

Wasn't able to get any more images of the setting, unfortunately.

I'm a little worried that the stones at the end could poke my other fingers. I'm size 4.5, and the one at the store was 6.75 I believe, and it looked like the end stones went a little bit past the sides of my finger. What do you think of that?

 

[girlguineapig]

Re: Choosing a setting (pear side stone vs unique marquise s

I was told the side stones should not poke my fingers.

We're getting close to pulling the trigger on the Overnight Mountings setting, with an AVR from GOG. I'll use my boyfriend's mom's heart for a pendant.

I live close to Joe Escobar Diamonds (which I've seen you and others here recommend!), and Erik said they are a vendor for Overnight Mountings so are familiar with the company. It would cost slightly more to get the setting locally because of taxes, but I think it will be worth it to start a relationship with a local jeweler. GOG also told me that they would just have Overnight supply and set the side stones, while JE would use their own.

I'm so excited!

 

[heididdl]

Re: Choosing a setting (pear side stone vs unique marquise s

Don't want to be a debby downer but I have a marquis eternity band and they are constantly chipping I have had it reset from platinum to 18K white gold and I still lost and broke a couple. With 6 marquis around your center stone I am afraid they will get knocked all the time.

 

[girlguineapig]

Re: Choosing a setting (pear side stone vs unique marquise s

Hi heididdl,

Why would changing it from platinum to 18K white gold change how often the marquise chip or break?