Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracelet

[DoctorD]

I'm looking for a ring to match my new bracelet. I've narrowed it down to two. I've asked several family members and a few friends and their responses are evenly divided. So I open it up to a larger audience. Which do you prefer? And why?

​

Ring finalists:

 

[AprilBaby]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

The second one matches better to me.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

I like the first one because it has a large stone in the center. I don't really like that cluster appearance in the center of the other ring. Plus, I would want the ring and bracelet to be complimentary but not too matchy. But if your goal is to find the closest match, the 2nd one looks more like the bracelet.

 

[gregchang35]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

I like the first one because it has a large stone in the center. I don't really like that cluster appearance in the center of the other ring. Plus, I would want the ring and bracelet to be complimentary but not too matchy. But if your goal is to find the closest match, the 2nd one looks more like the bracelet.

+1
Liking the bracelet!!



DS - we have v similar tastes, again!

 

[momhappy]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of either one, but that's probably because I don't care for jewelry on men (unless it's a simple wedding ring, etc.). Having said that, if I had to choose between the two rings, then I prefer the first one. The second ring is too match-matchy with the bracelet.

 

[kenny]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

I'm looking for a ring to match my new bracelet.

IMO the one on the right 'matches' more.

Plus many small diamonds is MUCH cheaper than one large one.

 

[Enerchi]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

My preference is #1. I prefer the single centre stone to a cluster. Are you looking to match? if yes, then the 2nd would match better but for visual interest, I'd go for #1.

That's quite the bracelet you have there! I'll bet it must look like your wrist is on FIRE in the sun!!

 

[JaneSmith]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

I like the first one because it has a large stone in the center. I don't really like that cluster appearance in the center of the other ring. Plus, I would want the ring and bracelet to be complimentary but not too matchy. But if your goal is to find the closest match, the 2nd one looks more like the bracelet.

Agree.

 

[motownmama]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

Personally I prefer the first choice (left in pic). BUT...... you seem like a strong individual and you should probably go with your gut reaction. If you LOVE it, you can ROCK it!

 

[DoctorD]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

My wife says to consider what my wedding ring looks like before deciding. Here it is:



Do you find, like we do, that photos never do justice to the rings? I tried "blurring" the fingers to make the ring "pop" out more -- what do you think?

Thank you for all your valuable input. Today I am definitely leaning toward the ring with the larger center stone. Although the second ring matches better, the first ring makes more of a statement. It should, it's 60% more in price than the other(!) It is worth it, though. I've always had a passion for diamonds, and I've never regretted the money I've spent on them. It's only been in the past ten years that I've been able to indulge my passion. I feel like my diamond jewelry is now a part of "who I am." I'm fortunate in that I have big hands and wrists; I think guys with "bony" hands and fingers just don't look good wearing jewelry. My wife recently gave me a Rolex with a diamond bezel. With a dark business suit, to me nothing is more impressive than diamond cuff links, diamond-bezel watch, diamond bracelet, and a diamond ring on each hand. I often get comments and compliments at business lunches and dinners; the jewelry makes a good conversation piece. My knowledge of diamonds has grown exponentially; I enjoy helping younger colleagues when they are shopping for diamond jewelry. I even carry a loupe with me all the time!

 

[Dancing Fire]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

I am a solitaire man..

 

[JulieN]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

I am a solitaire man..

Yep, I think solitaire would complement the best. Not match, complement.

 

[DoctorD]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

Good point, Julie and others. I no longer like a cluster in the middle; that came out of my first idea, which was to match the bracelet. I agree the solitaire complements it better. I've found another solitaire-center one that may be just right. The square solitaire ring was deceiving because overall the whole ring is smaller than the other two, thus making the solitaire seem bigger than it is.

My newest find, below, has a brilliant round solitaire weighing 1.8 Carats, surrounded by 20 invisible-set, princess-cut diamonds, and 42 channel-set, princess-cut diamonds weighing an additional 6.43 Carats. At this point, this is the one for me.


It's important to me and my wife that it go well with my wedding ring:

 

[AprilBaby]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

LOVE your wedding band! That third ring will look great with the rest!

 

[tyty333]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

I like the first ring the best. Its not matchy matchy but will go well with your wedding band and braclet.

 

[heididdl]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

If I had to pick I would pick the one with the larger center stone. To be honest I don't really love either....

 

[DoctorD]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

LOVE your wedding band! That third ring will look great with the rest!

Thanks, April! My wife loves my wedding ring, too.

Yup, I'm still wanting the third ring, despite having seen several others today.

 

[kenny]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

I am a solitaire man..

Yep, I think solitaire would complement the best. Not match, complement.

I think solitaire means there is only one diamond in the entire ring and the diamond is a substantial one (not a 0.05 ct).
None of the rings posted so far in this thread are a solitaire.

Here is an example of a men's solitaire.

 

[DoctorD]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

Yeah, Dancingfire's comment really had nothing to do with this thread. At the point that Julie commented, the two rings in consideration were different mainly in that one had tons of tiny diamonds, and the other had a large center stone. I think Julie just meant the one with the large center stone.

I already have a fairly large solitaire, but it is yellow gold. It goes nicely with a yellow gold figaro link bracelet I have, so I don't want to have it rhodium plated or change the setting.

A white gold ring would go with this bracelet better. I'd like it to be different not only in its gold color, but in the overall style of the ring.

By the way, what does "DH" that I see all over the site mean? I hope it's not "dumb husband"!

 

[gregchang35]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

DH= Darling husband!!! hehehehehe

i think the round with channel setting is the one to choose out of the 3 that you have posted.
happy shopping!

 

[VRBeauty]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

To be perfectly honest, I'd stop with the bracelet and your wedding ring, and not add a third piece. And if you did want to add a third piece, I'd go radically simpler, something like what Kenny posted. But since since it seems like you're not going in that direction...

Visually, I like the second ring best of the three you've posted. I don't usually like that type of pave, but it seems like the best designed and made of the three. However, I wouldn't get that one because it's such a close match for your bracelet. I'd get the first ring you posted to complete the set. It seems like a better design and execution than the last ring, and probably a better overall investment because of the larger center stone.

 

[artdecogirl]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

Just wanted to say love your wedding band DoctorD, beautiful!

 

[Enerchi]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

I'm voting for something far simpler now that I've seen Kenny's option. I'd go solitaire - gypsy set would be a nice idea, or tension - which may be more your style.

 

[Rosebloom]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

Very cool wedding band!

I have a simple, classic aesthetic, so for me it would be a super high quality stone - like the beauty linked below - in a simple setting that lets it be the star.

http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.721-H-VS2-Round-Diamond-AGS-104064191017

 

[junebug17]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

I like the third one the best!

 

[orbaya]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

I agree that something a little less "blingy" would be nice on the hand you wear the bracelet. There's a lot going on with that piece, and you don't want competition. Even if you already have a solitaire, you can always have a setting custom made to compliment the bracelet. Not every piece of jewelry you own needs to be hugely flashy. Understated, subtle and elegant is always wonderful too, especially since it sounds like you already wear a lot of bling on a daily basis.

Have you ever thought of adding a colored stone to your collection....maybe a sapphire or whatever your favorite color is? A pop of color with diamond accents would be very nice!

Just out of curiosity, what the total carat weight of your bracelet?

 

[DoctorD]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

Between the lines, a few of you are suggesting I tone it down. I'm impressed by how tactfully you did it. Frankly, I expected more negativity, given how massive the bracelet is. I've noted through the years, that the idea of jewelry on men polarizes people. It seems most people either love it or hate it. Leave it to the members of a diamond discussion board to be the most accepting and supportive. I appreciate that.

I figure if this is my big passion, I might as well indulge it, now that I can afford to. I know the bracelet is kind of "over the top" , but I figure if I'm going to do something, I might as well go all out. You only live once.

Of course I've wondered why I like jewelry so much, while most men don't. I remember first noticing jewelry on male relatives and friends of my parents who came over every Sunday morning before church. They sat around a table next to the window in the bright morning sunlight and the light played off their hands in interesting ways. And at church, being so young that my eyes were just above the pew tops, I remember looking back and forth and seeing a lot of jewelry on both the men's and women's hands there. I also remember liking the metal wristbands warriors and gladiators wore in movies. (I later learned they are technically called "bracers.") Also gold and silver medals given to athletes, as well as their trophies. I developed a general liking for precious metals.

My father always wore a wedding ring and a signet ring. My parents gave me a signet ring for my 18th birthday. It had my family crest and coat-of-arms engraved. "ID bracelets" were popular when I was growing up, and I wore one of those, too.

I know my interest is unusual for a man. For every hundred women who like jewelry, there's maybe one man who does -- if that many. I know hip-hop musicians are known for wearing big, heavy jewelry. I'd rather the association of gold and diamonds be from nobility, but I can't change that. I think wearing it with a sports-team shirt looks ridiculous, just as they might think it looks ridiculous with my suit. We're all entitled to our opinions, and controversy doesn't bother me. I figure It comes with the territory. I've heard items of mine called gaudy. If I'm going to do something so unusual, I have to expect a full range of reactions. On the positive side, I've had mine called "impressive" and "awesome," but my favorite compliment so far for my bracelet is "magnificent."

I think it's more acceptable on me over other guys because of the size of my hands. The men in my family had big hands, but none have the XXXL mitts I have. The bracelet had to be made bigger to accommodate my very thick wrist. I think both men and women find big hands interesting and attractive. The reason problably goes way back in our genes to when they would seem to make a guy a better hunter-gatherer, thus a better provider. Jewely does not look good on guys with small or bony hands.

I have likened it to an addiction. I don't have others -- I don't smoke, I'm faithful to my wife, I drink onlysocially. But my interest in gold and diamonds has been consistent over the years. It takes more and more to satisfy me; I guess it's like building a tolerance to a drug. Right off the bat, I wanted to increase the size of my wedding ring. We were on a very tight budget due to both of us being students. All I could afford was a lightweight 4mm band, almost flat from lack of content. But each year or two we bought a wider, thicker band for me. Always milgrain. I actually have the same ring in 5mm, 6mm, 7mm, and 8mm. I wear one of those around the house and in bed. When i thought it was time to switch to white gold, I decided to go all out -- 10mm wide, almost 3mm thick. Multiply that by a size 14, and I got a band weighing 30 grams -- more than an ounce of gold! It was the heaviest band my jewelers had ever dealt with.

When i couldn't go any bigger with the gold, the next step seemed logically to add diamonds. In the beginning, studying them for my wife's jewelry, then growing a desire for them in my own wedding band. Once I started, it was the same thing all over again, always wanting more and more. Then I started to focus on the singet ring. It was harder to just enlarge because of the engraving. When it was as big as it could get, I actually thought of trying to get the family crest and coat-of-arms on it in diamonds. Eventually I gave up on the idea that it had to a be a signet ring of all, and looked at many different designs. About the same time my interest in diamond cufflinks and a bracelet grew, which brings me to where I am now.

I have ascribed a somehwat mystical sense to diamonds, in that I really think that they can influence a decision. Because of this, I had diamond lights installed over my desk and at the head of the conference table. I talk with my hands, and I really have grown to believe that if I move my hands in certain ways, the diamonds' flashing back into the person's eyes has an almost hypnotic effect. My success has directly paralleled the growth in my diamond jewelry. The diamonds are not the fruits of my success, but the cause of it. Superstition? Ridiculous? Maybe, but I'm not willing to stop wearing it to find out.

My diamonds influence my choice of places to go. There are a couple of high-end bars that I like because they have overhead spotlights with a very narrow beam directed down onto the bar. Behind the bar is a mirror. When I put my hands in the beam of light, they give off a virtual light show, which I think to watch is absolutely amazing. It takes a lot of carats to achieve. Oh, by the way, Orbara asked how many carats in the bracelet. It's 47.75

I'm of course pleased that jewelry is slowly becoming less gender-specific. The "man-gagement ring" is growing in popularity. Tiffany & Co. and Harry Winston now stock engagement rings for men. I understand the latest jewelry trend for men in Europe is brooches, but they are called "badges." The more masculine name may make men more open to trying them, as a badge ususally signifies authority or accomplishment.

I created a rewards system at work based largely on jewelry. Brooches, pins, and rings for women; lapel pins, tie tacks and rings for men. Gold ones signify a certain level of accomplishment, and diamond ones a higher level of achievement. I think I have influenced a few colleages and friends, because I do see a few bracelets and rings appearing on them, in addition to the rewards-program jewelry.

Okay, so back to the main issue -- the choice of ring. Just when I thought I had made the decision, another one has come to my attention. It has elements of both of the preferred earlier ones. The "wall" of diamonds on the sides reminds me of the glaciers we saw on an Alaskan cruise, which my family and I enjoyed tremendously.

It's not a big issue how the three rings' diamonds compare in quality. My jewelers will tinker around with that to keep the ring within my budget. Generally I think eye-clean, along with good proportions and E-F color, is fine.

So here is the newest entry in the competition:

 

[diamondloveaffair]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

the 3rd one looks most impressive by far.

 

[gregchang35]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

Given what you have written, I think the latest one you posted is the better one.

 

[woofmama]

Re: Choosing men's diamond ring to complement diamond bracel

Based upon your last post I think you would be happy with the last ring option. It was very interesting reading your thoughts about diamonds. It's not a bad obsession to have, we all tend to suffer in our way from that affliction on PS. I would assume your wife has quite the collection as well. Would love to see pictures of her bling.