designer ring v having one made

[Jules1]

Hi

I have recently got engaged and have found a ring that my fiancee and I love. It is a tension set ring from the German designers Bunz. Friends keep telling me that it is better to choose a stone from a shop in Hatton Garden, as this will be cheaper, and then to get the ring made. However I have been told that tension rings are not secure unless done by the known companies. What I want to know is whether this means that we will have to pay a lot more to use the companiy''s own diamond that they supply?

Some good advice would be much appreciated

 

[boonerings]

The reason tension sets are not secure unless made by the known companies is that they are usually made from gold or platinum, and those metals don't have the necessary springiness unless some fancy heat treating is done. Those companies happen to hold patents on the processes to do that. Without having the ring clamp tightly on the stone with extra preload (the force above and beyond what it takes to move the prongs) the stone could eventially work loose. The gap on a tension set is made undersized and spread open for the stone. The ring wants to spring back to the original dimension. This is where that important spring factor comes in. Titanium and stainless steel are two metals that have enough natural strength and spring that the heat treating process is not necessary for them. Most companies that make tension sets can use your stone, but it needs to be of good quality to ensure a safe setting. Visible feathers or cracks on a girdle are not good for tension setting.

 

[Hest88]

I would not trust a tension set to any company that does not have a ton of experience doing it.

 

[valeria101]

This is the first time I hear about Bunz here

They surely make some awesome pieces, but tesnion settings are very much variations on very few themes (I think the Mystere design would be unique to them, but the others are to be found elsewhere)... You are likely to find choices by few makers (although I would stick with specialised ones for the reasons explained above by Boonerings). Ti is a great choice, if you happen to go for the concept - the metal itself is really much better suited for tension rings.

Is your diamond going to be a round ? I know Bunz has it's own patented diamond cut... Are they still making the Octus?

 

[Jules1]

Thanks for the responses so far, it's really helpful

The stone is round but I don't really know if it's a specific cut. Is the Bunz cut known to be good?

 

[valeria101]

I think Bunz diamonds are HOF (Harts on Fire, the H&A brand) - which would make them nice and quite expensive. This is true for the squares... not sure about the rounds. However, given the high profile of the maker, they should be able to answer wether their diamonds are "Harts and Arrows" or not.

 

[Jules1]

It is just the normal round, brilliant cut, not the Bunz own make, but they will only set the ring with their own diamonds. Will this make the diamond considerably more expensive than if I were to buy a stone separately?

 

[starfire]

Hi Jules1,

What you have been told is correct, that you should get tension rings only from well-known companies who have experience making tension rings.

We work with Niessing in Singapore, and have found their designs beautiful, and they are the pioneers of tension rings. You can find more information in the Niessing website.

It is very important that tension rings are well-made, and the technical know-how behind tension rings are expensive and therefore tension rings can be premium priced.

However, you will be able to rest easy knowing that your diamond is secure.

Best regards,
Stephen Tan
Charlotte Atelier
Singapore

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On 5/7/2004 5:32:07 PM Jules1 wrote:

Hi

I have recently got engaged and have found a ring that my fiancee and I love. It is a tension set ring from the German designers Bunz. Friends keep telling me that it is better to choose a stone from a shop in Hatton Garden, as this will be cheaper, and then to get the ring made. However I have been told that tension rings are not secure unless done by the known companies. What I want to know is whether this means that we will have to pay a lot more to use the companiy's own diamond that they supply?

Some good advice would be much appreciated----------------