POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which setting

[livewithease]

I have narrowed down my decision to a three stone or graduated five stone (thanks for everyone that helped me along the way, especially Niel) using the stone from my grandmothers engagement ring. Her stone is a half carat round transitional stone. I'm looking to create a RHR that complements my engagment ring which is a cushion halo with a 1.30 RB stone (hope to one day reset this). I also have a shared prong eternity band and a matching eternity band that I sometimes wear with my e-ring. Oh and my finger is a size 5.

I've decided to work with BGD given their highly regarded reputation on this site for these type of rings. I've narrowed down my selection to the three stone crossed trellis or the five stone trellis II or nightingale. I'd love to get some opinions on a three stone vs graduated five stone and the settings I picked for the five.

If I move forward with a graduated fove stone it's important to me that the ring wraps around my finger vs looking like one continuous line. I want something with some weight to it that feels sturdy since I don't feel that way about my e-ring.






Nightingale - http://m.briangavindiamonds.com/wedding-and-anniversary-bands/eternity-bands/nightingale-18k-white-gold-5394w18
Trellis - http://m.briangavindiamonds.com/wedding-and-anniversary-bands/eternity-bands/five-stone-trellis-band-ii-18k-white-gold-5400w18

 

[rubybeth]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

I love trellis designs, so I voted graduated trellis, but a 3 stone would also be lovely. I have a five stone that's an antique setting and from certain angles, it looks like a row of diamonds, but they do 'wrap,' but the trellis designs seem very low set and appear to wrap around the finger better than the style I have.

 

[Acinom]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

I voted for the 5 stone Trellis. Good luck in making a decision where you follow your heart.

 

[momhappy]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

They are all lovely, but I prefer the 5-stone.

 

[VRBeauty]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

I think a lot depends on the proportions of the stones you use. For my taste, the key to a successful "nightengale" (one of my all-time favorite settings) is a that the stones graduate down very gradually - which would is of course more expensive than a larger variation between the center and side stones would be. If you're working with a fixed budget - what would the five-stone ring within your budget look like, as compared to the three-stone ring?

 

[emmebee]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

I think the five stone for your RHR would be a wonderful complement to your existing set.

 

[livewithease]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

I agree that having the right size stones is the key to making a five stone band look good. I personally prefer a gradual decrease in size. I will be using a half carat for the middle stone and then looking to decrease from there. Ideally I'd like to complete the ring for no more than $4K. I have no clue if this is doable but that's my goal. Ideally I'd love the ring to be in platinum but I'd consider 18K white gold if I had to.

With either the three or five I'm leaning towards a trellis setting in a five stone but again it all depends on budget. If the five stone is way out of my budget I would be happy with a three stone trellis with larger side stones. What is the biggest you think I could go on the sides of a three stone?

 

[VRBeauty]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

I'm not sure a 5-stone is possible within your budget - the setting and setting fee would probably take up half of your budget, and .4 ct stones are going to start at about $900 each and go up from there. But give BGD a call - they might see some other options for creating your dream ring within your budget.

An the bright side, a killer 3-stone is totally within reach!

 

[livewithease]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

I'd be happy with either ring but I do fancy the five stone. I kind of feel like a pair of .4 ct stones might be too big and I'd prefer to go a bit smaller. Maybe something like .15, .3, .5, .3,.15. I've asked BG to come back with a recommendation based on my finger size.

If I decided it cost too much and did the three stone what's the biggest side stones you would do? Do you think a pair of .4 or .3 is too big? I'm not exactly looking to showcase my center diamond since it's pretty small but rather add to the ring so it feels bigger.

In terms of budget I can afford more but I'm not sure I can justify more. If I was going to spend more I'd rather see it spent on my engagement ring setting.

 

[Niel]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

what color is your center stone? my 5 stone excluding the senter was far below 4k

if bg is too high, get the stones and have david class set it

 

[livewithease]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

I had an appraiser look at it a few weeks ago when appraising my ering and he said it looked like a G/H VS2. I feel like I should be able to complete the ring for roughly $4k but I guess we will see. I'm also headed to NYC in two weeks so I could talk to other vendors there. Anyone else you would recommend?

 

[Niel]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

I had an appraiser look at it a few weeks ago when appraising my ering and he said it looked like a G/H VS2. I feel like I should be able to complete the ring for roughly $4k but I guess we will see. I'm also headed to NYC in two weeks so I could talk to other vendors there. Anyone else you would recommend?

i really do think you can. i do think though .25 ct and .11 sized sides would create a nice gradient, and also be cheaper.

 

[livewithease]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

I emailed BG back last night informing them I'm interested in a graduated fove stone trellis ring or their three stone crossed trellis depending on price. I asked for them to come back with a recommendation in terms of stone stones and made it clear that I'd like the ring to sit low and the stones to curve with my finger.

Niel I think your recommendation is a good one and I will be curious to see what bdg comes back with. I really wish I could try on a few graduated rings but I have no clue where to do that.

 

[Niel]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

Let me see, I never tried any on either... I have a few very detailed threads about my journey, let me find them

 

[Niel]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

Found them

Here are some threads about my search.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/a-5-stone-setting-under-2500.188829/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/a-5-stone-setting-under-2500.188829/[/URL]

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/can-you-make-a-graduated-5-stone-with-a-6mm-stone.188194/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/can-you-make-a-graduated-5-stone-with-a-6mm-stone.188194/[/URL]

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/please-give-me-some-opinions-on-this-cad.188963/page-5']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/please-give-me-some-opinions-on-this-cad.188963/page-5[/URL]

 

[starrylight]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

The HoF signature "three stone" has a beautiful setting and wonderfully matched sized side stones. I definetly think you could get the setting and side stones for your budget.


For more pictures:
http://www.heartsonfire.com/shop-jewelry/rings/engagement-rings/hof-signature-three-stone-engagement-ring.aspx#b09hXX3GvZsH4owU.97

 

[livewithease]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

Thank you for the suggestion but I think I have my heart set on the BDG 5 stone trellis setting. Waiting for BGD to come back with some estimates. If the five stone ends up being too much I could always do the three stone version with bigger side stones.

 

[livewithease]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

All this searching has me falling for a three stone ring but I fear my half carat is too small to serve as the center stone.

I'm actually considering if it would cost me just the same to purchase a new center stone (say .70 ct) with two .30 ct sides in the BGD crossed trellis platinum setting as it would to use my existing stone and create a graduated five stone (something like .5 (already own) .25, .12) Do you think one would have more presence over the other?

Also, I do own a shared prong eternity band that's 3mm wide that I'd love to wear with this new ring if at all possible. I know it doesn't go with the five stone ring but do you think it could go with a three stone ring? If so, is the crossed trellis the setting.

Apologize in advance for all the questions but I want to get this right and make sure it's something I can wear everyday.

 

[livewithease]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

For example, what do you think of these stones and proportions.

http://m.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.650-f-vs2-round-diamond-gia-61613278

http://m.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.301-f-vs2-round-diamond-ags-c-104077046108

http://m.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/0.300-f-vs1-round-diamond-bfg-12698

Do you think I'd see a big difference between a .5 ct and a .65 ct in the center?

 

[Niel]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

It seems more practical to do a project with the stone you already have instead of buy a whole new ring while a diamond sits in a drawer. However what ever is practical when it comes to diamond buying.

 

[livewithease]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

I do agree but if I went the three stone route with new stones I would set my grandmas stone in a pendant. Just not sure price wise and coverage wise what will be the best.

 

[Niel]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

I do agree but if I went the three stone route with new stones I would set my grandmas stone in a pendant. Just not sure price wise and coverage wise what will be the best.

if BG comes back to expensive are you going to check whiteflash? they have similar settings and similar stones and they do a lot of graduated 5 stones i feel like so they could also do it for you, and may havethe stones you need in budget.

 

[livewithease]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

Yes WF is definitely an option. For some reason I feel like BG is better quality but I'm not sure if that's really accurate. I like the proportions you recommended but I wondering if I could go bigger and have it still fit my finger nicely. The only reason I'm thinking I might want to go slightly bigger is because it would give me more options I the future if I purchased a larger center stone. For instance, instead of .50, .25 and .12 what about .50, .35, .20? Do your think those proportions are too big?

 

[Niel]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

Yes WF is definitely an option. For some reason I feel like BG is better quality but I'm not sure if that's really accurate. I like the proportions you recommended but I wondering if I could go bigger and have it still fit my finger nicely. The only reason I'm thinking I might want to go slightly bigger is because it would give me more options I the future if I purchased a larger center stone. For instance, instead of .50, .25 and .12 what about .50, .35, .20? Do your think those proportions are too big?

i dont think they would be too big, but you wouldnt notice a large graduation between the middle and the first pair, i think. My ring is a 6mm with about .35 ct sides, and the has a subtle but still noticeable graduation. If you take it down to a 5mm stone the graduation might not be obvious. i dont know if youre trying to get an obvious one or not, though.

 

[yssie]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

Yes WF is definitely an option. For some reason I feel like BG is better quality but I'm not sure if that's really accurate. I like the proportions you recommended but I wondering if I could go bigger and have it still fit my finger nicely. The only reason I'm thinking I might want to go slightly bigger is because it would give me more options I the future if I purchased a larger center stone. For instance, instead of .50, .25 and .12 what about .50, .35, .20? Do your think those proportions are too big?

I have pieces from both - and am well known to be one of the nitpickiest PSers when it comes to settings. I can assure you that this is absolutely not the case - both WF and BGD are very capable of (equally) exceptional casting and finishing. Their business models are very similar and they share a niche market clientele.

BGD and WF do, however, use very different photography styles for their glamour shots. BGD's are softer, depth of field is nearer, backgrounds are simple, colours are realistic. WF blows out the contrast and their glamour photos highlight whites and blacks, and colours are vividly saturated. It is very possible to strongly prefer one photography style over the other, and unintentionally attribute that preference to a difference in quality.

 

[livewithease]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

You're absolutely right because my eye is clearly drawn to the photography style that BDG uses. I'm completely thrown off by Whiteflash's website. I know they do fantastic work given all the raves reviews and pics I've seen on pricescope and their consumer service is excellent but their website doesn't scream elegance or beauty to me like BG does.

I keep going back and forth on what to do. I'd love to use my existing stone but the only way I think it would really work is if I do a graduated five stone ring. While I love that idea I a little concerned it might feel repetitive with my shared prong full eternity. I know the setting would be different and the stone sizes would vary but still feel like they may look similar from a distance and I could never wear them together. The eternity band is my original wedding band so it has sentimental value but it no longer works with my reset engagement ring.

Proportions for a five ring could be .5, .25, .12 or try and go slightly bigger like .5, .3, .2 (not sure the two proportions would really show that much of a difference)

The other option is to use my stone for something else (ie pendant) and move forward with a three stone setting that I could wear with or without my eternity band. Of course this approach requires all new diamonds which could add up quickly. I've been briefly looking at diamond prices and it seems like I could get a .6 or close to a .7 ct for $2500 - $3200 and then pair it with a set of .30.

Given these two options which do you think you'd pursue? This will be a RHR or serve as my e-ring when I don't feel like wearing my real one.

I've been in connect with BG already and I'm waiting on their recommendation for stone sizes. I briefly spoke with WF a while back but haven't connected them recently. I guess I should reach back out to compare prices.

 

[livewithease]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

One more thing my stone is a transitional stone. I'm not sure if that impacts the other stones I could have to match if I moved forward with the five stone ring or I could match it with any round brilliant stone as long as it was similar in terms of clarity, color and cut.

 

[VRBeauty]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

These aren't very clear, but maybe this will help a bit?

First photo: ~.48 OEC (full bezel), ~.38 MRB (3-prong martini), ~.23 MRB (8-prong martini):



Second photo: ~..48 OEC (full bezel); ~.23 MRB (8-prong martini), ~.125 MRB (8-prong martini)


And the full line-up, from top to bottom:

.125, .23, .48, .38, .23



Sorry about the poor photo quality - the iphone really isn't meant for bling beauty shots!

 

[Niel]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

These aren't very clear, but maybe this will help a bit?

First photo: ~.48 OEC (full bezel), ~.38 MRB (3-prong martini), ~.23 MRB (8-prong martini):



Second photo: ~..48 OEC (full bezel); ~.23 MRB (8-prong martini), ~.125 MRB (8-prong martini)


And the full line-up, from top to bottom:

.125, .23, .48, .38, .23



Sorry about the poor photo quality - the iphone really isn't meant for bling beauty shots!

Awesome.

I personally think the smaller set makes the center look larger

 

[livewithease]

Re: POLL: three stone OR graduated five stone and which sett

So I stopped into another store today to double check the size of my stone and see if they had any settings I could look at. They confirmed my stone is .48 G/H color. I paired it next to a .75 ct stone and liked the look so I'm leaning towards purchasing a matching .75 ct diamond and another .48 (roughly) and making a three stone ring for my right hand.

Since my stone is an older stone I'm assuming my best bet is to purchase a OEC, right? Is OEC and transitional interchangeable or do those terms mean something different? Besides JBEG where else can I search or can BG or WF do that for me?

I did see these stones on JBEG website that could work but I have no clue if they're a good price.
http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/loose-diamonds/under-1-ct/70ct-old-european-cut-diamond-gia-h-vs1#.VSwQlee9KSM
http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/loose-diamonds/under-1-ct/68ct-old-european-cut-diamond-gia-h-vs1#.VSwRBue9KSM
http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/loose-diamonds/under-1-ct/65ct-transitional-cut-diamond-gia-g-vs1#.VSwQv-e9KSM