Upgraded diamond, now have setting woes!

[Carmel]

Per usual, I have found myself in a predicament and would like to inquire of all the masterminds who seem ever present on this forum. Go get yourself a latte that you can sit down and enjoy, because this is my first post and I am sure to be rather long-winded. I have to confess that I made some decisions regarding my stone prior to delving into this forum – so my selection may not be up to par in comparison to all of yours. Nevertheless, it is what it is – and now I am at the stage of selecting a setting. My saga began a while back when I decided to change the original and very lovely setting of my wedding band (no ER, just one band…Lyric by ArtCarved) in which we had a smallish-type diamond (.38 round) custom set. After some time of wearing the ring the fit became snug, but the carved nature of the ring prohibited re-sizing. Long, long, extremely long story short…I wanted to have the stone reset into a solitaire setting which would match up flush to a traditional comfort-fit gold band (hence, I could remove my diamond for work, yet still sport a wedding band). Simple, right? Oy vey. In an act of desperation after endlessly searching for the perfect setting, I made an impulsive decision to “upgrade” my diamond at the store where we purchased the original ring/diamond. Of course you know the story – I received credit for the original purchase price of the diamond as long as the price of the new diamond was worth at least twice the original. I became so eager during this “one day event” to select my new piece because an onsite jeweler could have my ring ready that day. Later at home, to my dismay, I realized I had chosen unwisely. The sales associate said it would be no problem to exchange…and here begins the next chapter. Now during this next visit to the store I decided to put the money I would have spent on the setting into an even larger diamond than I had previously selected. I selected a .59ct, G color, SI1 round “signature” cut and really love the brilliance of the new stone even though I obviously overspent. The problem now was that I could not find one single setting that I admired. I asked about bringing in a setting that their jeweler could set my new stone into, but I was stoutly discouraged to do so since apparently the diamond warrantee would then be null and void. I was at an impasse, because now I could not back out of the diamond upgrade and just walk away since my trade-in stone had already been “sent to corporate” and “this problem had never come up before.” That meant that I would either have to leave with my new diamond in a plastic zip-lock bag, or just settle on some blah setting. Well, I chose the later - a non-descript tiffany-style setting. I liked the 4-prong head in particular on this ring since it had a slightly curved appearance as opposed to the typical “V” shape. Now granted, I have a predisposition to nit-pick, but I noticed the head was positioned on the shank somewhat askew. This ring with this style of head was the only one available in the store (and apparently on the planet, since the sales associate said they had to use that exact ring – could not order one). I was told the off-site jeweler was exceptionally gifted and could make it look perfect. After waiting three days for my diamond to be set, the askew nature of the head was still not fixed. Now it’s out for another three days while the jeweler sets a new head. I can live with this plain setting for a while because I really want that diamond on my hand, but there are intricate nuances to these assembly-line-tiffany-style settings that really bother me. Please advise…am I the only person out there who is disenchanted with the way the ends of the shank “bevel” in to meet the head? The shank of the ring itself does meet nicely against my plain gold band, but there is an obvious gap in the area where the head is inserted – which in itself appears uneven on either side of the head. Thank you for letting me vent and any insight may well save me thousands spent in therapy.

 

[Carmel]

Just so you know, I realize the err of my ways regarding my previous post. I felt that I had to supply some background in order to justify my quandary. I would still like some opinions on the tiffany-style setting (specifically that “notched out” looking area where the head is mounted into the shank). Again, am I obsessing over this a bit too much? Would a higher-end version of this tiffany-style setting not have these same characteristics? In the end, all I want is the classic look of a narrow-width solitaire diamond ring (yellow gold with white gold prongs) paired up with a classic plain yellow gold wedding band (mine is 5mm wide). I want to eventually add a pave anniversary band (in white gold – for an overall two-tone effect). For such a classic look – why is it so hard to find perfection?

 

[Patty]

Some of the Tiffany style rings have beveled/narrowing type shanks where the head sits and some don't. My original e-ring had the head set on top of a 4mm round band and my rings sat flush to each other. The lower ones tend to have the head set right down into the band and this usually causes some gap between the e-ring and wedding ring. I do not mind the look of a gap...some people do.

Are you unhappy about the gap or does the setting still appear to be uneven?

If you go to the Show Me The Ring forum, you'll see lots of examples of solitares. That may give you more of an idea of the various styles out there.

I think that the classic Tiffany sits pretty low and does not sit up flush to a wedding band unless the wedding band is notched to fit.

Overall, it sounds like you are feeling frustrated with having been rushed and you are not sure about the setting you chose. Maybe the jeweler will get it right this time and then you just have to decide if you can live with a gap!

 

[Patty]

HERE is Superbcert's version of the classic Tiffany style solitare(supposedly VERY close the original Tiffany version). You can see how low the head sits and how that will prevent another band from sitting up flush to it.

 

[Patty]

THIS is an example of an inexpensive "Tiffany" style solitare. It has the straighter prongs than the curved ones in my previous post.

 

[Carmel]

I dare say, Patty, that the second example (of the "inexpensive" Tiffany-style ring with straigher prongs) is almost precisely what mine will be like. In my mind's eye, though, all I can see is what is bothering me - and not the good stuff. Yes, I have a level of frustration in that I allowed myself to be rushed - good insight on your part. I guess it's all fixable, though. I'll just keep searching for the perfect setting. I have looked at numerous styles all over the internet and on this site, and still come back to the classic "Tiffany" setting. I prefer a four-prong head, but don't really like the sharpness of the "inexpensive" styles...I would opt for prongs with a slight bit of curvature (like the original Tiffany six-prong), but I haven't seen any curved four-prong heads. Also, I just need validation that the notched out area where the head fits into the ring is acceptable. I guess I also feel like I didn't use my best consumer sense when I initiated this purchase, and now I have to accept my misfortunes. Is it common business practice for a store to discourage someone from using a setting other than what they provide?

 

[Patty]

First of all, I think that $220 for that setting is "inexpensive" not "cheap" lol.

I would suggest that you try wearing it for a while and see if the gap bothers you or if you get used to it. You can take your time looking at various settings so that you can be VERY sure when you select one without feeling rushed.

Sometimes the things that bother you at first later become no problem. And if you're really obsessed like some of us, things that seem fine at first later end up bothering you.

 

[rms]

Is what you want a simple "tiffany-like" e-ring where the head sits on top of the shank such that your bands can site flush against each other? I am somewhat new to this forum and this kind of information, but my e-ring is currently exactly like that (with 4 prongs, although not curvy like you seem to wish for) and I have been told that this is called a "peg head" type of setting. The experts may correct me if I am wrong. I would think you should be able to find a similar setting pretty easily. I myself am looking to buy a new setting and think I have finally made my choice, but until I get it, I love my way simple 2 mm band. The new setting I am looking at getting actually also has a peg head 4 prong setting for the e-ring.

 

[Carmel]

Thank you Patty and Rita for your time spent helping me. And, well, I have given some thought to the peg head setting idea, as I realize that would satisfy my need to have the two rings sit flush against one another with no gap. My real desire, though, is for the head to erupt gradually from the ring. I have spent quite some time browsing the Stuller site for different head and shank options. If need be I could probably piecemeal together something to my liking, but I’d rather find a ring setting that is already in existence. I’m probably just obsessing and in the long run the typical “Tiffany” setting will be fine – even if it does have minute notches. I will most likely take Patty’s suggestion and just see if that setting doesn’t grow on me. I am still somewhat worried that the setting I purchased is not as good of quality as could be had…as I only paid $85 (it’s 14k YG with WG prongs - from Ben Bridge). I may approach the sales person on whether there is a higher quality setting of the same style available. I’m still locked into their policy to only have the diamond set into settings they carry (for warrantee purposes). This really limits my choices, unless I want their jeweler to custom make a piece which I might still be less than happy with. I’m just feeling anxious about making the wrong decision and then having to live with it.

 

[valeria101]

Stuller... isn't the low-set version fo the Solstice model close to what you want ? It sounds that way, at least.

 

[Carmel]

Well, yes, I have contemplated the Stuller Solstice bombe style - but I'd have to see it on. They have two versions - one with a base (a notched out area under the head) and one without a base. The pics on their website are a bit cloudy, so I can't make out all the details as well as I'd like. Is this a common style? In other words, if I asked a jeweler if they carried the "Solstice" style would they even know what I was talking about? I hesitate to special order it from my "national-brand-name" jeweler, because I was told that special orders are not returnable-even in the event I do not approve of it.