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Steven Kirsch Cushion Halo

razorweb

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 29, 2011
Messages
4
First of all, thanks to all of you for all your help. I didn't do a lot of posting, but I did a LOT of reading. This post is the culmination of all of that effort. As a guy, I had absolutely no experience buying diamonds before. What I learned was that the diamond industry is ironically opaque, and you have to be incredibly careful. I am sharing my entire experience with you so that others can learn from my experience.

How I found the stone. I live in NYC, which makes things a lot easier. I started out with recommendations from friends who have bought diamonds in the past. I started out knowing only that my fiancee wanted a cushion. From there, I did everything I could to learn as much as I can about the characteristics of the stone that mattered to me, beyond the rudimentary four C's. After a ton of research I decided that I wanted a cushion brilliant with good symmetry. I went to several dealers I met through friend recommendations, as well as others I learned of through this site (among others, Leon Mege). Ultimately, I went with Chick Polak. He and his wife Nisa were incredibly patient with my difficult request, which was a proportional (1.07 ratio or better) cushion brilliant 3cts or larger and G SI1 or better. It took about 3-4 months to find the stone. Chick learned what I was looking for over time (to be honest, it was a learning process for me as well), which he was generous with. I learned a lot about how to pick a diamond from him and his wife. I decided I wanted a cushion brilliant because in normal cushions, you tend to lose sight of facets in favor of increased brilliance. I liked clear facets because they look more like a round. found that cushion brilliants were rarer than normal cushions, and that proportional cushions were rarer still, and 3 cts and up made the search even more difficult. In retrospect, I can't imagine a better team to search with. Shoot me a pm if you want his contact info. Leon also has great antique cushions if that is what you are into.

The setting. After I got the stone, the effort turned to finding a setter. To me, there were really only two options: Leon Mege, and Steven Kirsch. I met with both of them. I found that personality-wise, I got along better with Steven. Both were great. Leon wanted to do it Leon's way (after all, he is incredibly good at what he does), whereas Steven really spent a lot of time with me to meet my exacting standards (I wanted a setting which would allow a wedding ring to sit flush beside it, with very exposed pave). I also felt more sure that Steven himself would be doing the work, whereas I wasn't as certain with Leon. We spent hours drawing up the design, then he showed me something in CAD. I can't say enough about Steven's courtesy and politeness. The appraiser I used, David Wolf, was particularly impressed with the workmanship.

I put a couple of hidden stones underneath as well. I went for curved stems, a single pave on the halo and on the ring. You can barely see the metal anywhere on this ring. I'll try to find some more pics that show perspective if I can.

For the engagement, I took her on a surprise trip to Paris. Hope this is helpful, and feel free to ask any questions below.

20110826-color_checker_blk_(439_of_1).jpg

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20110826-color_checker_blk_(440_of_1).jpg
 

canuk-gal

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 19, 2004
Messages
23,846
HI:

Oh....please provide handshots! How was Paris...we are going shortly.....

cheers--Sahron
 

Lotus99

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jan 25, 2012
Messages
390
It's a beautiful ring, and shows how much time, effort and thought you put into it. Congratulations on your engagement!
 

MissGotRocks

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 23, 2005
Messages
14,341
Very beautiful but we need lots more pictures - especially handshots!

Please tell us about this stone that you ultimately ended up with!
 

Laila619

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Messages
11,676
Beautiful ring, congrats!!

And Paris, wow. How nice!
 

Enerchi

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Oct 4, 2011
Messages
10,658
WOW!!! it is gorgeous - all your hard work and effort really paid off! It is a stunning ring- must be spectacular on her hand. I hope we can get some hand shots to view!!
 

tyty333

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Dec 17, 2008
Messages
25,387
Gorgeous! Congrats!
 

Skippy123

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 24, 2006
Messages
24,299
what an incredible ring, congrats :love: :appl:
 

onedrop

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 24, 2006
Messages
2,216
What a stunning ring!! Enjoy it!
 

mimi72

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Feb 2, 2011
Messages
194
Lovely!!! :appl: :appl: :appl:
What are the final stats on the stone? I had never even heard of a "cushion" brilliant. I guess it's a brilliant cut/faceting pattern with a more squarish shape? Gorgeous ring, lucky fiance!!
 

Phdecorate

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Nov 7, 2011
Messages
352
It is beautiful and I am sure she appreciated all of your hard work to make it perfect. Congratulations!
 

Madison2

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 27, 2012
Messages
507
Your ring is gorgeous! Do you mind sharing what vendor in New York you purchased the center stone from?
 

CharmyPoo

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 10, 2004
Messages
7,007
Another wonderful job by Steeven Kirsch. This has become one of my favorite designs.
 

chloecro

Rough_Rock
Joined
Mar 16, 2012
Messages
58
I also live in NYC and would love Chick Polak's info. That's a beautiful ring.
 

BubblesnFun

Rough_Rock
Joined
May 15, 2011
Messages
28
Beautiful ring!!! :appl: :appl: :appl: I am sure your finace is thrilled!... And a surprise trip to Paris no less for the proposal... SIMPLY PERFECT! :twirl: I must say, I LOVE that you were able to combine the curved pave stems with being able to wear a wedding band flush! I have browsed through countless posting and have never seen that ingenuity on the basket. Genius! Congratulations on the engagement; All the best on your lives together! :wavey:
 

Madison2

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 27, 2012
Messages
507
I love the stone on this gorgeous ring! Please share with me where you found that gorgeous stone! I live in NYC and I would love to visit chick and his wife.

Please tell me :D
 
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