#JOTW 80s marquise to 2017 engagement ring!
- Thread starter naivemelody
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naivemelody
Rough_Rock
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Yes! Especially if you're in the bay area you MUST check him out! There are a lot of awesome custom jewelers mentioned on PS, but for this project being able to consult in person made all the difference. Plus it was fascinating to get glimpses of some of his other works in progress - e.g. someone making a literal tennis bracelet, with a gold tennis racket set with a little yellow-green stone as the tennis ball. Rick's wife Wendy is a gemologist, she appraised our stone and took the time to show both of us the stone under magnification, explaining its properties and pointing out identifying inclusions, etc. - so awesome!JDDN said:
Yes, sadly fiance's mom is deceased - I wish I could have shown her this! I agree, I love that her ring "gave" something to both me and him. Thank you!luv2sparkle said:
This is actually the part that took the most editing. The rest of the ring was perfect from version 1, but those long top and bottom prongs had to be stronger/thicker and yet I wanted a certain shape for them as well.Skhii said:
Thank you! And thanks for your help in figuring out this setting too - I hope Niel and farrahlyn also get to see the final product since I really benefited from your and their advice!distracts said:
HalfMoon5291
Rough_Rock
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Amazing design! I love a stone with a story... you must be thrilled 
The "standard" solitaire setting used for most marquis and pear shaped diamonds is so homely and does nothing to accentuate the beautiful properties of such cuts. But THIS - this setting should be the new standard for how marquis solitaires are set! I love how the split shank gives the band a tapered look, but still looks feminine. Some "tapered" designs can be too heavy but this is perfection. Congratulations on making your vision come to life. It was worth the effort!
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What a lovely Marquise!!! The new setting showcased the diamond well!! Congrats and enjoy!! It looks Gorgeous on your hand!!
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TDF!!! What a beautiful job!!! It's so feminine, classic & fits you like a glove!! Marquise are so different, and I'd imagine, difficult to customize; it seems jewelers hesitate to take on super creative projects like yours, which is a shame. I'm so thrilled you found a jeweler who not only embraced your idea, but who worked diligently to bring your idea to fruition, and give your Diamond a whole new look!! She is something very special!So happy it's here! My engagement ring and custom setting is everything I hoped for!
About the diamond:
It all started with my fiance's mom's ring from the 80s - marquise cut on a super-wide yellow gold band. She was a real glamour girl with refined taste - fiance told me she sent back at least one stone that the jeweler had sourced for this ring, so basically she was a PSer at heart. I'm so glad she left us this 1.87ct F SI2 sparkler - it's bigger than I would have felt comfortable picking for myself, but not so big that I think it'll draw unwelcome attention. Granted I know nothing about diamonds, but I have 20/10 vision and honestly can't see any of the inclusions from the top view. You can see the original setting in previous threads here and here.
About the setting:
I knew I wanted to reset it, and agreed with my fiance that we should do it as a solitaire. I searched high and low for a satisfactory premade setting, but the options for marquise are nonexistent compared to round! With some encouragement from PS, we decided to go custom, because I had a fairly specific concept of what I wanted.
I was inspired by the marquise shape, which reminded me of a gothic arch, and by a family ring (pearl in a 4-prong belcher setting) which reminded me of a romanesque vaulted ceiling. I wanted the setting to be like an upside-down gothic vaulted ceiling with six "columns" as the prongs - with the marquise/gothic shape reflected everywhere. Here's a previous thread about the setting, with drawings.
So, we got dressed up and went to a reputable (fancy) local jeweler, who trashed my idea because it wouldn't sit flush with a straight band, didn't seem able/willing to help with the design at all, and scoffed at our idea of recycling the yellow gold from the original setting into wedding bands. Luckily I found Rick of Wenrics, who understood immediately what I was going for, and even said that he woke up in the night thinking about how he'd create this ring after I emailed him my drawings. I'm also really glad he recommended X1 white gold - I prefer gold over platinum, but wanted to avoid the maintenance of rhodium plating. He even specializes in recycling jewelry, so of course he made us both fantastic yellow gold wedding bands from the original setting. The process took longer than I'd hoped, but after five revisions I gave him the go-ahead to cast the ring, and now it's finally here!
My ring has all the elements I wanted, and it even sits perfectly against my straight wedding band! I can't stop staring!
(just realized my "fire shot" features a big greasy fingerprint... lovely)
Side note: to answer your question about how to wear your rings together...your wedding band goes on first, and the ER goes on top. The wedding band is always worn closest to your heart. Anniversary bands stack on top of the wedding band, and the ER sits on top of the stack. Just thought I'd throw that out there...lol!
Curious: have you given your diamond a name? I started a thread, yesterday, on that very topic. I've noticed a LOT of people name their stones, so I started a thread. You are more than welcome to check it out. I'd be curious to know, if you decide to name her, if you'd name her after your MIL.
May you forever wear her in good health. Many blessings to you both for a lifetime of happiness!!
...CRM
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Sensational!!! Worth the wait.
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Beautiful- the ring and diamond have a big presence but still look elegant in the setting -and with the wedding band. Well done!
Holls0119
Rough_Rock
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- Aug 4, 2016
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Beautiful!!!So happy it's here! My engagement ring and custom setting is everything I hoped for!
About the diamond:
It all started with my fiance's mom's ring from the 80s - marquise cut on a super-wide yellow gold band. She was a real glamour girl with refined taste - fiance told me she sent back at least one stone that the jeweler had sourced for this ring, so basically she was a PSer at heart
About the setting:
I knew I wanted to reset it, and agreed with my fiance that we should do it as a solitaire. I searched high and low for a satisfactory premade setting, but the options for marquise are nonexistent compared to round! With some encouragement from PS, we decided to go custom, because I had a fairly specific concept of what I wanted.
I was inspired by the marquise shape, which reminded me of a gothic arch, and by a family ring (pearl in a 4-prong belcher setting) which reminded me of a romanesque vaulted ceiling. I wanted the setting to be like an upside-down gothic vaulted ceiling with six "columns" as the prongs - with the marquise/gothic shape reflected everywhere. Here's a previous thread about the setting, with drawings.
So, we got dressed up and went to a reputable (fancy) local jeweler, who trashed my idea because it wouldn't sit flush with a straight band, didn't seem able/willing to help with the design at all, and scoffed at our idea of recycling the yellow gold from the original setting into wedding bands. Luckily I found Rick of Wenrics, who understood immediately what I was going for, and even said that he woke up in the night thinking about how he'd create this ring after I emailed him my drawings. I'm also really glad he recommended X1 white gold - I prefer gold over platinum, but wanted to avoid the maintenance of rhodium plating. He even specializes in recycling jewelry, so of course he made us both fantastic yellow gold wedding bands from the original setting. The process took longer than I'd hoped, but after five revisions I gave him the go-ahead to cast the ring, and now it's finally here!
My ring has all the elements I wanted, and it even sits perfectly against my straight wedding band! I can't stop staring!
(just realized my "fire shot" features a big greasy fingerprint... lovely)
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- Aug 15, 2017
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I am going through the same issue! I love the fact that you went with the v prong setting which is what I am looking at doing as well! The ring is a family heirloom that belonged to my mother-in law, she unfortunately passed before I met my husband and she split her jewelry between her sons. She had very good taste in jewelry but by today's standards it is dated.
naivemelody
Rough_Rock
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- Nov 2, 2016
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Wow so cool to see this thread is still going - and relevant to others! I've read every one of these amazing comments over and over, I'm still blown away that y'all so get and appreciate this piece thank you very much!
I am happily married now so I think that calls for more pics! The wedding band helps the e-ring sit a little straighter, but I think I still need to get the e-ring sized down a touch - big knuckle problems.
Maybe I have cheap taste but my ideal look would actually have been silver - too bad it's not as durable, because I think that shiny white-white would be so perfect for a colorless stone (for like 1 day until it tarnished haha)
thank you very much!I am happily married now so I think that calls for more pics! The wedding band helps the e-ring sit a little straighter, but I think I still need to get the e-ring sized down a touch - big knuckle problems.
Thanks for the info! Now that I've worn it I realize there's also a very practical logic to wearing the ER on top - so it's easier to take on and off when the need arises, haha. Would you believe I replied to your awesome name post the same day without even seeing this post! Great mindsTDF!!! What a beautiful job!!! It's so feminine, classic & fits you like a glove!! Marquise are so different, and I'd imagine, difficult to customize; it seems jewelers hesitate to take on super creative projects like yours, which is a shame. I'm so thrilled you found a jeweler who not only embraced your idea, but who worked diligently to bring your idea to fruition, and give your Diamond a whole new look!! She is something very special!
Side note: to answer your question about how to wear your rings together...your wedding band goes on first, and the ER goes on top. The wedding band is always worn closest to your heart. Anniversary bands stack on top of the wedding band, and the ER sits on top of the stack. Just thought I'd throw that out there...lol!
Curious: have you given your diamond a name? I started a thread, yesterday, on that very topic. I've noticed a LOT of people name their stones, so I started a thread. You are more than welcome to check it out. I'd be curious to know, if you decide to name her, if you'd name her after your MIL.
May you forever wear her in good health. Many blessings to you both for a lifetime of happiness!!
...CRM
Thank you! It's Stuller X1 white gold, 14k. I wanted gold for the non-patina shine, and because I'm wearing it with a gold band.
Maybe I have cheap taste but my ideal look would actually have been silver - too bad it's not as durable, because I think that shiny white-white would be so perfect for a colorless stone (for like 1 day until it tarnished haha)
Such a fun problem to have right?! Very similar situation - my MIL also passed before I got to know her (talked to her only once). I wanted to avoid the v-prongs at first actually, since it kinda bugged me to have two different prong shapes on the same stone, but the shape of the basket ended up going seamlessly into Vs there anyway, so I'm happy with how it fits into the design. They're the safest anyway so it's a good way to go!
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Wow so cool to see this thread is still going - and relevant to others! I've read every one of these amazing comments over and over, I'm still blown away that y'all so get and appreciate this piece
I am happily married now so I think that calls for more pics! The wedding band helps the e-ring sit a little straighter, but I think I still need to get the e-ring sized down a touch - big knuckle problems.
Thanks for the info! Now that I've worn it I realize there's also a very practical logic to wearing the ER on top - so it's easier to take on and off when the need arises, haha. Would you believe I replied to your awesome name post the same day without even seeing this post! Great minds
Thank you! It's Stuller X1 white gold, 14k. I wanted gold for the non-patina shine, and because I'm wearing it with a gold band.
Maybe I have cheap taste but my ideal look would actually have been silver - too bad it's not as durable, because I think that shiny white-white would be so perfect for a colorless stone (for like 1 day until it tarnished haha)
Such a fun problem to have right?! Very similar situation - my MIL also passed before I got to know her (talked to her only once). I wanted to avoid the v-prongs at first actually, since it kinda bugged me to have two different prong shapes on the same stone, but the shape of the basket ended up going seamlessly into Vs there anyway, so I'm happy with how it fits into the design. They're the safest anyway so it's a good way to go!
Oh I didn't know they are a safer choice! I just really like the low profile against in the stone but that is good to know! They do seen to protect the tips differently than common prongs.
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