1.25 Round diamond too small for a halo?

[jwcjewelry]

Hi, I currently have a G color 1.25 ACA (7mm) round diamond. It’s set in a simple 6 prong solitaire, but I would like something with a little more style. I’m thinking about having it set in a soft cushion halo or a round halo. Right now I’m leaning towards brilliantly engaged, but I’m open to checking out others like Idj... I love on the east coast and I definitely want to see it in person. I’m wondering if a halo would overwhelm a 7mm stone visually? What do you guys think? I can wait a couple years and upgrade to a slightly bigger stone maybe 1.70ish carats or keep my current stone. I don’t want to go too big. My finger is a size 4. Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[cokitty]

Both wait on the 1.7 and then have Steven Kirsch set it for you.
Have a look at @Logan Sapphire VC Emilya ring.
Her finger is a smidge smaller than yours at 3.75 and she has a charming halo ring that she quite enjoys. Her stone is also a little bigger than your. 1.35 G SI2 Her ring is well balanced, I think the key is to find a vendor you have faith in to get the proportions just right.

 

[soxfan]

nooooooo it's not too small for a halo!

 

[meely]

I think it would look lovely, I looked at that size of round brilliant myself with a very small delicate halo although I ultimately went for a totally different option. My finger is bigger than yours at 4.75. From recollection there is at least one thread with a diamond of that size in a vc emilya, might be worth having a look for?

 

[whitewave]

Not all all! Halo away!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

It's not too small, but I absolutely would not invest in an expensive setting if you think there is any chance you'd like to upgrade your diamond. Do the upgrade first, then do the nice setting!

 

[HDer]

I'm going to ask a different question: Are you or a loved one suffering from DSS? DSS is a potentially serious condition with expensive complications.

Seriously though: I agree that putting a halo on a 1.25 carat diamond would be lovely but it may not be a cure for DSS so if you think you have a serious case you may want to wait until you upgrade the stone first.

 

[yssie]

I'm going to ask a different question: Are you or a loved one suffering from DSS? DSS is a potentially serious condition with expensive complications.

 

[kindred]

It is not too small for a halo. 1 ct or smaller can look great in a halo as long as the proportions are good. But if you're thinking of upgrading in a couple of years, I would suggest waiting. It would be a shame to buy a new setting and not be able to use it for very long.

 

[KaeKae]

I have no doubt that your stone will look beautiful in a halo.
The halo in my profile picture is a .35ct cushion. And, in this picture, it's stacked with a 4mm wide gold band and a 1.5/2mm wide pave band. I'll let you decide what works for your eyes, but I'm very happy with the setting.

 

[cokitty]

I misread the original question.

If the setting could make this your forever stone, yes go halo. It is not too small. If you aren't sure I would hesitate only because settings are expensive and you cannot trade them in. (Disclosure of bias here, I love a good solitaire.)
Treysar's

Metros ring is smaller than yours but still nice as well.

 

[Donnass117]

My diamond is a bit larger, it it slightly under 2 carats, but I think it looks very big, so I think 1.25 would actually look great with a halo. Mine was made by Maytal Hannah, it's a round diamond with a cushion border. You finger is small so it will make the overall ring look bigger on you, i'm a size 6.5.

 

[msop04]

I agree that a halo would look great with your current 1.25 ct stone... However, it sounds like you have plans to upgrade to a larger diamond. For that reason, I would forgo the expensive setting until you have upgraded... at least until you feel like it will be a long time until you do a 2nd upgrade anyway.

 

[jwcjewelry]

Both wait on the 1.7 and then have Steven Kirsch set it for you.
Have a look at @Logan Sapphire VC Emilya ring.
Her finger is a smidge smaller than yours at 3.75 and she has a charming halo ring that she quite enjoys. Her stone is also a little bigger than your. 1.35 G SI2 Her ring is well balanced, I think the key is to find a vendor you have faith in to get the proportions just right.

Oh my goodness! What a gorgeous ring! Thanks for sharing!! I love the proportions between the stone and pave around it! Just out of curiosity, why do you recommend Steven Kirsch over another vendor?

 

[jwcjewelry]

My diamond is a bit larger, it it slightly under 2 carats, but I think it looks very big, so I think 1.25 would actually look great with a halo. Mine was made by Maytal Hannah, it's a round diamond with a cushion border. You finger is small so it will make the overall ring look bigger on you, i'm a size 6.5.

Wow!! Your ring is stunning!!

 

[jwcjewelry]

I agree that a halo would look great with your current 1.25 ct stone... However, it sounds like you have plans to upgrade to a larger diamond. For that reason, I would forgo the expensive setting until you have upgraded... at least until you feel like it will be a long time until you do a 2nd upgrade anyway.

If I upgrade it would be slight and I would probably drop down in color 1 grade. I’m not sure if it’s worth it. I would be going from 7mm stone to 7.6ish which I can definitely see the difference, but I’m not sure if it would make sense. I’m already on my 3rd stone

 

[jwcjewelry]

I'm going to ask a different question: Are you or a loved one suffering from DSS? DSS is a potentially serious condition with expensive complications.

Seriously though: I agree that putting a halo on a 1.25 carat diamond would be lovely but it may not be a cure for DSS so if you think you have a serious case you may want to wait until you upgrade the stone first.

Lol! So what’s the cure for DSS? I wouldn’t mind going a little bigger, but I do love my stone.

 

[jen2mc]

My diamond is a bit larger, it it slightly under 2 carats, but I think it looks very big, so I think 1.25 would actually look great with a halo. Mine was made by Maytal Hannah, it's a round diamond with a cushion border. You finger is small so it will make the overall ring look bigger on you, i'm a size 6.5.

This is stunning! Do you have any posts about this ring?

 

[HDer]

Lol! So what’s the cure for DSS? I wouldn’t mind going a little bigger, but I do love my stone.

I'm not sure there is a known cure. Some suggest putting away your ring for a few days. Maybe leaving it with a jeweler to be cleaned. However, in most cases I think the DSS comes back. Even buying a bigger stone is not a permanent answer. We have forum members with 5 carat or bigger stones who are still suffering from the effects of DSS. One thing that is not advised is viewing the posts of your fellow DSS sufferers. The research on this is still preliminary, but it appears that DSS may be contagious. You may find yourself spending countless hours on the preloved forums or eBay auctions, and then later selling off your acquisitions to fund new projects. This sort of binge and purge behavior is a symptom of the disease at a late stage, and unfortunately most of us will end up there eventually.

 

[cokitty]

Oh my goodness! What a gorgeous ring! Thanks for sharing!! I love the proportions between the stone and pave around it! Just out of curiosity, why do you recommend Steven Kirsch over another vendor?

@jwcjewelry The ring in these photos is from Victor Canera, I hope that wasnt unclear.
I recommend SK for custom work because the is the vendor I have had the best results with.
Leon Mege- I have been happy with the vast majority of his work but his temperament can be frustrating. Though I must admit when I met with him he was always easy going with me with the exception of two projects and it was enough to put me off.
Victor Canera- I only did one project with him. I tried him because he was less expensive than SK or LM for the same project. The workmanship was not up to standard and I wont return. Logan Sapphire and others have been thrilled with his work and he has a very loyal following. I think his niche may be pave and asking him to do a ring without it and where proportions were critical was a poor choice on my part.
David Klass- I used him once for a project for my younger sister before he became known on PS. I was not keen on the gaps between the bezel and the stone or the uneven metal work on the reverse. (see below.) It seems like the quality of his benchwork has improved in the last decade and I might give him another chance on a smaller project to dip my toes back in the water.

Steven Kirsch- Easy to work with, reasonably responsive to emails. Happy with the final products. He has gotten more expensive with time and I think the cost of his work can be prohibitive. If I want something that I expect to be an heirloom piece or one with heavy wear I would put SK at the top of the list. I am not sure I would recommend him for a temporary setting as it would seem a waste.

 

[jwcjewelry]

@jwcjewelry The ring in these photos is from Victor Canera, I hope that wasnt unclear.
I recommend SK for custom work because the is the vendor I have had the best results with.
Leon Mege- I have been happy with the vast majority of his work but his temperament can be frustrating. Though I must admit when I met with him he was always easy going with me with the exception of two projects and it was enough to put me off.
Victor Canera- I only did one project with him. I tried him because he was less expensive than SK or LM for the same project. The workmanship was not up to standard and I wont return. Logan Sapphire and others have been thrilled with his work and he has a very loyal following. I think his niche may be pave and asking him to do a ring without it and where proportions were critical was a poor choice on my part.
David Klass- I used him once for a project for my younger sister before he became known on PS. I was not keen on the gaps between the bezel and the stone or the uneven metal work on the reverse. (see below.) It seems like the quality of his benchwork has improved in the last decade and I might give him another chance on a smaller project to dip my toes back in the water.

Steven Kirsch- Easy to work with, reasonably responsive to emails. Happy with the final products. He has gotten more expensive with time and I think the cost of his work can be prohibitive. If I want something that I expect to be an heirloom piece or one with heavy wear I would put SK at the top of the list. I am not sure I would recommend him for a temporary setting as it would seem a waste.

Thank you for taking the time to give me such a detailed response. This is very helpful!

 

[HappyNewLife]

I think it would look amazing in a VC Emilya! I'm not sure I'd personally wear a haloed ring, but if I were, that's the setting I'd buy

 

[Kaycee2018]

Not my photos, but I happened to find these while doing a search. The bottom ring in the first photo and the ring in the second photo show a 1 ct haloed. I think it looks lovely, but I agree with the others that if you are considering upgrading in the future, probably not wise to invest in halo-ing now IMO. I'd put those funds towards a big, fat juicy upgrade instead GL!

 

[MamaBee]

I agree that if you plan to upgrade later because you would prefer a bigger stone..then wait and don’t do the halo now. I do think you would be surprised how much bigger your 1.25 stone set in a halo will look. I think you should visit some jewelry stores just
to get a visual. You may be happy with the finger coverage and keep the stone. Do the same thing with a larger stone..the size you are thinking of upgrading to and see how you feel about the size on your finger. I have a 2.03 diamond for my engagement ring without a halo..but I have a .25 round diamond in a cushion shape halo on my right hand and it appears much bigger than .25..

 

[shoechick]

I just recently upgraded the center stone in my double shank halo. Went from 1.01 to 1.25.

Definitely not too small!!

But DSS is very real!! I'm already wishing I could have upgraded to a bigger stone but this setting wouldn't allow it. I only got this setting a couple years ago and it's beautiful and I love it but now that I have the bigger stone, I can't upgrade anymore unless I buy a new band.

And trust me, it only took a couple days before DSS started creeping in. I've even tried staying off this site the last couple weeks to kind of let the "fever" cool down a bit. The struggle is real!

I've never worn a plain solitaire before. My prior ring had side stones. However I'm starting to think in another year (DH, cover your ears ) I will go for a simple knife edge band and upgrade to a bigger stone.

My point is, if you plan to keep the diamond...then rock that halo!!! It will look fabulous!!! But, if there is ANY chance you will want to upgrade to a bigger stone in the future, hold off for now.

 

[shoechick]

Wow, that pic is super large. Sorry about that. I'm challenged with technology.

 

[Logan Sapphire]

@cokitty mentioned my ring above (thanks!) and I also wanted to echo that if you are thinking of upgrading, I wouldn’t spend the money on an expensive halo setting.

Here is my halo at 1.35ct vs a solitaire with 1.5 ct stone. Even next to my sister’s spready 2ct, mine definitely looks bigger, but the eye is drawn to the entire ring as opposed to the single stone of a solitaire.

 

[AdaBeta27]

I think a 1-1.25ct diamond is a prime candidate for a halo. I personally prefer the bolder Art Deco halos with larger stones and I don't care much for the delicate lacy halos that almost "disappear". But lots of PS-ers like those. This ring I attached photos of is only a 6.3mm diameter diamond. (OEC) On a size 5.25 finger. It's not the greatest diamond, and the halo is a Shenoa setting I bought on ebay in 2004. But the photos don't do it justice, and I get compliments on this ring wherever I go. In the real world, a 1ct diamond or 1.25 ct that's superbly cut is not all that common and might even be considered "large." ymmv But my opinion is essentially that large ideal-cut diamonds are better appreciated as solitaires as opposed to "cluttered up" by a halo. And smaller stones are ideal candidates for halos to give them more mass and presence.

 

[msop04]

If I upgrade it would be slight and I would probably drop down in color 1 grade. I’m not sure if it’s worth it. I would be going from 7mm stone to 7.6ish which I can definitely see the difference, but I’m not sure if it would make sense. I’m already on my 3rd stone

0.6 mm is a big difference... however, since this is your third stone, I wouldn't buy an expensive halo setting. It sounds like you will upgrade some more, so I would wait until you get to a point that you know you won't/can't upgrade for a while.

 

[msop04]

I've never worn a plain solitaire before. My prior ring had side stones. However I'm starting to think in another year (DH, cover your ears ) I will go for a simple knife edge band and upgrade to a bigger stone.

This is exactly what I did... had a 2.43 ct in a cushion halo, then upgraded to a 3.33 ct soli in a sleek knife edge setting.